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What type of electric adapter plugs?
I am confused about what type of adapter plug to purchase. The "Before You Go" section of the trip info mentions two-prong or three-prong plugs with round pins. What plug types are those?
Here is some info I found elsewhere:
From one site:
Travelling to Botswana we recommend you that you have an electrical plug M. Electric plug M is technically known as BS 546 (South African 15 A/250 V). It has been adopted as the standard plug in South Africa. The Type G electrical plug is the British three-pin, but is rarely found in use in Botswana.
And another site recommends:
• Grounding Adaptor Plug C (this is the British-style)
• Grounding Adaptor Plug H (this is the South Africa style)
• Non-grounding Adaptor Plug C (British style
Here is some info I found elsewhere:
From one site:
Travelling to Botswana we recommend you that you have an electrical plug M. Electric plug M is technically known as BS 546 (South African 15 A/250 V). It has been adopted as the standard plug in South Africa. The Type G electrical plug is the British three-pin, but is rarely found in use in Botswana.
And another site recommends:
• Grounding Adaptor Plug C (this is the British-style)
• Grounding Adaptor Plug H (this is the South Africa style)
• Non-grounding Adaptor Plug C (British style
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Comments
Voltage in the hotels is 220-230 V. If you plan on bringing electrical devices with you, it is suggested that you bring an electrical converter with adaptor plug set, as some overnight properties may not have this equipment. The socket configurations do indeed vary between two and three pronged varieties, so please bring the entire set of adaptors with you. Also, please note that Camp Kalahari does not have electricity.
I hope this helps!
-Tim
What model types, e.g., M, G, comprise the "entire set of adaptors"?
In addition as others have mentioned, most electronics do not need a 'converter' by this I mean, phones, tablets and cameras, they 'convert' automatically. For powerful electronics like hairdryers and curling tongs it is best to purchase a dual voltage type before you go out of the US, on these you generally have to turn a screw or dial or insert a pin to convert it from 110/120 to 220/230/240, in other words, the hairdryer is not automatic in 'converting'. The so called travel hairdryers are small and light. Hair tongs/curlers, I have not used in a long while, but most traveling friends tell me that these are the items that most people have trouble with, they blow up or blow fuses if you do not connect it to the power correctly in some way. Anyway in Africa, who cares what your hair looks like in a hat on the dusty trail.
I go to Tanzania in 3 weeks, I will report what I encounter in outlets there. My husband says we encountered square and round pin outlets in South Africa, but sorry Tauck did not visit Botswana or Zambia that year--- well technically my husband almost got to Zambia on the zip line!
Any progress regarding my question about adapter types?
As I found when I posted a response to an electrical question on another thread, there is general lack of knowledge and understanding about "things" electrical, but I will try again . . .
First, unlike outlets in the US which provide 120 volts AC, outlets in most other countries of the world provide 220 volts (it could actually be anywhere from 210 - 240 volts). Also, there is no worldwide standard for plug/receptacle configuration. Different countries have different plugs/receptacles that use two or three round, square, or flat prongs with different spacing. In addition, and one issue that confuses many people is that each country, including the US, has different types of plugs/receptacles depending on the current (not voltage) supplied/needed. Many foreign hotel rooms will contain two types/sizes of receptacles- smaller ones for 220 volt devices needing only 10 amps or less and larger ones for devices needing 220 volts and 15 or 20 amps. You don't want to overload an outlet by plugging an iron or hair drier which draws a lot of current into the smaller receptacle. It is fine to plug a small, 220V device that runs on low current, i.e. needs only 5 amps, into a large receptacle rated at 15 or 20 amps. Just like in the US, in most foreign countries you can also plug an ungrounded two pin/prong plug into a three pin receptacle.
My suggestions:
Get a multiple adapter set or better yet, a universal adapter like the one pictured below (and a multi-receptacle strip) for your dual voltage devices. Dual voltage devices (marked as such) run on either 120 or 220 volts and typically include power supplies and chargers for computers/tablets, cell phones, electric shavers, cameras, etc. and forget the converter which converts 220V to 120V. (caution- once you plug the multi-strip into an adapter plugged into a 220V outlet, each outlet will be supplying 220 volts.
Leave your 120V, high current devices (iron, curling iron, hair drier) and converter at home and use the appliances supplied by the hotel/camp.
We just got back from the Alps tour and used this universal adapter ($6.39 Amazon Prime) and multi-outlet strip ($9.49 Amazon Prime) with no problems in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Lichtenstein. We were able to charge a laptop, iPad, and camera batteries at the same time:
It appears that the adapter in my photo does not have type M pins (fatter with wider spacing) used in SA and Botswana. So if you are going there you might want to pickup a special adapter. SA recently adopted a new standard and will be switching over but the conversion may take 10 years.
You should be fine on the K&T Safari. I have that adapter and don't plan to take any others on our June K&T safari. Again, remember, you are not staying in the "no tell motel"- the places where you will be staying cater to travelers from America, Europe, etc. and will likely have more than one type of receptacle or even universal receptacles in the rooms, and they may also have adapters you can borrow. More and more hotels are installing universal receptacles.You need to follow the link I posted above and read "74 questions answered." From what I read, it will work in Tanzania (so also in Kenya), but frankly, as I said above, it doesn't look like it will work with a Type M found in most of SA, but does work with Type C receptacles which may also be found in SA.
From other sites:
Tanzania: Type G, D
Kenya: Type G
South Africa: Type M (also, but less common, C, F, N)
You can pay a lot more for this 4 Piece Africa travel adapter
Since it seems like South Africa and Botswana are outlier, I would get the universal adapter which will work just about everywhere else in the world, a multi-outlet strip, and, if you plan to go to SA or Botswana, a single purpose Type M adapter.