Next month our daughter, 21, is flying to Lusaka to meet up with friends. She was in Lusaka last year with Sport in Action so we’re not too worried about her flying on her own to Lusaka as we know she’ll be met by friends. They are then going on a three week tour which ends in Nairobi. Our daughter’s friends will be returning to Lusaka but our daughter is booked on an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Heathrow from Nairobi, with a four-hour stop over in Addis Abbaba. Do you have any safety tips/advice for an independent female traveller - particularly in relation to within both Nairobi and Addis Abbaba airports? - Pete Rhind
Times Online Travel gap travel expert Richard Oliver responds: There are a few general guidelines for arriving in a new location:
- Always try and plan your arrival early in the day so that you have time to find your bearings in daylight.
- Before you depart obtain a map of the city and locate the airport in relation to the city centre and/or your accommodation.
- Book your first night’s accommodation in advance. Keep a written record of the address and telephone number. Locate it on the map if you can.
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- Have a written record of the address and telephone number of the British Embassy/High Commission (obtainable through www.fco.gov.uk/travel just in case.
Nairobi
Jomo Kenyatta Airport is about 30 minutes from the city centre. There are plenty of safe reliable taxis to take you into town. A popular first night accommodation site is Upper Hill Campsite, which has dormitory style accommodation close to the city centre. For a small fee Upper Hill Campsite will also arrange to meet you at the airport.
Addis Ababa
If it’s only a four hour stop over then it is probably best to stay within the airport. But if there is a delay and she needs to go into the town she should be aware that the infrastructure in Addis and Ethiopia is far less developed than in Kenya and calls for greater care.
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You are strongly recommended to sign in at the British Embassy as soon as possible after you arrive. You will find a guide invaluable especially to help you navigate the large, bustling market. Yumo Tours is a well established travel operator in Ethiopia and should be able to fix you up with cheap accommodation, (there are several clean, cheap and safe places to stay close to the railway station), provide a guide and offer sound local advice if you decide to travel far afield while in Ethiopia.
Richard Oliver is chief executive of the Year Out Group
Got a question for Richard or any of our other travel experts? Email us at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk