As we prepare for a new travel landscape after COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted, our first priority is the safety and well-being of our guests. We will continue to update this page to address common concerns and we welcome you to reach out to us directly with any questions pertaining to your trip.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO GO ON SAFARI NOW?

Recently, our first two guests stepped foot on African soil since March, and on their return, they shared insights about their travel experience, from international flights to what it’s like on the ground. Read on to see what they had to say!

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS PER COUNTRY

We will continue to update this section as countries reopen their borders to U.S. citizens and developments occur.

  • The Egyptian Government has announced that all passengers traveling to Egypt (including Egyptians) must be in possession of a negative PCR test certificate for COVID-19, taken at a maximum of 72 hours before their flight departure time. However, passengers traveling from Japan, China, Thailand, North America, South America, Canada, London Heathrow, Paris, and Frankfurt will be allowed to provide the test certificate performed at a maximum of 96 hours prior to flight departure, due to the long travel and transit period from these airports.
  • Travelers must present paper copies of the test results; digital copies will not be accepted.
  • Children under the age of six of all nationalities are exempt.
  • Additionally, we have been informed that incoming tourists must show proof of health insurance upon arrival.

  • As of November 9th, Botswana has started a phased reopening of international borders.
  • Travelers must present a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test result conducted within 72 hours prior to arrival in Botswana and undergo health screening for COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Any visitor showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be required to undergo a PCR test, and possible isolation and or quarantine for 14 days.

  • Travelers must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, conducted within 10 days before arrival in Malawi. Any passenger arriving without a negative test result will be denied entry into the country.
  • Travelers must complete a health declaration form, undergo basic screening, and are requested to self-monitor for any virus symptoms for 14 days.
  • Only passengers and airport staff will be allowed to enter the terminals and are required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing at all times.

  • All travelers entering must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test, with results issued within 96 hours prior to travel. If the test is outside of this time frame, clients will be put in quarantine while a new test is conducted.
  • The temperature must be below 37.5 C (99.5 F), with no cough or any other flu like symptoms. If symptoms are displayed on arrival, clients will be moved to an isolation space and port health officials will be called to perform a test.
  • Travelers sitting within 2 rows of the passenger displaying symptoms, may be detained for testing. Tests are performed at Nairobi Hospital or Nairobi West Hospital and cost between $70-100 per test.

  • Travelers entering Morocco are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test and a serological test for COVID-19 taken no more than 48 hours prior to arrival in-country. Temperature checks will be conducted at the airport and anyone suspected of carrying COVID-19 will have to undergo a health assessment and follow the COVID-19 protocols in place.
  • Travelers are required to complete & sign the Passenger Locator Form online. It is mandatory to complete it online- with their personal details, flight details, recent travel history before they arrive in Morocco from any country.

  • Effective September 01, entry into Namibia is allowed via Hosea Kutako International Airport. Arriving international tourists must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, valid for 72 hours before entering Namibia. Health screening procedures are in place at the airport. All travelers arriving into Namibia with a negative PCR test result that is older than 72 hours but not older than 7 days, will be permitted to enter but will be required to undergo a 7-day supervised quarantine at home or at a tourism facility.
  • If these environments do not fulfill quarantine requirements, travelers will be placed under mandatory Government quarantine facilities at their own cost. Traveler must undergo health screening and temperature testing at the airport and submit a full trip itinerary.

  • International flights have resumed as of 1 August 2020;
  • The only accepted test for passengers entering Rwanda is a SARS-CoV 2 Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Other tests, such as Rapid Diagnostics Test (RDTs), are not accepted.
  • All travelers arriving in to, and departing from Rwanda must be tested negative for COVID-19 within 120 hours of departure (meaning that you get tested and get results no more than 5 days before your first flight).
  • Arriving travelers are required to complete the passenger locator form, and upload the COVID-19 test certificate, please see the passenger locator form link on www.rbc.gov.rw;
  • All travelers arriving in Rwanda will be screened upon entry and be given a second test to confirm the negative results of the first test done prior to arrival, and the test is to the cost of the guest, at USD 50 per person per test;
  • All arriving travelers are required to complete 24 hours in a designated transit hotel while awaiting the results of the second test, the designated hotels are available at a discounted rate and we recommend accommodation in the following hotels:
    • Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali
    • Kigali Marriott Hotel
    • Kigali Serena Hotel
    • Park Inn by Radisson
  • Following 24 hours, guests’ results will be received via SMS or email. In the event of a negative test, guests will be invited to check out and proceed on their Rwanda safari. In the event of a positive test, guests will be transported to a medical facility for medical attention, at their own cost.
  • All travelers must be tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to visiting any of Rwanda’s National Parks.
  • All travelers departing from Rwanda must test negative for COVID-19, with the RT-PCR test performed within 120 hours before departure. The Rwanda Development Board has advised that as long as travelers depart within 120 hours of their RT-PCR test on arrival, they do not require another test.

  • All travelers are required to present a negative COVID-19 test not older than 72 hours from the time of departure.
  • Travelers will be required to remain in mandatory quarantine at their own cost if they do not present a negative COVID-19 test.
  • All travelers will be screened on arrival and those presenting with symptoms will be required to remain in quarantine until a repeat COVID-19 test is conducted.
  • All travelers will be asked to install the COVID Alert South Africa mobile app.

  • All travelers entering The United Republic of Tanzania will undergo temperature screening upon arrival and must complete a Health Declaration form to be submitted upon entry;
  • There are no self-quarantine requirements for travelers arriving into the country who are not showing any COVID-19 symptoms;
  • Negative COVID-19 test results and certificates are not required for any travelers

  • All passengers flying into the UAE, including those on transit flights, must present an official negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate that has been issued by an accredited laboratory within 96 hours prior to boarding the flight. Passengers, including those with a connecting flight, must complete a health declaration form.
  • All tourists will undergo thermal screenings when they arrive at Dubai airport. Travelers with symptoms will be re-tested, even if they bring their negative PCR test with them.
  • For positive cases, a 14-day quarantine is imposed, and travelers will comply with all measures that the UAE government has in place. Passengers departing UAE may need to do PCR tests only if mandated by the country they are traveling to.

  • Tourists are required to show proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test, in English, taken no more than 72 hours before boarding aircraft in-bound to Uganda. Tests must have been done by a health facility accredited by the government of the country in which the test is conducted. Travelers will be required to present their test results to the airline to receive confirmation of their flight booking and will be subject to temperature and health screening upon arrival.
  • Any arriving passengers who exhibit signs or symptoms of infectious disease will be transported to an isolation center for a COVID-19 test where they must remain, at their own cost, until the results of the test are received.  Travelers who test positive will be taken to a Ministry of Health facility for treatment or given the option to be repatriated (for foreigners), at their own cost.
  • All passengers leaving Uganda must arrive at Entebbe International Airport four hours before departure and are also required to present a negative PCR test, in English, taken within 120 hours prior to their departure. The test should clearly indicate “TRAVEL” on the certificate. Any passenger presenting other test with “Contacts” or “Alerts” as the purpose of the test WILL NOT be allowed to board. The 120 hours begin from the moment the sample is taken.

  • All travelers must provide a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test that has been conducted within 14 days of arriving in Zambia.
  • Adhere to COVID-19 regulations like physical distancing, wearing face masks, and personal hygiene.
  • All international visitors are screened on arrival. If you show any signs of COVID-19, you will have to quarantine for 14 days.
  • Travelers leaving Zambia will only be required to produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate when flying with an airline or to a country that requires said certificate.

  • Travelers must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate, obtained from a recognized facility within 48 hours of departure for Zimbabwe. Travelers will undergo health screenings and temperature checks on arrival.
  • Mandatory quarantine not required unless travelers show symptoms of the virus or don’t have a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate on arrival – they are then required to stay at a designated isolation facility for 7 days, then self-isolate for another 7 days. A fee of $60 will be levied on travelers tested at ports of entry.

TREND’S WE’VE NOTICED

Our key partners in Africa have been proactive in their approach to COVID-19 with improved health and safety guidelines designed to keep you safe when you do make it back out on safari. We’ll be able to share a specific list of safety precautions for the airlines you’ll be flying and the properties you’ll be visiting once we begin working on an itinerary for you. In the meantime, here are a few trends we’ve noticed:

  • Safety protocols are created with careful consideration and consolidation of the recommendations from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, Would Tourism Organization, the International Air Transport Association, and health professionals with safari knowledge.
  • In some countries, in order for a property to legally open, they must pass a rigorous process and site inspection by the Ministry of Health. Properties are reevaluated by the Ministry of Health every three months.
  • Staff are required to have their temperatures taken and recorded every morning in line with government guidelines. Guests’ temperatures are also checked upon arrival and again daily.
  • All vehicles are sanitized before and after each use and drivers are required to wear appropriate protective gear.
  • Where possible, properties are providing a private vehicle. In many cases, if a private vehicle is unavailable, the vehicle capacity is limited to provide sufficient distance between groups/couples. If a group traveling together is more than four passengers, guests can share the vehicle up to a standard six.
  • All community-based activities are canceled for the foreseeable future to reduce unnecessary risk to guests, staff, and the local community.
  • Staff are using gloves to handle luggage and wipe down handles with alcohol wipes before carefully placing luggage in guests’ rooms.
  • Bottles of hand sanitizes are available in all public areas for guest use, all guest rooms, on each member of staff, and on all game activities and safari vehicles.
  • At this time, communal dining is discontinued. All dining is now offered within your travel group and set apart from one another, staggered at different times and locations to limit exposure to other travelers. Meals will be served individually plated or as a table sharing platter with bottles of water and wine left on your table for self-serving.

SAFER ON SAFARI

OPEN-AIR BENEFIT
The allure of safari is being in a far-away place in an exclusive setting, which makes it the perfect location for a socially distanced getaway. In addition, most safari properties have open-air walkways with rooms that are spaced well apart and allow for natural airflow.

EXCLUSIVE-USE PROPERTIES
If you’d like to completely avoid crossing paths with anyone outside your own travel party, we recommend focusing on exclusive-use accommodations. This will eliminate any common areas that could be shared with other guests. You can view a complete directory of Africa’s Private Safari Lodges & Villas here.

PRIVATE EXPERIENCES
There are a number of ways to enhance the exclusivity of your experience on safari, such as upgrading to a private game drive, organizing a private charter, or booking a private tour.

WHAT IF PLANS CHANGE?

If you find yourself a few months out from your intended departure date and you are still not comfortable with the thought of traveling due to COVID-19, we will go above and beyond to help you postpone your trip. This is where the power of relationships comes into play. We will negotiate with our partners on your behalf to score the best possible outcome for you.

Should you choose to cancel your trip, our normal payment terms will apply:

 
Cancellation Penalties Per Person
90+ days prior to travelDeposit Paid (25% of land costs + 100% of internal
airfare + 100% of insurance)
61-89 days prior to travel50%
0-60 days prior to travel100%

YOUR IMPACT

In Africa, an average of seven people are dependent on one salaried family member to sustain them. Imagine the ripple effect of the loss of employment due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions. The lack of activity within camps and their surrounding wildlife reserves also makes it easier for poachers to move through normally protected areas without being noticed. This has resulted in a spike in poaching incidents within Africa in recent months. While this is certainly sobering news, it is not irreversible.

One of the greatest ways you can have an impact on Africa’s wildlife and its people is simply by traveling and being aware of where your money goes and what it supports. If you are interested in contributing directly to staff members or to anti-poaching initiatives, we invite you to make a donation to our nonprofit, Alluring Impact.

We are forever grateful for the generosity of our guests and we look forward to welcoming you back to Africa soon.