Safari status in Kenya/Tanzania?
 

Hi all,

Kenya and Tanzania seem to be one of the few countries that are relatively open - does anyone know if Safaris are running or if they're currently closed? Most of the websites for individual camps seemed to have changed their booking engines to "enquire here" instead of being able to book directly online.

And on a related note - are there any good discounts to be found at this time?

Follow Chris Liebenberg of Piper and Heath on Instagram. Search for Piperandheath. I can't get it to properly link here. He owns the agency and we have used him for safaris. He arrived in Tanzania today to check on the situation there.

Have returned from a safari in Tanzania in late July, staying in Saadani National Park (Saadani Safari Lodge). Parks open and safaris generally run according to both my experience and park rangers.

According to Abercrombie & Kent with whom I’m (hopefully) travelling to the Mara in November, camps in Tanzania are now relatively open.

So if you’re after *a* safari, that’s definitely doable.

That said, if you would like a specific lodge harder to say.

Related: I had a South Africa/Botswana safari scheduled for September, 2020, and the S.A. travel agency (Rhino Tours) strongly encouraged delaying it for a year, which I did. If paid according to the original schedule, 2020 prices were honored otherwise the 2021 prices (about 6% higher) would be charged.

So, I've e-mailed approximately 20 camps in the Mara. Generally speaking most of them are open, and a good number of them have some good deals that are generally valid for the next few months.

Right now I'm price-shopping between camps, but I'm wondering if a TA might get me better prices. I'm mainly interested in 4-5 nights total in the Mara. Anyone got any TAs they'd like to recommend? (Other than Rhino Africa, which seems to be well-recommended in this forum)

Chris Liebenberg, owner of Piper & Heath, is in Tanzania right now, seeing the great migration and learning what the status is of the various camps. He's done a superb job on two safaris for us.

https://piperandheath.com/
https://piperandheath.com/contact/

Thanks! I've thrown them an e-mail

We used Linda Friedman at https://CustomSafaris.com/. We were very happy with the camps and the guides at the camps that she selected.
It appears that her website shows that it is not secure. You can send an email to [email protected].

Hmm - does anyone know what the entry requirements into Tanzania are right now? Do we need a negative test to fly from Kenya to Tanzania? If we do, I'm considering switching to Northern Serengeti instead of the Masai Mara. That way, we don't have to get *two* sets of negative tests (one leaving the US going into Kenya, and another going from Kenya to Tanzania)

Kenya does require a negative test (T-96h). Tanzania does not. Per the lastest updates at least (Kenya: published Aug 7, Tanzania: published Aug 6).

Anyway, given your dates: I think it's worth to track down the current movement of the great migration. Afaik they started early this year. Early October they are usually in Masai Mara but then will start to head back to Lamai as soon as the wet season is starting.

Interesting - the august 3rd US embassy health alert (https://tz.usembassy.gov/health-aler...august-3-2020/) states the following:

But the august 7th alert (https://tz.usembassy.gov/health-aler...august-7-2020/):

Which I guess means that no COVID-19 test is needed to go from Kenya -> Tanzania, since Kenya doesn't require any testing for *outbound* travel.

Chris Liebenberg of Piper and Heath is home. This is what he had to say:

"The two biggest take-aways from my trip were that it is indeed possible to visit Africa right now (at least Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda!) and that Africa is virtually empty. It was an amazing and, frankly, unprecedented privilege to visit safari hotspots like Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti at a time when they are experiencing only a tiny fraction of the usual tourist numbers. The wildlife was spectacular, the experience was exclusive, and my reception by the local people was heartwarming."

A TA can definitely help you get better prices, more value, and also more accurate information on the travel restrictions between Kenya and Tanzania. PM me if you're still looking for assistance.

As I mentioned above, it is probably best to connect with an expert on the ground in Africa rather than trying to interpret the confusing wording on the Kenya and Tanzania Embassy websites (I'll admit, some of the wording is clear, but there are some gaps that leave it to interpretation!). Potentially a safari camp or collection that has lodges in both Kenya and Tanzania. Companies like this likely have travelers interested in doing exactly what you are interested in doing: going from Kenya to Tanzania! I am not sure where you live, but also keep in mind Kenya does have a 14-day quarantine requirement for US residents of California, Florida, and Texas. PM me if you'd like me to reach out to my partners in Africa and help get a clear answer for you.

All of that being said, if you have the means to get to Kenya, the payoff will be a dream. There likely won’t be another opportunity to experience Africa and the Great Migration quite like this in our lifetime!

Also note that only Nairobi has world class healthcare. The biggest discounts will likely be found with in country operators/TAs.