COVID-19 Travel Protocol

Maggie’s Tour Company and COVID-19

PLEASE READ FIRST – Updated Travel Advisory 2022 from the United Republic of Tanzania

We are living in a time of unprecedented circumstances on our planet right now.  Dealing with the pandemic COVID-19 is something we take seriously.  Your health and well being are as important to us as they are for our own families.  Your dreams of travel and adventure in Tanzania can come true with these safety precautions we will be taking when you travel with us. Our procedures are based on the most current information distributed by the CDC and our own National Standard Operating Procedures from the Tanzanian government.  The CDC link and government link are provided for you to review.  Please read it as it has important information about your arrival at the airport and having a COVID-19 negative certificate prior to arrival.

Also, you can see that I have been through both a course on Standards of Tour Guiding by Tanzania Tour Guides Association and Emergency First Aid and SOP’S of COVID-19.  This is an organization of Tour Operators seeking to educate Tour Guides on best practices. (See certificates posted below.) I recognize that information about COVID-19 is changing as medical practitioners and scientists learn more about the disease.  I will keep up to date on information as it is available and adjust protocol as needed.

Maggie’s Tour Company Protocol for COVID-19 is as follows:

• All Maggie’s Tour Company staff have been vaccinated
• Our Tour guides will isolate themselves in the bush for 2 weeks prior to your arrival
• We will not go to big cities unless we are in the truck traveling through
• If a woman’s cultural activity is part of your safari, we will be outside, wearing masks and it will be a short time
• We will have hand sanitizer in the safari vehicle
• We will stand 6 feet apart
• We will wear masks including when we travel in the vehicle
• We will have hot water and soap for washing hands
• We will wash all dishes in hot soapy water
• There will be no hugs or hand shaking
• We will have plenty of fresh water for drinking

I cannot stress enough how important your safety is when traveling with us.  Should we encounter a problem, the following hospitals have been designated COVID-19 care units. In the Arusha region we would take you to Mount Meru Hospital.  Tarangire National Park, Manyara National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation area will be Fame Hospital.  Serengeti National Park will have areas with ambulances for COVID-19 cases.  There is also the ability to fly doctors into this area and nurses set up in tents to care for individuals.  The costs involved will be the client’s responsibility.

Maggie’s Tour Company day-to-day protocols also include:

Before the virus arrived, these additional safety protocols were in place along with most of the above.

• To be environmentally sensitive, clients are asked to bring their own water bottles which is a line item on the Packing List we send out before your safari.
• We suggest clients bring their own hand sanitizer or wipes as well. These can be nice on hot, dusty days and you want to refresh yourself.
• We carry first aid kits at all times.
• Our guides’ expertise is to know and understand animal behavior. Based on their evaluation of animal behavior, we may stop for observation or we may move on quickly when seeing wildlife. It rarely happens that we don’t stop for observation but it is how we keep you physically safe as well.  Please respect the guide’s decision.
• We ask clients to not walk away from the guide or the group without informing the guide as to where they are going. This is an important safety guideline.
• Should a major health event occur, other than COVID-19, there are both government and private hospitals where we can take clients. The exact hospital will depend on where clients get sick since most safari’s involve traveling to many locations.  If you want a list of specific hospitals according to your individualized safari, we can provide that before you come.  Please just ask.

Should you decide to travel to Tanzania during this time, rest assured we will do all we can to keep you safe. We care about you!

Maggie Duncan Simbeye
Tour Operator