Next departure to Zambia is coming!
I won’t say a specific date yet, but I’m planning to spend Christmas with CreatIWE Home Family. What do you need to go to Zambia? Let’s prepare Together!
Passport and visa
Your passport must be valid at least 6 months ahead from crossing the Zambian border. Remember about it in advance – getting a new one can take up to 30 days. It is possible to obtain a visa in Zambian Consulate (in Europe: Berlin, London or Rome), online (e-visa) or to get a visa on arrival – in this case you will pay a bit less.
The cost of a single-entry tourist visa is 50$, and a double-entry 80$. Each of them allows you to stay in Zambia within 90 days from the issuing date.
Vaccines
No vaccinations are mandatory when entering Zambia, but you should definitely not ignore the topic! Due to different sanitary conditions and bacterial flora different from European ones, several vaccines are recommended.
Warning! This is not medical advice. Approximately 2 months before departure, you should go to a travel medicine doctor who will properly choose prevention and help us decide individually which vaccines we want to receive.
The most often recommendations, including the ones I have decided to follow, are vaccinations against the following diseases:
- yellow fever (if we arrive from areas threatened by this disease, proof of vaccination may be compulsory)
- hepatitis A
- hepatitis B
- tetanus + diphtheria
If you are at risk of drinking contaminated water or food or plan to visit rural areas such as Linda, you should also be vaccinated for:
- cholera
- typhoid (typhus)
That’s true, that health prevention is pricey. But the costs of vaccines are surely lower than the cost of curing any of the mentioned diseases, and with no doubt, easier to pay than the price of our health.
Malaria
In Zambia, there is a risk of malaria throughout the year, so it is good to think of precautions. As in the case of vaccines, taking antimalarial medications is a personal decision, which should be made after consultation with a doctor. It also depends on the length of stay. Besides that, it is good to have a mosquito net or ensure that it is available in the place where we will sleep.
Take with you (and use!) strong repellent with 50% DEET (active substance), ex. Mugga. That’s very important!
Flight tickets
It is a wonderful feeling to hold in your hand boarding pass for a flight to another hemisphere! Prices of tickets vary, so it’s good to spend a few days searching for the connection if we care about the budget. A round trip can cost us 800 – 1000€. We can also expect one or two changes during over a dozen hours of traveling. Well, the flight to Zambia is an adventure itself!
Other preparations
Preparations do not end with the above. It is important to take care in advance about accommodation at least for the first night. Despite the excitement of traveling, after such a long flight I always dream of a normal bed 😉 We should also check how to get there from the airport to avoid unnecessary stress.
What about other aspects of preparation? What to pack? What are the customs in Zambia? Don’t worry, I will tell about them as well! Prepare together with me on Maggie’s World and Together in Zambia.
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