The last two years have been a killer for the travel industry, and most of us haven’t had the opportunity to go on many holiday trips at all. For us it’s by far the longest we have gone without going on safari and seeing Van’s family. We miss elephants and leopards so much (and his parents too!).
Now that the Australian government has finally lifted our border restrictions, we have pounced on the opportunity to book a trip for our whole family (including baby and toddler because going on safari with babies/kids is awesome) over to South Africa for a safari in May/June this year. Lots of people think we are crazy, but there’s actually not many places safer/better to go on an overseas holiday to at the moment! Here’s 8 reasons why I’d recommend going on safari, if you’re comfortable enough to leave your country this year:
1.Social distancing is standard while on safari. Once you get off the plane, social distancing is pretty easy – and almost the norm – while on safari. The only time you might be close to someone outside your travel group is while on an open-air safari vehicle, which limits the risk anyway. But it’s also easy enough to eliminate that small risk entirely and have a private vehicle all to yourselves. You can easily eat, sleep and hang out in just your travel group and not go within two metres of anyone else while at a private game lodge. Similarly if you go to Kruger National Park and self-drive, you’re just in your own car and in your own bungalow the whole time with a few potential trips to a shop or petrol station where they are very good with hygiene.
2.Fewer people means less risk of exposure. Most of the time when you go on holidays you have to get out and about and go sightseeing to make the most of your trip. You go to the key attractions, the nicest restaurants and interact with a lot of people. When you go on safari, you can have the most amazing bucketlist trip just staying at one place the entire time – all while easily socially distancing – so the risk of exposure is much lower. You are exposed only to a handful of staff and perhaps a few other tourists, but all keeping their distance and practising good hygiene. Compare that to going on a holiday to Disneyland or Europe or even on a cruise and the number of people you end up being exposed to is astronomically higher!
3.High rates of vaccination and care. While unfortunately Africa tends to have very low rates of vaccination, the tourist industry is very highly vaccinated. Most places have all staff members vaccinated, because staying covid-free is crucial for them to keep operating. On top of this, all across South Africa (and likely the rest of the continent) they are exceptionally good with hand hygiene and mask-wearing. We happened to be there at the beginning of the pandemic and even when there were only a handful of cases there, they were amazing at social distancing and having sanitiser everywhere. I was so impressed and it was interesting to see Australia take ages to catch up to the same standard (despite having more cases initially). When my one-year old picked up a touch of gastro on our travels, the game lodge we stayed at even brought in a doctor (free of charge) to check us all out, out of an abundance of caution and care. There are even lodges that will organise for any pre-travel mandatory PCR tests to be done onsite (though these are also available at Joburg airport with a two-hour turnaround).
4.Great deals and fewer crowds. If a safari is on your bucketlist or if you’re like me (and so many others) who just can’t get enough of game viewing, there’s never been a better time to go from a deal perspective. The industry has been hit very hard by the pandemic and are desperate to get people back. That means great deals and savings of thousands of dollars. It also means that there are going to be much fewer people around and you may even be lucky enough to even get your own vehicle without paying the additional fee. It also means your risk of exposure reduces even further.
5.Cancellation policies. Almost all the lodges we work with have exceptionally flexible cancellation policies in light of the current situation. This means that if something happens (eg. Border closures, new variants etc) you can rest easy knowing you won’t lose your money. If you add on travel insurance (most now have covid inclusions) you can feel as confident as ever that you won’t lose out.
6.First world medical treatment. Even though it’s one of the safest holidays you can take, there is always a risk you may pick up covid-19 (or something else) while travelling. The good news is that South Africa has a very high standard of private medical care. I would much rather have covid over there than in Thailand for example! Of course if you’re fully vaccinated, the chances of you needing a hospital or medical treatment if you do get covid are thankfully low – but of course you want to be prepared for anything. The private lodges also treat you like family and can rest easy knowing they will look after you like royalty if you are ever unwell (probably not so likely if you are staying in a large hotel in the US, Asia or Europe).
7. Helping protect wildlife. It’s not just people and businesses suffering due to the lack of tourists going on safari over the last two years. A lot of the money that gets paid for these safari holidays goes towards conservation and wildlife protection. That means these funds have been severely depleted over the last two years and unfortunately poaching is on the increase again. It makes it an even easier choice to make when you know some of your tourist money is going towards saving the wildlife you get to enjoy.
8.No forced hospital or hotel quarantine. If you do happen to get Covid while in South Africa there’s no forced quarantine in a hotel or hospital. In fact the South African government have just changed the rules so that there isn’t even any self-isolation if you are asymptomatic, and for those who have symptoms it’s just 7 days of self-isolation. Most lodges allow you to self-isolate there, but of course you could always move to a less expensive option! Though I can’t think of too many places it’s better to have to stay than in the bush where you can see giraffes, elephants and more from your balcony! It’s also worth making sure your travel insurance policy covers for extended stays due to self-isolation.
No trip (domestic or international) in 2022 is likely to be without risk. COVID-19 is here for the foreseeable future and the reality is at this point you could pick it up virtually anywhere – including at your local shop. However if you are keen to venture out into the big world and resume travelling this year, there are few options with a lower exposure risk (while still having an amazing trip) than going on safari in South Africa. We’ve booked our trip, so please get in touch if you’d like us to help you book yours too. We will put together the safest, lowest risk and best value itinerary possible.