Travel Guidance

Travel Insurance

We highly recommend that you arrange your own travel insurance. Not only for your own peace of mind, but also to cover you in the event of possible tour cancellation, emergency evacuation, medical and repatriation expenses as well damage/loss/theft of your personal belongings, camera equipment, money and the like.

Contact Detail

It is important that you give us your contact detail of your next of kin or a friend whom we could contact in the event of an emergency. This detail you can give us on the Booking Form that we will forward to you.

Passports/Visas/Vaccinations

  • Please note that Desert Tracks Bookings & Safaris cc cannot be held responsible for any of the above & following.
  • Passports need to be valid for at least 6 months from date of departure (the date you end your holiday) from Namibia/Botswana etc.
  • Traveling with minors - for parents travelling with children under the age of 18 into or out of South Africa, Namibia, or Botswana - you need to have the child’s full unabridged birth certificate with you.
  • Please check on the internet or an Embassy whether you require a VISA to be arranged in advance or whether you can obtain it at point of entry. In some cases, it can take up to 3 months for Visas to be issued so please do not leave this to the last minute. Please note that we cannot arrange Visas from our side as the application requires your signature as well as the actual passport to be endorsed.
  • The same applies to any possible vaccinations. Your doctor should be able to advise you.

Some Tips and Requests

  • Please ensure your consultant has your phone number, preferably a local cellular number
  • Bag types and sizes for local flights: bags to be soft type as luggage bays of small aircraft cannot hold large hard shell bags. If bag sizes and weights do not comply, extra charges could incur
  • Luggage weight limitation is vital for your own safety. If luggage weight exceeds limits, some luggage will be unpacked and extra costs could incur
  • Stick to speed limits as speeding is not only breaking the law, but also negates/cancels any insurance claims and should there be an accident, you will be liable for 100% of repair costs

WETU APP – TRAVELKEY


We recommend you download the app called TravelKey. This allows travellers to carry their itinerary with them while they travel.  Even while offline. The app is available for both Android and iOS.

Traveling with Minors

This information is extremely important for all families traveling to and from Namibia, South Africa and/or Botswana

The Namibia, Botswana and South African Governments have introduced requirements for minors travelling through all ports of entry. The development, which is aimed at managing the movement of children across these country borders, has an ultimate goal of tackling human trafficking which is a global challenge. Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, like other countries is affected by this problem and as such has enacted the United Nations Anti-Human Trafficking Protocol; which calls upon governments to come up with deliberate measures aimed at combating human trafficking.

All minors travelling through Namibia, Botswana and/or South Africa borders will be required to produce certified copies of unabridged birth certificates in addition to their valid passports. In the event that one parent is not travelling with the child, the other parent’s affidavit consenting to such travel should be availed. However, an affidavit will not be required if the father’s name does not appear on the child’s birth certificate.

Minors younger than 18 years traveling to Namibia must have an unabridged birth certificate. In addition, when traveling:

  1. With an adult who is not their biological parent: an affidavit from their parents giving consent for the minor to travel with the adult is required. 
  2. With an adult other than a parent/legal guardian: copies of their legal guardians/parents' passports or documents of identity are required. Contact details of the parents/legal guardians should also be provided.
  3. With a parent: an affidavit from the other parent giving consent for the minor to travel is required. A death certificate should be provided if one parent is deceased. 
  4. Unaccompanied: an affidavit from their parents/legal guardians consenting their travel, a letter containing the contact details and residential information of the person who will receive the minor passenger, a copy of the identity document, valid passport or permanent residence permit of the person who will receive the minor passenger, and the contact details of the minor's parents/legal guardians are required.

Zambia

This unique, peanut-shaped country, once known as Northern Rhodesia, offers visitors an authentic African experience complete with adrenalin pumping adventure sports, a variety of fascinating cultural activities, and an abundance of indigenous wildlife, which finds refuge in Zambia’s vast national parks. Spend your evenings enjoying the spectacular site of the world’s largest waterfall, the Victoria Falls, while sipping on sundowners after an exhilarating day of whitewater rafting down the rapids of the mighty Zambezi River. If that sounds a little too adventurous for your taste, take a houseboat cruise along the exquisite Lake Kariba while watching wild elephants drink at the riverbank as you try your hand at catching the elusive tiger fish. However you choose to spend your time in this unique country, you are bound to leave with a heavy heart and a desire to return again soon to this exceptionally beautiful Southern African country.


Botswana

Situated in the southern reaches of Africa, Botswana is renowned for its pristine wilderness areas characterised by deep lagoons, wetlands, lush palms, rugged hills and desert plains. The country’s primary tourist drawcard is undoubtedly the vast red expanse of the Kalahari Desert and its remarkably beautiful Okavango Delta, the largest inland delta in the world. These natural wonders provide a tranquil haven for an abundance of African wildlife to thrive. Other highlights include the impressive Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, where visitors are privy to massive zebra migrations during the flood season; the Savuti plains, which host a significant pride of lions; and the Tsodilo Hills, where 4500 rock paintings form a unique record of human settlement over many millennia.


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