covid-19-your-questions-answered

The best option is for you to postpone your trip. Clients can postpone their travel plans without any penalties providing travel is within 24 months of the Safari start date. You will need to inform us of this in writing, via email. Any deposit made may be used for the amended /postponed booking.  The final cost of the amended booking may reflect any changes in rates e.g. accommodation, park permits etc. that are applicable on the new dates. If you are unable to re-book within 24 months, or have any further questions about current or future bookings, please do get in touch with one of our Tour Consultants who will be happy to help you info@aquilaventure.co.tz

Unfortunately, we are not able to refund your deposit, as stated at the time of booking.  The deposit is used to secure accommodation and goes towards on-going operational costs.  The majority of accommodations are not able to accept cancellations, only postponements. We sincerely hope that you don’t cancel, but fully understand that postponement may not be an option.  If this is the case and you have insurance, your losses may well be covered. We are happy to provide any information needed by the insurance company.  We are able to keep your deposit as a credit note for future bookings, as detailed above.

Like many other countries in the world, it is difficult to know the exact numbers of Covid-19 in Tanzania. Testing is not widely available for Tanzanians and the Government has been inconsistent in its reporting.

The most recent Travel Advisory from the Tanzanian Government was released on 24^th December 2021 and important information is reflected here:

• All travellers are required to fill in an online travellers’ surveillance form available at http://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz for mainland Tanzania and http://healthtravelznz.mohz.go.tz for Zanzibar within 24 hours before arrival in the United Republic of Tanzania

• All travellers, whether foreigners or returning residents will be required to present a negative Covid-19 certificate with QR code for verification upon arrival.  The only accepted test is RT-PCR or NAAT using a sample tested within 96 hours before ARRIVAL to Tanzania.  The test should be done at a nationally approved laboratory.

• All travellers arriving from countries experiencing variants of concern /variants of interest, highest number of COVID-19 cases based on WHO epidemiological updates or those who have travelled through those countries in the last 14 days regardless of route taken shall be subjected to Rapid Tests at Points of Entry at their own cost (Mainland Tanzania U$D 10  / Zanzibar U$D 25).

• Travellers to Mainland Tanzania are advised to pay for their COVID-19 rapid test online to avoid unnecessary delay upon arrival. This can be achieved through an automatically generated control number obtained after filling the online Traveller’s Health Surveillance Form http://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz  and for Zanzibar at  https://zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz

• Children aged 5 years and below, travellers in transit and Aircraft crew are exempt from both RT-PCR certificate and COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test.

• Travellers with a positive COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test result should self-isolate at their residencies until they test negative, or have been evaluated by public health experts as non-infectious

• The Tanzanian Government has Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) which is a guide on how to serve and receive visitors from the time they arrive at the airport and during their entire stay in Tanzania. These include:

• Airport staff will be tested for Covid-19 so that only those that are virus-free will provide services.  All attendants will have to wear face masks at all times; they will have to wear gloves and use hand sanitizers regularly.  They must ensure they observe the social distance of not less than one metre from all members of staff and guests
• All other staff members involved in tourism activities will be regularly monitored to ensure they are not infected with Covid-19.
• All visitor transport vehicles (airport transfer vehicles and safari vehicles), accommodations and other facilities used by visitors must be cleaned and sanitized before and after service in an acceptable manner.

• Foreign Travellers and who arrived through Zanzibar from Covid-19 high risk countries who wish to visit Tanzania Mainland within 14 days from the date of arrival will be required to present a negative Rapid Antigen Test certificate obtained during entry in Zanzibar.

• Travellers who were infected whilst in their own country and recovered from COVID-19 shall be required to submit a proof of recovering from the disease obtained from the relevant Authorised Medical Personnel in their country.  This will need to be presented upon arrival in Tanzania

As with many places in the world, adherence to these guidelines can sometimes be inconsistent. However, Aquila venture will do everything possible to ensure the well-being of all our guests and staff throughout your visit here

The most recent Travel Advisory from the Tanzanian Government was released on 24^th December 2021 and important information is reflected here:

• All travellers are required to fill in an online travellers’ surveillance form available at http://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz for mainland Tanzania and http://healthtravelznz.mohz.go.tz for Zanzibar within 24 hours before arrival in the United Republic of Tanzania

• All travellers, whether foreigners or returning residents will be required to present a negative Covid-19 certificate with QR code for verification upon arrival.  The only accepted test is RT-PCR or NAAT using a sample tested within 96 hours before arrival to Tanzania.  The test should be done at a nationally approved laboratory.

• All travellers arriving from countries experiencing variants of concern /variants of interest, highest number of COVID-19 cases based on WHO epidemiological updates or those who have travelled through those countries in the last 14 days regardless of route taken shall be subjected to Rapid Tests at Points of Entry at their own cost (Mainland Tanzania U$D 10  / Zanzibar U$D 25).

• Travellers to Mainland Tanzania are advised to pay for their COVID-19 rapid test online to avoid unnecessary delay upon arrival. This can be achieved through an automatically generated control number obtained after filling the online Traveller’s Health Surveillance Form http://afyamsafiri.moh.go.tz  and for Zanzibar at  https://zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz

• Children aged 5 years and below, travellers in transit and Aircraft crew are exempt from both RT-PCR certificate and COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test.

• Travellers with a positive COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test result should self-isolate at their residencies until they test negative, or have been evaluated by public health experts as non-infectious

• The Tanzanian Government has Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) which is a guide on how to serve and receive visitors from the time they arrive at the airport and during their entire stay in Tanzania. These include:

• Airport staff will be tested for Covid-19 so that only those that are virus-free will provide services.  All attendants will have to wear face masks at all times; they will have to wear gloves and use hand sanitizers regularly.  They must ensure they observe the social distance of not less than one metre from all members of staff and guests
• All other staff members involved in tourism activities will be regularly monitored to ensure they are not infected with Covid-19.
• All visitor transport vehicles (airport transfer vehicles and safari vehicles), accommodations and other facilities used by visitors must be cleaned and sanitized before and after service in an acceptable manner.

• Foreign Travellers and who arrived through Zanzibar from Covid-19 high risk countries who wish to visit Tanzania Mainland within 14 days from the date of arrival will be required to present a negative Rapid Antigen Test certificate obtained during entry in Zanzibar.

• Travellers who were infected whilst in their own country and recovered from COVID-19 shall be required to submit a proof of recovering from the disease obtained from the relevant Authorised Medical Personnel in their country.  This will need to be presented upon arrival in Tanzania

As with many places in the world, adherence to these guidelines can sometimes be inconsistent. However, Aquila venture will do everything possible to ensure the well-being of all our guests and staff throughout your visit here

You can come on safari any time.

For many of our clients, you will be rescheduling a safari that had already been booked. We offered to do this free of charge; using the deposit towards your new booking.  It is important to note that whilst every effort will be made to replicate your itinerary and accommodations, it is possible that some places may not have availability on your chosen travel dates, or may not have re-opened after the pandemic.  If this is the case, we will book you accommodation of a similar standard and location.  We will, of course, consult with you every step of the way if there need to be any changes

Yes (please see information above)

This is normally required. Please check to see if the airline you are travelling with, or the country you are returning to, requires it. We strongly advise contacting the relevant authorities before you travel. It is possible to get a Covid-19 PCR test in Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Karatu, Ngorongoro & Serengeti.  It takes approximately 24-48 hours to get your result and costs are approximately U$D 50-100 per person, depending on where you get tested.  If your home country or airline requires you to have a Covid-19 test, please tell your Tour Consultant and s/he will advise you on the best way to plan this into your itinerary. Some countries now require Rapid Tests which can be done at the International Airports, but you will need to arrive 4 hours before your scheduled departure time.

If you need to isolate for any period of time, we will help you to find a suitable hotel which is within your budget and will manage all communication with the hotel staff. If you receive a positive RT-PCR test whilst in Tanzania, the official time needed before you can re-test is 7 days from the date you receive your test results.  Some airlines / destination countries are now accepting negative Rapid Antigen Test Certificates for boarding / entry.  If this applies to you (please check carefully), you may be able to leave as soon as you get a negative Rapid Test result.

We sincerely hope that these requirements do not affect your decision to come to Tanzania.  Our main objective is to continue to keep all our guests and local community members safe. Thank you for your understanding.

Warmest wishes to you and your family and we look forward to welcoming you to Tanzania soon.

Bakari Katiku Fundikira

The Director