As you are all aware the travel industry has been hit hard by current pandemic. Rebuilding air networks and restarting camps, lodges and hotels is going to be a slow process as we all learn how to live with coronavirus.

For us, while it is not exactly business as usual, we are still operating and already assisting some clients with plans for 2021 (Australians do not expect that we will be permitted to travel to most destinations until next year).

Our expectations are that while many locations will start to open during late 2020, most will not be accessible until next year.  We certainly don't see safaris really starting until the middle of the year, though we do expect demand to be very high as globally people start to catch up with their lost love of travel.

When you start planning your next safari start talking to us, and remember that through our sister agency  "Journeys Unlimited" we can assist you to any destination.

Madagascar joins the many African nations who now provide on-line Visa application services. (Like all of the other countries providing this service there is the official website and then numerous "dubious" ones who will assist you for exorbitant fees. We only publish the official ones on this site.) - see also our sister operation : https://www.madagascar-travel-centre.com.au/visa-information.html
You can apply for a Madagascar Visa online at the official Government "Website"
evisamada.gov.mg/en/

Other visa application sites include:
(note that in many cases you can get your Visa on arrival, but generally having gained it online will expedite your flow through immigration - always check that your nationality is eligible)

Kenya:  http://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html
Tanzania:  https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/
Ethiopia:   https://www.evisa.gov.et/#/home
Rwanda:
https://irembo.gov.rw/rolportal/en/web/dgie/single-entry-visa?menu-highlight=CAT#VSA.SENV

ALSO for INDIA
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

It has been some months since we added to our blog.....  and much has been happening. A group tour to Madagascar went well and many individual travellers have enjoyed their safaris over the past 4 months.

2020 is shaping up to be a big year. Our October group tour is now for Ethiopia exclusively and is already fully booked. It is very exciting to see our work at promoting this great destination is starting to create some interest. Our next Ethiopia group is for February 2021. We have now started taking bookings, so if you are interested please email us for a full itinerary. As always, the number of participants is strictly limited so after the way this year's group filled so quickly, we recommend you act soon if you have an interest in next years' group.

Our August (2020) safari to East Africa has just a few places left. Again interest in this tour has been great and it is almost full....  We have conducted this safari many times and know that clients always come away delighted with their experiences.

We are also seeing good bookings for Gorilla visits for 2020. Remember that the number of permits each day to visit Gorillas is quite limited, so early booking is needed to ensure you won't be disappointed.

The year has also started with great airline specials - with some of the lowest prices we have seen from great names like Emirates, Qantas and Qatar (and more).

Whether it is a group, or you just want to travel by yourselves, we do it all.

Over the past few weeks our Botswana Group was blessed with some of the best wildlife sightings (and photo-ops) we have seen on any tour. Three locations - Chobe/Khwai/Nth Tuli - all delivered beyond expectations. All of the usual culprits were seen and digitally captured, but the stand-outs were : 2 different cheetahs in the same area with both having 4 cubs each in tow !!!  / 2 unrelated packs of wild dogs, one with many pups / elephant shrews with attitude / and the list goes on.......  We are looking forward to August next year when we take our East Africa Safari group to the migration and beyond ...... !!

Over the past few months our staff have been travelling to Madagascar, Ethiopia and Namibia in order to finalise a range of exciting new groups and varied private itineraries for our clients.

We are operating 3 groups in 2020.

* Ethiopia in February

* East Africa , including the "Migration" in August

* A combination of Ethiopia and Madagascar in October

See our "Group Tours" page and email us for the full itineraries.

Time to start hopping ..... we are now taking bookings for our "Journeys Ethiopia" small group tour departing on the 10th February 2020 and also for our "Two Amazing Worlds" tour of Madagascar/Ethiopia which departs on the 17th October 2020.

Email us for the itineraries on both of these : journeys@wildlife-safari-consultants.com

Shortly, further details of our India Wildlife (April) and East Africa (August) tours will be available.

(Ethiopian Wolf photo courtesy of our Ethiopian Partners)

We are pleased to announce that we are operating two group tours to Ethiopia in 2020. The first one is totally Ethiopia, and departs on the 10th February 2020. (Contact us for details)

In October 2020 we will operate a combination tour of Ethiopia with Madagascar, two amazing destinations rolled into one experience........ 

With “Ethiopia’s travel and tourism boom was one of the great success stories of 2018. It has exceeded our sector’s global and regional comparisons to record the highest level of growth of any country in 2018.”  ( World Travel & Tourism Council)  ...... join us soon, before the rest of the world wants to ! !

Next year will be a special year as we launch group tours to Ethiopia. This destination has been on our radar for a long time, and with the new Prime Minister (Abiy Ahmed) driving change and  rejuvenation of the nation, the time is right to offer this exciting destination to our clients in 2020. ( We are currently working closely with our Ethiopian ground operator to finalise these tours)

We will offer an Ethiopia Culture & History tour in the early part (February) of 2020, plus a combined highlights of Ethiopia joined with the highlights of Madagascar towards the end of the year (Oct/Nov) Both tours are targeted at times when the weather is favourable (n all locations) and the tourist numbers not overwhelming.

In addition Dennis will be revisiting India after a few years absence and focusing on the outstanding wildlife found there. The last of these tours was booked out, so if it appeals let us know soon. This tour will be late March/early April.

As always we will be undertaking a group tour to Africa in July-August. This is to coincide with the annual Migration. More details to come.

Should you have any interest in any of our tours please email us soon and register - this will ensure that you receive full details and be able to take advantage of any early-bird discounts that we offer.

Email to ::  2020groups@wildlife-safari-consultants.com

We have a few spaces left on our 2019 Botswana photographers group tour, so act soon if you wish to join this very special photo safari.

A few more chapters of our daily journey through Madagascar have been added to our other website - follow the journey at  www.madagascar-travel-centre.com.au/lemur-tales

On our Madagascar Travel Centre website, a new series of posts has commenced.  Designed to take you day-by-day on a journey across Madagascar, following the route that our group tours take.
https://www.madagascar-travel-centre.com.au/lemur-tales

Due to the very high demand for accommodation in Botswana in 2019 we will have to finalise bookings for our group tour before the end of this year !!!  Yes, that is how popular Botswana is, so if you are thinking about safaris to Botswana, and if you love photography, join our August 2019 group as soon as possible.  https://www.wildlife-safari-consultants.net/group-tours-2019-botswana.html

2018 ...... the year that so many wildebeest decided that the grass was greener on their side. The heavy rainfalls across Kenya and Tanzania earlier this year resulted in so much food and moisture being available in Tanzania that the expected million wildebeest didn't arrive in the Masai Mara during the peak migration time. Disappointing ??  Not really, for those of us who were fortunate enough to be in the Mara this year, the predator activity was outstanding - maybe because they had less to choose from ?  Overall indications are that 80% of the migrating herds stayed well within the Serengeti. An unusual year, but the region is so well endowed with non-migratory wildlife that outstanding experiences were still had.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is taking Trivago to the Federal Court, alleging the hotel booking comparison site made misleading hotel price representations in TV and online advertisements. "Increasingly, people are putting their faith in comparison websites, and we have increasing concerns that those websites aren't working in the interest of consumers,"

It's something that concerns us for not only our safari business, but for our general travel through "Journeys Unlimited". Some very wise comments from the ACCC - read the news reports at these locations: 

https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/trivago-misled-consumers-on-hotel-pricing-accc-alleges-20180823-p4zz9x.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-23/accc-sues-trivago-for-misleading-advertising/10156152

Over three weeks in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia rewarded this group with sightings that were very special - marauding Black-Maned Lions, 4 cheetah hunting together, crocodiles fighting one another over an impala kill, newborn antelopes everywhere ....... we could go one and on, but the only way to experience the excitement that accompanies a sighting is to be there yourself. Join us in 2019 on one of our three expeditions.

Sometimes we come across amazing stories from the African bush. In this instance an old guiding friend of mine, Chad Cocking, tells a tale of his encounter with the widely feared Black Mamba. It is wonderful for him to share that experience, but the video made of the capture of the Mamba is a great education into snakes and we would really recommend that you not only read Chad's story, but watch the video too. Chad guides at Tanda Tula Lodge, which is a fantastic place to visit and proudly owned and operated by Don and Nina Scott. For photographers we highly recommend Tanda Tula, where Chad can add his vast photographic experience to a great safari. Phone or email us to start your Tanda Tula experience.

Read and Watch::  http://www.tandatula.com/blog/posts/video-there-is-a-mamba-under-my-bed

We're back from a scouting trip in Africa and there are lots of new ideas and places to visit.

Details of our group tours for 2019 will be released over the coming weeks. Expect groups to:
* Namibia in July
* Botswana in August
* Madagascar in September

Also in 2019 we will be offering Ethiopia as a new destination, and very special packages which bring together Ethiopia + Madagascar as a unique combination.

The image below courtesy of our new Ethiopian partners....

In a few days time we will be attending "Indaba", Africa's largest travel industry expo. This allows us to be well informed on new tours, operators, lodges, hotels and air routes. Most countries also deploy their tourism management to provide updates on what is happening across their nation. Indaba ensures that we have the latest offerings and deals to present to you. We have forged close relationships with owners and management of these companies over the past 25 years and renewing those acquaintances is essential when seeking the best for our clients.

After Indaba we will once again be visiting Madagascar, to scout out new destinations and options for our growing operations there. One of the areas will be the (seen above) "Marojejy National Park" - a great wilderness area in the north of the country where hiking is a special feature. See our website at Madagascar Travel Centre.

A big congratulations to SA Airlink !!!!  Today their brand new Embraer 190 (ZS-YAD) lands in Madagascar for the first time. This is the fourth 190 in their fleet and the upgrade of aircraft has made the Johannesburg-Antananarivo service faster and smoother flying.    Well done Airlink !!

2018 has become a crazy year for visiting Africa. Securing bookings for this year became difficult back in the last quarter of 2017 and has been trickier ever since. A surge in the number of tourists from USA and East Asia has been one of the prime factors behind this demand pressure. In most instances we are still able to find accommodation and safaris for this year's season, but it is limited.

We still have one single room and one double room available in our Africa group tour departing in July. We will be closing bookings for this tour on April 30th.

Our Madagascar group has a closing date of May 31st.

The India "Visa on Arrival" system is working well, but the Government of India has recently distributed the following information which is important to know:

"Government of India does not appoint any authorized agents to apply for e-Visa on behalf of any applicant. Do not fall prey to such fake e-Visa portals claiming to provide Express e-Visa services by charging a hefty amount for same. The official website of Government of India for e-Visa and related visa services is www.indianvisaonline.gov.in " (Niraj Sharan, Asst Director General , Ministry of Tourism, Delhi)

Should you do a Google search for e-Visa online you will find many of these unauthorized portals - please beware.

Further it needs to be understood that many tourists assume that Indian Visa is arranged on arrival in India and make arrangements to travel. They then turn up at the airport where they will be denied boarding until they secure a visa BEFORE they travel.

You are advised to visit this site and apply for e-Visa and print the confirmation which normally comes with in 48/78hrs and bring this along to board the flight. A valid Passport for more than 6 months, air ticket and e-Visa confirmation is must to board a flight to India.