Frequently Asked Questions

Send us your travel dates, the number of people travelling and a rough idea of what you would like to see. We prepare a route with a full price and send it to you to consider. There is no charge for this and no obligation to book.

Because we do not sell fixed packages. The cost of a trip depends on when you travel, where you stay, how many of you there are, whether the vehicle is private, and whether you fly or drive between parks. The same itinerary can differ considerably between seasons.

Rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most people, we price each trip properly once we know the details.

For travel between June and October, or over Christmas and New Year, six to nine months is sensible. Gorilla permits for Uganda and Rwanda should be secured earlier still.

Outside peak periods, two to three months is usually enough, and we can sometimes work with less.

Yes. Tell us what you want from the trip, whether that is big cats, time on the coast, somewhere quiet for a family, or gorillas. We will suggest a country and a route.

No. We also handle flight ticketing, hotel and lodge reservations, car hire, airport and SGR transfers, visa support, travel insurance and conferences. Clients use us for one of these services or all of them.

Most are private, with your own vehicle and driver-guide. Shared arrangements can reduce the cost, and we will tell you where that is a sensible trade-off.

Yes. Tell us the children’s ages when you enquire, because lodges set their own age limits and family room arrangements vary. Some activities, including gorilla trekking, have a minimum age of 15.

Tell us at the enquiry stage. Many parks and lodges can accommodate limited mobility, and we can plan shorter drives and ground-floor rooms.

For gorilla trekking, we can request an allocation closer to the trailhead, though the final decision rests with park authorities.

Yes, and many clients do. Kenya with Tanzania works well for following the migration, and Rwanda or Uganda adds gorilla trekking.

We arrange border crossings, transfers and paperwork so you are not handed between companies.

Five days covers two Kenyan parks comfortably. Seven to ten days allows a fuller route and time on the coast. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda needs three to four days; Uganda needs four to five.

Under four days, most of the trip is spent travelling.

Yes. The first version is a starting point. Clients regularly move dates, swap a park, change the accommodation level or add days, and we rework it until it is right.

Accommodation, meals as specified, park entry and conservation fees, the vehicle and driver-guide, and transfers. Your quote lists exactly what is covered.

International flights, visas, travel insurance, drinks, tips and anything personal. Optional activities such as balloon safaris are quoted separately.

Your quote sets this out in full.

Park entry fees and gorilla permits are charged at different rates for citizens, residents and non-residents. We cannot price a trip accurately without knowing which rate applies to you.

Payment terms, including any deposit and the balance date, are set out in your quote before you commit to anything. Contact the office if you need to discuss arrangements.

We usually quote in US dollars for international clients and can quote in Kenyan shillings where that is more useful.

Cancellation terms depend on the lodges, airlines and permits involved, and some are stricter than others.

Gorilla permits have strict supplier conditions and may be non-refundable or subject to limited change and refund rules. We explain the terms that apply before you confirm.

We recommend travel insurance that includes cancellation cover.

An early game drive is standard, because animals are most active around dawn. Breakfast follows, either in camp or in the field. The middle of the day is usually free, and there is a second drive in the late afternoon.

The pace is yours to set, and we will plan a slower trip if that suits you better.

We use 4x4 safari vehicles and tour vans, depending on the route and group size, with a driver-guide. We confirm the vehicle type in your itinerary before travel.

Tell us if you need private transport, extra luggage space, a child seat, mobility support or another specific arrangement.

Most lodges and camps have power, though some run on solar with limited hours. Mobile coverage is reasonable in and around most parks and patchy in remote areas.

Tell us if staying connected matters and we will factor it into the accommodation.

Often, yes. Most accommodation is priced per person sharing, and a single room usually carries a supplement. We show this clearly in your quote.

Neutral-coloured clothing, layers for cold mornings, a hat, sun protection, insect repellent, binoculars and any medication you need.

Light aircraft to the parks have strict luggage limits and usually require soft bags. We send a full packing list once your trip is confirmed.

This depends on your route and where you have travelled recently. A yellow fever certificate is required for some countries and routes.

Speak to a travel clinic well before you fly, and we will tell you what applies to your itinerary.

Precautions are advised for most parks and for the coast. Your doctor or travel clinic will advise on medication.

The areas we operate in are used to visitors, and we work with guides and properties we know. We monitor conditions on your route and will say so if we think a plan should change.

Our phone line is answered outside office hours, including while you are travelling.

Yes. We ask all clients to travel with insurance covering medical treatment, evacuation and cancellation. We can arrange cover if you do not already have it.

Most visitors need travel authorisation before arrival, and requirements vary by nationality and change from time to time. We confirm what applies to you when we prepare your quote and can help with the application.

The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda on a single document, applied for through whichever of the three you enter first.

It does not cover Tanzania. Entering Tanzania ends its validity even within the visa period, so a route returning to Kenya afterwards may need new documentation. We build this into your itinerary.

Six months beyond your date of entry is the usual requirement, with blank pages available for stamps.