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Kenya & Tanzania-visas and immunizations

merilmeril
in Kenya & Tanzania
Visa: We do not live near either embassies. Anyone have experience with:
a. Sending passports to both embassies. How long did this take?
b. Using a Visa service (expensive)
c. Obtaining both visas upon entry
Immunizations: Which shots are you getting?
Are you coming in ahead of tour start?

Comments

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    Leo MLeo M
    I, too, thought the cost of visa services too high. I found the addresses for the Tanzanian and the Kenyan Embassies in Washington from their Internet websites. Each website had instructions and the forms needed to apply for the visa. We sent our passports / payment / and the required forms to each embassy in turn via UPS. Within 3 weeks our passports were returned with the visas. Since you are leaving in early March, be sure to read the instructions very carefully. You have sufficient time if you begin soon but you don't want to be shipping passports back and forth if a required form is missing.

    We always get our visas before we leave. Some people seem to have good luck and get off the plane before the hoarde descends on the few visa officials on duty. On our first safari in January 2012, we ended up waiting well over an hour for the one couple (out of 8 couples with Tauck) who did not get their visas in advance. Not a great way to start a relationship with your travel companions of the next two weeks.

    We wrote a blog after our January trip. You will find a list of the immunizations our doctor recommended. There are also lists of other items we took with us. You may find that information helpful. You can access the blog by clicking on the link below:

    2012 Tanzania / Kenya Safari (January 2012)
    http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leomcyr/1/1326885220/pod.html

    We took a second safari this year to Tanzania. If you are interested, that link appears below:

    Remote Tanzania (October 2012)
    http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/leomcyr/3/tpod.html

    Am sure you will have a wonderful safari. Africa is so special. Have fun...Leo M




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    Wander LustWander Lust
    We are also traveling on the March 9 Kenya and Tanzania safari. I am considering using AAA ($45 service fee/pp) or going directly to the embassies. Before I proceed, I need to know if a single or multiple entry Kenyan visa is required. Can anyone help? Thanks.
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    merilmeril
    edited December 2012
    Leo M: Thank you for your prompt reply. Information from your blog invaluable. Printed out for ready reference.
    Wander Lust:I believe it's a single entry visa. Go to embassy websites for detailed information.
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    Wander LustWander Lust
    mtemlock: We live in the Myrtle Beach, SC area and will fly from Charlotte to Washington-Dulles, then overseas. Safe travels. We look forward to meeting you!
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    Leo MLeo M
    Unless the itinerary has changed from earlier in the year (and I do not believe it has), you will only need single entry visas. That is what we were required to get in January 2012. If Emily from Tauck is monitoring this discussion, she can confirm.

    Glad the lists were helpful. We had several people who preceded us on this trip who were very helpful to us. The Flemings were particularly so. It is good to see they have recently reappeared on the Forum.

    Leo M
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    merilmeril
    Leo: When you mentioned obtaining Visas from embassies:
    I assume that you mailed data to one embassy and after that was returned to you, you then mailed to 2nd embassy? How long did this process take to get the visas from the different embassies? Did you use USPS with return receipt to secure your documents? I'm a little nervous about sending passports off twice with twice return, avoiding any glitches in transport.
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    Leo MLeo M
    Hi Meril....Yes, I sent the visa package, including our passports, to the Tanzanian Embassy via UPS first. I followed their instructions carefully and included a self-addressed UPS package for the Embassy to use in returning our passports. It took 17 days to get our passports back. While the passports were at the Tanzanian Embassy, I prepared the documents for the Kenyan Enbassy. I sent those the same day the passports were returned from the Tanzanian Embassy. Again, I enclosed a pre-paid self addressed envelope (as I recall the Kenyans preferred FedEx). The Kenyans took 15 days to get the passports back to me. Total time...32 days. It cost me an extra set of 2-day shipping envelopes and a little of my "retired" time but we saved money over paying the visa brokers.

    I wish you well on your trip. We had a wonderful time...Leo M.
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    Margie C.Margie C.
    Wander Lust wrote:
    We are also traveling on the March 9 Kenya and Tanzania safari. I am considering using AAA ($45 service fee/pp) or going directly to the embassies. Before I proceed, I need to know if a single or multiple entry Kenyan visa is required. Can anyone help? Thanks.

    We are on the Feb. 2 Kenya and Tanzania and always do our visas ourselves. For the Kenya visa you will need the single entry visa. We are flying into Nairobi for a few days before going to Arusha but we still only needed a single visit visa because we are returning to Kenya from Tanzania. If you scroll down the page on the embassy website you will see this information. We have almost always found the embassies to handle visa requests in a prompt and professional manner. Hope this helps.
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    merilmeril
    Dear Leo,
    As you advised, I sent our visa application to each embassy in DC. I was amazed at the efficiency of each. The day Tanzania got our paperwork, they called to say they don't accept AMEX. Nowhere does it say that on their website. I was glad they called and gave them a MC over the phone. The Visa was in my hands a week later. Then off to Kenya which also processed in one week. All told the process took just short of a month. Although nervous about passports in transit--all worked out well.
    Thanks for your help and expert tips from your blog which I printed out and refer to often....Meril
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    Leo MLeo M
    Hi Again Meril...My wife and I are sitting in our living room discussing our next trip. I logged into Tauck to check some facts for our discussion. I saw your posting and immediately recognized your name.

    Am delighted to hear you got your visas so quickly. Actually, you got yours faster than we did. That's excellent. I realize your count down to departure is getting short. Have a great time. This trip is simply magical. Let me know if there are any last minute questions.

    Hope you will let me know how the trip went and your impressions of Africa. We will be going back several times in the next year....Leo M.
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