Travel Alert - Coronavirus

Coronavirus Travel Update for Africa

Option to Postpone your Safari up to December 2022*

Originally Posted: March 13, 2020
Last Updated: January 18, 2022 @ 5:18pm

With the ongoing changes in travel due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the rapidness at which things are changing around us, we are continually adapting to serve the needs of our customers. Some countries in Africa have restricted foreign visitors, or now require additional screening/testing and quarantine periods or proof of vaccination as well as testing. The USA & Canada have also introduced testing requirements for travelers returning from international trips – Lion World Travel can assist with facilitating the testing within the destination. Additionally, airlines have reduced their number of departures.

Lion World Travel is monitoring news and guidelines coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and governmental departments in North America and Africa to ensure the safety of all of our guests.

Know that Lion World Travel is in constant contact with our suppliers throughout Africa. For concerned travelers, we are happy to say that for the majority of bookings, you have the option to postpone travel to as late as December 9, 2022*. There are some exceptions, so please call us at 1 800 387 2706 to confirm what travel options you have if you want to change, postpone, or transfer your impacted trip with Lion World Travel.

Future Travel Credits: Should you be uncertain about new travel dates or other changes to your booked vacation, we will gladly issue a travel credit for any future travel with Lion World Travel in 2022. Credit for issued airline tickets as well as all booked accommodations would remain with the same suppliers. Our Africa Specialists will be able to give you information specific to your booking. In some cases partial credits can be moved to other TTC brands.

We have departures on all of our Exclusive Vacation Packages for 2022, giving travelers more options to choose their new departure dates from. For the vast majority of 2021 re-bookings, we are able to get travelers on the exact same safari, without a price increase for travel within the same season. Price increases and fees can be expected for other safaris in 2022 and 2023.

In addition to the information on this page, we encourage you to read "Your Well-being, Our Top Priority", which outlines some of the health, safety and well-being initiatives we have in place to safeguard all of our Lion World Travel guests. We want everyone who books with us to enjoy their dream trip to Africa! If you have any questions at all, and wish to postpone your safari, our Africa Specialists are here to answer your call.

See below for some important details before you consider re-booking your African safari.

* Important Notes:

Contact your Africa Specialist to discuss options if you are considering delaying your travels
Postponing travel: be aware that the itinerary and inclusions may change year to year, and re-bookings are subject to price increases
Postponed trips may incur change or cancellation fees from airlines, and some of our accommodation suppliers in Africa
Standard cancellation penalties still apply to all bookings. You can view our booking terms and conditions here.

Country-Specific Restrictions and Travel Alerts in Africa:

The information below, combined with our Sherpa - Travel Restrictions & E-Visa tool, are provided to help you determine what entry requirements and restrictions may be in place for your destination(s).

Note that country regulations are changing frequently. In general, wearing masks in public and maintaining social distancing is required wherever you go. Failure to follow these protocols can result in fines. We have made efforts to keep these guidelines as up to date as possible, but there are sometimes communication delays from the authorities in Africa. Please note Sherpa uses the most recently updated information from countries across the world. You may find information supplied by different government sites may vary at times, so be sure to check for the most recent local updates too.

Botswana:

All visitors entering Botswana are required to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of their departure for Botswana
All visitors must be fully vaccianted and present a valid vaccinatination certificate upon arrival
Visitors must do a rapid Covid antigen test upon arrival in Botswana. With a negative test, visitors are not required to quarantine.
Travelers exiting Botswana are required to present a PCR negative test result not older than 72 hours from the time of exit from Botswana. Some camps will arrange for this to be done in camp – additional costs will apply.

Egypt:

International arrivals from The USA and Canada (including Egyptian nationals) to any part of Egypt will be required to present a negative PCR test certificate conducted no more than 96 hours prior to the departure of their flight into Egypt.
There must be a QR code on your PCR test results, results without a QR code will not be accepted in Egypt.
Vaccinated travelers can be exempt from the PCR test requirement and do not have to quarantine. For entry by proof of vaccination, travelers must present a vaccination card of a WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccination (two doses for msot vaccines, one dose for Johnson & Johnson), and the vaccination card must have a QR code on it.
All arriving passengers will be subject to temperature checks, must fill out a Health Declaration Form, and must show proof of a valid health insurance policy. Find out if you require a visa and apply online via Egypt's Online Visa portal.

Jordan:

All travelers must use the online application portal and fill in the travel declaration form for approval to travel and have proof of a negative PCR test done within 72 hours of arrival in Jordan.
All travelers must provided proof of valid travel insurance, which includes coverage for COVID 19 treatment, for the entire duration of their trip.
Fully vaccinated visitors arriving from the United States and Canada can be exempt from a PCR test upon arrival, if you 1) have the required travel insurance and have completed your travel declaration form, 2) have your negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure, 3) have a medical certificate documenting your full vaccination, and 4) complete this QR code registration from Gateway2Jordan.

Kenya:

All travelers need proof that they are fully vaccinated and must have a valid vaccination certificate (must be printed)
All passengers on international flights must show a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate, done within 72 hours of arrival in Kenya.
All arriving passengers on international flights must have a body temperature that is NOT above 37.5° C (99.5°F); must NOT have a persistent cough, difficulty in breathing or other flu-like symptoms.
It is mandatory for all passengers arriving in Kenya to complete the Travelers Health Surveillance Form by the Ministry of Health. The form is available here and must be completed online prior to embarkation.
A random selection of people will also be tested upon arrival. Anyone testing positive will need to quarantine for 14 days.
Passengers will receive a QR code after completing the form and will be required to display it to a Port Health Official to proceed through immigration.
Strict infection prevention and control measures have to be followed: social distancing, good hand hygiene, and the wearing of masks remain mandatory.
Prior to departure, everyone leaving Kenya must have a negative PCR test taken in country, with a Trusted Travel (TT) code.
Tourist visas must be done ahead of arrival, using the e-visa portal.
Additional COVID-19 tracing and reporting may be required.

Mauritius:

The Mauritius Now entry requirements are: All visitors must present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before their departure to Mauritius. A PCR test will also be taken upon arrival, and again on Day 5 of your visit in Mauritius.
All visitors must also prove they have COVID-19 health insurance coverage.
Fully vaccinated travelers who meet the above requirements are allowed to explore the island freely.
Visitors who are not fully vaccinated will be required to book a 14-day quarantine stay, at an approved resort. During those 14-days you must remain in your hotel room and take another PCR test on Day 7, and a final PCR test on Day 14. After testing negative for all tests, you can then leave your hotel room and freely explore the island.

Mozambique:

All arriving travelers are required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, conducted in their country of origin within 72 hours of departure for Mozambique.
All travelers will undergo temperature screening upon arrival.
Tourism visas are once again available upon arrival with proof of a return ticket and hotel booking, however it is highly recommended to obtain your visa from the Mozambican Embassy prior to arrival.
There is a daily curfew in Maputo, provincial capitals, and many other cities from midnight to 4:00am

Namibia:

All passengers (even fully vaccinated) arriving on international flights must present a negative PCR COVID-19 test result from the country of departure, taken no longer than 72 hours before arrival in Namibia. No quarantine or additional testing will be required upon arrival.
Visitors to Namibia must have their negative PCR test results loaded onto the Trusted Traveler program or verified by the Global Haven system prior to arrival.
Travelers must fill out the Namibia COVID-19 Surveillance Form as well as the Health Questionnaire for Tourism to Namibia before they arrive.
Any non-Namibian travelers who arrive with a negative test that is older than 72 hours will be placed in quarantine and tested for COVID-19 on the same day at their own cost and will only be released if the results of this test return negative. Travelers may be placed under mandatory Government quarantine at approved facilities at their own cost.
Results for tests done in Namibia can take up to 48 hours to obtain.
Correct wearing of face masks in public places, including vehicles, aircraft and other means of shared transport is compulsory.
Penalties for transgression of these protocols is subject to up to a $100,000 Namibian Dollars fine and 10 years in prison.

Rwanda:

All travelers arriving in Rwanda must have a negative COVID-19 certificate. The only accepted test is a SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), performed within 72 hours of departure for Rwanda.
Prior to arrival, all travelers must complete the Passenger Locator Form and upload their COVID-19 test certificate via this online portal.
All travelers entering Rwanda, including U.S. and Canadian citizens, will be tested again at a cost of US$60 per person. You must then complete a 24 hours of quarantine at one of the Government of Rwanda’s designated hotels while waiting for the results of their COVID-19 test.
Hotels in Rwanda will also check for proof of a valid negative test prior to check-in.
Preventive measures must be followed while traveling in Rwanda: physical distancing where possible; the wearing of masks is mandatory; and temperature screenings before entering certain buildings are mandatory.
National Parks: visitors to Volcanoes, Nyungwe, Gishwati-Mukura National Parks must provide a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 24 hours of entry to the park.
National Parks: visitors to Akagera National Park must provide a negative Rapid Antigen test, taken within 24 hours of entry to the park.
All travelers departing from Rwanda must test negative for COVID-19, with the RT-PCR test performed within 72 hours before departure, should their stay in Rwanda be shorter than 5 days i.e. they depart within 120 hours of their RT-PCR test done on arrival, they do not require another test.
We encourage travelers to book and pay for their tests at least 2 days prior to departure through the online platform available on www.rbc.gov.rw
Violation of Covid restrictions and protocols will incur fines or up to 5 days of detention by police.
A nationwide curfew is in place from 10:00pm to 4:00am. All businesses, including restaurants must close by 9:00pm.

Seychelles:

All visitors including infants and children, regardless of vaccination status from permitted countries must have a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate from an accredited laboratory, obtained within 72 hours before departure.
Visitors must obtain a Health Travel Authorization (HTA) for entry into Seychelles. The form is available at https://seychelles.govtas.com/
Completed forms should be submitted via email to visitor@health.gov.sc.
Visitors must have health insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage, including costs of quarantine, isolation, treatment
Visitors can only stay at certified hotels, resorts and service providers
There is a curfew between 11:00pm and 4:00am daily. Restaurants within hotels remain open for guests.

South Africa:

International borders and airports are open to international travel subject to necessary health protocols listed below.
On arrival, travelers will need to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result not older than 72 hours from time of departure. Where a traveler has not done a COVID-19 PCR test prior to departure, they will be required to remain in mandatory quarantine at their own cost.
All travelers will be screened on arrival and those presenting with symptoms will be required to remain in quarantine until a repeat COVID-19 PCR test is conducted.
All travelers will be asked to install the COVID Alert South Africa mobile app. International travelers are required to have mandatory travel insurance, and must cover the cost of a COVID-19 PCR test (for those showing symptoms) and their own quarantine costs, if required.
Arriving travelers must complete the Domestic Travel Questionnaire form and Traveller Health Questionnaire from the Department of Health.
Prior to leaving South Africa, all travelers must also complete the Exit Screening Questionnaire from the Department of Health.
If a flight arrives within the curfew hours, passengers will be able to show proof of their boarding passes or tickets for their flights if stopped by law enforcement en-route to the airport or hotel.
Wearing of masks are mandatory in public places (fines and possible imprisonment up to 6 months for non-compliance), maintain a social distance of 1.5 meters where possible.

Tanzania and Zanzibar:

Travelers are required to complete an Online Public Health Surveillance Form within the 24 hours prior to their arrival in Tanzania. Once completed, travelers will receive a Unique Health Code (UHC) to show to health officials upon their arrival.
All travelers are required to produce a negative COVID-19 certificate upon arrival into Tanzania, taken within the prior 96 hours.
Any arriving travelers may be required to undergo enhanced health screening and take a Rapid Antigen Test at a cost of approximately $10 per person upon arrival. Should the tests be positive, quarantine at the travelers own expense will be required.
While in Tanzania, visitors will be expected to adhere to full protective measures against the spread of COVID-19.
The online visa portal for Tanzania can be found here.
When departing, travelers must complete a Rapid Antigen test at the airport and obtain a negative result.

Zambia:

Visitor and Business Visas are being issued in advance, not upon arrival.
All arriving passengers must have a certificate of a negative PCR COVID-19 test that has been conducted within 72 hours of arriving in Zambia.
Visitors will be expected to adhere to COVID-19 regulations like physical distancing, wearing face masks, and personal hygiene.
All international visitors are subject to temperature and symptom screening on arrival. If you show any signs of COVID-19, you will have to quarantine for 14 days.
PCR testing can be done in Livingstone but must be sent to Lusaka for processing, express tests for results within 48 hours cost approximately US$150 per person
Departing Zambia: Travelers must use an authorized Trusted Traveler laboratory for their COVID-19 PCR test. Travelers will get a Trusted Travel code from the laboratory where the test was performed. Travelers must create an account at Trusted Travel – Africa CDC. This is where your results will be uploaded. You will then get a QR code to display on your phone and show to authorities at the airport to allow your departure. Tests must be taken within the past 72 hours, and tests taken outside of Zambia (even within this 72 hour window) are not valid, and another test must be taken in Zambia.

Zimbabwe including Victoria Falls:

Upon arrival, all visitors will be tested and must do a mandatory 10 day quarantine. If your test is positive, your mandatory quarantine will be extended to 14 days.
All travelers will be required to present a negative PCR COVID-19 test certificate, obtained from a recognized facility within 48 hours of departure for Zimbabwe.
There is a curfew in effect from 9:00pm to 6:00am daily.

Airline Restrictions and Requirements in Africa:

Be aware that in addition to the country requirements above, certain airlines may require a negative PCR test before allowing you on a flight, even if one is not required to exit a country in Africa. Certain airlines do not accept cloth masks, and require travelers to wear surgical / KN95 masks while flying. Speak with one of our Africa Specialists to discuss what airline requirements may affect your travels.

Returning Home to the US or Canada:

In addition to the above requirements, know that there are restrictions and possible quarantine requirements in place for when you return home from a foreign country.

All travelers returning to the United States must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within 1 day of your flight departure to return into the US. All travelers entering the US will be given an Attestation Form to confirm they meet the entry requirements. This will distributed/collected by the airline, and can also be found on the CDC website.

All travelers returning to / entering Canada must use the ArriveCAN app to provide their receipt of proof of vaccination and a record fo their travel plans. A negative PCR COVID-19 test, taken within 72 hours of departure for Canada, is required for all travelers effective December 21, 2021. If you are symptomatic or not fully vaccinated, you will need to include a 14-day quarantine plan in your ArriveCAN app details. Even if fully vaccinated, you may be selected for a randomised COVID-19 test upon arrival in Canada and will have to quarantine until a negative test result is received in Canada.