Expert: Ernest Tufft - 12/28/2006

Question
Thanks for the information. Do you believe it's safe for a young woman to travel alone?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

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I am very interested in your knowledge of travel in Africa. Can you let me know if you have any imformation on on budget (very cheap) backpacking/travel through Africa. Thanks!
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Thank you for the question.  Airfare to Africa is not cheap, but once on ground in West and Central Africa, day to day expenses normally are among the most inexpensive a traveler can find anywhere in the world.  There are certain exceptions to this, but my wife and I found Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali to be easy and cheap to travel through, inspite of fact that we required an air-conditioned room every night.  Don't expect much in terms of comfort and luxury though, except perhaps in the capital cities.  The need for a/c raises the issue of potential for malaria contraction, reminding one that backpacking in subSaharan Africa requires careful planning.  Travelers who contract malaria (an occasionally die) are those who are ill-prepared medically and then put themselves into situations were mosquitoes can bite-- cheap guesthouses with neither a/c, fan, or mosquito net.  The fear of malaria should not deter a healthy traveler from venturing into Africa though, as the simple opportunity to visit with villagers is an experience of a lifetime, and the medical challenges can be met.  There really is no need for specialized tour package as West Africa is by any comparison among the safest regions of the world in terms of personal security.  This may come as a surprise to many, but the hospitality of black Africans is as sincere and honest as one can find anywhere.  Public bus and van transport vehicles may appear battered, but they are generally cheap and reliable.  Incidentally, I actually don't recommend using a "backpack" in travel here, for a variety of reasons.  More detailed information about this issue and others can be found at virtualtourist.com where I have an extensive portfolio of tips and photos for Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mali.

Answer
Yes, I believe so, at least within West Africa.  We found it interesting to see solitary young white women traveling alone on some of the buses we rode.  The bus would be loaded with black faces, and then there would be a single white woman happily traveling as a passenger.  Tourism in West Africa is less than in other regions of the continent, but that's in part what is so great about it for a place to visit.  The people have a wonderful naive quality about them.  We would travel for days without seeing another European or American.  It does help to be able to network effectively, particularly in French speaking nations.  We don't speak French and had to work a little harder to determine the details of accommodations and transportation.  I provide contact information for hosts on my Virtualtourist.com web pages.  We found hosts to take us to and from the airport in Accra, which was important because the first few days orientation is pretty important to getting your bearings.  You don't want to be a dingbat who's uncertain about where she's going.  The African's aren't one to take advantage of people, but they can occupy your time since they have nowhere to go.  You'll want to be clear about you itinerary and what you want to see.  This doesn't mean that you need to have advanced reservations for hotels though, as this really isn't recommended.  You will want to research enough with the travel information on-line and in books to create short lists of places to stay in each town, and then as you get closer to you network a bit and finally come to examine the quality of the room where you will be staying.  And, don't buy a package deal.  If you are young and healthy, you'll find it more fun to network on you own.