A good friend who is a vet just returned from a volunteer innoculation program in Malawi. He goes for two weeks every other year and innoculates stock. This year his commercial plane landed but they could not deplane immediately. They were told their luggage would be removed and placed near the plane so they could save time. As they sat there, a group of thugs went through the luggage and selected certain pieces. Upon entering the airport my friend was told his luggage was stolen but probably could be retieved for $25 per bag. He was told this by one of the thugs he watched carting off the bags. My friend complained to a cop and an airline employee and was told that happens and it would be best to pay. In his party was a group of construction men there to build a clinic. These guys threated to take the thugs apart and the bags reappeared mysteriously.
Upon departure while waiting for the ticket counter to open the same thugs they encountered when they arrived offered to take their passports and check them in early because they had great influence. My friend and his group told them to hit the bricks but some other passengers gave them their passports. You guessed it, 25 bucks each to get it back.
The people of Malawi will suffer because my friend has had it and he feels the officials are offering no protection.
It seems Africa is doomed to self desruct!

I've flown through Malawi a few times and my experience each and every time was similar to the one you documented here, except that the focus for me was always my guns and ammo.

Bottom line, everybody you run into wants a bribe -- some of them airport personel and some of them uniformed officers of the "law." I quickly concluded that resisting meant likely disappearance of the guns and I couldn't take that chance over a few small bribes. It's just the way it is in Malawi.

Resisting this kind of thing is one kettle of fish in Jo'burg, quite another in a tiny airport in a remote location, where anything lost would mean a ruined trip.

Fickle, evil, and contemptible conduct is focused on hunters worldwide. This explains why I have forsaken Africa. Africa has become my last thought. After reading posts on several forums I don’t see why anyone supports the current travel environment. Africa just can’t be that important! Scams, extortion, and bribes are "hog-wash". This shows Africa, again, is not a more reasonably priced adventure after all the “total” costs are tallied.

I’m a retired old hunter and I can book several hunts a year anywhere in the world. However, for now, I have decided to retrench to hunts closer to home. If American hunters accept and overlook pathetic travel treatment then it shows they are learning to be complacent about repression and business as usual. People must start objecting through Boycott.

quote:

Fickle, evil, and contemptible conduct

I thought you were referring to the TSA.

Nyama
It seems a bit extreme to write off a whole continent on the basis of a relatively small number of negative experiences. I have not hunted in that many African countries, only Namibia, SA & Zim, so in terms of travelling with guns I’ll admit to limited experience, but I travel in Africa regularly for business.
All of the risks you mention are there and incidents occur daily, but these problems can generally be sorted out at 3rd world prices or through a bit of negotiation. If I compare it to the 1st world risks, the current much posted “Blair Worldwide” problem, hunting close to home might not be quite as “no” risk as you make it out to be.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:

quote:

Fickle, evil, and contemptible conduct

I thought you were referring to the TSA.

You got that right.