All too soon it was time to head back to South Africa. Since we didn’t have a rental car, I booked a private transfer back to Kasane airport (Botswana) through Wild Horizons. If I had to do it over, I might have flown out of one of the airports closer to Victoria Falls. We’d had a relatively easy time during the trip but Coronavirus (COVID-19) was starting to making itself known in this area of the world.
Transfer from A’Zambezi Lodge to Kasane airport
2020 Price: $134 for 2 people
Zimbabwe
We traveled on March 12, 2020. Just the night before, I received two health alert emails from the U.S. State Department – one for Zimbabwe and one for Botswana. Each country was beginning to implement enhanced screening and quarantine measures. Travelers were cautioned to prepare for “travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice.” I was concerned we might have issues traveling through 3 countries’ borders.
These alerts and others are from the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Every time I travel outside the U.S. I enter my trip. That way the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate knows where I am and I am alerted in an emergency like a natural disaster, civil unrest, or pandemic.
Our driver picked us up at 9 AM and we piled into the van. There was a police checkpoint right outside the town of Victoria Falls but we were waived through.
On the way, we drove through Zambezi National Park. It was lovely to see giraffe and kudu along the road!
Pulling up behind the immigration office in Zimbabwe, we were stamped out of the country. Then we had to wait for our new driver to arrive; he would take us the rest of the way through Botswana. Our first driver was kind enough to wait with us.
Botswana
When the second driver appeared, we grabbed our bags and walked across the border to our new vehicle. After driving two minutes down the road, we had our temperature checked and filled in a travel form with the Botswana Ministry of Health. They gave us a little slip of paper to show we’d passed and we piled back into the shuttle.
Then we drove for a minute before getting out again to be stamped into Botswana.
Another minute in the vehicle, before our last health stop. It was a checkpoint for foot-and-mouth disease. These are located throughout Botswana. We had to step out of the shuttle and walk across specially-medicated mats to clean our shoes. Car tires also have to drive over areas in the road covered in disinfectant.
Many countries do not allow you to photograph or video government buildings or border crossings. Always adhere to the rules and regulations of the country you are visiting.
Kasane
The rest of the drive to the airport was quick and easy. Because Kasane is a smaller airport, check-in for our flight wasn’t available yet. We were early and had to wait an hour for someone to open the check-in counter. There was another travel form to fill in for South African immigration.
Roundtrip Flight from Johannesburg to Kasane
2020 Price: R6,982 ($478) per person
Keep your accommodation address, dates of stay, passport number, and flight information handy for the forms. It also helps to have a pen rather than waiting for one.
The plane was nearly empty. Flight attendants sprayed disinfectant in the air and made sure to social distance people where they could. A short flight later, we touched down in Johannesburg.
To hear more about our transfer into Zimbabwe from Botswana, check out my Crossing into Zimbabwe blog.
South Africa
The Joburg airport required a thermal temperature scan prior to lining up for passport control.
We ate a late lunch a Piece-A-Pizza in the airport. The Pasta Funghi was scrumptious!
Then we picked up our rental car from Avis. Avis is a popular rental company in South Africa so the line was longer than our first rental company. Once we got to the counter, it was a quick process as I had pre-booked and paid for the SUV and all their forms are electronic.
Avis Rental Car
2020 Price: R5,104 ($320) for 4 days
From there, we headed to our Airbnb in Centurion for the night.
Airbnb
2020 Price: $60 for a 1-night stay
Thoughts on Travel During COVID-19
All in all, it was an easy day of travel. The extra precautions only added a few minutes to the journey. There were still minimal COVID-19 cases in all three countries at that point so it was nice to see they were taking things seriously.
In the days that followed, the global pandemic skyrocketed. International travel restrictions popped up all over the world. This is only a glimpse of my journey during that time.
As borders reopen to international visitors, travelers should research specific rules and restrictions of their desired locales. Many countries are requiring negative COVID-19 tests, quarantine periods, or even deposits to cover testing and lodging if you or a fellow passenger tests positive for COVID-19.
So much useful information!
We’ve enjoyed all your blogs and it is nice to see your informational blogs as well. We don’t remember coming across one that was so easy to read while taking you through the steps.
We believe many will appreciate the tips and details of what to expect if something, like a pandemic, came about during travel. Great Job!
Thank you so much! I’m happy you find it useful and easy to navigate!
I too am enjoying the blogs. Dreaming of a trip as exciting as the adventure in S. Africa. Keep up all your useful information, I’m making copies.
Thanks Liz! I’m so happy you are enjoying them! Be on the lookout for more tips and how-to blogs 🙂