What are journey tours?
If you’re a traveller that loves adventure, and also you need to immerse your self in African nature and heritage, our tenting and exploration excursions are what you want. You will see the fantastic factor about the African panorama and benefit from the hospitality of local residents whereas travelling on our journeys. You may also meet a incredible group of individuals who go along with you in your tour groups. If your health level is great, and you’re drawn to trekking by way of dense forests to see mountain gorillas and travelling lengthy distances with nothing to see but a never-ending panorama, then an adventure tour is for you.
What does a typical day look like?
Every day on an journey tour will present you with a model new and exciting experience. You will study incredible things, like cooking delicious meals over a campfire and establishing camp if you don’t know how to do so already.
What you’ll be able to anticipate from a camping or accommodated overland tour is an early morning get up name. You’ll enjoy the breathtaking sights of an African sunrise whereas sipping on a warm cup of tea or coffee. You’ll have some breakfast before packing up the campsite or testing of your lodging if you’ve chosen the comfort traveller bundle. We’ll then hit the road as a tour group, where you’ll have the ability to see one of the best of nature that Africa has to supply.
On brief journey days, we normally arrive on the campsite within the afternoon to take pleasure in lunch and a planned afternoon exercise, similar to mountaineering or a guided nature stroll. You can select to either rest and have a relaxed afternoon or take part in the scheduled exercise, which could be a nature stroll or a hike. A incredible facet of short days is enjoying the sundown – a sight you will find quite memorable. As quickly as evening comes, we sit around the campfire as a group to get pleasure from a hearty dinner and great conversation.
We do our greatest to arrive at a scheduled destination on time. However, delays can happen. These delays might be caused by moist weather conditions or slow journey as we navigate by way of powerful terrain. Your safety is high of thoughts for us, so if we delay journey time, we achieve this to ensure the protection of everybody. Our overland safari automobiles are comfortable and spacious, with enough space on your baggage. All you want is a high degree of stamina to power through the lengthy and infrequently bumpy drives from one location to the next.
What sort of vehicles can we use?
We drive custom-built and self-sufficient overland trucks on our excursions. They are spacious, having the flexibility to accommodate your luggage, and safe to navigate through rough and rugged terrain. Our vehicles have giant glass home windows and cozy seats with ample leg room. When we want to drive via slender terrain or on uneven roads, we use smaller 4×4 vehicles.
Distances and road circumstances
We need you to benefit from the stunning pure surrounds of Africa, with nothing but blue skies, heat and a never-ending panorama while on trip with us. We do that by overlaying long distances on our tours, often spending many hours on the road. You can expect a drive of between 350 kilometres and 650 kilometres a day. Bear in mind that we’re going to be travelling primarily on gravel roads or pretty poor tar roads and these will ultimately outline the tempo.
More element about our overland automobiles, 4×4 safari autos, ferries, minibuses, and mokoros
We have an array of safari vehicles to suit particular group sizes and excursions. Our vehicles range from massive overland tour trucks to 4×4 safari automobiles and minibuses.
We make certain to maintain our vehicles at our workshops often to minimise breakdowns on the highway as a security precaution. We aim to avoid breakdowns in any respect prices; however, the occasional breakdown can happen whereas en-route on a visit.
Our overland vans don’t have an air-conditioning system, however they have windows that you can open for fresh air. Each seat in the car has a power socket with a UK/Kenyan 3-prong outlet to cost your electronic devices.
We spend lengthy hours on the road, so if you book your tour, we’ll provide you with the approximate time and distance of the journeys we cowl. This information will assist you to to choose a tour that you’d be comfy doing. Please keep in mind that wet circumstances will increase the journey time.
Travelling on a gaggle journey
We understand that group journey is thrilling for some while daunting for others. You can ensure that you’ll enjoy an overland safari tour with travellers of different ages and nationalities. Think of it as increasing your social network to make it a memorable experience.
Please observe that for privateness causes, we can’t offer you particulars of your group members before departure.
A group will have totally different personality sorts, preferences and desires, so please be mindful of navigating the social dynamics with respect and an open mind.
Please just remember to arrive on time to begin the itinerary of the day. Punctuality is respectful to your group members and the tour crew, and it ensures that the tour moves as scheduled.
We design our group journeys for shared accommodation, which don’t contain a obligatory single complement. Same-gendered single travellers will share lodging, including twin rooms or multi-share dormitories. Accommodation on a few of our group journeys is booked on a shared mixed gender foundation. If you may be unsure, please ask your gross sales marketing consultant for details of lodging on your chosen tour.
Some trips allow you the option to get personal lodging by reserving and paying a single complement if it is obtainable. The single complement option only applies in the course of the tour. We will reserve a single room for your pre-trip and post-trip accommodation.
What about children on tour?
The minimum accepted age on our overland excursions is 18. We will contemplate travellers between the ages of 12 and 17 relying on the tour, time of journey and tour availability. Age limits for privately-arranged charter excursions may also be assessed based mostly type of tour you select and the route.
We offer family departures on selected excursions, and these are higher fitted to kids aged 12 to 17. The age limit for gorilla trekking excursions is sixteen.
General guidelines
For the safety of all travellers, we won’t tolerate any type of violence (verbal or physical) or sexual harassment between or from travellers or involving our partners, crew or native residents.
We don’t tolerate the use or possession of illegal medication on our journeys. We encourage you to drink responsibly do you have to choose to consume alcohol during your trip. Please abide by local legal guidelines governing alcohol consumption.
We strictly forbid any sexual relations between members of our tour crew and travellers.
We don’t tolerate the patronising of sex staff on our excursions as this exploits weak communities and undermines the event of sustainable tourism in Africa.
Please notice that you agree to adhere to these rules if you travel with us. The tour leader has the proper to remove any group member for non-adherence to any of these rules, with no right of refund.
Please let your tour chief know do you have to really feel that any group member is misbehaving while on a trip. You can also contact our emergency quantity offered within the “problems and emergency contact” list.
Responsible journey
We believe that it is essential to minimise the unfavorable aspects of tourism on the native communities and environments that we go to. We always try to highlight constructive aspects and contribute in a significant way to the communities and habitats we interact with. Our website has more details on how one can be a responsible traveller.
Important touring ideas
Please be aware of these important touring suggestions:
* The itinerary is topic to change as we undergo the tour, please view the itinerary as a guide ONLY.
* Each tour has a vibrant combine of individuals of different nationalities, heritage and age.
* Please make positive that you carry mild luggage as space in our vans is limited.
* We create the excursions in a circular route, that means that where one journey ends, another begins.
* You won’t have high-end, 5-star luxuries on these excursions – you’ll have an expertise of dwelling and working with primary necessities.
* Most nations in Africa, together with Kenya, Uganda and Botswana, have banned plastic baggage. Please don’t pack these along with your baggage to avoid receiving a nice from authorities.
* If you’re booking forty five days ahead of the departure date, we will want to affirm the provision of a gorilla allow.
* We can solely provide a single supplement whether it is out there. Please speak to your advisor if you have queries on booking single dietary supplements.
* The Table Mountain cable automobile in Cape Town, in addition to the amenities and outlets on the prime of the mountain, might be closed from 8 July to 18 August 2019 for maintenance. If you would like to go to the highest of the mountain, you are in a position to do so by mountaineering a steep trail with a local information. If you’d like to rearrange this hike, please chat together with your tour leader or book at the hotel reception.
Cape Town water scarcity
Cape Town has experienced water shortages because of a severe drought. The city’s municipality decreased the day by day water quota to 50 litres. There is a enough quantity of water for travellers’ important daily needs, corresponding to personal hygiene and utilizing the toilet.
According to the city’s pointers, bathe instances should be now not than 2 minutes, and utilizing baths is discouraged. Some hotels are utilizing ocean water of their swimming swimming pools, and eating places have removed meals that require the usage of plenty of water during preparation from their menus.
Please consider the shortage when planning laundry days inside your itinerary. We advise that you comply with the water usage directions of our native suppliers in the city.
DETAILS ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT ON A CAMPING OR ACCOMMODATED TOUR
Camping tours
If happening an African safari journey to get the complete experience of Mother Nature is high in your bucket listing, you want to come on a journey with us to take pleasure in a night’s relaxation under the stars whereas listening to the sounds of nature. Don’t underestimate the energy and stamina that you’ll want for a camping safari – an excellent degree of fitness will maintain you going.
Our camping safaris are higher suited to travellers who might choose to journey in a youthful group with an age range of between18 and 39. You can even choose to travel in a mixed group aged between 18 and 60. We’re more than happy to help you resolve on one of the best tour to book.
During your tour, you will keep in sizeable two-person dome canvas tents that are spacious and may accommodate each person’s baggage. You can also choose to have a non-public tent, together with the one supplement, which is valid on select camping excursions.
Your tour chief will train you how to put up and take down your tent if you’re unsure how to take action. All tents have a door and a window for air flow. They even have a mosquito internet masking and a fly-sheet for the rain. Most camping safaris embody a sleeping mat, however please check with us to ensure of this inclusion. Items that you’ll need to bring embody; a sleeping bag, pillow and towel.
The campsites are fundamental and cozy, and you will be able to improve your lodging at many of the places we cover if this option is available. Some campsites have flushing ablution and showering facilities, whereas others provide pure ablutions and makeshift showers. A momentary shower is often a hosepipe that spurts out cold water. It’s additionally widespread for most ablution services to not provide bathroom paper.
Each tour route is totally different, so the sort and number of lodging shall be dictated by the route. Some routes have a mixture of campsites and wild camps, whereas city and city routes have hotels. When we keep in cities and towns, we take pleasure in local cuisine on the surrounding establishments.
We sometimes cease for a night’s keep in the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite the place rooms or cabins could also be obtainable. In this case, you would have a selection of camping or upgrading to a room, but please bear in mind that a room can’t be pre-booked. Rooms costs range from US$60 to US$120 per room per evening for a twin room. The requirements of those rooms vary, so we advocate that you view the room earlier than purchasing the night’s lodging. The day-by-day itinerary offers recommendation when upgrades could additionally be attainable. These upgrades are topic to availability. Please remember that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you’ll have to share these rooms with different travellers of the identical sex.
Your tour crew will do a lot of the work, together with driving, cooking and ensuring that the journey runs as smooth as possible. We would require you to assist with chores on the campsite. Chores will be assigned to group members primarily based on a roster that you and your tour leader create. These chores embody helping with food preparation, grocery buying, washing the dishes, establishing the campsite and your tent, and cleaning out the truck.
Accommodated Tours
If you want to have further comforts whereas experiencing one of the best of African wildlife, then an accommodated safari tour is for you. On these safaris, you can enjoy the surrounds of vast landscapes and the sights of wildlife roaming at your door-step.
We use quite lots of accommodation positioned at every destination for these safaris, including motels, lodges and everlasting safari camps along with more fundamental accommodations corresponding to bungalows, traditional huts or chalets .
If you’re travelling in pairs, we book a twin room for you. Single travellers get single rooms, including a single supplement. Most of the time in the Southern African region, we keep in a single to three-star properties with en-suite loos. Properties in this region are more established and comfortable. Eastern Africa accommodation has en-suite loos and shared loos. Properties in this region vary from basic to affordable and handy. Overall, lodging selections are limited because of the distant nature of our excursions. This limitation means you could count on an authentic outback experience.
What will you eat on safari?
Our safari excursions will allow you to be inventive with meals purchasing and preparation. You also can learn to cook great tasting meals over an open hearth or on the gasoline stove equipped in the truck.
We inventory our autos with dry goods at the start of every tour and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables daily whereas on tour. Fresh produce won’t always be available during the hot summer months. During this time, we turn out to be inventive with what we have, like substituting potatoes for rice.
Each tenting and accommodated tour consists of meals as per the itinerary. We offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you have the opportunity to enjoy some local cuisine at obtainable markets or restaurants. Tea is served together with coffee and fruit juice with meals, and you can buy alcohol, delicate drinks and bottled water on the campsite bar or local shops we discover en-route.
We cater for most dietary necessities, together with allergy symptoms, vegetarian, and lactose intolerance. Other necessities corresponding to gluten-free could additionally be tougher on remote routes in locations where starch is a staple food. Please inform us about your particular dietary necessities in order that we can advise.
We prepare our meals over an open campfire or on the overland vehicle’s gas stove. All cooking gear is supplied, including pots, pans, cutlery and crockery. We keep wonderful hygiene requirements always throughout meals preparation and when washing up kitchen equipment. Your tour prepare dinner will give you a separate washing basin full of heat, soapy water so that you’re capable of wash your arms before and after every meal.
For breakfast, you will take pleasure in some toast with spreads, cereal, or eggs, pancakes, and tea and low. Lunch consists of a sandwich with a healthy salad and diverse fillings, sometimes fruit. There are also alternatives to enjoy local cuisine while on a trip.
Dinner consists of a BBQ, rice dish or a pasta dish, or native delicacies from a market or restaurant.
Treated water that’s safe to drink is on the market on our overland vehicles. We would favor when you use this water over shopping for bottled water to minimise plastic waste. Your crew chief will use this handled water for cooking and offering drinks such as tea and occasional at meal occasions.
When you select to e-book an overland journey, this includes your participation in a camping tour. On this tour, you and your group members might be aiding the crew leader with meal preparations. You will also help with grocery buying. Your designated crew chief will provide you with meal ideas and portions needed for large teams. Your crew chief will draw up an obligation roster so that everybody within the group rotates primarily based on the completely different chores that must be accomplished. This chore rotation is principally for groups with 5 to six individuals.
PREPARING FOR YOUR TOUR
Pre-tour lodging
Please arrive a day earlier than the beginning day of your tour to catch all of the pre-departure meetings. We cowl the important information that you have to find out about your trip. Please tell us beforehand of your pre-tour arrival so that we will make the absolute best resort reservation for you.
Packing in your tour
Packing for your tour is decided by the journey type you’ve chosen, the international locations you’re visiting and seasonal times you’re travelling. In common, we suggest that you pack as lightly as potential. Make positive you could carry and lift your luggage, as well as stroll with it for short distances.
We recommend that you just carry your baggage in a backpack or an in a single day bag that has a shoulder strap. These types of bags are handy to carry. You’ll also want a smaller day bag to take things like a water bottle and your digital camera.
Each overland automobile has a passenger protected where you probably can keep essential items corresponding to cash, passports, flight tickets, and credit cards. Your tour leader holds the keys for safekeeping, and they’re going to advise of security necessities which may be in place concerning the secure.
Below are extra helpful tips about what you need on your trip.
Essentials to convey include:
* A sleeping bag and a journey pillow: we recommend that you deliver a 3 – four season sleeping bag as temperatures dip at evening through the winter months in desert and mountainous regions. You can even hire sleeping baggage with us. Please contact us 14 days before your departure should you wish to rent one.
* Closed footwear: we go bushwalking in the course of the trip, so we recommend that you simply pack snug and closed footwear, similar to climbing boots. These sneakers will help to protect your feet from cuts and scratches when strolling by way of bush and grasslands. They may also act as a protecting barrier from the bites and stings of harmful insects and animals found in this surroundings.
* Lightweight and heat clothes: you’ll need a mixture of light-weight and warm clothing, as properly as lengthy shirts and trousers to help shield you towards mosquitoes in malaria areas. Make positive that your clothes are straightforward to wash and dry, and instead opt for cotton clothes over nylon and different synthetics. Cotton clothing is a lot more comfortable to put on, particularly in sizzling climate. Please don’t convey ex-military or military-style clothes and tools. You can pack denims, however please bear in mind that they are tough to dry, and you need to avoid sporting them when trekking.
* A waterproof or windproof jacket: This is great to bring for wet days and early morning, or night sport activities when temperatures tend to be low.
* You also can pack in a heat beanie for morning and evening sport drives, as nicely as sun protection, including a hat, sunscreen, sun shades, and towels for personal use.
Recommended gadgets to bring embody:
* A waterproof toiletry bag: it will be useful to convey one which you might be able to hang on a nail on the again of a door.
* A good quality, high-beam headlamp or torch: these are helpful for when there is no energy on the campsite, and you should navigate your method around it. Our vans carry lamps for meal times.
* A personal medical package: your tour chief will have an extensive medical kit, but we advocate that you simply bring a non-public medical equipment with gadgets corresponding to delicate pain killers, electrolytes, antidiarrheal treatment, antibacterial gel, moist wipes, insect repellent and bandaids or plasters.
* A water bottle: we recommend a water bottle that has a capability of 1.5 litres. Carrying a water bottle helps to lower the amount of plastic from bottled water.
* Tech gear: you probably can bring a digital camera with a spare battery or energy bank, in addition to binoculars.
Optional items to pack embody:
* A sleep sheet: this will enhance your degree of comfort, especially if you’re travelling during the sizzling months.
* Thermarest: this you can convey should you want extra comfort along with the basic camping mattress offered.
* Earplugs: this helps when you have a tent mate that snores.
* A book to read, or a journal to put in writing down your ideas and experiences throughout lengthy drives.
* We would also recommend you convey a small bottle of biodegradable laundry soap if you’re planning on washing your clothes during the tour.
Luggage limit
We restrict the load of baggage to twenty kilograms because of the dimension of individual lockers available on our trucks. The size of those lockers are 26 inches lengthy, 18 inches extensive and 10 inches high.
Your primary baggage will go into these lockers, which is why we suggest that you pack light in a backpack or an in a single day bag. Your luggage shouldn’t be larger than the locker dimensions. You’ll be succesful of maintain your day luggage at your ft or on the overhead shelf. We additionally recommend that you bring a 20-30mm sized padlock to safe your locker. If you’re feeling that the luggage limitation might be a problem for you, please get in touch with your booking marketing consultant.
Valuables
We advise that you keep flashy and costly jewellery and different valuables at residence to avoid unwanted attention and loss of these items. You can use your hotel protected and the safe on the overland truck to retailer your cash and essential journey documents. You can even buy a cash belt or pouch, which you may have the ability to cover behind a jacket or jersey. We suggest that you have got photocopies of all essential paperwork. Even though they’re not valid, a photocopy makes it a lot simpler to acquire replacements if essential.
Power
We have UK socket energy shops at each seat in our safari vehicles. You can use these to cost your electronic units whereas travelling. We recommend that you simply bring an influence financial institution and multi-country energy converters as you would possibly want them on your digital units. Some campsites will have adequate electricity.
Conservative gown for women
Please notice that women are expected to dress in a certain means in numerous places throughout Africa according to the cultural customs of a specific country. In basic, ladies travellers should go for shorts or skirts that attain the knees and tops that cover the shoulders. If you are visiting a coastal space, it is advisable to cover up when you are off the seashore.
Gorilla trek
You can expect conditions to be moist, muddy and uncomfortable more typically than not when trekking by way of dense forests to see gorillas. You will want a pair of waterproof and sturdy climbing boots to prevent your feet from getting moist, and to stop scratches from prickly foliage. We recommend that you convey protective gear in your hands, such as gardening gloves in order that you will discover it easier and fewer painful to grab onto timber and bushes when pulling your self up the hillside. Please additionally pack pairs of long socks. You’ll be capable of tuck your trousers into them to keep away from any ants or bugs attending to your ankles while we trek via forests.
Zambia dress code
Zambia has a particular costume code for each women and men that you’ll need to follow. Clothing items the country has listed as indecent include leggings, skirts and brief that don’t attain the knees, crop tops, sagging trousers, lace clothing, skinny denims and tight-fitting dresses. If you would possibly be found wearing these clothes gadgets, you could be fined a hefty fee or face arrest and deportation.
Plastic bag bans throughout Africa
Many nations throughout Africa have banned plastic luggage. In Namibia, anyone found with a plastic bag when entering sport parks is answerable for a nice of N$500 or imprisonment. Botswana’s plastic ban makes the importing, trading and commercial use of plastic bags a criminal offence. The country makes exceptions for plastics which are important for health and hygiene.
These two nations be a part of many other African international locations, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, who have banned the use of plastic luggage. South Africa solely imposed a levy on plastic luggage in 2004 and never a ban. The international locations implementing this ban are conducting baggage searches for plastic at border posts, so please make positive that you do not pack plastic luggage in your baggage. Instead pack waterproof reusable luggage, which you should buy at camping stores earlier than you permit in your tour.
Climate and seasonal data
In general, African has warm and pleasant weather circumstances. However, temperatures do dip in the course of the winter months, so it’s essential to convey a heat sleeping bag and warm clothes to cater to these low temperatures. Please verify weather reports earlier than journey.
Essential information on passport and vaccination necessities, and security on the tour
Passport
In common, most countries expect your passport to have a minimum of six months’ validity when travelling. Your airline ticket and booking should have the identical names listed on your passport. Your booking advisor will contact you as they’ll want your passport details to finish your reservation.
As a common rule of safety, ensure that you are taking a replica of the primary passport pages and different important documents with you, and go away another copy at home with family or pals.
Visas
Obtaining a visa is your responsibility, so please visit the relevant consular web site of the country or countries you’re visiting for up-to-date visa information specific to your nationality. Please apply timeously on your visa to stop any hiccups in your booking course of. Should you want any help with further advice on visas, you’re greater than welcome to contact your consultant.
South Africa
Many nationalities don’t must get a visa to go to South Africa as a tourist for as a lot as three months. Please ensure that you check with the South African Department of Home Affairs for detailed and up-to-date visa requirements.
New Zealand passport holders
All visitors from New Zealand coming to South Africa must acquire their visa on the South African High Commission located in Wellington or Auckland before departure. Travellers may have to use for a visa in individual. In instances the place in-person purposes usually are not attainable, travellers can use Travcour NZ. If you want extra details about the application course of and all paperwork required for the visa utility, please visit the South African Department of Home Affairs right here. You also can request supporting documentation via your reserving agent.
Entry necessities – passports
Please observe that South Africa doesn’t settle for non-machine readable passports. You will want a machine-readable journey doc (e-passport) if you’re planning to visit the nation. Immigration officers will refuse for you to enter into the nation if you’re unable to current an e-passport. If you are a traveller with a sound visa that is issued in a non-machine readable passport, immigration officers will handle this on a case-by-case basis, but you will still be answerable for a fine.
Entry requirements – yellow fever certificate
All travellers of 1 yr of age and above who arrive or are transiting by way of South Africa from a region or nation contaminated by yellow fever, as per the record by the World Health Organization, want a valid yellow fever vaccination certificates. Immigration officers will deny you entry into the country if you fail to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificates issued no much less than ten days earlier than arrival in the country. There is not any option to receive a vaccination on arrival if you don’t have a sound vaccination certificates. This requirement can additionally be applicable to travellers transiting via an infected nation or region.
Entry requirements – travelling with youngsters
When you journey with a toddler underneath the age of 18, you will need to provide an original unabridged birth certificates. The South African authorities put this regulation in place to protect kids from being abducted, kidnapped and trafficked.
The country’s Department of Home Affairs has urged all dad and mom to apply for unabridged certificates for their kids. Immigration officers may need further documentation, including permission to journey, if only one mother or father is travelling with a toddler or children. These necessities are from the immigration regulation 6 (12)(a) for folks travelling with kids. Please learn extra here.
Namibia
Most nationalities aren’t required to obtain a visa to enter Namibia as a vacationer if travelling for a maximum interval of ninety days. For up-to-date data on visa requirements, please contact the native consulate or embassy.
Zambia
Most nationalities require a Zambian visa, together with those from the EU, U.S. and Australia. For different nationalities, Zambian visas can be found at the point of entry. Please examine with the Zambia embassy in your country for current visa necessities. You will want US$50 in cash should you plan on acquiring your visa on arrival. Please verify with the Zambian Embassy for more information.
The Kaza visa
When travelling between Zambia and Zimbabwe, you’ll need to acquire a Kaza visa at the value of US$50. It is legitimate for 30 days as long as you keep within Zimbabwe and Zambia. You can get it at land borders at Livingstone (Zimbabwe border) and Kazungula (Botswana border).
Botswana
Please examine with the Botswana embassy in your nation if your nationality requires a visa to enter the nation. For travellers needing a visa to Botswana, software forms may be downloaded right here.
Tourism improvement levy: effective 1 June 2017
You will need to pay a obligatory tourism growth levy of US$30 when visiting Botswana. You’ll have to pay this levy, both by money or credit card, at your first port of entry into the nation. The tourism levy is valid for 30 days and can be utilized for multiple entries.
Entry requirements for Botswana – a yellow fever certificates
All travellers of 1 year of age and above who arrive or are transiting through Botswana from a region or nation contaminated by yellow fever, as per the listing by the World Health Organization, want a legitimate yellow fever vaccination certificates. Immigration officers will deny you entry into the nation when you fail to current a sound yellow fever vaccination certificate issued a minimum of ten days earlier than arrival within the nation. There is not any choice to obtain a vaccination on arrival should you don’t have a valid vaccination certificate. This requirement can be relevant to travellers transiting through an infected nation or region.
Children travelling to Botswana
When you travel with a baby beneath the age of 18, you will need to provide a licensed copy of the child’s full unabridged birth certificates. Without it, officers will deny you entry into the country. The unabridged delivery certificate ought to list the child’s details and the small print of each parents. A short start certificates, which only contains the child’s particulars, won’t be accepted.
If one father or mother only is travelling with the child, or the child is travelling with neither biological dad and mom or is unaccompanied, you’ll need to provide an affidavit of the consent of the parent(s) as proof that the dad and mom of the kid permitted you to travel with them. Should you have questions in regards to the documents you have to travel with kids, please contact the Botswana embassy.
Zimbabwe
Most nationalities require a Zimbabwean visa, including these from the EU, U.S. and Australia. For different nationalities, Zimbabwean visas can be found at the point of entry. You will want between US$30 and US$45 in money if you’re planning to acquire your visa on arrival. Please visit the Zimbabwean embassy in your nation for up-to-date information on visa necessities.
If you’re a tourist from a rustic that requires a visa before arrival, you will get more data and apply in your visa right here.
Kaza Visa
When travelling between Zambia and Zimbabwe, you will need to acquire a Kaza visa at the price of US$50. It is legitimate for 30 days as long as you stay within Zimbabwe and Zambia. You can get it at land borders at Livingstone (Zimbabwe border) and Kazungula (Botswana border).
Malawi
If you are a vacationer from the UK, U.S., Canada, the Schengen member states, Australia and New Zealand, you could have to pay US$75 upon arrival in Malawi to get a visa.
Some nationalities might need to get a visa earlier than arrival at the nearest Malawi Diplomatic Mission. If you’re unable to get a visa earlier than you arrive in Malawi, you presumably can obtain one whenever you enter into the nation when you have received prior authorisation within the form of a visa letter from the Malawi Immigration Department. Please contact to use for visa letters.
Tanzania
You can get hold of a single entry tourist visa for US$50 in cash at these beneath main entry factors in Tanzania should you fulfil all the country’s immigration and well being necessities. Due to new regulations, obtaining a visa on arrival is a lengthy process which requires you stand in three queues which may take up to 2 hours:
* Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam
* Abeid Amani Karume International Airport on Unguja Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago
* Kilimanjaro International Airport situated in northern Tanzania
* The Namanga border point between Tanzania and Kenya
* Tunduma border point between Tanzania and Zambia
You can even get hold of an e-visa 4 weeks before departure through Tanzania visa Application – note this software can take 2-3 weeks however that is the beneficial process to ensure you have your visa earlier than arrival. There are some nationalities who’re anticipate from visas – please see the list and tips HERE.
Currently, you don’t need a multi-entry visa to enter Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. These three international locations have an settlement to navigate entry from vacationers. Should your tour require you to exit Kenya into Tanzania, you can re-enter Kenya on the identical visa. However, if you will need to enter Tanzania twice after visiting a rustic that isn’t Kenya or Uganda, you might have to acquire two visas.
East Africa vacationer visa
The East Africa tourist visa is a multiple-entry visa that’s valid for 90 days. It permits for travel between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda with the identical multiple-entry visa. The visa costs US$100 and is the most fitted choice for visitors travelling to all three of the listed international locations.
If Kenya is your first nation of arrival, you will receive the East Africa vacationer visa at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on arrival. It is the one sort of visa to obtain. You might want to full the visa form and pay US$50 in money for the East African visa. Please make positive that the immigration officers that course of your visa give you all three visas.
If you might be starting your trip in Rwanda, you possibly can apply on your visa through the Rwanda Online Visa Application System. If you’re only visiting Kenya and Uganda and arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya to cross into Uganda by land, we advise that you apply for an e-visa for Kenya, and get your Ugandan visa on arrival. You might need to pay money on your Ugandan visa.
Kenya only
You can get a visa either on arrival into Kenya or via e-visa Kenya before arrival. Single-entry visas (business or tourism) price US$50, €40, or £30, and a transit visa, which is legitimate for three days, is US$20. You can only pay in cash on your visa if you’re acquiring it on arrival.
You can enter into Kenya multiple times for a interval of ninety days with a single entry visa. This allowance is just valid if you don’t leave the East African area.
You can complete the four-step e-visa process by way of the immigration web site right here. You might want to submit an software kind and passport-sized photograph as part of the applying course of. The processing length for e-visas is as a lot as seven working days. You will want to current to immigration officers your printed e-visa upon entry to Kenya.
Please guarantee that you’ve got multiple copies of your e-visa to current at every border crossing.
Uganda
We advise that you just get your Ugandan visa on arrival at a price of US$50 in cash in case you are arriving into Uganda by land. Alternatively, you presumably can get hold of an East Africa visa on arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Unfortunately, there are not any applicable services at Ugandan land borders to process the e-visas.
When paying in cash, please have U.S. dollar payments which are in wonderful situation, and that are dated 2006 and newer. These are the one payments that Ugandan immigration will accept.
If you might be flying into Uganda, you’ll be able to apply for your visa here. The software course of requires you to addContent a transparent copy of your current passport, your yellow fever vaccination certificates and a passport photo. You can either pay for your e-visa online or if you arrive in Uganda. The amount you’ll must pay is US$50. If you need to pay on your visa on arrival, you will obtain a barcoded e mail notification that you could print to present to immigration officers. You’ll must pay on your visa in money.
Travel insurance coverage
It is compulsory so that you can have comprehensive adventure journey insurance coverage on all overland tours. At a minimal degree, we’d like you to be coated for medical bills, together with private legal responsibility, emergency repatriation, curtailment, cancellation, and loss of luggage and personal effects.
Medical insurance coverage can be compulsory so that you just can have when happening an overland tour. You won’t be allowed on a trip should you do not have it. Medical insurance coverage is on your security should something happen whereas on tour, especially when in a distant location.
We will want your travel insurance details when reserving your trip. We will embody these particulars on the traveller record. Please bear in mind that the majority journey insurance policies do not embody cover for adrenaline sports activities and adventure activities. These actions embrace white-water rafting, skydiving and bungee leaping. We advise that you go through your coverage to see for particulars on what it covers.
You might want to present your journey insurance paperwork and the insurer’s 24-hour emergency contact quantity to your tour chief, who will then allow you to be part of the journey group. Unfortunately, we can’t permit travellers who don’t have journey insurance coverage to join any excursions.
For travellers with credit card insurance coverage, you’ll need to offer your group chief with the below particulars:
* The name of the insurer or underwriter
* The stage of protection
* The coverage variety of the credit card insurance
* The emergency contact variety of the insurer
Your financial institution will offer you these particulars.
Please notice: some Namibian hospitals don’t recognise some travel insurance coverage policies, so please check together with your insurer. Please seek different protection whether it is essential.
WorldNomads Insurance offers journey journey insurance and cancellation insurance coverage. As we talked about above, we advocate that you select journey insurance coverage that includes cancellation and curtailment insurance coverage. The majority of tour departures are confirmed to depart, however within the unlikely occasion that we cancel a tour departure as a outcome of unexpected circumstances, you’ll be protected.
Many bank card companies provide commonplace bank card insurance, so please verify your insurance coverage to see what it includes and excludes in its cowl. If you choose to make use of your bank card insurance, you will need to contact your bank to get your policy details. Here are directions on how to do so:
* Contact your bank – they will ask you on your financial institution card quantity
* Complete their account verification steps which they will give you on the decision
* Ask for the insurance coverage company name and your coverage number
* Store the contact quantity that you simply dialled in your contact record
Money matters
Every traveller’s price range is different on a visit. We advocate that you just deliver a bit more cash than you suppose you’ll need as a price range buffer. Please embrace amounts for things like meals not included, drinks, purchasing, optionally available actions, tipping and laundry in your budget.
Please also ensure that you’ve learn your journey particulars totally to just remember to know what’s included and excluded in the trip worth. Doing this could make budgeting somewhat simpler.
The suggestions we’ve made for added costs are in U.S. dollars, so to have a better concept of the bills on your finances, we advise that you simply convert these amounts to your native foreign money.
Meals not included
Food is certainly one of the most unbelievable ways to be taught about the heritage and culture of a brand new destination. We do encourage you to strive the native delicacies of the totally different places that we will be visiting through the tour. Doing this provides you with a comprehensive cultural expertise and a possibility to mingle with local residents.
We offer you an opportunity to get pleasure from local delicacies on the event that we don’t embody lunch or dinner. Your tour leader will suggest food options, markets and eating places where you can safely have local delicacies. You can finances between US$10 and US$15 per meal for lunch, and between US$12 and US$25 for primary meal dinner choices. Please note that these are indicative prices only.
Tipping
Giving gratuity is a great way to indicate your appreciation to service providers for their glorious service. It makes a big distinction to service suppliers within the local tourism business, and it inspires a motivation on the a half of service suppliers to maintain a high quality of service. Tipping is elective, and do you have got to select to tip, the typical quantity is between US$7 and US$10 per individual, per day.
We’ve put collectively this concise tipping information utilizing the feedback we’ve acquired from past travellers and our employees on the ground. This information will allow you to with budgeting for tipping as you go on a tour:
* Please contemplate tipping your tour crew members, together with tour leaders, drivers and cooks should you feel that they provided you with excellent service all through your trip. It just isn’t obligatory to provide a tip, and the quantity you choose to give is as a lot as you. In basic, a tip of US$3 or US$4 every workers member per day will be great. You may give each employees member their tip at the end of your tour.
* Local guides: every so often, an area tour information will be a part of the group to work with your tour chief. If you would like to tip the native tour information, we propose an amount of US$2 or US$3 per native information, per day.
* At restaurants: if your invoice contains the 10% service payment, you won’t have to tip further. If the restaurant doesn’t add the service payment to your invoice, you possibly can tip a minimal quantity of 10% of your whole invoice.
Group kitty for tipping
We’ve discovered that some groups choose placing money together for tips to overcome challenges such as not having the right quantity of small change to pay a tip.
Your tour leader would possibly suggest a gaggle kitty for tipping, the place all members of the tour group contribute an equal amount of money to pay for tips. They will hold a working report of all monies spent, apart from restaurant ideas. Group members can verify the operating document at any time, and any remaining amounts will be returned to group members on the end of the tour. Group members exclude ideas for the tour crew from this group kitty.
Emergency funds
Emergency funds are important for dealing with unforeseen circumstances that we can encounter while travelling, corresponding to pure disasters or a medical emergency. Please add US$500 to your journey price range to cater for emergencies. When surprising circumstances occur, we might need to implement quick adjustments to our itineraries, and these modifications may involve additional prices.
Credit cards, ATMs and money change
In general, vacationer outlets and some restaurants throughout Africa accept bank cards. The preferred playing cards are Visa and Mastercard. If you’ve American Express and Diners, we suggest that you simply go for the preferred options to reduce your cost worries. Most of Africa is money dominant, so we suggest that you carry money, especially for making purchases at small restaurants and native markets. You can change foreign foreign money at exchange bureaus, which often offer one of the best charges.
With the elevated availability of ATMs in plenty of main cities, cities and campsites, you’ll be able to access cash conveniently utilizing debit or bank cards. Please verify the withdrawal limits and worldwide financial institution expenses along with your bank as these quantities vary from nation to country.
Please keep in mind to notify your bank concerning the nations you’ll be visiting earlier than your departure. Banks could freeze playing cards which show sudden transactions in different nations as a safety measure against fraud.
Your tour leader will provide you with an estimate of the amount you’ll want while travelling on a multi-country tour. Please remember that you’ll want U.S. dollar payments that are in glorious situation, and which are dated 2006 and newer when you pay in cash. Most companies and banks, especially in East Africa, could refuse any old or damaged notes.
Accessing cash in Zimbabwe
Please keep in mind that obtaining cash in Zimbabwe is troublesome due to the current money disaster. We advise that you just convey enough cash in U.S. dollars to help your stay while you’re within the nation. If you might have any queries about accessing money in Zimbabwe, please chat with your consultant. Your tour leader will be succesful of assist whereas travelling.
Departure tax
Various international locations, together with Zimbabwe, require you to pay an airport departure tax when departing on a global flight. You can anticipate to pay between US$10 and US$60, relying on the departure time.
Personal well being and vaccinations
You will need wonderful health ranges to cope with the strenuous nature of our overland excursions. Great health levels may even assist you to to benefit from the planned activities. We urge you to evaluate your health stage when studying the itinerary to make an informed selection about your capability to deal with our excursions.
If any traveller is unable to complete the itinerary with out significant threat to themselves and other group members, the tour chief or local guide has the best to exclude them from half or all of a visit. If you are excluded from a component or the entire itinerary, please note that you’ll not be refunded. It is for that reason that we encourage you to entry your health level when selecting a tour.
Please consult your physician before departure for up-to-date medical journey data, including any necessary vaccinations and anti-malarial necessities. We encourage you to have a private first help package that features your particular medicine.
Yellow fever
All travellers of 1 12 months of age and above must current a sound yellow fever vaccination certificates on arrival on the airport or border crossing. If you don’t have one, immigration officers will deny you entry into the precise nation. You may additionally have to present a sound vaccination certificate on the airport in your home nation when you return out of your vacation. Please make sure that you check all yellow fever necessities with a journey physician.
Typhoid
Please be certain that your Typhoid vaccinations are updated in case you are travelling to Harare. Parts of town have experienced a typhoid outbreak, with over 1,500 cases reported since 2011. Please search recommendation out of your journey doctor.
Tsetse Fly
While travelling on safari, please avoid carrying blue, black and other darkish colored clothing as they entice the tsetse fly. A chunk from the tsetse fly can cause sleeping illness, with the continual form of the illness being trypanosomiasis. Symptoms of sleeping sickness include fever, irregular behaviour, complications and swollen lymph nodes.
Drinking water
In general, we encourage you to not drink local tap water as you may fall sick. Your physique will react adversely to a special region’s water standards. Falling ill, even if it’s an upset stomach, will spoil a day or two of your vacation. Many lodges and hotels provide protected drinking water, while bottled water is one other alternative. We advocate that you just embrace rehydration salts, painkillers, movement sickness medication, and diarrhoea blockers in your non-public first help equipment.
Crew and guides
A tour crew, consisting of a tour leader, a cook and a driver, will accompany a bunch. Regardless of the nation of origin, we choose our crew members for his or her leadership expertise and glorious service supply. They are fantastic ambassadors for our firm and our lovely continent and its folks. We embody skilled and new crew members in our staff, so there may be events the place you journey with a brand new crew member or one that is undergoing coaching.
Your tour leader manages journey logistics to ensure that the tour runs easily, safely and timeously. They help with establishing camp and drawing up the chore roster for the group. On some occasions, they could drive. They will be ready to provide you with historic, environmental, cultural, religious and social perception into the varied locations coated through the tour. The local guide will have in-depth information of these numerous elements.
Tour cooks deal with the preparation and cooking of meals during a tour. They make sure that excessive hygiene requirements are kept always whereas tenting. Grocery purchasing and meal preparation times are unbelievable for bonding collectively as a gaggle. Your prepare dinner will take pleasure in a fantastic dialog with you whereas sharing within the task of making ready meals.
Getting to the subsequent location on the itinerary safely and timeously is the accountability of the motive force. They additionally make sure that our safari vans undergo regular upkeep for roadworthiness.
Everyone is expected to take part and carry their share of camp duties. The duties Rota system ensures that all members share a load of basic camp duties. This includes cooking, shopping, and washing up. If the entire group participates in doing chores, it will be quicker and extra enjoyable to get via all of them.
Safety on tour
We go to great lengths to ensure that our tours are as safe as attainable. These include maintaining our vehicles to ensure most roadworthiness and checking local journey advisories for up-to-date security information. With security being a primary precedence for us, group tour leaders have the authority to alter or cancel any portion of the trip itinerary ought to security issues come up. Please ensure to cooperate with them and cling to their advice.
Please ensure that you examine your government’s newest travel info earlier than departure. We urge you to confirm that your journey insurance coverage covers you for all areas your itinerary covers.
We advise that you simply keep valuable paperwork and money in a money pouch that you can hide in a jacket. Many of the resorts that we use have secure security deposit boxes if you favor to use them for storing your valuable paperwork. Getting a safety lock to safe your luggage is also a fantastic security precaution. Please remember to go away your costly jewelry at home for security causes.
You will have some free time during your journey to discover a given location at your leisure. Should you select to do an activity that isn’t a half of the itinerary, please keep in mind that we’re not liable for the protection standards of the exercise and the usual of operators running them. Please use your discretion when deciding on optionally available activities to do throughout your free time. You can ask your tour chief for advice on elective exploration activities to do – they will be more than pleased to assist.
Fire precautions
Not each lodging facility that we use has a hearth exit, hearth extinguishers or smoke alarms. We will advise on what to do should an emergency come up at the amenities on tour.
Balconies
Many lodging amenities in Africa are primary. Expect to either have a facility with a small balcony or a facility that doesn’t have a balcony.
Details about traffic and driving
The totally different countries that we go to on our excursions drive on different sides of the highway. For example, Kenya and South Africa drive on the left, and Rwanda drives on the proper. Before you cross the street, please remember to look left and proper. Traffic could also be busier than what you’re used to in your house country.
Seat belts
Please keep in mind that local laws governing transportation security may differ from those in your house nation. Not all the transport we use provides seat belts.
Pick pocketingand personal safety
In order to safeguard as much as possible against pick pocketing, particularly in touristy cities, please be cautious when walking at night time. We encourage you to stroll in groups and only on main, well-lit areas. Please also be careful when utilizing public transport. Simple protection measures for your belongings include carrying your day pack in your entrance and solely carry the things you’ll want for the day. It’s finest to leave valuables stored in security bins in your lodge room or the overland truck.
Water safety
Waves and currents in the ocean, river or open water our bodies can be unpredictable. Please be cautious when taking in any water actions, and please ensure you could swim. If you need to partake in swimming activities, please ask for local advice before entering the water.
Unfenced campsites
Please notice that we’ll be staying in unfenced camp sites situated inside nationwide parks on some trips. Here, you will experience nature in its most genuine type. We ask that you just adhere to any recommendation given to you by our tour leaders and the park rangers. Their steerage will guarantee your security and that of the complete group.
Homosexuality in Tanzania
Please notice that homosexuality is unlawful in Tanzania, together with Zanzibar. In June 2017, the Tanzanian government introduced that it was unlawful for LGBQTI rights advocates to operate in the nation and that these actions will result in arrest and imprisonment. Public shows of homosexuality, corresponding to hand-holding, may result in arrest and up to 30 years’ imprisonment. If you would possibly be affected by this legislation, please see your country’s present journey advisory for additional info.
Bilharzia
Bilharzia is caused by parasitic worms found in fresh water that has been contaminated by animal and human waste. Symptoms include a pores and skin rash, vaginal bleeding, physique aches, fatigue and blood within the stool. Please be mindful of shallow reedy waters within the neighborhood of villages.