Have spent 12 years in Africa, all over the continent. I know all about malaria. I was a cock and stopped taking my pills and paid the price in Uganda in 1996. It took me 3 years to get rid of it, though the attacks lessened in severity over the months after the first attack, but I wasn’t quite right for a long time after. Last positive test was late 1999.
In 2000 my wife and I struggled for 3 days to save a mate on a remote island in the Quirimba Archipelago off the northern Mozambique coast. He was weakened from successive bouts of malaria, not giving a toss about his health and drinking a 750ml bottle of J&B every day for years. We had the training and the meds but he died in the middle of the second day of fevers, *poof* gone, just like that. Nothing more we could have done, we were stuck on the island with an ancient dhow, no comms and the wind blowing very hard in the wrong direction, the sick bloke being the only one who knew how to sail the bloody thing. Quite sobering.
Do what sikamalc says above re clothing and tents except I wouldn’t recommend spraying your clothes with Deet, see below. Take a mozzie net at night plus a few threaded hooks, don’t be shy to put the hook in the ceiling if there isn’t one there already. Sounds like you’ve already got the pills from the quack. Never take anything other than what’s been prescribed by an experienced travel doctor, the prophylaxis differs by region and strain. Lots of G&T on holiday won’t hurt
The larium advice is spot on. It nearly sent me to the loony bin that stuff. Its rarely prescribed these days. I take doxycycline.
You aren’t going to a malaria hotspot. Its a lower risk in the Kruger than much of Africa, but its still a risk. So always take the precautions anyway.
Be aware that 40% Deet will melt plastic safety glasses, I’ve gone through countless pairs of sunglasses because of that stuff. Kinda makes you wonder what its doing to you. I don’t spray my clothes with it. It doesn’t taste nice at all. If you’re bearded like me and enjoy frothy beer, you’ll work that out the first time you wipe your moustache with the back of your hand.
I only wear longs now in the bush, day and night, no matter where I am or how hot it is. I’ll accept sweaty bollox over bites and malaria any day. Fed up being bitten by insects. Take antihistamines, to control the itch and swelling of bites. Anthisan is the best cream for bites.
Discipline and common sense is what stops you catching malaria.
