As we near the end of the crazy year that was 2020, a lot of us will be glad to see the end of it. There s heartening news from Africa with a number of our favourite countries for safaris having re-opened to international visitors under strict conditions. It's not business as usual, but the door is open and Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda are just a few countries that are welcoming international arrivals on safari.
Entry requirements vary in each country, with some countries expecting all arrivals to have had a negative Covid-19 test within 48 hours of leaving their country and another test on arrival. Rwanda is one of the strictest, and that s probably because they're home to the endangered mountain gorillas, which can catch Covid-19 from us due to their very similar genetics. Countries like Botswana, Namibia and Rwanda have actually had very little Covid-19 reported and not many deaths compared to Europe and the US.
I think people are actually a bit surprised to hear that Covid-19 did nt hit much of Africa as hard as it was expected to. This might be due to the high proportion of young people in Africa, but it is probably also due to some countries clamping down hard and fast early on. Don't forget that Africa had to deal with ebola about 6 years ago, which had a much higher death rate than Covid-19, so a lot of systems and infrastructure was set up to cope with pandemics. For whatever reason, out in the bush on safari in Africa is a great place to be right now, away from big cities and crowds!
Now is the time to start thinking about planning your next African safari, so don't hesitate to get in touch with us to see what's possible as we have a number of group safari options available for 2021. Check out my small group safaris planned for 2021 here. Our Rwanda safari, combining trekking with the mountain gorillas and some time doing elephant research with me, will most likely be in the latter half of next year (details coming soon).
Some people are already returning to safaris in Africa and taking advantage of the special deals on offer, including an incredible 75% off for health workers being offered by Asilia Africa for their safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. With few tourists on safari, the game parks and savannahs that are usually full of cars must feel truly like the garden of Eden. We can't wait to get back out there!
For those who are not yet ready to commit to travelling to Africa, we are offering our first ever Great Australian Safari from 21-29 June 2021. This group journey can only take 12 travellers and is filling up fast so if you do want to join us please contact us now. This amazing journey, guided by yours truly and local guide and expert wildlife photographer Kelvin Marshall combines the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics Rainforest of the Daintree and an epic Outback experience that you won t believe. My other half, Andy Ridley, CEO of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, will be your guide on your day out on the reef. We've put a lot of work into making this journey just that extra bit special, so why not join us?