Travel during COVID

Who knew when I signed up for this most rewarding career it would come with an advanced degree in pandemic travel and tourism—learning to dance with every unexpected and uncontrollable change thrown at me! I feel very blessed that my work is focused on the African continent because they have done an amazing job, allowing me to safely travel here during the greater part of the past two years. I also have long and strong relationships with my partners across Africa who have been instrumental in keeping us up to date with every new change, requirement, form, testing and with relentless ground support through it all. Living in Kenya and being in the same time zone as my partners or close to it has also been a huge blessing. 

We are all feeling extremely optimistic that the virus is weakening, and we are heading toward the pandemic becoming endemic before the year is out. However, it will be a while before all regulations to travel go away. So here is what to expect if you are traveling for the first time in 2022. 

DROWNING IN FORMS – 

Everyone wants a form! On top of the visa form, most countries have a health form that will need to be filled in before entry and exit. In Kenya, you fill out a form for a QR code for tracking and tracing—most important in keeping people safe. Some countries in Africa also require you to register on the Trusted Travel site where your PCR Test will be uploaded as part of the tracking and tracing done in Africa. You will have to fill out a form for every PCR Test. Yes, you will be drowning in forms, but it serves an important purpose and allows us to travel safely. 

Just take a deep breath, pour yourself a glass of wine, have a good pen with you and a fully charged mobile device and laptop and it will be over quickly. 

BE FLEXIBLE 

Airline’s change, cancel, and reroute flights faster than lightning strikes! It is beyond frustrating and maddening, but honestly, you can’t do anything about it except roll with it and get rebooked. I have had many flights canceled and changed from around the world and a few guests had their flights changed and canceled up to five times before their arrival. This may happen, so be prepared for it and don’t react crazily to it. 

Again, pour yourself a glass of wine, take a deep breath and then get busy working with the airline to rebook. 

To lessen the aggravation, I suggest booking directly with the airlines and not through cheap online booking sites. This is a great time to use miles if possible. It is easy to have them credited back to you. Make sure you completely understand the airline’s policy on rebooking and refunding should they cancel the flight or change the flight to a time that no longer works for you. Make sure you have lounge access. If you are not flying business, or don’t have status, see if you have a credit card program that allows access or try traveling through an airport that sells day passes to their lounges. You may also want to consider taking one less trip, staying longer, and flying business; use a business class consolidator to find a great deal. Not only is your long flight more comfortable but getting through the airport with all the new forms, checks, and regulations is much faster and much more pleasant! Set yourself up in advance to be flexible and successful in dealing with flight changes and airport chaos. 

TEST REQUIREMENTS- AIRLINES VS COUNTRY

Testing requirements change often and frequently!  Just this week the UK has removed testing requirements to enter the UK if you are fully vaccinated. While this works great for land boarders, the airlines flying into the UK probably still require testing before boarding. Each airline creates their own regulations, and each country creates their own regulations, and often these testing requirements are different. Therefore, you must make sure to check the testing requirements for the airlines you are flying and the country you are exiting and entering and meet them all. You should recheck these the week before you travel, 72 hours before you travel, and 24 hours before you travel.

DON’T PANIC – TRUST YOUR AGENT AND LEADER

When the world is locking down borders with no notice, this can be a reason to panic, but that is what we are here for! Trust in us and let us panic and sort out the mess while you take a deep breath and pour yourself a glass of wine.

When deciding to book a trip, book with a leader or agent who has been working throughout this pandemic and has experience in dealing with these shocking surprises or book with many of the leaders that travel in remote regions who have a lot of experience dealing with big challenges in the field. Trust me they will pull in their whole team and put all their resources on it and will not eat or sleep until they have you sorted out safely! 

Panic only adds to the crisis. Instead, dump it on us and then go and enjoy yourself while we fix it!

THE ULTIMATE REWARD

Yes, there are more challenges in traveling, but the ultimate reward is being back out in the wild on a grand adventure. 

It is predawn and hot coffee is coming to your luxury canvas tent under the stars. In the distance, you hear a lion roar and the rattling of the diesel engine in what promises to be another exciting heart-pounding day on safari. All the stress before arriving vanishes in seconds as you become fully present in the thrill of the moment and get that shot!

Driving down an endless dirt road into an unknown remote tribal area is thrilling. Soon you begin to see women in beautiful colorful African cloths or skins, decorated in beads and metals with unique hairstyles. You pass by warriors herding the livestock. In the distance, you get a glimpse of huts and villages. Surrounded by nature, you have entered another world. As you arrive at your private mobile tent camp and are greeted with a cold cloth and a cold beverage, the stress before arriving has long been replaced by the adventure in front of you. 

Time to get out that gear, dust it off or upgrade to mirrorless, and hop on a plane! 

OPENINGS FOR 2022