International Travel During a Pandemic

On August 12, 2021August 12, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa, Kenya, Tanzania7 Comments

Traveling internationally can by difficult even during the best of times, but it is even more challenging right now. During our recent trip to Africa, we encountered a variety of issues and there were definitely some stressful moments. All of the traditional travel precautions still apply such as purchasing travel insurance, ensuring that your passport is up to date and has enough empty pages, getting visas if necessary, and carrying all of your medical information, and most importantly being patient and calm. In addition to having proof of vaccinations such as yellow fever, you will now need to carry proof of a full COVID vaccination that must be at least 14 days before traveling. Depending upon where you are traveling both to as well as where you are traveling from, there are even more important things to consider.

Long before you ever get to the customs agents at the place where you are visiting, you will likely face many other challenges, at least we did. First of all, flying is no longer as reliable as it has been in the past. Hopefully those days will return, but as of now flights can get cancelled at a higher rate and for more reasons than ever. In our case, different legs of our flight to Kenya were cancelled not once, but multiple times. In fact our original flights through British Airways were partially cancelled three times with the last time having four out of the five legs being cancelled. We requested a refund, which we received minus the change in exchange rates and then rebooked through a different airline. Then, on the morning of our flight, the first leg of our new flights was cancelled and we rescheduled to a direct flight from Denver to Frankfurt. Our layover was shorter than we would normally have liked and of course our flight out of Denver was delayed, so we missed our connection from Frankfurt to Nairobi. Lufthansa rebooked us on Ethiopian Airlines and we had to fly through the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa before continuing on to Nairobi, which added over 20 hours to our trip.

Most countries require some sort of proof of a negative COVID test even for those that are fully vaccinated. It is important to understand which type of test, PCR or Antigen, as well as how close to travel the test must occur. In order to enter Kenya, we needed a PCR test, which can take up to 48 hours to get the results, and it needed to be 96 hours before arrival in Kenya. Because our flight was delayed by over 20 hours, when we went to board our flight in Addis Ababa they weren’t going to let us board because it now had been 100 hours since we took our test. We were in a country that we didn’t plan on visiting and might now be stranded in without any idea of what would happen. Fortunately, the manager who our tickets were escalated to reviewed the dates and looked at when we received our results and allowed us to board. In addition to the PCR test, we also had to fill out an electronic surveillance form 24 hours before our departure which then provided us with a QR code to be used in Kenya.

Grabbing a Beer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Once in Kenya, we went to cross into Tanzania a day after our arrival and for that border crossing we needed an Antigen test, which is a rapid test, and fortunately it was offered at the border for $25 USD per person and only took about 15 minutes to get the results. Obviously we weren’t worried about the results since we’d already tested negative and were fully vaccinated, but everyone has to follow the process. While in Tanzania we were informed that because we were there for more than 4 days, again by half a day, we would need another PCR test before reentering Kenya. In order to get it in time, they needed to put a rush on it and it cost us a $120 USD per person. Finally, in order to get back into the United States, we needed an Antigen test 72 hours prior to the start of travel. We got those tests from our hotel in Nairobi at a cost of $100 USD per person.

We Spent Several Days in the Back of This Land Cruiser

With all of the various test results, and visas for both Kenya and Tanzania, passports, etc., we did what we always recommend, which is to take photographs of your paperwork on our phones just in case we needed them as a back up. It became important when crossing back into Kenya as they needed to see proof of the negative test, but they needed a physical copy and fortunately they printed them out for us. Despite all of the cancellations, delays, added unexpected costs, we did our best to always remain calm and truly enjoy the trip. At the end of the day, the journey is as much a part of the adventure as the location itself. Have you found travel to be more stressful since the start of the pandemic?

Getting Close to the Wildlife in Maasai Mara National Reserve

On August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa, KenyaLeave a comment

We had some amazing animal encounters during our time in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. It started on the first night when we arrived in the reserve when we saw our first cheetahs. We had already seen the big five in Africa, the elephants, water buffaloes, lions, leopards, and rhinos, but seeing the cheetahs was amazing and was the last of the big cats that we were hoping to see. Obviously our animal encounters didn’t end there as we drove throughout the reserve observing many different animals. We also went to the Mara River, but since we were a couple of days ahead of the great migration, we did not see the wildebeests charging across the river. We did, however, see the crocodiles that were patiently waiting for the migration to arrive.

Aptly Named Yellow-Billed Oxpeckers on the Back of a Water Buffalo

Once again, we saw many different lions as we drove through the park. At one point we came across a pride of lions who were eating their prey. This was third time where we saw animals that were eating as we had previously seen a leopard in a tree with a gazelle as well as a hyena and vultures fighting over the remains of an antelope. In addition to the pride of lions we also came across a large male lion that was sitting on a small hill, which we nicknamed the “King of the Hill”. He was definitely quite majestic as he sat gazing at the grasslands around him. Our close encounter with the cheetah that leapt on the hood of our Land Cruiser was certainly a highlight of our entire safari.

It was also our first time seeing topis, a type of antelope, as well as an eland, which is the world’s largest antelope. Another interesting thing that we saw as we drove through the park was large areas of ground that had been purposely burnt in order to refresh the growth of the area and to kill the bugs. The dark ground was quite a contrast to the rest of the grasslands that we saw throughout the reserve. In addition to the crocodiles at the Mara River, we also saw many hippos lounging there as well, but we understand that they would end up moving when the great migration arrived. The hippos and crocodiles basically ignored one another as they are both very dangerous animals.

In addition to the typical safari experiences that we had during our time in the Maasai Mara National Reserve we also had an amazing balloon ride and on the morning that we left to head to Lake Naivasha we visited a traditional Maasai village. By the time we reached the Maasai Mara, we had already been on safari for seven days, so we were quite settled into our safari routine of early mornings and full days driving around to see the animals. Since our camp was located in the reserve, animal encounters could occur within the grounds of the lodge, so you had to use caution when walking after dark.

Looking Close – Giraffe and Zebras from Our Tent

The Animals Were as Curious About Us as We Were with Them

Warrior Dance at the Camp

The Maasai warriors, armed with bows and arrows, were there to protect the few visitors that were at the camp, although a large water buffalo camped himself outside of our tent and they had difficulty getting him to move. Also, just after we went to our tent, a leopard wandered right through the restaurant, much to the surprise of the only couple still in the restaurant at the time. To make our evening complete, the Maasai warriors also entertained us by singing traditional tribal songs and dancing amongst our dinner tables. All in all, our time in Maasai Mara was truly fascinating and enjoyable.

Crocodiles on the Bank of the Mara River

Visiting a Traditional Maasai Village in Kenya

On August 9, 2021August 9, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa, Kenya, Tanzania3 Comments

One of the things that we were hoping to do during our safari in Tanzania and Kenya was to visit an authentic Maasai village. Due to COVID restrictions, we weren’t sure whether it was going to take place, but we were pleased that we were able to do it before leaving Maasai Mara to head to Lake Naivasha. The fee that you pay to visit the village goes to help with the costs of education and other needs that the village might have. There is also the opportunity to buy handmade items from the people of the village, but it is not required.

Our visit started with our Maasai guide, one of the son’s of the chief, telling us about the people of the village and about their daily lives. There was a demonstration of how they used the horn of an antelope to use for communication as well as to make music. Afterwards, several of the men gathered to perform a ritual warrior dance where they would jump as high as possible to prove their bravery. Of course, the men were encouraged to participate, so we did the best that we could, but definitely could not jump as high as the Maasai. Before entering the village, the women gathered to do a welcome dance and song for us and again the women were encouraged to participate.

Warriors About to Start Jumping

Once inside the village, we saw many different villagers, including some of the youngest Maasai boys and girls. We were taken inside a traditional Maasai home and learned about how they were made from mud, straw, and cow dung. The rooms of the homes are small, but there is a living area, bedroom, and even a guest bedroom to welcome guests and family members. Once the children of the house reach a certain age, they move out of the house to stay with other family members.

Making Fire

The Maasai men are not monogamous and we learned that the chief of this particular village had twelve wives. The men with multiple wives were not to spend more than a single night with the same woman before staying with another wife. Most wives are chosen for the men and the dowry is always the same number of cows and goats that must be paid to the parents of the man. If a man wants to choose his own wife, he must pay his parents cows and goats in order to do so. Our guide had a single wife that he chose himself, laughing with us that having more than one wife would be too much trouble.

We were then shown how they could start a fire with a stick, flat piece of wood, and a knife. They are so skilled at making fire this way that they can get some of the grass to start on fire in less than a minute. After watching the men making the fire, we continued on to the market area where the villagers had a variety of artwork, jewelry, and other items for sale. Even though we knew that we weren’t obligated to buy anything, we did buy a couple of items in order to reflect back on the experience in the future. Prices are not set and they make you an offer and a slight amount of negotiating is expected, but not to the point of being insulting to them.

We have been to several different traditional villages throughout our travels and we find each of these experiences to be very special and rewarding. We believe that learning about the culture and history of a place is part of one of the most important aspects to travel. Visiting the traditional Maasai village was certainly one of the highlights of our time in Kenya and Tanzania, just as we’d hoped that it would be.