During any normal year, I take multiple international trips. 2020/2021 has been anything but normal. I just returned from a three-week safari in Kenya and wanted to share my experiences to help anyone looking to travel internationally during the ongoing pandemic. 

Why Travel

For me, the question of why I travel is existential, but this article is not intended to cover that. The abridged version is that travel is vital to the growth of knowledge and the soul. The most valuable thing I own is my passport. 

During the onset of the pandemic, we had three planned trips canceled. I had resourced a trip to Italy, one to Ireland, and a dive trip to the Caribbean. As the pandemic raged, each trip was canceled, and the resources we had set aside were refunded. 

As vaccines rolled out in the United States and more information regarding their efficacy became available, I decided that if my wife and I were vaccinated, we would be comfortable traveling to a destination where we could socially distance ourselves. I was fortunate to receive the vaccine in late March 2021, and planning began in earnest. 

Why Kenya

I would love to say that my desire to travel to Africa was rooted in some childhood dream that took flight after reading Hemingway’s Green Hills of Africa, but that would be a lie. The sad truth is, after learning about the death of the last male Northern White Rhino, I felt compelled to photograph rhinos and elephants before humans killed them all. 

So, with an entire continent of countries, why Kenya? Well, again, I wish the truth were exotic, but it boiled down to the fact that I was sitting on one million Delta Air Lines miles, and I found an amazing deal to fly a round trip from Seattle to Kenya. It was the first place we looked. 

Travel Restrictions

With our destination in mind and planning underway, one of the toughest logistical challenges was navigating the fluctuating COVID restrictions on travel. Because no direct flight exists between Seattle and Nairobi, we had to monitor restrictions on international travel to and from the United States, The Netherlands, and Kenya. 

The United States

While I would not have minded getting stuck abroad, I don’t think my wife would have, so the first order of business was to determine travel restrictions for returning to the United States from abroad. The United States Department of State has set up resources for travelers. Their COVID-19 Traveler information page provided updated information on requirements to return to the United States. At the time of our planning, the requirement for us was a Negative COVID-19 test three days before departure.  

The key term in the above is “before departure,” as this would be something we would have to balance. 

The Netherlands

Our planned route to Kenya would see us change planes in Amsterdam, where we would trade our Delta flight for a KLM flight. COVID requirements in the Netherlands during our trip were different for transferring flights. The requirement was a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival in Amsterdam and a negative antigen test within 24 hours. An additional option would be a negative PCR test within 24 hours of arrival in Amsterdam. 

While we were provided regular updates on the requirements from KLM and Delta, we also monitored the requirements posted by the government of the Netherlands. We did both because we had noticed that there was often a discrepancy, and we wanted to ensure that we were following the most restrictive rules. 

Kenya 

At the onset of planning, a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 96 hours of departure and completing a Health Surveillance Form were the only requirements for entry into Kenya. We monitored these requirements through the United States Department of State embassy in Kenya’s website. 

Trouble in Paradise

With our trip planned for late May, we closely monitored international COVID-19 case numbers and any news coming out of Kenya. Six weeks before we arrived in Kenya, the president imposed a lockdown of five counties to curtail a spike in the virus. We waited on pins and needles for five weeks, and it wasn’t until the Saturday before our departure that restrictions were lifted. 

Travel Experience

Airline Precautions

Delta

Having held Diamond Medallion status for many years, I have seen Delta's highest level of service. This trip was no exception. 

In the Seattle Sky Club, food and beverages were served as usual. The attendants and employees were all wearing masks and ensuring guests knew they were to wear a mask unless they were eating.

Before allowing us to check our bags, the agents checked for our required documents. This included our negative COVID-19 PCR test and our required health screening forms for Kenya. They also checked that we had our eVisa documentation in line.

Upon boarding the flight, we were given sanitizing wipes to clean our seat area. We were provided hand sanitizer in our seatback kit. The flight attendants wore face coverings for the entire flight. Except for a few minor changes, it felt like a normal flight.

KLM

Upon arrival in Amsterdam, our COVID-19 PCR test results were checked again. Since we were only transferring in Amsterdam, we headed for the KLM Crown Lounge to get a shower and relax for a few hours before our next flight. While some food and beverage was served, the blue restaurant was closed. 

When we reached the gate to board our flight to Nairobi, our COVID-19 PCR tests were again checked before we were allowed to board. In the gate area, plexiglass was erected to separate the staff and passengers, but it was all around a non-event. 

It was not until we boarded the flight that we noticed that this flight was different. Not only were the flight attendants wearing face coverings, but they also were wearing protective gowns over their uniforms. Like the Delta flight, wipes and sanitizer were provided to clean the seating area. While it has been just over a year since my last KLM flight, I felt that things were relatively normal beyond the changes to the flight attendants’ uniforms. 

Kenya Precautions

Upon arrival in Nairobi, our COVID-19 test was again checked, and we were not allowed into the arrivals hall until we showed completion of the Health Surveillance Forms. You should notice a pattern if you have stuck with the article this long. I had my COVID test checked often.

With the service industry making up 63% of the Kenya economy, a priority was placed on getting this up and running safely. The hotel required temperature checks and provided hand sanitizer in public areas. They encouraged and practiced social distancing. An even more telling sign was that many of the staff we interacted with had already received their first dose of a vaccine when very few others had been given access to it. 

Other Travelers

This might have been part of travel during the most changed pandemic. While our flights to and from the United States seemed the same, our time in an international airport like Amsterdam showed how some things had changed. We arrived in Amsterdam in the morning. Another flight had about a dozen passengers who had chosen to don full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including chemical protective suits duct taped at joints and with multiple masks and face shields. 

While normally I would have just shrugged off this scene, it was unfolding in the customs security line ahead of me. These passengers were required to remove their PPE and go through a security checkpoint. Needless to say, their protective outfits caused significant delays in clearing security. 

The other event of note was on our return flight from Nairobi to Amsterdam; a woman went into labor. Upon our arrival in Amsterdam, the captain announced that we had departed with 279 souls on board and arrived with 280. 

Those events aside, the few travelers we encountered respected the rules in place to keep both themselves and the locals safe. 

Lessons Learned

COVID Testing

COVID-19 testing was the hardest logistical challenge we faced on this trip. When I tell people this, I often get confused looks. The assumption in the United States is that testing is readily available and that I can get it done anywhere. I can understand why the news media has made such a big deal about testing availability, but the reality is that COVID-19 testing in the United States is much harder to obtain than you may think. 

The first challenge is that not all COVID-19 tests are created equal. In the United States, we have Rapid Tests, Antigen Tests, NAAT Tests, and finally, PCR tests. The requirement for internal travel was the PCR variety. 

Many of our local clinics provided NAAT tests, which technically are PCR tests, but I was advised that they would not be accepted as PCR tests internationally. We have national testing providers like LabCorp or Quest Diagnostics, but these lab facilities don’t all provide COVID-19 testing, and those that do require an order from a physician. You can’t just pay for them. 

I finally found a CVS pharmacy about an hour from home that provided tests. The next challenge was taking the test within the time window required by the countries we would be traveling to and through. The CVS we found to do the test had average test result times; they could not guarantee that we would have our results within the needed time window. We had no choice but to roll the dice and take their test.

With this out of the way, we had to search for a location to do an antigen test before we boarded the plane. (See Amsterdam requirements for why we needed this). It wasn’t until we did this that the Seattle airport had COVID testing on-site and could return results in under an hour. 

LESSON: Check for COVID-19 testing at your local airport. You may get it done by getting to the airport a little early.  

Take pictures of digital documents.

Logistically, traveling during the pandemic required having lots of documents. An eVisa, COVID-19 tests, health screening forms, etc. Some items are best to have hard copies, but others will be sent to you digitally. Many of them are sent as a QR code to be scanned. While these can be saved to your mobile device, accessing them quickly in a foreign country can be challenging. 

LESSON: Save copies of your documents and QR codes as images in your camera roll; they are easier to access. 

Conclusion

At the end of the day, three questions need to be answered. Did I feel safe bringing my family on vacation? Yes. Did I feel that the risk was worth it? Yes. I will always think travel was worth it. I wish I had known about the testing at the airport before I paid to get tested at the pharmacy. Would I go back? YES! Planning is already underway to return to Africa. 

Did you travel during the COVID-19 pandemic? How was your experience? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. If you want to see the photographs we captured in Kenya or purchase any prints, they are linked below.