Important Information When Considering Travelling
Whilst the last year has provided us with much uncertainty over travel, those who have managed to venture out to Africa have been fortunate enough to have some of the most exclusive and intimate safaris; safaris that would not have been possible in a ‘normal’ year.
If you are looking to travel in the near future, then there are several key aspects that you must be aware of before embarking on your trip.
COVID-19
It is likely that you will have to jump through a few hoops to embark on your trip. Be prepared for a multitude of PCR and/or Rapid antigen tests. Also be aware that there will be changes to your flights, and there is possibility of changes to entry requirements. In all honesty it can be a nightmare.
Luckily for you, we are experienced in understanding and handling these issues and we can certainly help you through the minefield, however we still recommend, and it is a requirement, for you to check testing and entry requirements for your destinations with the relevant authorities, especially if you are not a UK passport holder. The UK Travel Aware website is a good place to start.
It is also a condition of booking a trip with us that you have travel insurance that covers against any matters arising from COVID. The insurers Battle Face offer such insurance to Americans, Europeans and numerous other nationalities.
Travel Against FC&DO advice
The FC&DO advises against non-essential travel to most countries in Africa. Whilst we are still operating trips we need to bring this fact to your attention, and, if you still decide to travel you must make sure that you are comfortable with the risks.
This advice can change, and we strongly recommend that you check the current situations at www.gov.uk/travelaware . Again, we require you to check entry requirements and any travel advice yourselves and with the relevant authorities.
In addition to Covid insurance, we require you to take insurance that will cover you for travelling to a country which the FC&DO has a “non-essential travel” warning in place. Again, we can provide details of such policies.
The best place to keep up to date with this fluid situation is on the FCDO Travel Advice which will outline the entry requirements to each destination as well as anything else of note that may impact upon your holiday.
We have been working closely with our suppliers in East and Southern Africa to ensure you have great flexibility when booking and still an incredible safari experience. A number of our clients who have travelled have kindly left reviews about their experiences of travelling with us during Covid, so make sure you take a look at our Covid-review blog.
And if you would like to see first-hand what kind of experience awaits you, then please take a look at our Travel During Covid Playlist from our very own Africa experts who have travelled during the Covid pandemic.
Unfortunately, we cannot tell what the future holds, however we are optimistic that with the successful vaccination roll-out, travel will become easier over the coming months. We have been systematically working our way through clients who are travelling this year and discussing their options, but should you have any other questions, please let us know.
