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| Rosalie on
the edge of the Namib Desert |
Rosalie has spent several months doing fieldwork
out in ‘the bush’ – the dry semi-desert that covers southern Africa. Her PhD
field area is in Southern Namibia, and she did her undergraduate mapping project in
the Karoo, South Africa. Here she shares her top travel tips for travelling in southern Africa:
1) Time of year: Visit in their winter (June-Sept). It will be warm and dry during
the day, cool enough to sleep at night, and the insects and snakes will mostly
be in hibernation.
2) Clothing: If you wear shorts, your legs will be covered in cuts from the
spiny plants and you may develop a rash as some of the spines deliver poison.
There are also ticks and biting spiders to worry about. It’s not worth it, even
for tanned legs!
3) Money: The exchange rate between the rand (legal tender in both South
Africa and Namibia) and the pound varies between 11 and 15. If you need to make
a big payment, i.e. for accommodation, ask if you can pay your bill on a day
when the rate is favourable. You could save a lot of money.
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| Leopard
snake basking in the sun on a path in Namibia |
4) Snakes: Tap your hammer on the rocks every few minutes to scare the snakes
away. Watch out for puff adders, as they like to bask in the sun in open
spaces, otherwise known as paths!
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| Flat
tyres are common when driving on gravel roads |
5) Driving: Distances are long and the roads are poor. Make sure you would
feel confident changing a tyre, because flat tyres are common on gravel roads
and there may be no phone signal and no passing cars. The leading cause of
road-deaths in Namibia is a collision with a large animal such as kudu,
normally whilst driving at night. Be prepared to sleep in the car if you break
down or get caught out after sunset.
