Posts Tagged ‘Africa travel’

Get a Kenyan Visa for a Safari in Masai Mara

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

If you’re in Kenya looking for wildlife, you have a lot of national parks and reserves to choose from.  However, Masai Mara National Park is quite possibly the best place to go. The reserve is huge in and of itself, with 938 square miles of protected area. It’s also contiguous with the Serengeti Reserve in Tanzania, giving the animals even more space and allowing for a diverse population of wildlife.

The “Big Five “– lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos and elephants — get top billing, but you can also see a staggering number of smaller but equally interesting creatures, including wildebeest, baboons, giraffe, zebra, hyena and many different types of antelopes.  Plus, there are multitudes of birds including ostriches, cranes and hornbills.

The park is well-developed for tourism, with options ranging from lodges to tent camping. Camping, naturally, is the most economical way to go. Another way to cut costs is to avoid the park during the Great Migration, which happens from July to September. You’ll still see plenty of wildlife, though the chances of rain are higher in the off-season.

To get to Masai Mara National Park, you will need a Kenyan visa. You can get a visa at the airport, but expect delays if you do. You’ll get through immigration more quickly if you get a visa in advance, before you leave the US. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 Kenyan visa application form
  • 1 passport photo
  • A copy of your travel itinerary

When you apply in advance for a Kenyan visa, the information on the form is required to be typed. You’ll need to go to Kenyan Embassy’s website online, fill out the form, then print it.

RushMyTravelVisa makes it easy to get the visas you need for your trip. We’ll go over your itinerary and research it, making sure you have all the documents you need before you leave. Then, we’ll walk you through the application process and expedite your paperwork to get it processed as quickly as possible.

Ready to go on safari? Apply for your Kenyan visa today!

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Travel Visas for the Tour d’Afrique

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

The Tour de France? That’s nothing! Try riding across the entire African continent on a bicycle! Since 2003, a hardy bunch of cyclists has been doing just that, as part of the Tour d’Afrique. The Tour d’Afrique crosses the entire African continent, from Egypt to South Africa, approximately 7,500 miles. While some participants are there to race, many others are just there for the experience and travel at their own pace, so people of all ages are welcome as long as you are in good shape and like to ride.

The Tour d’Afrique takes a good four months to complete, and like most epic-level travel experiences, it’s not cheap. The full tour will set you back €8,900, not including your bike, supplies for your bike, food on rest days, flights or visas. Fortunately, you can also sign on to just do a specific part of the tour.

As far as travel visas are concerned, the requirements vary depending on which country you’re looking at. Here’s a breakdown:

  • Egypt: If you’re flying in, you can get a 30-day tourist visa when you arrive at the airport, or apply in advance if you’d like. If you’re entering by land, you’ll need one in advance.
  • Sudan: US citizens should apply for a visa in advance at a Sudanese embassy or consulate.
  • Ethiopia: If you’re riding in, you’ll definitely need to apply for your visa in advance. Theoretically, if you’re flying in, you can get a visa on arrival, but the US Department of State recommends against it as airport officials sometimes refuse to issue them. So, be a good Boy/Girl Scout and “be prepared!” See Ethiopian Visa Requirements for Tourists for more details.
  • Kenya: US citizens need to apply in advance to enter by land. If flying in, you should be able to get a visa on arrival but be prepared to wait for the privilege. See Kenyan Visa Requirements for Tourists for details.

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Madagascar Visa Requirements for Tourists

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

Tucked away off the coast of Africa, Madagascar doesn’t make it on many American tourists’ life lists — at least not yet. That may change as the country more fully develops its eco-tourism industry, assuming logging companies and assorted other extractive industries don’t “harvest” all of Madagascar’s pristine rainforests first.

Right now, while it’s somewhat difficult to get around the country, there’s enough of a tourist infrastructure to make it doable as long as you’re willing to deal with occasional inconveniences like delayed flights and rough roads, and more than enough gorgeous wilderness and exotic wildlife to make it worth your while.

In a recent article, New York Times’ travel writer Jeffery Gettleman explained the charms of Madagascar:

“Cut off from the mainland 160 million years ago, Madagascar is host to some of the rarest and most unusual flora and fauna in the world. There are hissing cockroaches, giant jumping rats, pygmy chameleons, moths as big as dinner plates, along with various kinds of lemurs. You’ll see odd, wavy plants growing out of the desert that look as if they belong underwater. In fact, there is so much uncharted life here that scientists are constantly discovering more…And there are also beaches, really good ones.”

Lemurs, beaches and a pirate graveyard? I’m in!

Before you go to Madagascar, you’ll need to do 2 things (not counting making travel reservations, packing, etc). First, check your passport. It must have an expiration date that’s at least 6 months after you plan on entering the country, plus at least one blank page in the back. Before your trip, renew your passport or add passport pages as necessary.

Second, do yourself a favor and get a visa ahead of time. Madagascar visas are available at the airport, but you should expect substantial delays. Mr. Gettleman of the New York Times described an excruciating wait at passport control, and offered the following advice to fellow travelers: “Get the visa ahead of time, even though Madagascar gives free tourist visas at the airport. We saw other tourists who had done this; they breezed right through.”

For instructions on how to get a Madagascar tourist visa, check out the instructions at the Madagascar Embassy’s website. Keep in mind that you may have connections in other countries and that they may also require you to have a visa. RushMyTravelVisa can research your itinerary and assist you in getting any transit visas you may need for your trip.

Need help getting a visa? Contact our visa experts today!

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Do I Need Shots to Visit Africa?

Friday, January 1st, 2010

One of the more unpleasant aspects of international travel is making sure you are vaccinated against diseases that might be present where you are traveling. Of course, as unpleasant as it is to your arms stuck full of holes, it is a thousand times worse to get seriously ill overseas.

Also, some countries won’t let you get a visa if you don’t have the appropriate vaccinations. For example, yellow fever vaccinations are often required for travelers visiting countries where the disease, which causes flu-like symptoms and sometimes fatal liver damage, is present.

This guide will show you what shots you need to get a visa for each country in Africa. However, please talk to your doctor before your trip in case there are vaccinations that aren’t required but that you should get anyway.

Visa Vaccination Requirements for Countries In Africa

  1. Algeria- None
  2. Angola- International Certificate of Vaccination  for yellow fever
  3. Benin- International Certificate of Vaccination  for yellow fever (The US Department of State advises you to bring the certificate with you to Benin, also).
  4. Botswana- No vaccination requirements, but they advise travelers to get malaria shots.
  5. Burkina Faso- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is not required to get a visa but IS required to enter the country.
  6. Burundi- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever (also, bring it with you to get into the country).
  7. Cameroon- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever
  8. Cape Verde- Yellow fever vaccination is required if you are entering from areas in Africa or the Americas where yellow fever is endemic.
  9. Central African Republic- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever required for everyone.
  10. Chad- None.
  11. Comoros- None.
  12. Republic of Congo- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever required to enter the country.
  13. Democratic Republic of the Congo- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever.
  14. Cote d’Ivoire- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever (bring it with you to the airport or you’ll have to get vaccinated upon arrival)
  15. Djibouti- International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever.
  16. Egypt-  None
  17. Equatorial Guinea- Visas aren’t required for US citizens in most cases, but you do need an International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever to enter the country.
  18. Eritrea- None
  19. Ethiopia- None (more…)

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