Ebola Update 1st June 2026

Efforts have intensified to contain the ebola outbreak with the total confirmed ebola cases numbering 263 being reported. DRC continues to experience rapid spread with far and away the majority of the cases.

Preventing cross border transmission is the major priority alongside protecting public health..

Uganda continues to have very few cases with a total of nine cases, two new cases reported over the weekend. The two new cases were Congolese nationals. Both were isolated swiftly by Uganda's rapid response team, and are being closely monitoring. 500 contacts of all infected patients are also being monitored. To curb ebola quickly, Uganda has acted swiftly to close the border with DRC; restrict public gatherings; establish designated isolation/quarantine centres: expand contract tracing and isolation of contacts, And enhance awareness and community engagement on ebola prevention

Efforts in the DRC to date have focused on endeavouring to work closely with communities and on improved testing. Bunia in Uturi Province now has a testing facility that can turn around test results in 24 hours. Previously tests had to be sent 1,500 kms to the capital, Kinshasa for results. Being able to test at the epicentre of the outbreak in Bunia will help to start to get a sense of the parameters of the outbreak, and then curb the spread. Once patients are identified and can be isolated and hospitalised, with good care people can recover, and the virus can also start to be contained.

Excitingly five recovered Congolese patients have been released over the last few days up to Sunday. This gives real hope to see good medical care working.

The outbreak is continuing to outpace the global response given it has been unchecked for a period in Uturi. Suspected cases are believed to be over 1,000 in the DRC and authorities will be playing catch up here for a while.. The situation then in the DRC may well continue to be of much concern for some time dealing with so many recorded cases being very challenging, especially in a context of community mistrust and violent rebel activity. Limited resources and very poor infrastructure also remain serious issues. In response urgent regional efforts by the EAC include working towards nine mobile laboratories at strategic border points, activating a pool of more than 180 rapid response experts, and rolling out specialised training for health workers. All these interventions will help. Increasing PPE supplies are also priorities..

We are keeping close watch on this situation. Uganda remains comparatively stable with protocols to date continuing to appear appropriate and robust to meet the challenge. Ebola can only spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a person who is symptomatic with the virus. It is not an airborne illness and the overall risk to travellers remains considerably low. The WHO continues to be confident that travel in the region is safe. This is a very complex situation but the outbreak can be stopped. It is good to see, despite many many challenges at this time, increasingly recoveries are expected, especially when people are diagnosed early and able to access care, and as the response to the outbreak intensifies. Overall we then remain confident that the situation remains safe for travel.

On our tours health, safety and security stays in central focus and crew are reinforcing the importance of hand hygeine as top priority alongside other measures. For tours entering Uganda we will be watching very carefully to take the most appropriate actions for each and every tour on a tour by tour basis. We would remind our travellers as well to keep abreast of your own countries' travel advisory, different countries at this time having different approaches.

Update in regard to Ebola outbreak (27/05/26)

The current Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is seeing an increasing number of confirmed and suspected cases, with some cases reported as well in Uganda. Uganda shares a border with DRC's eastern Ituri province, where the outbreak is concentrated. Given high mobility within Congo their cases are now being reported in three provinces in the DRC. According to the DRC Ministry of Health on 25th May there were a total of 105 confirmed cases (including 10 deaths) and 906 suspected cases in the Congo.

Health authorities in both the DRC and Uganda are implementing public health measures, supported by the WHO. The response in DRC struggles currently though due to a mistrust of authority and fear among locals with attacks on treatment centers, and frustration and misunderstanding of authorities in a region long plagued by armed violence.

Uganda in contrast has a more robust and solid record at handling outbreaks. To date it has reported seven confirmed cases, including one death. These case are linked to to the outbreak in DRC. The four last patients were local infections - two being exposed to one of the Congolese patients and two being health workers in Kampala. These patients have been admitted to the dedicated treatment unit and are now receiving care. Uganda is very aware of the risk of cross border transmission and has intensified screening, surveillance and coordination at the borders, alongside ebola prevention messages and health checks across the country. Contact tracing and screening, rapid response and isolation measures alongside monitoring procedures through trained local health teams all remain the countries critical measures to halt the spread of the disease. Uganda does have significant experience in responding to Ebola outbreaks following previous occurrences over recent years and has immediately implemented these systems and protocols that it has heavily invested in to detect and respond quickly to any potential cases. Historically these systems have proven effective in containing outbreaks before they escalate further. On a local level hand sanitation is seen also as critical with the limiting of public gatherings. Public transportation including buses and ferries, as well as flights from Congo to Uganda have been stopped. Markets and other large gatherings have been put on hold in border zones where people do move between the two countries. As explained ebola can only spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a person who is symptomatic with the virus. It is not an airborne illness and the overall risk to travellers remains considerably low.

The situation does continue to be of concern and we are closely monitoring developments through the World Health Organisation (WHO), government travel advisories, local media, our local operators and crew on the ground across East Africa. It is of note that the WHO continues to not advise against travel or trade within the region and tours are currently continuing to operate as planned with tourists still travelling through the region. The UK foreign office Is also not advising any travel restriction in Uganda. We would advise our travellers to check with their own countries travel advisories as different countries do regularly advise differently.

Be assured we are closely monitoring. Our clients' and staff safety remain our highest priority. Heightened hygiene and health protocols will be maintained on all trips. Hand hygiene and sanitation practices are being prioritised and, where considered appropriate, adjustments may be made to minimise time spent in particularly busy or crowded locations by planning and shopping ahead. Our experienced local teams remain in regular contact with trusted suppliers and operators throughout East Africa so that we can respond quickly should circumstances change. With over 40 years experience operating overland expeditions throughout Africa, including through periods of regional health and political challengers, we are experienced in adapting operations where necessary and ensuring trips continue to run as safely and smoothly as possible. Further updates will be sent out and especially that may affect tours or travel within the region.

Malawi Visa Update (10/02/26)

The Malawian government has recently announced changes to entry requirements.

As of 3 January 2026, a visa is required for most passport holders entering Malawi. This applies to the majority of European, Canadian, American, Australian, New Zealand and South American nationals.

It is strongly recommended that this visa is applied for online prior to departure via the official Malawi eVisa website:
evisa.gov.mw/

We will provide full guidance on how to apply for this visa, including the required introduction letters, approximately 46 weeks prior to departure. If you are due to travel and have not yet received this information, please contact the office.

The cost of the Malawi visa is USD $50, and it is issued as a full-page visa in your passport.

As always, visa requirements can change at short notice, so we recommend checking you have sufficient passport space and allowing plenty of time for applications.

Christmas Update 2025

Over the Christmas period, we will be operating on holiday hours with a reduced service. Emails will still be monitored although response times may be slightly longer than usual.

Any urgent enquiries will be responded to as priority.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Normal service will resume after the Christmas break.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas 2025!

Tanzania Update (07/11/25)

We're pleased to share that the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has lifted its advisory against all but essential travel to the whole of Tanzania, including all areas we visit on our tours.

Travel to Tanzania is now fully permitted under current UK FCDO guidance, and all our tours are operating as normal on the usual itineraries.

Tanzania Update (4/11/25)

There has been a recent change to the UK FCDO advice for Tanzania which is currently advising against all but essential travel to the country following unrest after the recent presidential election at the end of last week.

We are in discussions with crew and other contacts on the ground, as well as closely watching news, media and FCDO updates, in order to closely monitor this situation. If we feel that there are no improvements or changes to the advisory, we will reroute tours scheduled to travel into Tanzania.

All affected passengers will be updated personally via email. For those on trips departing later in the year, we will send an update once we have a clearer picture of how events are unfolding.

COVID - 19 Update ( 10/09/20)

For further news and updates on the Covid 19 situation in Africa and how this is affecting our trips as well as questions you might have in regards to your booking or booking a new tour we have now dedicated a special page to this:
Pandemic Update

Do always feel free to contact us too if you need any further information or have specific questions.

Merry Christmas 2023 and a Happy 2024!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Please note the office will now be closed until Wednesday 27th December 2023 and will also be closed on Monday 1st January 2024.

We will be operating reduced office hours between Christmas and New Year and will be back to normal on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.

West African Ebola Update 01/09/14

There continues to be regular media updates in regards to the ebola outbreak in West Africa, and we want to assure our clients that our trips have been in no way affected.

The countries impacted are in West and Central Africa, a considerable distance from where the tours operate. The majority of reported incidences are over 5,000 km away from Kenya, and travel options apart from flying are very limited to move from West Africa through to East Africa.

Ebola is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. It isn't an airborne disease making contamination possible only through direct physical contact. Whilst there may be a very few isolated incidents outside the affected areas, the incidences are regularly people who have had direct contact with an ebola sufferer. Tragically doctors, nurses and medical carers, and family members are typically those who have contracted the disease.

There are NO current reported incidences in the East or Southern African countries where we are traveling and these countries are taking extensive measures to prevent the disease, as are Western countries. The medical facilities in East and Southern African countries do have control procedures in place to cope with any concerns, and airlines are also taking preventative measures including bans on travelers arriving in from affected countries, as well as health checks at major airports

Our travellers' health and safety are always top priority and we will remain very attentive to this issue. Please feel free to call or email if you have any other queries about this or any other aspect of your tour.

South Africa & Zambia - Yellow fever vaccination update (01/06/11)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revised the Yellow Fever vaccination recommendations for Africa. Travellers from South Africa to Zambia and travellers from Zambia to South Africa will now require proof of the Yellow Fever vaccination.

In-transit passengers, irrespective of the time period in-transit, will still require proof of the vaccination. Clients going from Zimbabwe to Zambia for a day for activities will need a yellow fever certificate if they are then heading to South Africa.

The new ruling apparently comes into effect immediately, but the policy will be finalised and publicly announced by the end of this month accordingly to the South African Health Department. They have however, recommended that travelers to and from Zambia begin to get this vaccination immediately.

You will be required to have the vaccination a minimum of 10 days before arrival & the vaccination is valid for 10 years. If you will be arriving in Zambia sooner than 10 days from now, you will be able to get the vaccination in country but we recommend you having the vaccination in your home country before travelling if possible.

Vaccinations are available in Livingstone at US$80 and Victoria Falls at US$50 per person.


Zanzibar - All Visitors required to have valid Yellow Fever Certificate (02/02/11)

The Ministry of Health in Zanzibar has warned that following a severe outbreak of yellow fever in Northern Uganda, ALL visitors to Zanzibar will be required to present a valid yellow fever certificate of vaccination on entry.

All clients visiting Zanzibar need to be absolutely sure that they take their valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate with them.

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