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Travel Information

Passports & Visas

We request that all travellers ensure that you have a valid passport with enough blank pages in it and all the necessary visas prior to departure (unless available on entry)

Depending on your nationality, you may find information on visa requirements on the following website: iVisa

Although these websites claim to be permanently updated, African Bush Camps can not ensure that the information they provide will be valid for your time of travel. Visa requirements can change over time from country to country so please double-check this information with your agent or nearest embassy/consulate again before departure.  Neither African Bush Camps, their staff, their agents nor their operators can be held liable for any errors, and such shortcomings may be difficult to handle on the spot.

 

For valuable travel advice and updates from government and official websites we recommend reviewing one of the following:

Guests who are not permanent residents of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and who are travelling through South Africa must make sure that they carry either an onward ticket from South Africa or sufficient funds to purchase such ticket in order to comply with South African immigration regulations.

Please note that you must bring your air ticket with you on safari or you may be refused re-entry into South Africa. South African citizens travelling on a foreign passport require an exit permit to leave South Africa.

Please note that any passengers requiring a visa for South Africa, regardless of residence status, must carry a re-entry visa to get back into the RSA.

Under the new law, all minors under the age of 18 years are required to produce, in addition to their passport, an Unabridged Birth Certificate (showing the particulars of both parents) when exiting and entering South African borders.

*This law is currently under review, please refer to The Department of Home Affairs (www.dha.gov.za) for South Africa’s website for updated information*

SAFARI TRAVEL INSURANCE

If you are planning a safari in Africa, you need to know that any safari activity is potentially hazardous. While it is considered optional when travelling, a full travel insurance is a must when embarking on a safari, and is your sole responsibility.

Considering the risks, be prepared with good comprehensive insurance cover, having comprehensive insurance will ease any concerns or worries that you may have.

Please be aware of your responsibility, understand specific safari risks, find a reputable insurance provider and ensure you have proper insurance coverage.

It is assumed in our Terms & Conditions of Travel that you have adequately insured your personal possessions before your departure. African Bush Camps and its agents and associates cannot be held responsible or liable for loss, damage, or theft of personal luggage and belongings, nor can they be held liable for personal injury, accident or illness.

We recommend Global Travel for travel insurance needs: https://africanbushcamps.com/safari-offers/global-rescue-travel-insurance/

Your fully comprehensive insurance cover should include medical & emergency assistance:

  • Full medical coverage
  • Emergency medical air evacuation
  • Repatriation cover

We also advise you take classic travel insurance cover:

  • Baggage & money insurance
  • Travel cancellation
  • Our camps and lodges are in wild and remote parts of Africa with dangerous wildlife and often harsh terrain; hence you will be exposed to potentially hazardous activities.
  • Roads in the bush are rough and bumpy, we occasionally travel “off road” and injuries can occur.
  • You are likely to carry large amounts of cash and expensive and valuable camera equipment – we recommend that you should always carry such equipment as “carry-on” luggage and keep your personal belongings with you all the times. However, you are advised to take out baggage and money insurance.
  • Should you leave behind, lose or have personal items and belongings stolen in one location, the logistics of inter-camp communication and the scheduling and costs of charter flights may not be favourable for the return of articles, unless you are prepared to pay for the cost of a full charter, to get your items to you, where ever you are. This issue is possibly the single biggest form of stress for guests, who have left their goods behind at a camp, and who are not prepared to pay for the charter costs. Again, your baggage insurance may save a lot of stress.
  • Medical facilities in Africa are extremely variable and, unfortunately, often very poor. In case of illness or injury, you will most likely need to be evacuated swiftly to a good South African medical facility. Costs can easily run into thousands of dollars.
  • Many medical service providers in Africa do not accept payment from an insurance company, so you will need to pay yourself, and claim back the amount from your insurance company. Thus you must be sure you have access to cash by credit card or electronic transfer.
  • In the event of you having to cancel or curtail your safari due to unforeseen circumstances we regret that we cannot make any refunds outside of our cancellation policy. Consult your insurance before you travel and review our cancellation fees.

Finally, you can research providers and access reviews of different insurance products with Travel Insurance Review.

Most insurance companies will cover safari tours, but its always good to read the small print. We advise you to look at the following specific issues:

  • Activities Cover – check that your insurance policy covers all the activities you are planning to do: canoeing, bush walking, game viewing, white water rafting etc.
  • Firearms cover – certain policies will not cover you if your guides use, or have the use of firearms.
  • Contact with wild animals – make sure that this is covered under your policy.
  • Authorization for emergency medical evacuation: should you need a medical evacuation, most travel insurance companies require that you obtain authorization from them prior to any medical evacuation. When you are on a safari though, you may find yourself in a situation where it is not possible to access the telephone to get the authorization beforehand. Check with your chosen company if they have this clause and what can be done to get around it if the eventuality does arise.
  • Before departure, make sure you know what to do in the event of a problem or emergency.
  • During your safari, always keep your policy and the 24 hour emergency phone number with you – and also share it with a third person.
  • If anything happens, and you anticipate having to make an insurance claim upon your return home, be sure to document as accurately as possible any accident, injury or loss. Doctor’s notes and police reports will aid any claim.

Flight Transfers to/from Camp

  • Maximum weight: 20kgs (total including hand luggage)
  • Size restrictions: 25cm (10 inches) wide by 30cm (12 inches) high and 62cm (24 inches) long
  • Strictly soft-sided bags only, no wheels or frames
  • For additional camera equipment or overweight luggage, additional seats can be bought prior to departure. This “additional” seat allows an extra 80Kgs of luggage.
  • If passengers arrive with incorrect luggage, they will be offered a soft bag (provided at cost by Safari Logistics) and their “other” suitcase may be left behind or transported to the end location at a cost to the passenger.

All passengers’ weights are required prior to travel. Passengers that do not give their weights prior to travel may be refused boarding for safety reasons. Weight restrictions are based on individual passengers and cannot be compensated with fellow travelling passengers. Passengers weighing more than 120 kg (265 lbs) may be required to book an additional seat.

PLAN YOUR SAFARI

Start Planning Your Safari