Cigarette smoking
 

I am a non-smoker. What is the policy on smoking, if any, while on safari?

The only rule: no smoking in the vehicles (game drives and transfers).

Up to now I have encountered only one game lodge (Sweetwaters, Kenya) where smoking in the dining area was forbidden.

I've heard about some hotels and country lodges in South Africa that have a strict non-smoking policy in their rooms, but not in other countries.

Mitch

At the places I've stayed (South Africa and Botswana), there have been (thankfully) very few smokers, and they were expected to smoke only in open areas (e.g. on the deck, not in the main lounge where other people could be affected). No smoking was allowed in the vehicles and smoking on breaks was strictly monitored because of the fire hazard.

Many hotels and lodges in South Africa do have a strict non-smoking policy in their rooms, as do many restauarants.

Cheers,
Julian

In South Africa, if the hotel or lodge is observing the Law, a dining room should be all non-smoking. Or a separately-ventilated smoking section can be provided, that is not more than 25% of the area.

Most bars and some restaurants are not complying, because the current legislation was not written tightly enough and there are loopholes. And the fines are two low for law enforcement to be bothered. Both these aspects are being addressed in Amendments that are in the works.

But I'd be surprised if any up-market establishment doesn't comply for at least its dining area and its "public" areas. It's more likely to be ignored in a bar area.

"too low"

We are also non-smokers and have not had any problems with fellow smokers - they usually have a smoke at the morning coffee breaks, afternoon sundowners etc and then smoke in the bars or out on the decks of the public areas in the camp - not at the dining table or inside the bar area itself, unless it's a completely open one.

I'm asthmatic and I'm quite sensitive to tobacco smoke. I've only seen one problem with a smoker in a bar on safari (who was told to move out onto the deck by the management).

South Africa is much better than here in the UK or other parts of Europe, where a significant portion of the population is still committing slow suicide.

Cheers,
Julian

Some people are very fast to condemn smokers, while never spending a thought how their kind of sun blocker, insect repellent or eau de toilette disturb the scent of their fellow travelers.
((S))

As far as I know, eau de toilette isn't linked to cancer; smoking is.

Exactly, Avogadro (I've been meaning to ask -- are you a chemist by any chance?)

While cologne is much less of a problem than smoking, it would be nice if someone could remind certain people (in my experience, the main offenders are women of a certain age and men from Italy and Spain) that if people can smell you before they see you, it's a bad sign. There was one Spanish man who put on so much cologne that all the other guests gave him a wide berth.

On the plus side, the highly cologned/perfumed person acts as a mosquito magnet and keeps the rest of us bite-free...

Cheers,
Julian