People and Urban Areas

The vast majority of Africans that you will encounter throughout your journey will delight you with their spontaneous warmth, friendliness, and hospitality. However, like anywhere in the world there are bad elements of society and travelers should avoid exposing themselves to the risk of crime. Classic Africa only works with establishments and service providers that are highly conscious of guest safety, and cautious travelers should experience no problems at all if they follow a few simple guidelines:

• Before walking anywhere from an urban hotel (especially after dark), describe your intended journey to the concierge or receptionist to be sure that your planned route takes you only through safe parts of town. If you need to use a taxi, ask the hotel's concierge or receptionist to order one for you.
• Do not wander around cities with large sums of cash, flashy jewelry or clothing, cameras or camcorders around your neck, or any other conspicuous symbols of wealth that might attract attention. In other words, keep a low profile.
• Travel with as few credit cards as possible. Do not use debit cards, except to withdraw cash at ATM machines in South Africa (some credit cards have the facility to draw cash from ATM machines, and they offer more protection against fraud than debit cards).
• Make sure that the numbers of your traveler's checks are on your receipt, and that this is kept in a safe place. Make copies of your travel documents and leave them with a friend, or with us.
• Always lock your room and leave the key at reception. On safari, leave all valuables locked in the room safe or with the camp manager.
• Never leave luggage unattended in front of your hotel, in the lobby, or at airports.