The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

Visa Zambia

British passport holders do not need a visa in advance and can obtain a visa on arrival. The Government of Zambia recently announced the removal of all visa fees for British passport holders. However implementation of the policy has not yet been confirmed and British nationals may still be charged $25 on arrival.

Other nationals should check details online to see if they need an e-visa. 

Important Note for Victoria Falls: Please check your itinerary and your arrival/departure flights. If your accommodation and flights are from a different side of the falls you may need both a Zambian and a Zimbabwe visa. The town of Victoria Falls is in Zimbabwe, and the town of Livingstone is in Zambia. 

Additionally If you visit the falls (on the border) and wish to cross the bridge to the other side you will require a visa for both countries.

A KAZA UNIVISA for Zimbabwe and Zambia is cheaper than purchasing the two visas for Zambia and Zimbabwe separately. The visa is valid for 30 days as long as you remain within Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is also valid for day trips to Botswana crossing over the Kazangula borders. It will not be valid if you overnight in Botswana.

It’s available at the international airports in Lusaka and Livingstone and at the land borders at Livingstone (Zimbabwe border) and Kazungula (Botswana border). You can also apply online. It costs US$50 for single entry, or US$75 for double entry. Both are valid for 30 days from date of purchase.

Please note: The Government of Zambia recently announced the removal of all visa fees for British passport holders. However implementation of the policy has not yet been confirmed and British nationals may still be charged $25 on arrival. This may affect your decision to purchase a Kaza Univisa.

Visa South Africa

UK and USA passport holders do not require a visa for short stays. You must have 2 blank pages in your passport.

Rules on travelling with children under 18 years have been relaxed. Visa exempt children entering South Africa only need passports, and not birth certificates as previously required. This applies if the child is travelling with both parents, one parent or an adult who is not a biological parent, and school groups. There are some different requirements for unaccompanied children, and children who do not have UK passports or visa exempt passports. For full details please see the FCDO website.

Visa Zimbabwe

A visa is required. This is obtained on arrival and is $55 single entry and $70 for double. Payment must be in cash and you should take small denomination notes for this.

Important Note: Please check your itinerary and your arrival/departure flights. If your accommodation and flights are from a different side of the falls you may need both a Zambian and a Zimbabwe visa. The town of Victoria Falls is in Zimbabwe, and the town of Livingstone is in Zambia. 

Additionally If you visit the falls (on the border) and wish to cross the bridge to the other side you will require a visa for both countries.

Visa Mozambique

Visitors to Mozambique intending to stay less than 30 days do not require a visa to entre the country. Therefore for this trip, all passengers are visa exempt.

Visa Malawi

Most nationals require a visa. An Electronic Visa can be obtained online via the Malawi Government e-visa Portal. The visa fee is $65 for single entry and $145 for double entry. You can also obtain a single-entry tourit visa on arrival. Payment for visa on arrival must be in cash and you need to have the correct amount of in USD. To save time you can fill in the visa form prior to arrival (not essential).

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

VACCINATIONS

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you specific require any vaccinations or other preventive measures. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella), along with hepatitis A and typhoid. Malarial prophylaxis are required. A certificate of yellow fever vaccination is required if travelling from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for travellers having transited for more than 12 hrs through an airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. On holidays to more remote areas you should also have a dentist check up. A good online resource is Travel Health Pro.

Bilharzia, or Schistosomiasis, is present in Lake Malawi. We do not recommend swimming in the lake. If you do decide to swim in the lake then you do so at your own risk. If anyone does take the risk then a diagnostic test at your Travel/Health clinic can be done on your return home and tablet treatment has a good success rate if caught within good time.

This central region of Southern Africa is subtropical and generally warm and mild / humid. October and November are hot, day and night. November to April is the hottest time of the year with chances of showers to heavy rains later in the season. May to September is cool and dry.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware’ campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.  When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct.  Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

This holiday is part of our Explore International range. Participants on these trips can book through KE or through one of our international partners. This helps us to gather together sufficient numbers of like-minded adventurers to get your holiday up and running quickly. Led by an English-speaking guide, the cosmopolitan nature of these groups can be an important part of the experience!

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

You should bring the following items:

• Lightweight walking shoes or trainers

• Sandals (waterproof for canoeing is useful but not essential)

• Socks and underwear

• Long lightweight trousers

• Shorts

• Lightweight waterproof jacket & trousers

• T-shirts

• Casual shirts with sleeves

• Fleece jacket or warm jumper

• Sunhat with wide brim

• Sunglasses

• Buff/scarf for dusty days

• Small towel/Travel towel

• Daypack 20-25 litres

• Sleeping bag (rated to 0 degrees Celsius - see notes)

• Headtorch and spare batteries

• Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)

• Water bottles 1 litre - (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)

• Water purification tablets

• Washbag and toiletries (biodegradable soap is preferred)

• Antibacterial handwash

• Insect repellent

• Basic First Aid Kit including: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, re-hydration salts (Dioralite), anti-nausea tablets and antihistamine cream/tablets.

The following items are optional:

• Light cotton dress or sarong

• Swimwear

• Pillow/travel pillow

• Pen-knife (remember to pack sharp objects in hold baggage)

• Repair kit (eg. needle, thread, duct tape)

• A selection of dry bags for daypack/kit bag

• Camera

• Binoculars (highly recommended)

• Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

Notes:

Please be aware than in the Southern African the winter months, June-September, the nights can be cold with an average of between 0-5 degrees Celsius in some places, and the days can be warm between 20-30 degrees Celsius

Bright bold colours and white are not suitable for game viewing or bush wear as they attract insects and the attention of animals. Please do not bring camouflage or military style clothes as they can cause problems with local authorities

Please dress appropriately for border crossings, village and market visits – ie: no bare feet, no bare chests, no bikinis and no hats. A few restaurants are also not keen on T-shirts and jeans either.

Tents have mosquito netting on the windows and doors.

For the 1 night wild camp on the Zambezi you will take only your essential items in supplied waterproof barrels.

Many of the equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive a 12.5% discount with Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need. The discount code can be downloaded from your MyKE account and you can use this code at the checkout, either in store or online.