East Africa...anyone been there recently?

Forge

It looks like I may inherit that part of the world as a commercial territory and it will involve visits there so I am looking for input from people having been around Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya in the recent-ish past. The other countries (Sudan, Somalia....etc) in that area are pretty much a no go for me and I am still considering declining and changing job. The first thing my new boss mentioned was a kidnap policy and my wife is going ballistic.

ICBM

Are you likely to be prone to a bad reaction to malaria drugs?

Very serious question. Check up on the side effects before you even consider it. And no, you can't go without.

My daughter has the option of a school trip to east Africa in two years, which is why I'm asking… haven't decided whether to risk it or not yet.

Evilmags

Should be very interesting, but you might want to invest in some guns/bodyguards.

Cirrus

My Grandad worked in Africa with an oil company in the '50s and said it was horrible.

I've noticed there's two kinds of people - the ones who think Africa is an incredible paradise and that the people there are amazing, friendly, welcoming etc... and the ones who think it's a hellhole and wouldn't go if you pointed a gun to their head.

Sometimes you can be both kinds of people.

boogieman

My stepson and his wife are moving out to Malawi to work for a year soon. Needless to say my mrs isn't happy about it, even though they're going to be living and working in a traditionally very quiet area. From what little I know about the place, it seems quite an old school colonial type country and has a fair size ex-pat community. When I hear about kidnapping and the prospective wider spread of Ebola it doesn't make me very comfortable about it though. Bloody kids, eh?

Snap

In the last year I've been to some hairy places, and I'm back to Israel next week. I was there in August, during the latest escalation in Gaza. However, having been to Afrrica, its one place I have no desire whatsoever to go back to. I wouldn't take that job, life's too short to deal with that sort of shite. FFS, a kidnap policy!

THing is, in the iffy parts of Africa, the value of life is very little. Murder is not that shocking or big a deal, life is cheap. Its the one place I have been to, where I have been in genuine fear of my life. This was in Durban. Took a wrong turn and got chased by a gang, on foot. Gangs of blokes at every traffic light, where you can't stop for fear of car jacking, cab drivers with guns, mace, clubs, flame throwers. Gun fire going off 24 7. Nah, fk that.As a white business man in parts of Africa, you may as well have a big placard on your head that says" I've got money, come and get me".

Having said all that (!!) if you are working for a corporate, you will have all the necessary protection and security. I own my business, and we are small, so we sort it all ourselves, or the client does.

Phil_aka_Pip

We're installing products in Uganda right now and due to install more in Tanzania soon. I'm not going.

Forge

Snap said:

In the last year I've been to some hairy places, and I'm back to Israel next week. I was there in August, during the latest escalation in Gaza. However, having been to Afrrica, its one place I have no desire whatsoever to go back to. I wouldn't take that job, life's too short to deal with that sort of shite. FFS, a kidnap policy!

THing is, in the iffy parts of Africa, the value of life is very little. Murder is not that shocking or big a deal, life is cheap. Its the one place I have been to, where I have been in genuine fear of my life. This was in Durban. Took a wrong turn and got chased by a gang, on foot. Gangs of blokes at every traffic light, where you can't stop for fear of car jacking, cab drivers with guns, mace, clubs, flame throwers. Gun fire going off 24 7. Nah, fk that.As a white business man in parts of Africa, you may as well have a big placard on your head that says" I've got money, come and get me".

Having said all that (!!) if you are working for a corporate, you will have all the necessary protection and security. I own my business, and we are small, so we sort it all ourselves, or the client does.

We're only a small company but the boss only has eyes for Africa and its riches atm. Needless to say there will be zero protection. Kidnap is definitely a worry, you can get sold to all sort of unfriendly people at the moment.

Forge

Phil_aka_Pip said:

We're installing products in Uganda right now and due to install more in Tanzania soon. I'm not going.

I'd love to hear about the experience there...these are the countries I am likely to go to along with Rwanda.

randomhandclaps

I think the general rule for westerners visiting Sudan and Somalia currently is just to keep calm and try not to lose your head.

ToneControl

ICBM said:

Are you likely to be prone to a bad reaction to malaria drugs?

Very serious question. Check up on the side effects before you even consider it. And no, you can't go without.

My daughter has the option of a school trip to east Africa in two years, which is why I'm asking… haven't decided whether to risk it or not yet.

many people have severe psychiatric problems from the stronger ant-malarials needed
I tihnk 10% had hallucinations or other dramatic symptoms, it's quite a serious issue

ToneControl

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/exclusive-the-lariam-scandal--mod-ignored-decades-of-warnings-about-dangers-of-suicide-drug-8842496.html

TTony

Forge said:

It looks like I may inherit that part of the world as a commercial territory and it will involve visits there

Wow, you really upset someone.

guitari

Had a friend go to Kenya on business a few years ago (oil & gas industry). Before he left he was called into his boss's office and handed an envelope full of US dollars "to buy yourself out of trouble". 

Started at the airport when he had to pay "fees" for having tools and parts in his luggage, otherwise they would have been confiscated...

holnrew

Fuck that. 

crunchman

ICBM said:

Are you likely to be prone to a bad reaction to malaria drugs?

Very serious question. Check up on the side effects before you even consider it. And no, you can't go without.

My daughter has the option of a school trip to east Africa in two years, which is why I'm asking… haven't decided whether to risk it or not yet.

I went to Tanzania last year to climb Kilimanjaro.  I've got friends who live there long term.  They have had to stop taking the malaria drugs as you are not supposed to take them for more than 2 years.

There are different drugs.  I used Malarone which has less side effects but is more expensive than some of the others.  One of the possible side effects of the cheaper ones was nausea, and given that nausea can be an issue at altitude it seemed more sensible to use Malarone when climbing Kilimanjaro.  Thankfully I did not have problems with altitude sickness.

hungrymark

You may inherit East Africa?!!?

Forge

hungrymark said:

You may inherit East Africa?!!?

Not literally, although my wife always says if I was ever to be a Monarch I would be known as "King Oli the Bastard".

Forge

crunchman said:

ICBM said:

Are you likely to be prone to a bad reaction to malaria drugs?

Very serious question. Check up on the side effects before you even consider it. And no, you can't go without.

My daughter has the option of a school trip to east Africa in two years, which is why I'm asking… haven't decided whether to risk it or not yet.

I went to Tanzania last year to climb Kilimanjaro.  I've got friends who live there long term.  They have had to stop taking the malaria drugs as you are not supposed to take them for more than 2 years.

There are different drugs.  I used Malarone which has less side effects but is more expensive than some of the others.  One of the possible side effects of the cheaper ones was nausea, and given that nausea can be an issue at altitude it seemed more sensible to use Malarone when climbing Kilimanjaro.  Thankfully I did not have problems with altitude sickness.

How did the trip go?

Cirrus

ToneControl;418939" said:

many people have severe psychiatric problems from the stronger ant-malarials needed

I tihnk 10% had hallucinations or other dramatic symptoms, it's quite a serious issue

A good friend of mine has been depressed pretty constantly for the last decade. Obviously it could well be nothing by she was fine until aged 19 she went on a trip to Kenya, took Malaria drugs and had some pretty wierd druggy nights. She does sometimes wonder if that was a trigger that if nothing else caused underlying brain chemestry problems to surface.

VimFuego

Forge said:

Snap said:

In the last year I've been to some hairy places, and I'm back to Israel next week. I was there in August, during the latest escalation in Gaza. However, having been to Afrrica, its one place I have no desire whatsoever to go back to. I wouldn't take that job, life's too short to deal with that sort of shite. FFS, a kidnap policy!

THing is, in the iffy parts of Africa, the value of life is very little. Murder is not that shocking or big a deal, life is cheap. Its the one place I have been to, where I have been in genuine fear of my life. This was in Durban. Took a wrong turn and got chased by a gang, on foot. Gangs of blokes at every traffic light, where you can't stop for fear of car jacking, cab drivers with guns, mace, clubs, flame throwers. Gun fire going off 24 7. Nah, fk that.As a white business man in parts of Africa, you may as well have a big placard on your head that says" I've got money, come and get me".

Having said all that (!!) if you are working for a corporate, you will have all the necessary protection and security. I own my business, and we are small, so we sort it all ourselves, or the client does.

We're only a small company but the boss only has eyes for Africa and its riches atm. Needless to say there will be zero protection. Kidnap is definitely a worry, you can get sold to all sort of unfriendly people at the moment.

can see why you said inherit now...