Livingstone Island Newsflash

by Wild Horizons
(22nd February 2012)

We have received the following notification for the Livingstone Island Activities:

“We apologize for the short notice for the closure of the Livingstone Island activities until further notice, (anticipated for at most a week) due to the fact that all the boats operating this activity have developed some mechanical faults that need to be attended to; in conformation with the safety standards which are set to run this activity.”

The re-opening date will be communicated to Wild Horizons at least a day before the activities on the island resume.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.

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NEW ZIM VEHICLE REGULATIONS TO APPLY FROM 1ST JUNE 2011

WILD ZAMBEZI reported last October on a new Government Statutory Instrument (No 154) laying down requirements for vehicles on Zimbabwe's roads. The regulations largely cover roadworthiness, but also stipulate that every vehicle should carry a fire extinguisher, 2 x red warning triangles, a serviceable spare wheel, an efficient jack and a wheel spanner capable of undoing the vehicle’s wheel nuts

The regulations were due to come into effect in December last year, but were subsequenty delayed when Motor Industry representatives intervened, claiming that suppliers could not produce enough of the required products given such short notice

The date for these new regulations to apply is now 1st June 2011.

Here are some of the requirements (and a rough idea of costs if purchasing in Zimbabwe):

Two Breakdown Triangles : Mandatory: two reflective breakdown triangles per vehicle. A pair is also required for each trailer. These must be placed one in front and one at the rear of a vehicle (30 to 50m) when it is stationery on any road at a place not designated for stopping. The triangles should be sturdy and of good quality. However, they are not required to have a Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) logo. (Expect to pay around US$10-$12 a pair)

A Fire Extinguisher: All vehicles to carry an appropriate and SAZ approved fire extinguisher in the CAB of the vehicle - Light vehicles (1kg) and heavy vehicles (1,5kg). Every fire extinguisher shall be of a type and make approved by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, which approval shall be visibly marked on the fire extinguisher (look for the SAZ logo - see above), and secured at an easily accessible and visible position within the cab of such vehicle." (Expect to pay around US$16 for a 1kg extinguisher with mounting bracket).

Reflectors: White reflectors in front, red reflectors at the rear (Expect to pay around US$2 per metre for reflective tape at any Auto dealer).
Florescent Reflective Vest: this is not mandatory, but is recommended for safety on the road at breakdown scenes, especially at night. (Expect to pay around US$4)

NOTE: there are currently no clear guidelines about the requirements for visiting (non-Zimbabwean) vehicles. However, it is advisable for all visiting vehicles to carry the items listed above, and to ensure that the fire extinguisher has a Standards Association Approved logo from e.g. South Africa.

Motorists and visitors should be aware that road police will be checking for these items after the 1st June 2011.

Bungee jumping to recommence on the 2nd February 2012.

by Vic Falls Bungee

Further to our previous releases on the incident involving an Australian tourist which occurred on the 31st December 2011 and whereby the bungee cord she was jumping on broke, we now wish to update you as follows;

Firstly we would like to advise that the lady concerned has recovered very well and has now returned to Australia. We continue to wish her well now that she is back home.

Secondly we are pleased to announce that following a thorough investigation into the incident bungee jumping will recommence on the 2nd February 2012.

Since the incident a full and thorough investigation into the cause of the bungee cord failure was conducted which amongst other things included;

 A detailed safety audit and inspection of the bungee jumping system at Victoria Falls.

 Subjecting the broken bungee cord to forensic analysis and testing.

During this process of investigation we chose to suspend bungee jumping operations so that the inspectors could carry out their work without interruption and to allow time for the forensic analysis to be carried out. Unfortunately this process took more time than we anticipated due to the availability of the experts..

The international qualified IRATA safety auditors who have audited and inspected our system and equipment, have advised that after inspecting all components of the bungee system they found our safety standards prior the incident to have complied with the international standard ( AS/NZS 5848:2000) for bungee jumping. We have been carrying out bungee jumping in accordance with this code from the Victoria Falls bridge for over 17 years where approximately 150,000 jumps have been done without there ever having been a cord failure.

As safety is of the utmost concern to us, together with the safety auditors we have developed certain new procedures to improve safety standards. With particular regard to the management and handling of the bungee cords, a safety auditor expressed the opinion that the standards we now apply are unparalleled in the industry in all probability industry leading. We are of the opinion that they set a new standard in terms of safety internationally.

The inspection of the cord which broke was carried out by a team of experts based in South Africa which was lead by two Professors in Structural Engineering. In their investigations the team amongst other things, compared the rubber used to make the bungee cord that broke against the latest batch of rubbers we obtained directly from our normal supplier. Our understanding of the investigation findings is that the rubbers from the cord which broke were not as strong as they should have been and were weaker than the newer rubbers. We will be taking this up with the rubber manufacturers. The newer rubbers which we will now use were found to be far stronger than the “Code of Practice for Bungy Jumping” requires. To ensure as best as possible the strength and integrity of all rubbers we use, we are arranging to have samples from every future batch of rubber tested before being put into service.

In light of the investigations and the opinions of both the safety auditors and the forensic investigators we are satisfied that the cause of the broken cord has been established and that the new standards, testing and inspection methods we have introduced will prevent a recurrence of the incident.

We are therefore pleased to announce that commercial bungee jumping operations will recommence on the 2nd February 2011.

Comment on recent statements made by Face Adrenalin;

We have been made aware of certain comments made in the press by Face Adrenalin, who operate the Bloukrans Bungee, and their representatives alleging negligence on the part of Victoria Falls Bungee. We hotly contest this and take serious umbrage to such unfounded allegations. Face Adrenalin have not been involved in the investigation and do not have an intimate, or even a basic, knowledge of our operation. We are accordingly disappointed that they would make such allegations without any factual basis. We find their comments even more surprising as it was Face Adrenalin who supplied us with the rubber used to make the cord which broke.

Should you have further questions please contact Victoria Falls Bungee on;

info@victoriafallsbungee.com .

We thank you for your continued support.

Solenta Air to Suspend Flights in Zimbabwe

by Solenta Air
(16th February 2012)

Press Announcement

To all Travel Agents, Tour Operators and Customers

Due to circumstances beyond our control, a decision has been made by the Shareholders and Directors of Solenta Aviation to suspend all operations within Zimbabwe with effect from the 1st of May 2012. Solenta Aviation will continue to operate all flights as per its current schedule as well as confirmed and booked charters up until the 30th April 2012.

Any reservations taken after the 30th April will unfortunately be cancelled. We will be in contact with
our clients to discuss other options and solutions regarding your current bookings beyond May 2012.

The decision to suspend our operations within Zimbabwe was made after several days of deliberation with senior management. The current political environment coupled with the economic situation within the country has not been conducive to continue our operations within Zimbabwe and has therefore left us with no option but to seek other contracts for our aircraft elsewhere.

After 2 years of operations within Zimbabwe, we had hoped to have seen a positive growth within the Tourist and
Business sectors to justify our existence in Zimbabwe, but this has just not materialised.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and efforts over the past 2 years and we wish you all the very best for the future. Please feel free to contact either my staff or myself at anytime should you wish to discuss this further.

Rob Killick
Managing Director – Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls Border Post Closure 29th May

by Tony
(18th May 2012)

URGENT NOTICE
Please be advised that the border between Victoria Falls Zimbabwe and Livingstone will be closed between 06:00 hrs and 15:00hrs on the 29th of May 2012.

This will obviously affect all cross border transfers on that day. We will be in contact with you should you have any cross border bookings in place on that day
to discuss alternative arrangements.

Please contact me should you have any queries.

Temporary suspension of Bungee

Please be informed that the safety auditors will arrive from South Africa on Wednesday the 11th of January 2012 to conduct a safety audit on the Bungee operation.

Bungee jumping will not be in operation during this period to allow the auditors and senior crew to conduct the audit without distraction.

We expect this process to be completed over two to three days.



Apologies for the short notice but the auditors could only confirm their flight arrival late today.



Other Bridge activities including the Bridge Swing, Slide and Bridge Tours will continue as normal.



Should you need further information please contact Victoria Falls Bungee on;

info@victoriafallsbungee.com.



We thank you for your continued support.



Victoria Falls Bungee.

Air Zimbabwe Set to Resume Flights Next Week

by Tony
(17th February 2012)

It's hard to keep up with what's happening at Air Zimbabwe, suffice to say that most people have lost complete confidence in the national airline.

In the lastest announcement from Air Zimbabwes acting chief executive officer Innocent Mavhunga, the airline will resume a limited number of flights effective February 20th

Air Zimbabwe will fly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Harare to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls

I am sure that this is by no means the end of the saga so please re confirm any bookings you might have with them and don't rely on this servicve for bookings way in advance.

To find out more information on the various options of getting to Victoria Falls please visit this page How to get to Victoria Falls.

27.2.12 See Updates to Air Zimbabwe below. They have now confirmed that they are grounded indefinately

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URGENT NOTICE: CHANGES TO FOREIGN CURRENCY REGULATIONS IN ZAMBIA

by Wild Horizons
(18th July 2012)

URGENT NOTICE: CHANGES TO FOREIGN CURRENCY REGULATIONS IN ZAMBIA

Zambia has recently introduced new foreign currency regulations. The situation in Zambia is quite fluid as the private sector seeks clarification on how these policies will affect doing business and specifically for international tourists. As these become available to us we will of course update you – however below are certain things your passengers will need to be aware of now.
All payments made in Zambia for any services or products are only payable in the local currency - Zambian Kwacha. Payments made from abroad are still acceptable in foreign currency and payments for entry visas remain payable in foreign currency at the Port of Entry. Once you have cleared immigration though, all payments must be made in Kwacha only.
The USD/Kwacha exchange rate is fluctuating a lot at the moment with a 14% swing in value just within the last 2 weeks so it is important to take this into account when calculating costs.
Departure taxes on commercial flights are generally built into the ticket price, however for domestic or charter flights these must be paid at the airport in Kwacha . In order to ensure your passengers are prepared and any inconvenience is kept to a minimum, we have outlined some guidelines below:

• It is not possible to purchase Kwacha outside of Zambia so you will need to change cash at a Bureau de Change or commercial bank. Alternatively carry a debit card to draw cash from local ATM’s - remember your PIN!
• Carry a little extra US$ in cash than you had previously budgeted to allow for any exchange rate fluctuations.
• Only recent series US$ notes (large presidential portrait) are accepted by banks and bureau’s. You will need your passport to change money at these facilities.

Below are some specific details we have gathered from the Banks that operate at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula (Livingstone) International Airport. Please take special note of these as they differ from bank to bank:

BARCLAYS BANK – Airport
Hours
Mon-Fri: 08h30 to 14h30
Sat (only 1st and last Sat of each month): 08h15 to 14h30
Sun: Closed
Public Holidays: Closed

ATM: Accept Visa ONLY (MasterCard will be accepted inside the bank)
Other cards will be accepted in the near future however NOT at present.

BARCLAYS BANK – Sun International Resort
Hours
Mon-Fri: 08h30 to 16h00
Sat & Sun: 08h30 to 12h00
Public Holidays: Closed

ATM: Accept Visa ONLY (MasterCard will be accepted inside the bank)
Other cards will be accepted in the near future however NOT at present.

FINANCE BANK – Airport
Hours
Mon-Fri: 08h30 to 16h00
Sat & Sun: 08h30 to 14h00

ATM: Accept Visa debit ONLY (no credit cards accepted)
NO cards will be accepted in banking hall – cash only.
Public Holidays: Closed

FINANCE BANK – Mosi Oa Tunya Square (New Shoprite Complex)
Hours
Mon-Sun: 08h30 to 20h00
Public Holidays: Closed

ATM: Accept Visa debit ONLY (no credit cards accepted)
NO cards will be accepted in banking hall – cash only.

Note: There are other commercial banks & bureau de changes located in Livingstone town at which foreign exchange transactions can be facilitated. These organisations have varying hours and conditions of operation, however as a general rule the hours are:

Mon to Fri: 08h30 to 14h30
Sat & Sun: Closed
Public Holidays: Closed

Please note the above information is based on our current understanding of these new regulations and that we have taken every care in ensuring the information above is accurate as possible. However the situation on the ground is very fluid and is subject to change without any notice, we will endeavour to keep you updated as circumstances change.

Should you have any queries on any of the above, please feel free to contact us.

Thank You

Wild Horizons Team
Bronwyn Bezuidenhout

New Zambian Aiport Tax - Suspended

by Wild Horizons
(4th October 2012)

Please be advised that the Aviation Infrastructure and Development Fee that was to be introduced in Zambia on Monday 1st of October has since been suspended until further notice.
This was communicated to operators verbally on the evening of 30 September 2012, however no explanation or written confirmation of this has been received from the National Airports Corporation Limited.
We have been monitoring the situation since 01 October 2012 and to our knowledge these taxes have not been collected from passengers on departure or arrival.
We continue to seek official clarification from the authorities and will keep you advised of any further developments.

Air Zimbabwe Flying Again

by Tony
(30th April 2013)

Air Zimbabwe has resumed it's domestic flights with four flights per week to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

So far so good and these flights do seem to be flying as scheduled. Long may it last.

Zambia - Entry Visa Payment Notice

by Tony
(3rd March 2014)

Zambia - Visa Payment Notice

The Zambian Ministry of Finance and National Planning has announced that, for ease of payments for visas, these payments may now be done via bankcards at the following Zambian airports:-

* Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka
* Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone
* Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola

The following bank cards will be accepted:-

* VISA
* MasterCard
* Maestro and
* American Express

The system is operational with immediate effect, but Airport Authorities have advised that, should there be any network issues that affect the systems, passengers will be permitted to go to the nearest ATM and draw the required cash in local currency. Please do not hesitate to contact us, should you require any further information in this regard.

Zimbabwe Child Visas

(4th June 2012)

Zimbabwean VISA Memo – Infant/Child VISAs

Please be advised that Zimbabwe will now be charging FULL VISA fees for any individual who is required to have a VISA despite their age. This includes infants and children who were previously being exempted from this. This has been imposed with immediate effect.

If you booked with 1 time airlines you need to book again

by Times Live
(5.11.12)

Consumers who paid cash for their 1Time air tickets may have to wait a little longer for a refund, the airline said on Monday.

"We are in a liquidation process, it may take a longer time for the liquidators to complete their work," said 1Time spokeswoman Refilwe Masemola.

"With most liquidations, most creditors get a portion of the rand back from the company."

She said people who had bought their tickets with cash would find it hard to get their money back.

"Any money that was paid in cash is considered belonging to the company. That is the money that was physically left with the company when it went into liquidation." However, the money paid through a credit card was with the bank could be recovered, she said.

"Since the company applied for business rescue we've always encouraged people to use credit cards," Masemola said. ABSA, Nedbank, First National Bank and Standard Bank had announced it would reimburse passengers who paid with their cards, The Star reported.

Scores of passengers were left stranded when the low-cost airline announced on Friday that it had applied for liquidation and stopped all operations.

It had about R320 million in short-term debt and had been in negotiations with creditors since March.

Meanwhile, the SA Broadcasting Corporation reported that the National Consumer Commission was considering probing if 1Time sold tickets just hours before it applied

NCC acting head Ebrahim Mohammed said it were looking into whether 1Time misled passengers.

"We are trying to get exactly what the situation is. We don't know what 1Time has to say with regards to reimbursing consumers, especially those who had already paid for their tickets in cash," he told SABC.

The Star reported that customers who paid cash for their 1Time air tickets might not get refunded. 1Time spokeswoman Refilwe Masemola said the airline's hands were tied as far as cash-paying customers were concerned.

Masemola posted a statement on Facebook advising passengers on how to tackle the chargebacks with various banks, the newspaper reported.

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Victoria Falls tram not operational

The Victoria Falls tram was involved in an unfortunate accident on July 1st 2014 and will not be opertating until it has been fully repaired and the incident investigated. If you were booked on this activity it will now be replaced in the meantime by the open Top Double decker Bus.

Hopefully clients will welcome this as added value since they will get an additional experience on doing the normal Bus Tour, then have their Bridge tour experience accordingly.

More info on the tram accident can be found by clicking here

Zambia added to list of countries requiring Yellow Fever vaccination

by Department of Health SA
(26th August 2011)

South Africans travelling to Zambia will now be required to have a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate following a global Yellow Fever risk assessment conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Zambia`s status has been classified as a low risk. However, as Yellow Fever is vaccine preventable, and travellers to and from countries with a low risk of transmission still risk contracting or importing Yellow Fever into South Africa, the Department of Health in South Africa has updated the Yellow Fever vaccination policy to include Zambia.

The new policy will be effective from 1 October 2011. From this date, a valid Yellow Fever certificate will be required for travellers over 1 year old:

travelling from Zambia, or
having been in transit through a Yellow Fever risk country including Zambia.

Yellow Fever is an infectious vector-borne disease that is caused by a virus. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito vector.

Department of Health SA

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No Tourist VAT for Zimbabwe

by VictoriaFalls24
(5th December 2014)

VAT will not be introduced on foreign tourists visiting Zimbabwe

It seems from recent reports received from operators and more importantly the fact that that this critical issue was left completely out of the Finance Minister’s budget announcement that the proposed imposition of VAT on foreign tourist invoices will not take place.

Zimbabwe is suffering the effects of EBOLA and its negative perception on the whole of Africa. Indeed many states in Africa, that are literally further from the countries that are suffering EBOLA outbreaks than some parts of Europe have seen a drop off in forward bookings for 2015.

This erroneous and negative perception has created a reduction in demand for tourism to parts of Africa and if something such as the mooted VAT in Zimbabwe had come into place in 2015 it could have pushed some of the tourism operations to the edge of viability.

It almost certainly would stop any growth that the country is expecting in tourism arrivals and may even result in a decline in both revenue and arrivals.

Zimbabwe has enjoyed strong growth in its Tourism Industry recently and this has begun to spread further afield than just Victoria Falls. Positive moves by the Government through investment and positive policies have assisted this growth and the private sector has begun to invest in large projects.

Article with thanks from http://victoriafalls24.com

Crazy Comair Deal - Flights to Victoria Falls and Livingstone

(Victoria Falls)

10 December 2014

Comair have slashed their prices so that travellers can now fly from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) or Livingstone (Zambia) for just ZAR110 or US$15. These prices do not include taxes of-course, but even after all the extras have been calculated, this is still a great deal!

The return base fares, i.e from Victoria Falls or Livingstone to Johannesburg start from USD75 plus taxes.

These fares are valid for sale and travel until 28 Feb 15.

You can get in touch with a Comair representative by calling the Victoria Falls Comair Office – Tel: +263-13-46141

Seats are limited so make the call today!

Pathfinder Bus service

by Tony
(Victoria Falls 2nd February 2014)

Since the reintroduction of Air Zimbabwe flights the Pathfinder bus company no longer operates a daily service between Harare and Victoria Falls. It now only offers this service 3 times per week

Harare to Bulawayo or visa versa - everyday
Harare to Victoria Falls on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
Victoria Falls to Harare on Monday, Friday and Sunday

For full details of schedule and prices please visit

Pathfinder Bus

Travel Bans Issued to Curb the Spread of Ebola

by Faniso Zimunya
(Victoria Falls)

The Ebola virus had made the headlines lately and many questions have been raised over how this affects travellers, especially from America, Europe and Asia. The virus has affected countries in Africa, more specifically – North Africa. Countries that have confirmed Ebola cases are Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In order to contain the virus and prevent it from spreading into their respective countries, governments such as Botswana and Zambia have issued travel bans on everyone who has travelled to or live in these countries within the last month of arriving to Botswana. It is important to remember that these measures are to prevent the disease from coming into the respective countries, and not to contain any infection on the ground.

Other countries that have issued travel restrictions due to the disease include South Africa, The Gambia, Senegal, Rwanda, Namibia, Mauritania, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Gabon, Cape Verde Islands and Cameroon. Avoid travelling to high risk areas if you have plans to travel to these countries.
Zimbabwe has not issued a travel ban, but is monitoring travellers from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria which have reported the most cases. At the border posts and airports, visitors entering from these Ebola zones will be interviewed and examined for possible symptoms and then referred to the hospital for further testing.

Some airlines have also stopped flights to affected areas, so if you made flight bookings before August 2014 which take you to or through these areas, please check with your travel agent and make necessary changes.

An up-to-date page with interactive map on the Ebola virus and travel information is available on the following link: http://www.tourismupdate.co.za/Ebola.aspx

New airport tax in Zambia.

(21st June 2013)

New airport tax in Zambia.
Please note that National Airports Corporation has now introduced an Infrastructure and Development charge which is effective immediately.
This tax is applicable for ALL passengers departing from Livingstone, Mfuwe, Lusaka or Ndola Airports on domestic or international flights. The new tax will be applied to ALL tickets for scheduled flights issued or amended after 15 June 2013. The new tax will also apply to all private charters and will be payable along with the departure taxes.
Anyone with a ticket issued BEFORE 15 June 2013 is exempt from paying the tax.
The Infrastructure & Development charge is ZMW 27 (approximately USD 5) for domestic travel and ZMW 54 (approximately USD 10) for international travel.
The tax will be applied for all passengers including infants.

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New Zambian Airport Tax - 1st October

by Wild Horizons
(Victoria Falls, September 24th, 2012)

Please be advised that further to previous correspondence we understand that a NEW airport tax (the Aviation Infrastructure and Development Fee) in Zambia will be enforced on the 1st of October. It will no longer be included on the ticket and will now be collected in Zambian Kwacha cash direct from the passenger. The amount payable is currently K28,000 for Domestic Flights and K56,000 for International Flights and is payable on departure from all Zambian airports.

Please can you advise all passengers of the need to have ZMK cash available for this tax, please note the below bank operating times in Livingstone:

BARCLAYS BANK – Airport
Hours
Mon-Fri: 08h30 to 14h30
Sat (only 1st and last Sat of each month): 08h15 to 14h30
Sun: Closed
Public Holidays: Closed

ATM: Accept Visa ONLY (MasterCard will be accepted inside the bank)
Other cards will be accepted in the near future however NOT at present.

BARCLAYS BANK – Sun International Resort
Hours
Mon-Fri: 08h30 to 16h00
Sat & Sun: 08h30 to 12h00
Public Holidays: Closed

ATM: Accept Visa ONLY (MasterCard will be accepted inside the bank)
Other cards will be accepted in the near future however NOT at present.

FINANCE BANK – Airport
Hours
Mon-Fri: 08h30 to 16h00
Sat & Sun: 08h30 to 14h00

ATM: Accept Visa debit ONLY (no credit cards accepted)
NO cards will be accepted in banking hall – cash only.
Public Holidays: Closed

FINANCE BANK – Mosi Oa Tunya Square (New Shoprite Complex)
Hours
Mon-Sun: 08h30 to 20h00
Public Holidays: Closed

ATM: Accept Visa debit ONLY (no credit cards accepted)
NO cards will be accepted in banking hall – cash only.

Please contact us should you have any queries.


Bronwyn Bezuidenhout

Wild Horizons

Ebola Update - October 2014

by Faniso Zimunya
(Victoria Falls)

17-10-2014

There has been increased concern over travelling to Victoria Falls and indeed most African countries due to the occurrence of the Ebola outbreak. It is important to arm yourself with the most up-to-date information about this disease and what is being done on the ground to contain it. In our last newsletter, we gave the example of Botswana issuing travel bans on visitors to the country who have been in the high risk countries of Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea and Sierra Leone. (You can find the information here - https://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/travel-bans-issued-to-curb-the-spread-of-ebola.html).

But that was then. Here is the latest information on which African countries are considered high risk countries, how far they actually are from Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls, and what regulations every African country and some airlines have enforced in order to contain this outbreak. You will find the facts on this interactive map which is updated daily. Follow the link - http://www.tourismupdate.co.za/Ebola.aspx

You can also ask Google Maps for directions from Victoria Falls to the high risk countries and actually see just how far these places are from Vic Falls. Simply go to maps.google.com and:
1. Click on the link for directions
2. Type in “Victoria Falls” in the first field
3. Type in “Liberia” (for example) in the second field and press Enter
The box will show you how many kilometres (and miles) there are from Victoria Falls to the country you type in. For example, it is 8,816 km and a 118 hours drive from Victoria Falls to Liberia.

If you have been making plans on travelling but are having second thoughts about going anywhere, perhaps this page can shed light on the situation. This page was published in September of 2014 and the information here is still very relevant. Copy and paste the link to your browser -
https://afktravel.com/62976/10-reasons-dont-need-worry-ebola-youre-going-africa/11/

But above all, perhaps the most important thing to know is exactly what Ebola is, how it is spread, and how to protect yourself and your loved ones. And which organisation is better equipped to inform the public than the World Health Organisation (WHO) - http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

There is a lot of information out there about the Ebola Virus, and you must be careful about where you get your information from. When in doubt, go to your local health care provider, local government and organisations such as the WHO or the UN.

Airport & Border Crossing Delays

by Wild Horizons
(15th August 2014)

Airport & Border Crossing Delays
We are experiencing long delays at both Victoria Falls Airport, on arrival, and at the Kazungula border post. The delays are brought about by the increase in the volume of traffic using these facilities in peak season. Guests on scheduled services, in particular, need to be advised that they may experience delays on arrival at Victoria Falls Airport. We have employed additional staff, who will be placed at the airport, and amended our MO in order to ensure these delays are minimized, however this will not reduce the time guests spend in immigration queues.

In addition to the delays experienced, summer has arrived in full force and daytime temperatures are reaching the high thirties. This is adding to the frustration of guests standing in long queues at border facilities.

We are confident that if guests are pre warned of the possible delays it will go some way to reducing their frustrations. Please do contact us, should you require any further information.

Kind Regards,

Botswana Health Ministry Issues Yellow Fever Vaccination Regulations

by Faniso Zimunya
(Victoria Falls)

Travellers to Botswana are now required to present an international certificate of vaccination for yellow fever if they have been to affected areas. This means that if you have been to any one of the countries specified below, you must be vaccinated and presents your certificate upon arriving to Botswana. The countries specified by the notice are as follows:

In Africa
Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo, Democratic Republic
Congo,
Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Republic of the Sao Tome Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia

In South America & Central America
Argentina – Misiones Province
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador excluding Galapagos Islands
French Guiana
Guyana
Panama
Paraguay
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela

Yellow Fever is a tropical disease which is caused by a virus that is carried by mosquitoes. It has the potential to be fatal, but can be prevented through vaccination. Once you are vaccinated, the protection lasts up to ten years. To get a Yellow Fever vaccination and certificate, contact your local health profession. It is important to note that a Yellow Fever certificate is valid 10 days after your vaccination. Therefore, you must get the vaccination at least 10 days before you plan to enter the country where the certificate of vaccination is required, or where the disease is prevalent. In addition, you may experience flu-like symptoms a few days after you receive the vaccine, so it is important not to plan anything strenuous right after you get your shot.

Uni-Visa Zimbabwe/Zambia

by Tony
(Victoria Falls 21.11.14)

Kaza Visa Launch
The new Zimbabwe / Zambia Kaza Uni-Visa to launch 28th November
The Governments of the Republics of Zambia and Zimbabwe are pleased to announce the launch of the Kavango Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA) UNIVISA on 28 November, 2014.

The KAZA UNIVISA is a common tourist visa for the SADC region which shall be piloted by Zambia and Zimbabwe for six (6) months. After the pilot period, the UNIVISA is intended to be rolled out to three (3) other countries in the KAZA region – namely Angola, Botswana and Namibia. More countries in the SADC region are expected to join in the UNIVISA initiative at the later phase.

During the launch on Friday the 28th of November the Zimbabwe / Zambia border crossing (between Vic Falls and Livingstone) shall be closed from 06h00 to14h30 (Please note that should your guests be affected by this closure, Wild Horizons will contact you directly). The UNIVISA will be effective once the border re-opens and will be administered at eight (8) ports of entry as follows:

The UNIVISA will be issued at a standard fee of US$50 – where credit card point of sale facilities are not available at port of entry it is recommended that clients have US$50 available for payment.

Validity – the KAZA UNIVISA will be valid for 30 days as long as you remain in Zimbabwe and Zambia and clients can cross into Zimbabwe/Zambia as frequently as they like within the 30 day period.
(If the UNIVISA is obtained at Victoria Falls and you cross over to Zimbabwe at Kariba or Chirundu or vice versa the visa shall be valid) It also covers those who visit Botswana for day trips through the Kazangula Borders – it will not be valid if staying in Botswana overnight, in this case you would need to purchase a new Visa. The UNIVISA cannot be extended however you can buy a new UNIVISA (up to 3 per year).

Eligble Countries:

Citizens from 40 countries listed below shall be eligible for the KAZA UNIVISA obtainable at the eight (8) ports of entry as stated above.

Argentina Japan
Austria Liechtenstein
Australia Luxembourg
Belgium Monaco
Brazil Netherlands
Britain (UK) New Zealand
Brunei Norway
Burundi Poland
Canada Portugal
Cook Islands Puerto Rico
Czech Republic Russia
Denmark Rwanda
Finland Slovakia Republic
France Slovenia Republic
Germany Spain
Greece Sweden
Hungary Switzerland
Iceland UAE
Israel Uruguay
Italy USA

Clients will be directed to the dedicated counter where the special visa shall be issued – the visa is for holiday purposes only and not for business purposes.

If someone wants to enter Zambia or Zimbabwe whose Nationality is not listed above then normal (current) specific Zambia /Zimbabwe visa / entry requirements apply.

All current visa processes for both countries are still available and in operation however generally the UNIVISA will be more cost effective & efficient for a tourists requirements.

Please note during this pilot phase clients entering from Namibia, Malawi and other Botswana borders will not be able to purchase the Univisa – the Univisa is ONLY available at the 8 ports of entry previously mentioned.

For further details please do not hesitate in contacting us, or please visit www.kazavisa.info, e-mail Zambia Tourism Board: info@zambiatourism.org.zm or Zimbabwe Tourism Authority info@ztazim.co.zw

Many thanks for paying attention to this important information

Departure Tax Update - 7th June 2012

by Beverley Osborne
(UK)

We departed Zimbabwe on the 7th June 2012 and discovered at the airport that ALL our taxes were included in the international schedule airfare we had paid, therefore no additional payments were required. This was a great bonus (saving us US$ 60 per person) - but clearly these things change frequently, so it's worth being prepared, just in case!

Yellow Fever Update – Good News for Travellers to Zambia

(Victoria Falls)

3 February 2015

Yellow fever vaccinations are no longer required for travel between Zambia and South Africa, the South African Department of Health has announced.

The requirement was lifted on Saturday January 31st 2015 with immediate effect. The decision was made at the World Health Assembly on Friday in Geneva.

The decision by SA’s health department comes after the World Health Organisation confirmed in December 2014 that Zambia had low yellow fever potential exposure status, which means travellers should not be required to carry a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

The requirement was bemoaned by the tourism industry, which suggested that it was putting travellers off the destination, especially because they could visit the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe without having a vaccination.
From SA Tourism Update

The lifting of the Yellow Fever requirement by South Africa is very much welcomed by travellers and tour companies alike. What this means is that visitors who wish to include Zambia in their travel itinerary can do so freely without the concern or hassle of having to obtain and carry a Yellow Fever certificate.

Botswana, however, have not released any information as to whether or not they will also lift their Yellow Fever requirement for visitors coming from Zambia. We will keep you posted on any new developments.

Online Visa Applications for Zimbabwe Visa

by Tony
(Victoria Falls 17.4.14)

Zimbabawe Immigration have recently launched a new website where Category C nationals (see if you are category c)can apply for their visa online.

See the new website here eVisa Zimbabwe

From the home page go to Login and create a new account. Once your account has been registered you can then submit a visa application. It all seems fairly easy to use, but at this stage I do not know how efficient the service is. Any feed back would be welcomed by those applying.

This is fantastic news and will boost tourism to Zimbabwe from countries that in the past seem to have been marginalised. The effort of getting a visa for them was just to great as many of the countries listed in Category C don't have a Zimbabwe embassy or consult in their country and therfore applying was almost impossible. I can't tell you how many potential travellers contact us trying to resolve this issue.

Zimbabwe Announces New Airport Departure Taxes

Effective February 1, the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe has implemented the Aviation Infrastructural Development Fund (AIDEF) as follows:

For domestic journeys passengers will be charged a US$10 (R75) departure tax, plus US$ 5 (R38) AIDEF.

For international journeys passengers will be charged a US$35 (R264) departure tax, plus US$15 (R113) AIDEF.

Rates are charged per person.

NEW SA REGULATIONS FOR TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN

by Tony
(11th June 2014)

The information detailed below is vitally important to you if you are entering or departing from South Africa and are accompanied by children. Please read carefully

South Africa's immigration laws have recently undergone an intense revision with newly appointed Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba saying the amendments are "in the best interest of South Africa's security and allows for efficient management of migration". The department also expressed concern about the growing issue of child trafficking and has announced new requirements for adults travelling with children.

What you need to know
- Parents travelling with children would now be requested to provide an unabridged birth certificate (including the details of the child's father as well as the mother) of all travelling children. This applies even when both parents are travelling with their children and it also applies to foreigners and South Africans alike.
- When children are travelling with guardians, these adults are required to produce affidavits from parents proving permission for the children to travel.
- It is important for parents to note that unabridged birth certificate applications can take anything for six to eight weeks to complete.
Following are the new South African immigration regulations concerning travelling with children:

Regulation 6: (12)
(a) Where parents are travelling with a child, such parents must produce an unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child.
(b) In the case of one parent travelling with a child, he or she must produce an unabridged birth certificate and-
(i) consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent registered as a parent on the birth certificate of the child authorising him or her to enter into or depart from the Republic with the child he or she is travelling with;
(ii) a court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child, if he or she is the parent or legal guardian of the child; or
(iii) where applicable, a death certificate of the other parent registered as a parent of the child on the birth certificate; Provided that the Director-General may, where the parents of the child are both deceased and the child is travelling with a relative or another person related to him or her or his or her parents, approve such a person to enter into or depart from the Republic with such a child.
(c) Where a person is travelling with a child who is not his or her biological child, he or she must produce-
(i) a copy of the unabridged birth certificate of the child;
(ii) an affidavit from the parents or legal guardian of the child confirming that he or she has permission to travel with the child;
(iii) copies of the identity documents or passports of the parents or legal guardian of the child; and
(iv) the contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child, Provided that the Director-General may, where the parents of the child are both deceased and the child is travelling with a relative or another person related to him or her or his or her parents, approve such a person to enter into or depart from the Republic with such a child.
(d) Any unaccompanied minor shall produce to the immigration officer-
(i) proof of consent from one of or both his or her parents or legal guardian, as the case may be, in the form of a letter or affidavit for the child to travel into or depart from the Republic: Provided that in the case where one parent provides proof of consent, that parent must also provide a copy of a court order issued to him or her in terms of which he or she has been granted full parental responsibilities and
rights in respect of the child;
(ii) a letter from the person who is to receive the child in the Republic, containing his or her residential address and contact details in the Republic where the child will be residing;
(iii) a copy of the identity document or valid passport and visa or permanent residence permit of the person who is to receive the child in the Republic; and (iv) the contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child.

Important KAZA UniVisa Update

(Victoria Falls)

3 December 2015

We have had conflicting information as to why and what is going to happen with the KAZA UniVisa, but the bottom line is that tourists will not be able to get a Univisa in Zambia at this time. It is still available in Zimbabwe, but seeing as how there is a limited supply, these will most likely run out in the near future.

An official at the Victoria Falls Border Post said that the four ports of entry in Zambia (Lusaka and Livingstone Airports, and the Livingstone and Kazungula Border posts) that were issuing the UniVisa, have stopped while the project goes under review. However, Zimbabwe is still issuing and using them at Victoria Falls Airport, Kazungula Border (with Botswana), Harare International Airport, and the Victoria Falls Bridge (Zimbabwe side).

Although the UniVisa will not be available in Zambia, travellers can still use it for entry and overnighting in Zambia. In Botswana, it is still only be used for day trips.

The KazaVisa is a tourist visa which allowed visitors from 40 countries to Zimbabwe to travel between Zimbabwe and Zambia using the same document. It was launched in November 2014 on the Victoria Falls Bridge, and was received with much enthusiasm. It was launched as a 6 month pilot program, with the goal of extending its use into Namibia, Botswana and Angola. The visa was issued at eight ports of entry in both Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Since the launch of the pilot program, travel agents and operators have recommended the UniVisa to clients particularly when in instances where they wanted to enjoy activities in both Zambia and Zimbabwe. The common visa has eased tourist travel between the two countries in the last 12 months. For example, a client could get a Kaza-Visa upon entry at Harare International Airport (Zimbabwe), and then travel to Victoria Falls, where they could spent a few nights while enjoying numerous activities on both sides of the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, as well as a day trip to Botswana’s Chobe National Park, all while using the one visa.

Not only has it been helpful in reducing the processes of getting a normal visa in two countries, but the UniVisa made visa costs more bearable. The UniVisa is US$50 and valid for 30 days, while the double entry visa in Zimbabwe can be up to US$70 and one in Zambia is up to US$80.

Visitors to both Zimbabwe and Zambia can still get the standard visas such as the single, double and multiple entry visas, and Zambia’s Day-Tripper visa. Click on the links below for more information about Zimbabwe and Zambia visas:

Zimbabwe Visa

Zambia Visa