{"id":6767,"date":"2016-12-27T16:15:26","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T21:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=6767"},"modified":"2020-01-14T06:56:33","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T11:56:33","slug":"staying-safe-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2016\/12\/staying-safe-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Safe in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0<\/h1>

\u00a0<\/p>

Dangerous dudes? Not in our experience.<\/h3>

You want adventure and know Africa\u2019s the place to find it.\u00a0 But when you switch on the news, the stuff coming out of Africa is hardly\u00a0reassuring \u2014coups, famine, civil wars, violent street protests.\u00a0 You\u2019re thinking, \u201cI won\u2019t \u00a0last a day before my bike\u2019s been nicked and my wallet\u2019s gone missing.\u201d<\/p>

Many cyclists write to us about safety issues in Africa. \u00a0They\u2019re worried, just like you.\u00a0 Just like we were before we set off on our cycling expedition.<\/p>

Safer than you imagine<\/h3>

This may come as a surprise, but we rarely felt in danger while cycling in Africa. Having traveled through more than 100 countries, I have confidence in my instincts about what\u2019s safe, and what\u2019s not.
And I don't think this sense of safety came out of naivety or denial of danger.<\/p>

Experience tells me that most of Africa is\u00a0far safer than Latin America, although probably not as safe as many Asian countries.<\/p>

Where the real danger lies.<\/h3>

Big cities in Africa are dangerous.\u00a0 Just like big cities are dangerous all over the world.
Since you\u2019re on a bike tour, you\u2019ll probably want to give most big cities a wide berth.\u00a0 Sometimes, big cities can\u2019t be avoided\u2014you need a visa or you\u2019ve got to stock up on supplies.<\/p>

Don't worry. \u00a0As long as you don\u2019t bike at night or do something really foolish like cycle through a slum and start flashing around a fat wad of cash, you\u2019re unlikely to run into trouble.
Sometimes locals will tell you that a particular stretch of road is known to attract highway bandits.\u00a0 Now if you run into a bunch of these scary guys on a lonely stretch of road, you\u2019re in trouble.\u00a0 Fortunately, bandits in Africa are not known to be particularly violent.\u00a0 You hand over your cash and camera, end of story.
Mostly, staying safe is a question of keeping your wits about you.\u00a0 Don\u2019t play the fearless adventurer by biking through an area that is recovering from civil war, controlled by Islamic militants, or known for unrest.<\/p>

The African psyche<\/h3>

In our experience, Africans are very honest.\u00a0 \u00a0You can leave your fully-loaded bike unlocked while you have lunch or do some shopping and nobody will snatch anything or pedal off into the wild blue yonder.<\/p>

Eric once left his handlebar bag containing his passport, credit cards, expensive camera and loads of cash in a small shop and then rode away.
When he realized his mistake, we hurried back only to find that the shop assistant had already sent out a small boy with Eric's most cherished possessions to track us down. When we finally caught up with the boy, he returned the bag and all its contents.<\/p>

Ask yourself how likely this is to happen in your home city.<\/p>

Extra vigilance required<\/h3>

Nigeria, DRC-Congo, and South Africa are probably the most dangerous countries we traveled through. Nigerians were very friendly towards us, but the tension was palpable in larger cities. It is definitely a violent country, and if you read the newspapers too much or any security warnings from the US State Department, you'll be put off from going there.
The DRC\u00a0is also a country in which you're bound to run into problems if you spend much time there. While the average man on the street is friendly and welcoming, police and military are hyper-corrupt and plenty of former soldiers are now unemployed youths cum thugs.
South Africa has got one of the highest murder rates in the world.\u00a0 \u00a0Most middle-class citizens have barricaded themselves behind burglar bars, electric fences, and intricate alarm systems. \u00a0In spite of this, it\u2019s one of our favorite countries on the entire continent.\u00a0\u00a0 But be vigilant\u2014this is not a country for stealth camping.\u00a0 Again, we avoided rough areas and spent three months in South Africa without encountering security problems.
These days, South Sudan is experiencing famine and many parts of the Maghreb are undergoing tense times. \u00a0Much of Ethiopia is in turmoil and Somalia continues to be a no-go country for Western tourists.<\/p>

The vast majority of individuals we have encountered around the world have been warm and welcoming. \u00a0\u00a0As long as you use common sense, you\u2019ll come home from your Africa cycling expedition with stories of kindness and hospitality, not tales of danger and violence.<\/p>

Really Important<\/h3>

We cycled Africa from 2006-2009. \u00a0Although the way of life in villages probably hasn't changed much in the past decade, political and safety situations can change quickly.
Be sure to get updated information before you travel.<\/p>

More\u00a0Cycling Africa Resources<\/h3>

Check out our brief Guide to <\/a>Bicycle Touring in Africa<\/a> for more links and updated Africa information. This guide was kindly curated by Grace Johnson, editor of Bicycle Traveler Magazine<\/a> and Impressions from Bicycle Travel.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0Dangerous dudes? 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