Every few years, the word Ebola appears in a headline somewhere — usually in large letters, often beside a map of Africa. We understand completely how unsettling that can be, especially for anyone with a journey on the horizon.

So before anything else, a calm word. Outbreaks have historically been confined to a handful of regions — most often in Central and West Africa — typically well removed from the safari regions of Kenya and Tanzania, and thousands of miles from Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Where an outbreak does touch an area travellers visit, we will always tell you directly and adjust plans accordingly. Part of our job, we’ve always felt, is simply to hold the map up and say: look at the actual distances. Africa is not one place.

And there is one fact worth holding onto above the noise. In fifty years of recorded Ebola outbreaks, there has never been a single case of a leisure traveller catching it on safari, in a lodge, on a game drive, or passing through an airport. Not one. Every documented case has involved doctors, nurses, carers and others in direct, hands-on contact with the seriously ill. That is simply not the world of a traveller on holiday.

Which brings us to what this article is really about — not the rare and the frightening, but the small, ordinary realities of staying well on safari, and the people who quietly look after you while you’re here.

Mortimer – ready to assist our travellers in Victoria Falls (even when having lunch)

After almost thirty years of welcoming guests across Africa, we can tell you with some confidence what the biggest health risk on safari usually is. It isn’t a virus with a dramatic name. It’s an upset tummy.

And more often than not, it isn’t the food or the water. Many travellers feel a little off in their first day or two, and the usual culprit is simply dehydration after a very long journey to get here — sometimes with a headache or tiredness along for the ride. The remedy is gentle and unglamorous: stay well hydrated during your flights (with water, that is), and upon arrival drink far more water than you think you need, even on cool days. Tap water is drinkable or clearly marked across most of the region, and bottled water is everywhere.

Staying comfortable in the heat matters in the same gentle way. The African sun is strong, even on cooler days, so alongside that steady intake of water we always recommend packing a hat, sunscreen and lip balm. We know this makes us sound like over-concerned parents…but it’s true.

And for those heading up to trek with the gorillas, the altitude can occasionally bring on a mild headache — almost always settled by keeping hydrated and the odd over-the-counter painkiller.

None of this needs to be daunting. A little preparation turns health from a worry into a non-event:

Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover — this is the one thing we ask of every traveller, without exception. It covers the unlikely but important things, including air ambulance and repatriation.

Vaccinations — it might surprise you that there is only one compulsory vaccination, and it’s only required when visiting Uganda or travelling through particular regions of Kenya. But we understand the desire to be covered ‘just in case’, and we’ll always suggest what your particular journey needs.

Malaria precautions — straightforward to manage with advice from ourselves (through past experience) as well as your GP or travel clinic before you leave.

A small personal medical kit — plasters, antiseptic, something for headaches, rehydration salts and insect repellent cover the vast majority of bush mishaps.

Beyond that, a visit to your local GP or travel clinic is the best way to make calm, informed decisions about your specific needs and the insurance cover that gives you peace of mind.

And you won’t be piecing any of this together on your own. Well before departure, every Compass Odyssey traveller receives a thorough set of pre-safari information — we call it your “Safari Dossier” — covering health, what to pack and the practical details of each country on your route, so you arrive feeling genuinely prepared rather than guessing. For many of our travellers, the reassurance begins long before the first game drive.

Our back-up team in Cape Town is guide extraordinaire Garth (seen here with travellers, Urvi and Harshad) and wife, Fiona.

Here is where being local and on-the-ground stops being a phrase and starts being the whole point. We are not a website that you booked through and won’t hear from again. We’re real people on the ground, close by.

Throughout your journey we’re in regular contact with every guide, driver and lodge looking after you. If you ever feel unwell, there’s no figuring it out alone — there’s a prompt, collective effort to do the right thing, whether that’s simple assistance at your accommodation, a visit to the nearest clinic, or, in the rare case it’s needed, a coordinated medical evacuation.

Travelling on a Compass Odyssey journey means we ‘have your back’ for the entire duration of your trip. You are not on your own, and everyone will be on-hand to assist you.

In the end, this is the reassurance we most want you to carry. We are not reading about Africa from somewhere far away. We live and work here, across the very regions you’ll travel through, and after almost thirty years we know them not as headlines but as home. When the news flattens a whole continent into a single worrying word, we’re the ones who can hold the map up, show you exactly where you’ll be, and tell you honestly what to expect — because we’re already here.

So if a headline ever gives you pause, talk to us before you worry. We’ll always give you the calm, on-the-ground truth — and we’ll be right beside you for every step of the journey.