Safari During Covid

Our primary safari destinations, Uganda and Rwanda, are open for travel. We hope you have been safe during these very challenging times; with the constant influence of COVID-19 on worldwide travel, the Sight View Safaris travel team focuses on the safety of our visitors in the present and future. Uganda’s present condition is that tourism is open, although with specific inbound restrictions; please endeavor to read travel restrictions and entry requirements before you confirm your booking.

We’re happy that June was one of our busiest months since the pandemic crippled the travel industry. We see more travelers beginning to get back on the safari trails in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, the destinations where we operate. We hope to see more get back to enjoying the fresh African air. We are confident that many of our clients who didn’t postpone or cancel their Uganda safari in the past months report countless comfortability and declaration with the health and security protections here. We have an abundance of new visitors booking for 2022/23.

This suggests increased confidence in travelers looking to venture out into the world again. For those set to travel to Africa in 2021, we wish you a magical experience. We have faith that East Africa is the safest place in terms of protocols to stick to at our scrutinized hotels and the wide-open sites they are in. Africa is calling you that magnificent venture through the gently sloping mounts and lush savannahs. It encounters mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, the cultures, and Africans where we operate.

In 2020, we were encouraged to see that more than 90% of our customers postponed their visits as necessary. This is essential in guaranteeing that our associate hotels and campsites can sustain their preservation activities and support the local areas where they operate. They are crucial in handling anti-poaching efforts and hiring workers in places where paying one person typically entails feeding ten mouths.

These crucial initiatives continue unabated due to our travelers rearranging their travel plans.

 In the past few weeks, we’ve been further heartened to see a decrease in the number of deferrals due to the recent developments in Uganda’s COVID-19 situation. Nevertheless, we compel those guests not to postpone because of the wide vaccine availability, and we now know that a safari is one of the safest environments.

We intend to inform you of any changes if you are planning a future trip. We strongly advise our visitors, who will shortly be traveling, getting all necessary vaccinations before they depart the country.

Please contact your Uganda Safari Manager to discuss your choices if you are scheduled to depart in the next few weeks and we haven’t spoken yet.

Please contact us for your Uganda Safari Professional, who serves as your destination point before and after your journey. We feel the energy and enthusiasm in Uganda that, According to traveling limitations, our locations will remain open all year.

We have effectively managed several crises and worldwide disturbances since 2014. We are more than ever dedicated to designing once-in-a-lifetime journeys while promoting sustainable community and ecology in Uganda. We hope you have a wonderful, risk-free time with friends and family. We can’t wait to see you back on our stunning continent!

1. Free cancellation or postponement until 40 days before the travel date, with a 60% deposit refundable. Specific itineraries may be excluded from the policy, and your Travel Expert will advise you of any particular terms relevant to your booking during the consultation phase. Where suppliers offer postponement but not a refund, we will only pass on the supplier charges applied.
2. Within 40 days of the travel date, if travel bans relating to Covid-19 remain in place, we will work with our suppliers to extend or revise these terms. Otherwise, our standard cancellation terms apply.

Suppose you have contracted COVID-19 and are undergoing treatment or in quarantine up to 48 hours beforehand. In that case, we will work with our suppliers to minimize financial loss and provide credits for future travel. Sight View Safaris retains the right to request any appropriate documentation, written justifications, or proof to substantiate the stated grounds for cancellation.

1. The new billing will include the rate differential if the new booking date necessitates a cost rise due to a variation in the traveling season.
2. For any canceled reservations, we shall follow the termination procedures of the reserved hotels.
3. Regarding gorilla and chimpanzee permits, UWA is aware that some visitors may feel compelled to alter their original travel schedules due to the abovementioned steps. Therefore, the Authority has just updated the following policies on reservations, bookings, and cancellations:
4. No further fees will be applied to travelers whose travels were impacted by the coronavirus as long as the request is submitted before the tracking date. For each activity, a maximum of two will be permitted.
5. termination demand will follow the current termination and cancellation policy/procedure:

25% termination charges – More than 90 days before the tracking date,

50% termination charges – 89 to 46 days before the tracking date,

75% termination charges – 45 to 9 days before the tracking date,

100% termination charges – 8 to 0 days before the tracking date,

1.  The following provisions will be operational until March 31, 2021. otherwise altered following a review procedure, 
2. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) modified the following policies:
3. Remove the requirement that visitors give seven days’ notice before they arrive to change their park licenses.
4. Eliminate the 30-day window before the scheduled visit for tour providers who paid the last installment for booked licenses
5. Travelers from nations where instances have been verified are eligible for a free postponement of their park licenses for a maximum of two years.
6. Travelers who obtained mountain gorilla hiking Licenses at a low-season discount are allowed to postpone their trip for two years. 
7.  MICE travelers. Tourists who obtained cheap permits for mountain gorilla hiking are free to delay their trip within twenty-four months.   
8. Due to COVID-19 reasons, domestic reasons, or unexpected issues in your vacation spot, you may now amend or reschedule up to 40 days before arrival and earn credit toward a future safari. According to our supplier’s policies, some exclusions and fines may apply for customized/private safaris; they will be disclosed in writing before activation. Visitors who cancel without rebooking will get a non-transferable, non-refundable credit that can be applied to a future safari until December 31, 2022. 

9. The price of entirely new safaris is used. Air fees, security, and other connected expenses are the guest’s responsibility.
10. The reservation is subject to all other usual terms & conditions.
11. Special conditions are subject to modification and may be revoked.

• Do Not Travel owing to COVID-19 for the location the visitor is going to, or a piece of similar advice is issued by the government of the visitor’s home country.
• The guest cannot travel because of entry limitations at their destination, such as closed boundaries or prolonged quarantine procedures.

• International flights are postponed without an alternate route for visitors to go to the specified destination or destinations.

Due to the fluid nature of the current circumstances, we will actively track the trends and reserve the right to occasionally amend the policy mentioned above, informing all agents as necessary.

Safari Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

An Africa safari is currently the most delicate leisure trip activity due to the open areas, sunlight, and fresh air that are ideal for preventing Covid.

To ensure that safety and healthcare are at the center of our safari activities, Sight View Safaris has put together a Covid-19 Safari Management Committee. This committee’s role is to oversee our policies, operational processes, and the visitor encounter. The procedures and protocols we will need to put for your security, and the protection of our team on your safari tour are outlined here as a minimum.

Our traveling team and reactivity are flexible and adaptable, analyzing and using the most recent data from the East African, WHO, and Ministry of Health authorities.

 As such, the practices indicated below may be adapted and changed as the situation evolves.

The Government of Uganda recommends that all travelers from Category 2 countries complete their vaccination process before leaving their country. Otherwise, they’ll be subjected to compulsory PCR COVID-19 TESTING at all entry points. Those with complete vaccine and everyone else will have to show a VALID NEGATIVE PCR COVID-19 TEST DOCUMENT on arrival for entry and exit. Find out more

Safari Camps and Lodges SOPs

To ensure our guest’s safety, we have vatted and checked with all our suppliers for Covid-19 standards. We have suspended those that we find that have not complied with WHO, MoH, and Government standards from our booking sheet. We will continue to vet operational standards in our clients’ facilities, especially our facilities.

The following is what we observe;

• Minimal or no inter-person interaction and rigorous sanitization of high-touch goods between usages.
• Use the facility credit card instead of cash, and clean the card before and after uses.
• Baggage is handled with gloves, and luggage is wiped with sanitizer.
• Hand cleaning and sanitizer stations are readily available to our visitors. They have been placed throughout the property’s common spaces.

• Daily cleaning of the common areas occurs, concentrating on high-touch places like couches, tables, and bookshelves, as well as during and after periods of higher visitor activity.
• All meals are plated and served individually, with no buffets for any dinner. To prevent crowding and preserve social distance during family meals, dining times should be spaced out as feasible. Dining room tables are evenly spaced, and those who desire it can order room service.
• We motivate our waiters to be devoted to our clients’ pleasure and wants throughout their stay.

• The waiter vocally presents the menus to each table before displaying them so that diners can make their selections without having to touch anything.

• Use personal protective equipment for all service staff, such as gloves and masks.
• Cleaning supplies will have a base of 70% alcohol or 0.1 percent sodium chloride. Bedrooms will be thoroughly cleaned between visitors, emphasizing touch points, including light switches, taps, torches, knobs, side tables, and stationary.
• A devoted housekeeper will be the only one to access each room while you are a guest.
• When guests arrive, they find a sign stating that the bedroom has been meticulously cleaned and identifying the devoted housekeeper.
• Your cleaner will keep bringing you breakfast tea and coffee with kitchenware that has been cleaned and sanitized.  
• According to the WHO, clean pools with a pH of 6.8–7.4 and a chlorine concentration of 1-3 mg/l are safe. There won’t be many people at the collections, and the furnishings there will be well-spaced and frequently washed in among uses.

It will be compulsory to have a Covid test and carry a negative PCR test document within 72 hours before you arrive in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda. If we have to take tests, we will guide you to the nearest government-licensed lab and help you through the process.

Individuals who are fully COVID-19 vaccinated and have no signs of infection will be exempted from PCR tests at all entry points and allowed into Uganda. Such travelers will need to show valid evidence to that effect.

Currently, it’s only the authorized hospitals and clinics that take Covid tests. When leaving the destination, your travel operator will drive you to a hospital for a test within the 72-hour time frame because a corticate is required for your exit (i.e., if leaving within 72 hours of your entry).

Face masks

The WHO recommends barriers and medical masks to help stop the spreading of Covid. Many nations have passed laws requiring their usage in public. These regulations are already in effect in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. We will also impose them on our visitors in public locations. All our visitors will access complimentary personal barrier masks while at camp, and our washing facilities will ensure they are kept clean between uses. All our staff members will be wearing masks for your trip’s security and the visitors’.

Food and Service

Picnic dinners are recommended and, of course, a lot more fun on a game drive! Your ranger will strictly enforce hygiene standards and provide hand-washing and sanitizer services.

Safari Game Drives

Each guest group will have a dedicated vehicle and guide throughout their stay. We will offer a maximum of 5-6 pax per 6-seater open vehicle, with the passenger side sitting only 4-6 and the other driving shotgun.

Groups of 6 or more will have their vehicles. The safari vehicle seats will be equipped with removable and washable/disposable headrest covers to be cleaned or changed daily after every trip. Your guide will open and close the entry door to the safari car; please do not touch or open-door handles.

Each of our rangers maintains their vehicle, ensuring it is clean and hygienic before and after every game drive. Washing high-frequency touch points like door knobs and side armchairs is a part of this.

Your guide will wear a mask throughout your journey with them for their safety and that of the guest. The face mask will be designed to not interfere with their guidance and ability to speak with their clients.

To assure your safety, your guide will be tested every 14 days for Covid-19 and hold a COVID-FREE certificate. They’ll refrain from shaking hands, hugging, pecking, or kissing guests at all times for obvious reasons.

Visitors Representing Illness

We have a complete medical administration team that will confer with the user and staff, offer advice to the pertinent health officials, and direct activities following the Ministry of Health regulations in each nation where we do business. Our team has all received training in managing suspected situations because everyone’s security and pleasure are of the utmost importance to us.

Services for Meet & Greet

Before leaving, kindly confirm the most recent government regulations for travel.

Where it is feasible, we strongly advise applying for an E-Visa.

Your name will be written on a sign, and our drivers will be there to greet you at the arrival gate. They will maintain a sufficient distance and use gloves and a mask when handling your bags. Before arriving, our automobile will have been thoroughly cleaned with washing agents, alcohol, and seats and seatbelt steamers.

1. Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI)
2. Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL)
3. Infectious Disease Institute (IDI)
4. Makerere University
5. Mild May Laboratory
6. Tororo Mobile Laboratory
7. Mutukula Mobile Laboratory
8. Adjumani Mobile Laboratory
9. Joint Clinical Research Center (JCRC)
10. MBN Laboratory
11. Medipal International Hospital
12. Test and Fly Laboratory
13. Uganda Cancer Institute, Fred Hutchison Laboratory
14. IOM Laboratory
15. ANCA Biotech
16. Case Clinic
17. MSF-Epicentre Lab Mbarara
18. Rakai Health Sciences
19. TestXpress Laboratories
20. Lancet Laboratories
21. Gulu University Biomedical Center
22. City Medicals
23. MSF Epicenter Labs, Mbarara
24. ATCG Laboratories
25. MAIA Group Labs
26. Same Day Covid-19 Labs 

List of accredited private clinics that provide Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Tests in Rwanda

1. La croix du sud, Gasabo
2. BMC hospital, Nyarugenge
3. Dream hospital, Kicukiro
4. Ubuzima polyclinic, Gasabo
5. Polyfam polyclinic, Gasabo
6. Carrefour polyclinic, Kicukiro
7. Polyclinic de l’Etoile, Gasabo
8. La medicale polyclinic, Nyarugenge
9. Plateau polyclinic, Nyarugenge
10. Kigali Citizen Polyclinic, Gasabo
11. Legacy clinic, Gasabo
12. Horebu clinic, Gasabo
13. Saint Jean Polyclinic, Nyarugenge
14. Polyclinic medical sociale, Nyarugenge
15. Clinique Don De Dieu, Kicukiro
16. Iramiro clinic, Gasabo
17. MBC hospital, Nyarugenge
18. Advanced med diagnostic clinic, Nyarugenge
19. Galien clinic, Gasabo
20. Ubuzima polyclinic, Kicukiro
21. Salus polyclinic, Huye
22. La medical, Huye
23. Polyclinic la Providence polyclinic, Muhanga
24. Peace Polyclinic
25. Igihozo med clinic, Nyanza
26. Benefactors david clinic, Bugesera
27. Centre med Kibungo, Ngoma
28. Narada clinic, Kayonza
29. Clinic Sainte Therese, Rwamagana
30. Rapha clinic, Nyagatare
31. Proomonubus clinic, Musanze
32. La medicale, Musanze
33. Iramiro Branch, Gicumbi
34. Clinic du mont Nyabugumba, Musanze
35. Clinic mpore liberte, Musanze
36. Clinic de ngororero, Ngororero
37. Clinic Elisabeth, Rusizi
38. Clinic de l’arche, Rubavu
39. La croix du sud polyclinic, Rubavu
40. Ndengera Polyclinic, Rubavu
41. BARAKA Medical Clinic, Kirehe-Nyakarambi
42. BWIZA Medical clinic & Diagnosis center, Muhima-Nyarugenge(CHIC 1st Floor)
43. RAPHA clinic, Runda-Kamonyi
44. KMC Polyclinic, Gasabo, Kimironko
45. Clinique Don de Dieu, Nyarugenge

Stay safe, stay clean, Keep your facemask on!

If you’d like to Visit Uganda or need help finding a Safari Uganda Vacations holiday to suit you, we are very happy to help you, get in touch with our Travel now team and enjoy your memorable safari in Uganda and East Africa.