This is our blog which we try to keep updated about the Covid19 entry requirements for African countries, as well as any other rules and regulations. What has emerged as standard in Africa is that all countries require a negative PCR test before you are allowed to travel to them. This means that if you are visiting multiple countries, you generally have to get a new PCR test every time you depart one country and head to the next. UPDATE: Countries have slowly started dropping the PCR test requirement for vaccinated travellers For other popular countries and destinations, we will tell you how it easy to get tested inside each country, but first, we have made a table to show what the requirements are for you to enter the various countries in the first place. The rules can change without warning and should always be checked on each country's government website.
South Africa South Africa is the biggest country in Southern Africa and the economic hub of the region. It is also the transit hub for Southern Africa as many flights to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique transit through Johannesburg. This means that these other countries are often dependent on South Africa for getting travellers through to them and back out again, which made it important for South Africa to be able to offer speedy and easily accessible PCR tests. Travellers departing from OR Tambo Intl airport in Johannesburg may now get tested and collect their PCR certificate at the airport prior to departure. Next Pathology has opened a rapid PCR testing lab in the Kafue Room of the Intercontinental Hotel, just outside the international arrivals hall. The lab promises a turnaround time of only 2 - 4 hours for test results. You should make an appointment on their website, here: https://nextbio.co.za/nextpath-for-travel/ In Cape Town Airport, Navomix is operating a testing clinic near the food court which can produce rapid PCR test results within 2 - 4 hours. Here is the website: https://navomixhealth.co.za/ One of our preferred guesthouses in Johannesburg, Safari Club SA, is now offering day rooms to all travellers waiting for their PCR test results. Guests will be allocated a room for the time they are at the hotel and will have access to all the hotel amenities including bar services, swimming pool, use of the garden and ordering of meals. Transfers are included in the day room rate. In the Greater Kruger Park, South Africa’s wildlife gem and one of its most popular destinations, PCR testing is also possible now. A PCR clinic has been set up in the town of Hoedspruit, which is the nearest town to many lodges within the Greater Kruger Park. Tests are only carried out between 08:00 - 10:30am. Lodges are able to transfer guests in between safari activities to the town of Hoedspruit to get a PCR test done. The cost of the test is ZAR850 per person, while the cost of the transfer will differ depending on the lodge you are staying at. Some lodges have gone a step further and are able to offer PCR tests in your room. Please ask us for an updated list of which lodges can do this. Botswana Botswana is one of the most popular destinations for a wildlife safari due to the exquisite unspoilt nature of its wilderness. However this vast wilderness and lack of infrastructure which many people fall in love with also originally meant that getting a PCR test done would be difficult. You must be fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot in order to enter Botswana without a PCR test. If you have not received a booster shot, but have only received your second shot within the previous 6 months, you do not need a PCR test. All other travellers need a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours to enter Botswana. If you have not received your second dose or your booster shot, you will receive the shot upon landing in Botswana. Unvaccinated travellers are not allowed to enter Botswana.. All passengers departing Botswana require a negative PCR, no matter where you are flying to. You can be tested in camp (which is expensive) or you can do an Express PCR test at Maun Airport for BWP1200 per person. For those departing from Kasane, it is very easy to get tested at the clinic there for BWP500. Prices are subject to change. Zimbabwe The primary destination of choice for any traveller to Zimbabwe is Victoria Falls, so this is where the government has focussed most of its efforts. PCR testing is now possible upon arrival or departure at Victoria Falls Airport, with a waiting time of 3-6 hours for the results. Alternatively, several luxury lodges offer in-house testing now. The cost of the test is US$60 per person, but this can change without notice. Namibia The majority of itineraries to Namibia only include one or two nights at each destination, which makes finding the time to have tests done difficult. In addition, Namibia is a vast, sparsely populated country. Namibia has come up with an ingenius solution. As all safaris typically start and end in Windhoek, PCR test roadblocks have been set up on the two main highways into Windhoek. This means that as you return to Windhoek, you can stop off and get tested. Results take 7 - 14 hours, which means you will likely need a night of post-tour accommodation before departing, but this has to be the most simple testing solution we have come across in Africa so far. You can view more details and book an appointment here: https://www.covidtestnam.com/ Zambia From 28 March 2021, fully vaccinated travellers no longer require a negative PCR test to enter Zambia. All unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers require a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. To leave Zambia, you will only need to get another PCR test done if the country you are travelling to requires it. For some reason, in addition to a negative PCR test certificate, you also have to get a Ministry of Health certification which is a separate document with an additional cost. Many people visit Zambia to see the mighty Victoria Falls. There are testing facilities in the town of Livingstone, but is very difficult to arrange the testing on an individual basis, especially since you cannot pay for the tests with cash or credit card. Only EFT bank transfers are accepted. For this reason, hotels have stepped up to help guests arrange tests. You can pay the hotel for your PCR test and they will then transfer the payment to the Zambian health authorities. Private testing can be conducted at the hotel and the hotel will help to arrange this. The test costs between USD100 - USD150. If you are going on a wild and remote safari in Zambia, to places such as Kafue, South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi, it is possible to get tested there and have your swabs flown to Lusaka for processing. This incurs quite a cost, you are looking at US$250 - US$320 and it might be cheaper just to spend a night in Lusaka at the end of your holiday and get tested there. All test results take 24 - 48 hours to be delivered. Therefore, if you are only visiting Victoria Falls for 2 nights, it would be a good idea to get tested on the day you arrive. Tanzania Fully vaccinated travellers no longer require a PCR test to enter Tanzania. All unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers require a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. Everyone needs to fill out a traveller surveillance form. Filling out this form will give you a Unique Health Code which must be presented upon landing in Tanania. The form can be filled out here: https://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz/ You may need a negative PCR test to depart, depending on the country you are departing to, or the airline you are travelling with. It is possible to get a negative PCR test in Dar Es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar. Tests cost between USD100 - 120 and results can take up to 96 hours. Please note that the current government advice is for travellers to undergo Covid19 testing a minimum of 5 days prior to departure to allow enough time for results to be delivered. Kenya All vaccinated travellers no longer require PCR tests in order to enter Kenya. If you are over 18, you must be vaccinated in order to enter Kenya. If you are over 18 and unvaccinated, you will be denied entry. Proof of vaccination must be uploaded to www.globalhaven.org before you board your flight. If you are under 18 and unvaccinated, you will require a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours in order to enter Kenya and will then be given a rapid antigen test upon arrival at a cost of US$30. All travellers (including those in transit) will be expected to fill the traveler’s health locator form and submit before travel (please do this once you have your airline seat numbers). All arrivals are expected to self-monitor and report daily through the jitenge platform for 14 consecutive days in Kenya. From 01 January 2021, all travellers requiring a visa will need to apply for an e-visa in advance. No visas shall be issued on arrival in Kenya. For more information visit www.evisa.go.ke When departing Kenya, it is possible to be tested in your hotel in Nairobi at a cost of US$120 per person. Results will be ready within 24 hours. It is also possible to be tested in some safari destinations, including the Maasai Mara. The collection point for testing in the Maasai Mara is in Mararienta, close to Musiara Gate and it costs US$110. Alternatively, the test can come to your camp, for US$140 per person (*min 2 guests.) Testing in the Mara his is subject to availability and results will take 48 hours. You only need to get a PCR test done on departure if the country you are travelling to requires it. Uganda Fully vaccinated travellers do not require a negative PCR test to enter. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers require a PCR test not older than 72 hours to enter Uganda,. If you are unvaccinated, you also require a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours to depart Uganda, no matter what the rules of your next destination country are. Rwanda Rwanda has a complicated set of testing standards. There is one testing standard for entering Rwanda and another one for entering Rwanda's national parks. Rwanda is implementing double testing standards. This means that you need a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours, but that once you arrive, you will be given a second test to confirm the results of the first test. You will have to quarantine in a hotel for 3 at your own cost while waiting for the results of the test. Thereafter you will have to take additional tests at designated sites on day 3 and day 7. Tourists visiting national parks will be required to take a mandatory Rapid Antigen test on a daily basis at their own cost. A facilitation request accommpanied by guest identification details as well as their travel itinerary is required to be submitted by the tour operator or hotel to visitrwanda@rdb.rw 72 hours prior to arrival. To depart Rwanda, you need to undergo another PCR test, which you are encouraged to book and pay for online at least 2 days prior to departure, here: www.rbc.gov.rw; Seychelles From 15 March, all fully immunised travellers do not require a PCR test to enter Seychelles. Fully immunised means having received the first 2 doses of a vaccine and a booster dose 6 months later. Children between 12 - 18 years old do not require a booster. All partially or unvaccinated travellers require a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours or a rapid antigen test done in a certified laboratory within 24 hours prior to departure for Seychelles. You only need to get a negative PCR test to depart Seychelles if it is a requirement of the country you will be travelling to. Mauritius If you are not fully vaccinated, you have to do a mandatory 14 day hotel quarantine upon arrival in Mauritius. As such, we only recommend travelling there if you are fully vaccinated. Everyone entering Mauritius requires a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. You will also be required to a do a rapid antigen test upon arrival and again on day 5. All travellers must fill in the mandatory health forms before landing in Mauritius. We have been working hard updating our website during lockdown and have added new pages specially dedicated to multi-country itineraries. If you are looking to explore as much of Africa as possible in one go, or tick off the biggest highlights, check out our pages for Southern Africa Combo Itineraries and East African Combo Itineraries.
Please remember that you will have to adhere to the lockdown rules of any country you are travelling to, such as curfews and mandatory mask wearing. If you are unsure about anything, send us an e-mail or give us a call and we’ll do our best to make your ideal trip happen.
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A British & Irish Rugby Tour is one of the greatest and most anticipated events in the sporting calendar. It only happens once every four years, the same as a World Cup, but due to the Lions dividing their tours between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, it is 12 long years before the Lions play the same opposition again. This means that bragging rights for a series win for or against the the British & Irish Rugby Tour last 12 years. It is a long time to wait to get revenge. Some international players go their entire careers without playing a game against the British & Irish Rugby Team. Due to the infrequency of the tours as well as the high stakes, the ferocity of the contests between the British rugby team and their opposition leads to legends being born. Every rugby fan can remember in minute detail what happened on a previous tour, 12 years ago. Who will emerge from the 2021 tour as a new legend? The Springboks were the last team to beat the British in 2009. Who will ever forget the epic second test match at Loftus Versfeld, where the Springboks won the series after the hooter had sounded, thanks to Morne Steyn’s 50-metre penalty goal. Many players still rate that test match as the most physical game they ever played in. It is no wonder, considering eight players were hospitalised afterwards 12 years before that, The British & Irish Rugby Team upset the 1995 World Cup winning Springboks in equally dramatic fashion when Jeremy Guscott slotted a late drop goal in the second test match to clinch the series after a magical Matt Dawson dummy and an Alan Tait try had set up a win in the first test. In fact, the two previous times the Springboks have played against the British Isles Rugby Team, they were world champions, and it is the same this time around. That should certainly give the series a little more of an edge, given how the Springboks beat Wales and England on their way to claiming the crown in Tokyo. Will a combined British Isles side be able to beat the world champions on their own soil? The best part about the tour to South Africa is that it is happening in the home of wild animals, beautiful cities, good wine and friendly people. The tour provides the ultimate excuse to take a holiday to South Africa and experience all that the country has to offer, from a safari in the world-famous Kruger National Park to days exploring Cape Town (regularly voted one of the most beautiful cities in the world.) Spend your time watching rugby, making new friends and taking in beautiful landscapes. I daresay there is very little more that a rugby fan could want. With this in mind, we have scoured all of our favourite lodges to see which of them have space around match days and also which of them are offering specials. Many lodges offer winter specials in South Africa, including free nights. You can rest assured of their quality because we have visited them and wouldn’t recommend them if we didn’t rate them highly. And given the weak state of the local Rand currency compared to the British Pound, you will be pleased to see how affordable safaris in South Africa are. Many safari lodges are all inclusive, which means that all your meals are included, as well as two game drives per day to look for wildlife. Elsewhere in the country, such as Cape Town and Johannesburg, we are able to arrange day tours and activities to help you get the most of your time here, whether it is hiking up Table Mountain, visiting the penguins, or learning about culture in Soweto. Every booking will generate a donation to the excellent Restart charity that does vital work in helping rugby players with career-ending injuries recover and adapt to life after rugby. You can find the main tour page here. South Africa is a rugby mad country and you will be able to feel the excitement everywhere you go. Check out our packages on our British & Irish Rugby Tour pages and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are rugby fans ourselves, even if one of us happens to be a Springbok supporter. But we tolerate him because he lives in Cape Town and will take next year's defeats without blubbing on about the refs or alleged food poisoning. The Kruger, possibly the best-known safari destination in the world, synonymous with safari. Established in 1898, The Greater Kruger Park extends over some 22,000 square km (8,500 sq. miles). That’s the size of Wales if you are European, and Massachusetts if you are North American. (If you are neither, it’s flippin’ big). It supports a total of 500 bird species, 145 mammal species, and 110 reptile species, including an estimated 13,000 elephants, 40,000 buffalo, 2000 lions and more rhinos than any other protected area. We aren’t allowed to say how many, but it is lots and lots. The only decent wildlife reserve with a higher density of rhino is Hluhluwe-Imfolozi in KwaZulu-Natal. What's the difference between the Greater Kruger Park and Kruger National Park? The Greater Kruger Park is comprised of the Kruger National Park (KNP) and a number of private reserves next to the KNP. The fences between the private reserves and the KNP came down 23 years ago allowing the animals to move freely.. The KNP is managed by Sanparks, a government-run organisation, and covers about 80% of the total area. Tarmac roads run through the middle of it, there are numerous large rest camps, of which at least half a dozen have over 100 one to four-bedroom units, camping sites, and fast food restaurants catering to self-drive clients. The private reserves are managed by groups made up of small lodges and camps. Many lodges and camps only have between six and twelve one-bedroom chalets or luxury tents. No self-driving is permitted, there are no tarmac roads, and vehicle movements are carefully managed. From a fauna and flora point-of-view, there there is not much difference. The parks are next to each other and there are no fences between them, so the animals and birds who call the area home can roam freely, and are found in both. In saying that, however, the area is large, so habitats differ and of course animals gravitate toward whichever habitat is best for them. Some areas are better known for their leopard sightings, others for elephant, and so on. Exclusivity The parks that make up the GKP are quite strict about how many people are allowed in at a time. This means that your safari experience is far more exclusive and you won't be trying to get through dozens of other cars to see a lion kill or catch that special photo of a zebra baby. This is not an exaggeration. I have seen 50 vehicles in a scrum to look at a pride of lion lazing in the bush 50 yards from the road between Satara and Skukuza. Guided Wildlife Experiences Game-viewing in the private reserves is facilitated and managed by experienced and knowledgeable guides with excellent tracking skills in open-sided 4x4 game-viewing vehicles with a maximum of 9 guests from your lodge in them. Some lodges limit it to six No self-driving is permitted. The majority of the time, your vehicle will be the only one at a sighting.This ensures that you see not only the keystone species, but also the birds and the little fellas, who are arguably equally important in the local eco-system. On each game drive you stop for a break at a scenic point, get out of the vehicle, and enjoy refreshments and snacks. Game-viewing can also be conducted on foot, allowing a greater understanding of and connection with the bush. Accommodation The lodges and tented camps in the private reserves are more high-end than those found in the KNP. With limited numbers of guests at each, you are assured of a far more private and exclusive experience. Hospitality is personal and service is a priority, to ensure that you get the best possible safari experience. All the lodges have a watering hole, river, or lake, meaning that there is good chance of seeing wildlife when you are not out on safari too. Many lodges are also unfenced, so having interesting visitors around the grounds is not uncommon. Our favourite private Kruger reserves Sabi Sand Sabi Sand with Mala Mala covers 780 sq km. The Sabi River and Sand River run through the area providing diverse habitats for the huge range of animals. Sabi Sand is known especially for its big cat sightings, most notably of the elsewhere elusive leopard. We have never had a client who has spent three night here without a good leopard sighting. It is the least budget-friendly of the private reserves, but at the upper end of scale has some excellent value-for-money lodges, with excellent attention to detail and fine dining combined with top=drawer wildlife sightings. My “Big Five record” of 2 hours 35 minutes was set here. Granted, the rhino was a 10-second arse-end encounter, but we had 45 minutes with a leopard and her two cubs eating a kudu up a tree, and a 20-minute coffee break watching mating lions….. Klaserie One of the largest privately-owned reserves in South Africa, Klaserie covers 600 sq. km of land along the Klaserie River. The owners are strongly committed to conservation and the park hosts three great conservation projects: the Ground Hornbill Project, Rhino Protection and The Elephant Project. Generally, the habitat is more open than Sabi Sand, which is great news for cheetah fans. With less of a reputation than Sabi Sand, the prices for the same level of comfort are lower too. Timbavati Bordering the KNP on one side and Klaserie on the other, Timbavati is also a prime game-viewing area, and a hot spot for African wild dogs (Cape hunting dogs), my favourite mammal (other than my kids), great for cheetah, and also pretty good for leopard. It also has the only wild white lions left in the world. Lodge rates here are also, on average, lower than in Sabi Sand. Other options Balule, Thornybush, Umbabat, Manyeleti, are good private reserves, and there are also Jocks and Lukimbi private reserves within the KNP. When to go Dry season –May to September – Winter There is virtually no rainfall during the whole of winter, humidity is very low. and there is almost no risk of malaria. As water becomes scarce wildlife is attracted to permanent water sources. Temperatures from the evening to mid-morning can be chilly. Wet seasons–October to April – Summer It is hot and humid in summer. Temperatures can reach over 40°C/104°F, although average daytime temperature is 32°C/90°F. Mostly rain falls in the afternoon or at night. The rains bring green grasses, seeds, flowers, and as a result, more birds. The rains also mean there is no dust, and, other than Christmas and Easter, fewer tourists. |
AuthorPhotographer, conservationist, dive and field guide, teller of bad jokes. Archives
January 2024
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