Overlanding Africa is more of a marathon than a sprint. In the beginning, everyone is eager and full of enthusiasm but as the weeks roll on, many people fall ill and succumb to tiredness or even exhaustion.
However, you don’t have to feel this way and most illness or tiredness is as a result of bad habits. The truth is, it’s easy to splurge on an overland trip and forget about maintaining a decent diet or level of exercise.
Let’s take a look at three easy ways you can avoid getting sick on an overland tour.
3 Easy Ways to Avoid Getting Sick on an Overland Tour
1. Drink Water and Take Rehydration Sachets as Much as Possible
When I first started working as a tour leader in Africa, my boss insisted I arrive with dozens of dehydration sachets. I didn’t especially like the taste of these sachets but they 100% work in terms of avoiding sickness. In fact, dehydration is the number one reason why my guests were feeling unwell.
Just so you know, Berrocca is another excellent item to take on an overland tour. If you feel lethargic or tired on any given day, I recommend taking one in the afternoon and they start working within just an hour or two.
2. Eat Healthy Snacks and Avoid the Junk Food
You have a lot of downtime on an overland tour and many people fill this time with snacking. Unfortunately, chocolate, crisps, sweets and biscuits are almost always the snack of choice and I discourage this whenever possible.
Instead, try to pick up a healthy combination of fruit, nuts and muesli bars. They might not taste as good but trust me, this will help boost your immune system, while leaving you with far more energy for the day ahead.
3. Use Hand Spray and Take a Hand Sanitizer
Every overland truck should have a hand-spray in the kitchen and at every the exit/entry of the truck. Use it. While some people like to ignore this spray, it’s so important in an area as confined as an overland truck.
Aside from this spray, take a hand sanitiser with you and use this often. Africa is not the most hygienic place to travel and this hand sanitizer will definitely reduce the risk of suffering from infection, disease or illness.
That being said, some things just cannot be avoided. For this reason, I cannot emphasise the importance of having good Africa travel insurance which is always needed in the event of a person getting sick on an overland tour.
