Rwanda is now open to travelers from all over the world! Despite covid19 that still exists in Rwanda, the Land of a thousand hills has opened her borders and airport for travelers from all parts of the country. Kigali International airport is open for all arrivals to Rwanda for gorilla trekking, meetings, conferences and wildlife safaris. However, given the continued existence of the deadly corona virus, the government of Rwanda together with tourism and conservation bodies have put several measures to cub the spread of the virus between persons. African Apes Tours and Travel brings you the updated measures for travelers to Rwanda to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable Rwanda safari experience. These include among others:
1. Mandatory Negative Test results: All travelers arriving in Rwanda MUST have negative covid19 test certificate which is performed within 72 hours before departure to Rwanda. The only allowed covid19 test results in Rwanda are the SARS-COV 2 real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). All other tests will not be allowed at the airport or any border entry point into Rwanda. However, accompanied children aged 5 years and below are not subjected to mandatory covid19 testing upon arrival in Rwanda.
2. All travelers arriving in Rwanda must fill in the passenger locater form for easy follow-up. The information put in this form should be valid and updated. In some cases, travelers are asked to attach the vaccination certificate on the passenger form
3. All travelers to Rwanda are tested upon arrival at Kigali International Airport. Covid19 testing in Kigali costs $60. The actual cost for corona virus is $50 plus the $10 for airport logistics. You can pay either online or in cash. However, cash payments are done in local currency which s Rwanda francs(Rwf)
4. After testing, travelers are not fully vaccinated are asked to wait for 24 hours at their hotel
5. Unvaccinated travelers transiting for more than 12 hours via Rwanda will be screened upon entry and asked to take a second RT-PCR test on arrival and wait for results at their designated hotels
6. During your stay in Rwanda, travelers are reminded to observe all the covid19 Standard Operating Procedures such as obtaining social distance, wearing face mask, sanitizing, hand washing and avoiding hand shaking among others.
Safe Travel Tips for families during covid19
If you are traveling as a family of grand parents, parents and children, Check the following safety travel tips to ensure a safe and less challenging experience in Rwanda, Uganda and other African countries.
• If possible leave the elderly family members behind when going for a safari. Covid19 easily spreads to the elderly whose immune system is weak making them susceptible to the deadly virus
• Avoid close contacts with other people you find on the trip. While on the safari, you will probably met and interact with other people on the plane and in some tour experiences such gorilla safaris and boat cruising where people are grouped together. in such scenarios, avoid close contacts with the other people you will find on the trip
• Avoid flights with multiple stopovers to avoid interactions
• If any member of your family ha just recovered from covid19, please leave him/her behind
• Travelers who are not fully vaccinated should not f go for a family trip. Unvaccinated travelers stand high risks of contracting the virus
• Avoid traveling in peak seasons when ether are crowds of travelers
• Family members who are on medication should come along with the drugs
• Ensure that all family members are fully vaccinated against the virus
• Avoid visiting crowded places where social distancing is difficult
• Carry along the vaccination certificates for all family members.
Top travel activities to do post covid19
Superfine Safaris brings you the list of top travel activities to begin with on your post covid19 travel to Uganda, Rwanda, Congo and the rest of Africa. These include:
1. Mountain gorilla trekking done Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park ad the Virunga Conservation Area
2. Game Viewing in the savannah Parks of Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya & Tanzania
3. Great wildebeest Migration in Tanzania & Kenya
4. Mountaineering to the summit of the active Nyiragongo Volcano, the snow caped Mt Rwenzori and the tallest free standing Mt Kilimanjaro
5. Cultural tours to meet locals and experience the traditions, norms and customs of Africa’s indigenous tribes
Conclusively, the norm of travel during covid19 has surely changed compared to the past. The deadly virus still exists and travelers are reminded to be cautions when traveling to ensure safety and enjoyable safaris
