Informal Survey - What Major Issue(s) Is Keeping You From Safaris This Year

[M McDindi]

Just general curiosity question mostly.

Lots of guys on here who go fairly often. Some multiple trips, some annual and some every couple of years and a few who peruse the site in anticipation and information to make their first adventure. So.....

We all know how screwed up EVERYTHING was in 2020 as a result of the Rona. It's effected and affected everything and everyone. Now, as gene therapies and traditional vaccinations are coming on-line and more people are generating natural immunities from having it and recovering, just a general discussion of the main things keeping you from booking for this year - 2021. Here are the main things I'm seeing reading around the web.

1. Obviously, the travel complications. Airlines bankrupt/closed. Significant routing changes. Mandatory Rapid Rona (my term) testing before and after travel etc. Having to wear a face diaper the entire time...unless you're on 1st Class with Emirates. All major PIA's.

2. Possible, if even remotely, Rona associated health/medical issues IF contracted overseas.

3. Personal Financial hits due to lock downs, business or lost jobs. Lots of pain here all the way around, no question.

4. For US, hunters, is it the uncertainty of what changes the current administration may do regarding importation of certain CITES appendix II animals.

Those are the main ones that come to mind for me, though "damn the torpedo's, full speed ahead" for me as well. Travel changes for me, just means I get to try out a new airline and route I haven't flown before. I've got Rx for hydroxychloroquine, and doxycycline and some ivermectin, zinc, D3 and B12. I'll wear the damn face diaper and just pretend I'm sitting in a blind with camo face cover. Financially, I'm OK, I live pretty simply and when I go, I'm only interested in common PG and happy to just be out in the bush regardless and happy just taking culls...an LOTS of them. Since I'm not after any CITES II game and only do culls, no more worries about USFW.

Just interested in other's perspective is all.

 

[YancyW]

I am full steam ahead. I would have gone last year, if not for the flight issues.

 

[wesheltonj]

Will take 3 days and too many stopovers to get to Zambia.

 

[cpr0312]

Im going twice this year! I would have gone last year if the planes were flying the routes in May and August!

 

[Hutch01]

I’m shooting for leopard in late Aug this year.

 

[VAHunter]

Leaving in 16 days! Hoping no unforeseen hurdles appear between now and then.

 

[BnC 04]

Main hurdle in our case is employer restrictions on overseas leisure travel.

 

[Labman]

For me it's two issues that are stopping me from going in 2021.

1. No direct flights from the east coast of the US to Africa. I'd have to fly through the sandbox with either Emirates or Qatar airlines. Both result in almost double the flying time then I incurred when flying from New York to Joberg. Similar extended travel times if flying through Europe. Also have a long layover between flights. Total traveling time has gone from approx. 16 hours to 30 or more. I would really like to avoid traveling through Joberg when hunting in another country but that is almost impossible now. My pockets aren't deep enough to spring for business class and 30 hours in coach is just more than I care to endure.

2. I'm getting my second Covid shot in a few days. Even with the vaccine one is still required to get the Covid test in both directions before being allowed to fly. What would happen if you got a false positive ( I know two people who have experienced this in the US) result or you do wind up with Covid in Africa. I sure wouldn't want to be stuck in Africa for a 14 day quarantine. Where would you stay? Would you outfitter put you up in their facilities? Stuck in a hotel?

 

[Surgeon1]

Leaving June 3rd, hope to go second time in September!

 

[VertigoBE]

Leaving in 2.5 months if all goes well. Fingers crossed travel will not continue to be restricted.

 

[Quest#1]

Wheels up in 30 days!

 

[Dudders]

As it stands here in the Uk at present

We are still in national lockdown so no domestic travel
We are banned from international travel except for limited reasons work etc
we have 2 weeks quarantine cost £1750 at hotel from any red listed country. so most of Southern africa and south america etc
Apart from these lack of available routes and flights at present and some of the costs of those are huge
most insurance providers will not issue cover for travel at present.
upside over 50% of the uk population has had there first vacination.
I am looking for possibly october but will not commit to anything until we have a bit more clarity.

 

[375Fox]

My biggest concern is the covid testing timeline and getting guaranteed results within that timeframe in the region I live, but I will make a plan around it! Definitely going in September, possibly a short notice trip earlier depending on work and ticket prices too.

 

[375Fox]

Will take 3 days and too many stopovers to get to Zambia.

When is last you checked?

 

[wesheltonj]

When is last you checked?

Today for August. LUN-HRE-ADD-IST-IAH or IAH-IST-ADD-HRE-LUN. It's one of those routes (sometimes it's Rwanda instead of Zimbabwe) either going or coming back. Nothing easy. There is a $6,600 Emirates flight with no carry-on. Want a carry-on, it's 28K.

 

[Opposite Pole]

€€€€$$$$

 

[ve7poi]

With everything else travel not bad tests etc but this requirement by Canadian govt to quarantine in a hotel of there choice and retest paying there inflated cost is of +$2000.00 per person for three days is absolutely and utterly ridiculous when trucker airline healthcare workers in the millions travel in and out daily are exempt.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I am full steam ahead. Leaving May 28 return June 27, 25 hunting days in SA. Only thing that worries me is a false positive test before departure. I have taken first dose of Pfizer second one in 2 weeks. Going the Qatar route, Houston Doha Johannesburg .

 

[Red Leg]

Pretty simple - Russia and a May Kamchatka bear are postponed yet another year because Russia is still closed to "tourist" travel.

I am more confident by the day that my trip to Zambia will go as planned in August. All the airlines seem to be moving toward proof of vaccination to fly and summer routes are being added almost daily worldwide. Qantas made an announcement to that effect today. (That is about the only way Australia and New Zealand can hope to get out of the corner they have painted themselves into - great job preventing the virus, but how do they reopen their borders with no herd immunity).

We are supposed to hunt and play tourist in Austria and Hungary in October. That remains the big question mark as the Eurozone remains in pretty strict lockdown.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I can't figure the vaccination proof meaning anything to anyone but the recipient. A person can still carry the virus and spread it to others,