Southern Africa is generally a safe destination and like all places on earth,has its fair share of health hazards.

It is important to ensure you have the right health advice and vaccinations for travel to Southern Africa before you set off on your trip. Visit a doctor or travel clinic at least four weeks before departure for most up to date advice and vaccinations.

The vaccinations normally recommended are: hepatitis A + B, typhoid and diphtheria.

If you’re an adult, you won’t need any inoculations unless you’re travelling from a yellow-fever endemic area (the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America), in which case you will need certification to prove your inoculation status when you arrive in the country.

Malaria is a bloodstream borne parasite. It is spread via the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito that has occurences in Kruger National Park, KwaZulu-Natal, Victoria Falls, Chobe and Hwange National Park areas that we service. Though recent statistics show the least occurrence ever.

Advice would to take antimalaria prophylaxis in good time (At least 4 Weeks) before travel.

Good-quality health care and sanitation is available in all of Southern Africa’s major urban areas.Tap Water is available across Southern Africa and it is both palatable and safe to drink straight from the tap.

The quality of the food is excellent, and Southern Africa has some of the top Hotels,Lodges and restaurants in the world.

We have a warm sunny climate and, if you need to, you should wear sunscreen and a hat whenever you are out of doors during the day, particularly between 10am and 4pm.

Safety

Southern Africa is generally politically and economically stable. Crime rates are generally low with a few exceptions in major urban areas.

It is still prudent to exercise safety and here are our top tips for keeping safe:

Valuables, Avoid carrying large sums of cash, don’t valuables (cameras,laptops,tablets.phones) in plain sight and do not leave belongings unattended.

Keep copies of all valuable documents in a safe place

Heed the advice of your Tour Guide and avoid walking in deserted and dark places at night. When self driving, always park in secure, well-lit areas preferably with street guards.

Use ATMs in well-lit and safe places.

Don’t allow your card to be removed from your sight.

Don’t accept help from strangers or give out your pin number, not even to persons claiming to be bank officials.

Watch out for the people standing very close to you and looking over your shoulder as you type in your pin.

Never leave your card in the ATM. If it gets stuck or swallowed, follow instructions provided on the ATM machine.

Make sure you are not followed after a transaction.

Should needs arise, our incident management office is available at all times for any help and emergencies on +44 345 450 6103

In the unfortunate occurrence, God forbid it, of any life threatening or fatal emergencies, Bantu Safaris is well prepared.

Our LOCAL PRESENCE and the use of TOUR TRACKING TECHNOLOGY in all the destinations that we service keeps us INFORMED EVERY HOUR about the status of ALL OUR CLIENT’s Tours and Transfers EVERY HOUR.

This enables us to be able to respond rapidly should anything go wrong on Tour or Transfer. We have EMERGENCY EVACUATION mechanisms that include AIR RESCUE and PRIORITY EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE SERVICES. As such, we trust that you will take out the most relevant TRAVEL INSURANCE in your home country to help us give you the best emergency care.

We work closely with the respective National Security authorities to ensure our Clients are well protected as well use private security concerns if needs must.

In the unlikely event of any physical harm to you on Tour,  we will respond immediately and advise your next of kin and do our best to get you to speak with them. In the most unlikely event of death on Tour, we have a HOLIDAY FATALITY PROTOCOL.

This PROTOCOL is a comprehensive set of procedures that essentially follow the laws and regulations of destination country where the fatality would have occurred. It includes working closely with the relevant authorities to go through all the rigmarole and process all the requisite documentation for repatriation.

Yes, you do really need your personal Travel Insurance. It is your obligation to secure adequate Travel Insurance before you travel. Bantu Safaris does not book clients without Travel Insurance or who have not committed to procuring it before departure.

Here are a few general benefits of Travel Insurance (may vary from one insurer to another):

Emergency medical assistance and costs

24 hour cover for medical evacuations, ambulances, funeral arrangements and more.

If you need to go to hospital suddenly because of injury or illness you’re covered for hospital stays, surgery, and emergency dental treatment.

Cancellation fees and lost deposits

You’re covered for any cancellation fees and lost deposits for your pre-paid travel arrangements, if you cannot make your flights or planned accommodation due to circumstances out of your control such as sickness, injuries, strikes or natural disasters.

Personal Possessions, Travel Documents and Gadgets

Some of the most common and annoying holiday disasters involve personal possessions, such as delayed baggage, lost passports and damaged gadgets. The appropriate Travel Insurance policy will ensure that should any of your personal property go missing during your travel, you will be adequately compensated.

Activity Cover

During your Safari Holiday, you will participate in activities that include some form of physical exertions and some risks to injury. The right and adequate Travel Insurance policy ensures that if you are injured doing activities, you will sufficiently assisted medically and compensated for any losses arising due to such injuries. You must ensure you are fully covered for the all the activities that you will engage in on Safari.

Other types of coverage that are available to travel insurance buyers include travel delay, tour operator default, personal liability, accidental death, legal expenses, repatriation, emergency reunion, dental expenses, and others. A travel insurance policy does not only ensure that you will get coverage for unforeseen losses; it also allows you to avail of a number of services that can be invaluable during times of emergency.

Our Insurance obligations

Bantu Safaris has taken the following risk management steps:

Insolvency Protection 

In compliance with Consumer Protection laws in the countries of our source markets, we have Independent Travel Trusts operated by Independent Trustees. The Trust Accounts therein provide protection to Client holiday trip payments by keeping them (payments) in trust until the completion of respective holidays. Only then, are the funds released to Bantu Safaris.

Public Liability Insurance

Bantu Safaris has adequate 3rd Party Public Liability Insurance that covers all the destinations that we service. This covers any accidents or injuries to our clients caused by us or any of our partners.

Suppliers Failure Insurance

Bantu Safaris is in the process of securing this Insurance policy that protects our clients from the failure of our suppliers/partners to deliver acceptable,adequate service.

Airport and Local Road Transfers

Upon arrival, you will be warmly welcomed at the airport by our friendly and professional driver guides who will help with your luggage and whisk you to your comfortable Transfer Vehicle.

Depending on your group size, Bantu Safaris has a good range of vehicles to comfortably transport couples, families, small and large groups. Transfers are strictly organised around your itinerary and our guides are always punctual.

Locally, our guides will always take care of you and your transportation needs until you are safely at your hotel/guest house in every night.

Regional Connecting Flights

If your holiday trip involves travelling from one destination to another by air, Southern Africa has efficient and regular regional flights that service these regional destinations.

To appropriately synchronize your itinerary, regional flights must be booked and paid for in full when the deposit for the holiday trip is paid. Bantu Safaris will help you find the best flight deals. It is important to take note of the luggage restrictions and or extra fees on these regional flights.

Bantu Safaris offers All Inclusive, Part Inclusive and Independent Holiday Trips to Southern Africa. When you Book An All Inclusive Holiday Trip, there are payments that you may still need to pay for yourself. These are specifically found on the Itinerary Section of your Holiday Trips.

Before you commit to any booking, our Travel Adviser will ensure to clearly read through what your chosen holiday trip precisely includes and excludes

Generally you would have to pay for :

All Beverages besides Bottled Water

Park Entry and or Conservation Fees

River Usage Fees (On River Cruises)

Museum Entry Fees

Dinners and Lunches in City Tours

Payment Modes

Generally, most Accommodation Properties, Parks, Museum and Restaurants  do accept payment via Debit/Credit/VISA/Master/Maestro Cards.  There is a limited acceptance of American Express Cards.

You may also need to carry some cash (not a lot) in the respective local currencies of your destinations, namely

South Africa – South African Rand (ZAR)

Botswana – Botswana Pula (P)

Zimbabwe – US Dollar (usd)

Your Travel Advisor will advise on how much cash to carry depending on your itinerary and duration of holiday trip.