2021 Kenya Trip Report, Part 1
Traveling during a pandemic can be scary, and it can certainly be controversial. The travel industry has been paralyzed over the last 11 months as borders have closed, airlines have slashed routes, and Covid testing has become a requirement to go nearly anywhere. People have strong opinions about what we all should and shouldn’t do these days, especially in regard to international travel. While I don’t support or believe in travel shaming in any way, I also understand that the decision to travel is unique for everyone, and the answers aren’t always black or white.
One of the takeaways from my trip to Kenya is that travel itself is not difficult. Yes, there are more precautions required, more steps to take, and more lines to wait in, but if you are prepared and patient, traveling now can still be enjoyable. Even more, now is an ideal time to travel to many places, as the lack of crowds and extra availability can make for a truly unique and unforgettable experience. Obviously things are constantly evolving so you’ll want to check country websites and/or consult your travel advisor before traveling, but here are some of the extra steps you should be prepared to take if considering travel to Kenya:
- Negative Covid PCR test, taken within 96 hours of arrival in Kenya. You’ll want to have your results printed and in your carry-on. I departed the U.S. on a Saturday evening, arriving in Nairobi on Sunday night. I got tested on Wednesday afternoon and received my results on Thursday and all worked well.
- Kenya E-Visa, secured online prior to arrival. As of now you can no longer purchase a visa on arrival, but the e-visa is easy to secure online here and a single-use visa costs $50 USD plus a small processing fee. Be sure to print this one in color and have it with you in your carry-on.
- Kenya Health Surveillance Form, an online form you should complete after receiving your negative Covid PCR results and prior to departing the U.S. This is a few pages long and you’ll need to upload passport information, including a passport-size photo, and include contact information for your stay in Kenya. When this is approved, you’ll receive an email with a QR code. While you can simply save this to your photos or documents on your phone, I’d also strongly recommend printing a copy just in case you have phone issues when you arrive in country. The form can be found here.
- Surgical or N95 Mask(s). I’d recommend bringing several for the long plane rides and to have fresh options throughout your trip. Several airlines (including the smaller ones in Kenya like Safarilink and Air Kenya) require these specific masks, so the cute cloth masks and gaiters we all probably have by now will have to take a back seat, at least for flights.
- As always, you’ll want to make sure your passport is valid for six months after your return date, and you’ll want at least two consecutive blank pages in your passport. I also highly recommend securing travel insurance in case your trip is interrupted or affected due to changing COVID protocols.
- New as of January 26th! As I’m sure everyone knows by now, the U.S. is requiring travelers coming from overseas to have a negative Covid PCR test result taken within 72 hours of your initial departure flight. I departed Kenya on a Friday night, arriving home on Saturday afternoon. I was tested onsite at Angama Mara on Wednesday morning and received results Thursday night.
Finally, please travel with PATIENCE! Even with perfect planning, nobody can predict what changes may be around the corner. Expect more queues, more checkpoints, and certainly a LOT more temperature-taking and hand-sanitizing. Patience is always key when traveling, but its importance these days can’t be overstated. Setting the proper expectations can lead to incredible travel experiences in 2021.
In terms of my specific journey to Kenya, my husband Dave and I flew on United from Newark to Frankfurt and on Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Nairobi - with the same routing on the way home. All four flights were fairly easy, about 7-8 hours each, and all the passengers I saw seemed to be adhering to the mask mandate. Obviously wearing a mask for 20+ straight hours isn’t ideal (just ask your local healthcare heroes), but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not difficult. You can take it off to eat and drink, and I found sleeping with it on to be fairly uneventful. We were served two meals on each flight and had fairly normal beverage service, so had some brief mask-free breaks.
Both flights on United were relatively empty - maybe 40% full, give or take. We sat in the bulkhead seats both ways on UA so had an empty seat between us and lots of extra legroom. The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Nairobi was surprisingly full. The 2-4-2 configuration in Economy meant Dave and I were together, but we did see strangers seated next to each other. On the way out of Nairobi, we upgraded to Premium Economy to avoid the crowds and have a bit more space, and that was a fantastic decision, as PE was nearly empty.
At the airports in Newark, Frankfurt, and Nairobi, there were definitely extra COVID-related steps. Despite this, the lower number of people traveling right now seemed to balance out the extra lines, so the overall time spent getting through airport lines was probably about the same. I highly recommend bringing a folder with all your paperwork printed out, as you’ll need to provide it multiple times. We had our negative PCR test results, e-visas (in color!), and QR codes printed, as well as our flight and Nairobi hotel details just to be safe.
Prior to boarding each flight, we had to do a separate “document check” and show the necessary paperwork. Sometimes this meant one line and other times it meant three different lines. Sometimes it was done prior to reaching the gate, and others were done right at the gate. It just seemed to depend on the airline and the airport. (Key = Patience!) On arrival in Nairobi, we waited in a line just outside the airport entrance for someone to check our PCR results. Then the next line inside was for a temperature check and someone to scan our QR codes. Next up was the e-visa line, which was standard. Luckily ours was the only flight that had gotten in at that time so the lines weren’t bad.
When it’s all written out, it sounds/looks like a lot. We were prepared, so we had very few surprises. While this might be too overwhelming or troublesome for some right now, to me it was well worth being able to enjoy two fabulous weeks in Kenya and ten nights in the Masai Mara. I can say with absolute certainly that an African Safari is the perfect way to physical distance and enjoy the outdoors!
To learn more about our specific experiences while in Kenya, stay tuned for my next blog…
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