The outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa has caused a lot of fear and concern with travellers planning trips to Southern and East Africa.
The tourism industry, media partners and travel organizations have put out a lot of information to help visitors make informed decisions and also to alleviate some of the fear.
For example, if you take South Africa or East Africa and its proximity to the West African countries that are currently in the midst of this crisis, you will see that the these countries are thousands of miles away. Europe is much closer.
The actual distance in KM
| 3600 km | Madrid, Spain |
| 4936 km | London, UK |
| 4724 km | Paris, France |
| 3026 km | Recife, Brazil |
| 5797 km | Cape Town, South Africa |
| 5694 km | Arusha, Tanzania |
| 5114 km | Maun, Botswana |
| 5656 km | Nairobi, Kenya |
Here are a few facts that one should be aware of:
1. Most African countries, of which East Africa and South Africa are a small part and are the main destinations for safaris, have restricted entry to travelers that visited the affected West African countries.
2. No cases of Ebola have been recorded in these parts of Africa, which comprise South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
3. Safaris are usually in the wilderness and the focus is on wildlife and nature. Your tour operators are keeping up with the news and will ensure a high standard of service when it comes to your safety during your travels
So don’t let undue fear keep you away from enjoying a most memorable trip to some of the most famous parks on this vast continent of Africa.
Our hearts go out to our friends on the other side of Africa and we wish them all a fast recovery from this outbreak.
Photo courtesy: www.who.int
