Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa has a variety of places to stay from luxury to budget hotel. If you want to spend some time with nature, one of the preferred options include game/safari lodges.

East African cuisine is quite different from the rest of the continent. Majority of their meals consists of grains and tubers that they eat with rice or bread, along with a meat dish. Common ingredients that make up their dishes include yams, millet, sorghum, beans, corn and teff. They usually use spices such as saffron, cloves, and cinnamon to add some flavour. Influences from other cuisines have made Eastern Africa's cuisine more savory and interesting. Portugal has influenced some cooking methods including marinating and roasting of meat. They also brought ingredients like lemons, chillies, tomatoes, pineapple, and bananas. Britain and India added curries and chapattis to the Eastern African cuisine. Common meats include chicken, sheep, goat, beef , and buffalo.

The mosty widely spoken language in Eastern Africa is Swahili. Major reigions in this region are Christianity and Islam. English would be understood by some people as it is one of the offcial languages of many countries. However, majority of the general public doesn't speak it. So, it is best to learn a few phrases before you go.

Don't travel at night, especially alone. Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Avoid areas where demonstrations are being held. Always carry a copy of your passport. Wear long pants and long-sleeved tops to protect yourself from mosquitos. Carry a mosquito repellant. Beware of bag snatchers/pick pocketers. Availability of fuel is fluctuating so you should keep cars topped up and carry sufficient fuel for long journeys.

Some of the best things one can buy in East Africa are handicrafts. You will find a variety of copper, wooden & soapstone carvings, jewellery made of locally mined gemstones gameskin & leather products, pottery & basketwork that travellers love to take back with them. Do visit some of the open markets where you could find almost anything at a cheap price. Sales tax of 10-22% is mostly added to purcheses.

The festivals of Eastern Africa are a unique blend of culture, values, and jubilation. Make sure to stop by if you stumble upon one of these magnificent celebrations. All the art lovers make a note to stop by South Africa's National Arts Festival. Celebrated in Grahamstown, this festival sets up workshops and offers a rich selection of drama, dance, film, visual art and music. Zanzibar hosts one of East Africa's largest film festival: The Zanzibar International Film Festival. Films revolving around a given theme are screened and crowds gather to witness some of Tanzania's best music events, performances, discussion panels, exhibitions, cultural tours and workshops. Pan African Dance Festival (FESPAD) which brings together participants from various countries across the globe brings a huge number of widely known artists including musicians, dancers, poetsÊ and painters from different parts of Africa and across the world. This glamorous event showcases the culture and talent of the participating countries through their performances.

Health facilities are extremely expensive so pay attention to hygeine and sanitation. Malaria is a risk in a lot of countries in East Africa. Make sure to only drink bottled water. Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.Also get vaccines and medicines for Hepatitis A, Typhoid , and Malaria.

Western clothing is worn in the cities but in the rural areas people still wear traditional clothing. People dress conservatively in the Islamic regions. People mostly greet by shaking hands. Close female friends hug and kiss once on each cheek. While greeting an elder, one should hold their right wrist with one's left hand while shaking hands. Tipping is not manadatory but is appreciated.