For all new bookings made with Maps Tours and Travel between 19 Aug 2020 and 31 October 2020 the following cancellation and refund policy will apply:

1. 100% refund if cancelled up to 65 days prior to travel. 

If COVD-19 travel restrictions are in place in your country of residence or destination and/or other clear restrictions on your ability to travel due to possible complications associated with COVID-19, you are able to cancel your Maps Tours and Travel itinerary without cancellation fees up to 65 days prior to travel **. This is applicable to all trips booked for travel before 31 December 2021. 

2. Flight purchases through Maps Tours and Travel 

Maps Tours and Travel will provide both flexible flight offerings and competitive pricing with non-flexible fares to ensure that you can choose the applicable ticket type to offer you peace of mind. 

3. Travel Insurance 

We recommend that all customers purchase fully comprehensive Travel insurance to cover their investment into their African itinerary. 

Trying to keep up with the constantly changing regulations pertaining to African Travel during the current global pandemic is proving to be difficult. To help navigate through the multitude of questions our clients have, we have put together a working document of information we believe to be correct. This document is constantly updated as new and current information is received and verified. However, we suggest checking here regularly to ensure you are always referring to the latest updates.

While we aim to keep the document as current as possible, we still advise you our clients to also check in with the airlines and foreign office advisors to ensure that the most up to date information is received prior to travel.

We hope you find this document useful, but please do not hesitate to contact our team in the event of any queries.

African Countries Open for Travel and When Flights will Resume

A Note About Flying to Africa

All airlines are requiring that passengers produce a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test that has been conducted within 72 hours of departure. The same will be required when arriving at any transit airport / country.

Kenya

On 6 July 2020, the Kenyan government announced that local air travel will resume operations from 15 July 2020 and that international travel will resume from 1 August 2020. 

Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has implemented a reduction in park entry fees from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 to encourage travel.

Open for international travel / date of reopening:

• 1 August 2020

Health screening and quarantine protocols on arrival:

• All passengers on international flights must show a negative COVID-19 certificate on arrival, obtained no later than 96 hours prior to departure from their home country.
• A visitor will be exempt from quarantine if your temperature is below 37.5°C (99.5°F) and you show no persistent cough, no difficulty breathing, and no other flu-like symptoms.
• If there is a reported case of COVID-19 on a flight or if the above symptoms are detected, all passengers within two rows of the passenger with the symptoms will be quarantined for testing. If the test results are negative, they will be allowed to leave the facility.
• It is mandatory for all passengers arriving in Kenya to complete the Travelers Health Surveillance Form by the Ministry of Health. The form is found here and must be completed online prior to disembarkation. 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.
• At any given point whilst in Kenya, a client must be in possession of a negative Covid Certificate performed within 14 days. Clients on longer Safaris may need an additional test performed in Nairobi
• Strict infection prevention and control measures have to be followed: social distancing, good hand hygiene, and the wearing of masks remain mandatory.

In country testing

• There is no booking system so clients should expect to queue.
• Tests take between 24 -48 hours
• Tests are performed at Nairobi Hospital or Nairobi West Hospital
• The cost is between US$ 70 – US$100 per test
• Payment can be made at the hospital by credit card
• Test result are emailed to the client

Combination with Tanzania & Zanzibar

• Air Kenya is currently flying from Wilson to JRO
• Flight information from Kenya to Zanzibar pending

Countries that can/allowed to travel to Kenya

Australia, Canada, China, Ethiopia, France, German, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Namibia, Norway, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America (except for California, Florida and Texas), Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Zimbabwe

Airlines flying into the destination: 

• Kenyan Airways will resume international flights from 1 August 2020. The airline’s COVID-19 certificate validity for all inbound flights to Kenya is 96 hours. For outbound flights from Kenya, a COVID-19 certificate is not required unless your country of transit or destination requires one.
• All passengers aboard any Emirates flight require a negative COVID-19 certificate, obtained no later than 96 hours prior to flight departure.

Rwanda

Tourism activities across the country resumed from 17 June 2020 and Rwanda’s airports reopened for scheduled commercial flights on 1 August 2020.

Open for international travel / date of reopening:

• 1 August 2020

Health screening and quarantine protocols on arrival:

• Visitors are expected to test negative for COVID-19 after taking a test in their country of origin at an ISO-certified laboratory, 72 hours before departure. Test results must be submitted to lab@rbc.gov.rw before departure and on arrival in Rwanda.
• A second COVID-19 test must be taken upon arrival. Visitors will be expected to wait for test results for about 24 hours at designated hotels at their own cost.
• Visitors who are not able to test in their country of origin can be tested twice in Rwanda. The first test will be taken upon arrival, while the second test will be taken 48 hours after arrival.
• Departing visitors will also be offered a COVID-19 test at the airport.
• The cost of the COVID-19 test in at own cost.

Countries allowed to travel to the destination:

• All tourists will be allowed to visit Rwanda’s attractions and destinations after testing negative for COVID-19 in two consecutive tests.

Airlines flying into the destination:

• Charter flights (individual and groups) from 17 June 2020.
• Commercial airlines from 1 August 2020.
• RwandAir, starting between Dubai and selective African routes, from 1 August 2020.

Tanzania & Zanzibar

The government of Tanzania announced on 18 May 2020 that it will lift the ban on international flights arriving and departing from the country. All hotels and other tourist facilities in the country must go through a COVID-19 certification process, and official documents must be placed at the entrances of all facilities. The Tanzanian government has also directed all the country’s tourism entities to appoint and adequately train COVID-19 liaison officers to be the point of contact with its Health Ministry.

Open for international travel / date of reopening:

• 1 June 2020

Health screening and quarantine protocols on arrival:

• All visitors are required to produce a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test that has been conducted within 72 hours of arriving in Tanzania.
• If visitors’ body temperatures test normal and negative COVID-19 test certificates can be produced, they will be able to enter Tanzania without being subjected to quarantine.
• While in Tanzania, visitors will be expected to adhere to full protective measures against the spread of COVID-19.
• Masks must be worn at all times in public, including light aircrafts
• Physical distancing is to be observed at all times

In Country Testing

Clients require a negative test as an entry protocol for the next country being visited, the client should have documentation from that country proving negative Covid test. 

Hospitals conducting test – Test results may take up to 72 hours

• Arusha – Mt Meru Hospital
• Zanzibar – Mnazi Mmoja Hospital
• Dar es Salaam – Agakhan Hospital

Costs of the test is $50 in Arusha and Dar es Salaam, $80 in Zanzibar

Payment can be made by cash deposit or by Tigo Pesa. Both options require a Tanzanian cell phone number. Alternative payment methods are being investigated.

Combination with Kenya

• Air Kenya is currently flying from Wilson Airport to JRO
• If arriving into Wilson from Tanzania guest may transit as long as they are going directly to JKIA and must be in possession of a negative Covid test

Countries allowed to travel to the destination:

• All

Airlines flying into the destination:

• Air Tanzania could resume operations to other countries that have re-opened for international travel, or for passengers looking to fly with the airline – to be confirmed.
• Ethiopian Airlines are currently offering flights into Tanzania.
• Qatar Airways will be flying to Zanzibar four times a week from 11 July 2020, and to Kilimanjaro International Airport three times a week from 13 July 2020.
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will start flying to Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam from 30 June 2020.

Zambia

Zambia is open to foreign nationals and issuing visitor visas upon entry into the country. Limited domestic flight schedules are operating twice weekly between Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and Mfuwe International Airport, and between Kenneth Kaunda and Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone.

Open for international travel / date of reopening:

• Borders are officially open.
• Issuance of visitor visas resumed on 7 August 2020.

Health screening and quarantine protocols on arrival:

• All international visitors are screened on arrival. If you show any signs of COVID-19, you will have to quarantine for 14 days.
• All arriving passengers must have a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test that has been conducted within 14 days of arriving in Zambia.
• Visitors will be expected to adhere to COVID-19 regulations like physical distancing, wearing face masks, and personal hygiene.

Airlines flying into the destination:

• Ethiopian Airlines, RwandAir and Kenya Airways are flying into Lusaka.
• Emirates are set to start flying to Zambia from 4 September 2020, flights will operate on Fridays and Sundays, EK 713 will depart from Dubai at 08h20, arriving in Lusaka at 13h30. Return flight EK 714 departs Lusaka at 15h30, arriving in Dubai at 00h25 the next day.

Namibia

Namibia announced on 12 August 2020 that all its borders are closed to international visitors. The country has imposed a strict lockdown following an increase in COVID-19 transmissions.

Open for international travel / date of reopening:

• Borders officially opened for international travellers via Hosea Kutako International Airport from September 1 2020.

South Africa

The South African government has issued lifted the travel ban and opened its boarders to international travelers for the first time since March. In an address to the South African Nation President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the process would begin on October 1st. This move comes at the country enters national lockdown alert “level one’ as of Sunday 19 October at 12 midnight

Travel will currently be restricted to and from certain countries that are deemed high risk only business travel may be allowed with approval from Home Affairs.

The list of prohibited and permitted countries will be available on site once published by the National Government

Opening for international travel date

Boarders will officially open for international travellers as of 01 October 2020. 

These are some of the key regulations pertaining to travel:

• From October 1, 2020, all travellers are required to present a valid certificate of a negative COVID-19 test obtained not more than 72 hours (3 days) before the date of travel. Failure to present proof of a negative test will require the traveller to quarantine at their own cost. All travellers will be screened on arrival and anyone presenting symptoms will be required to remain in quarantine until a repeat COVID-19 test is conducted. All travellers will be asked to download the COVID Alert South Africa mobile app.
• Johannesburg’s OR Tambo, Durban’s King Shaka and Cape Town International Airports are the only airports that will allow international air travel to arrive or depart.
• The 18 land borders that were partially operational during the previous lockdown levels will be fully operational (i.e. allow passage of South Africans and permitted foreign nationals). The 35 land borders that were closed during the previous lockdown levels will remain closed.
• All commercial seaports will be opened for the transport of goods and crew, but will remain closed to passengers.

Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean Government has announced the resumption of domestic and international flights to resume, with the proviso passengers are tested for Covid-19 within 48 hours before they travel.

Open for Domestic Travel  as of the 10th of September 2020 

Open for international travel 

Set to resume on 01 October 2020

Health screening and quarantine protocols on arrival

All travellers will be required to have a PCR Covid-19 clearance certificate issued by a recognised facility within 48 hours from date of departure, in line with WHO guidelines.

Destinations not appearing on the above listing are not yet allowing any form of travel.