A safari is a once in a lifetime journey and planning it is part of the process. Although challenging at first, you will have all the support and dedication from our team of sales consultants. We will make sure that the preparation of your tour is as smooth, pleasurable and stress-free as possible.
Feel free to ask any question by email or phone. We will reply in hours or minutes! Our clear price structure and presentation will help you make all your decisions but it is normal for questions to come up. In this section we have summarised some of the most common ones. Reading our FAQ is always an excellent idea as there might be some details you haven't yet thought about.
We do not include the country visas, and items of personal interest like souvenirs or extra services/tours not agreed beforehand. Tips are not included (the industry recommends a guideline of $20 USD per person per day). Also, if after you book your tour, the government decides to apply increases in park fees, camping fees, concession fees or others, these shall be added to your contract as well.
We welcome payments via wire transfer, money transfer and credit card. Credit card transactions are processed through Pesapal (please note that there is a service fee for this payment method).
We used to recommend getting the visa on arrival as it used to be a very straightforward process. However, since August 2019 the process has been slower and we have started recommending getting the visa online at:
https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/
Do note the e-visa can take up to 3 weeks to be processed so if you will arrive soon we still recommend getting it on arrival. Also, if entry is an overland transfer between Maasai Mara and Serengeti (Isebania or Tarime border) it is still preferable to get the visa ON ARRIVAL.
The visa costs $50 USD per person except for U.S Citizens who pay $100 USD per person. Some countries do require a referral visa in advance. Please contact us if you are a citizen of any of the following countries: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Kazakhstan Republic, Kyigten Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Palestine, Senegal, Iraq, Iran. Somalia, Sri Lanka, Somali land, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Syria and Yemen.
There are also countries whose nationals do not require VISA. Please check list here:https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/guidelines
In any case, please do keep in mind your passport needs to have at least 6 months of validity.
It is very important to set an appointment with a travel doctor in your home country before you come. Depending on the situation, you might take vaccine for yellow fever and may take prophylaxis pills to protect you against Malaria. If you go to Zanzibar or come (or have a transit) in an endemic yellow fever country, proof of vaccination against yellow fever may be required at the airport.
Well, we always recommend it because we like to start our safaris early in the morning and on the last day we like to avoid having to worry about reaching the airport on time. But, of course, we are flexible and we can start the safari when you arrive at the airport and can finish any safari with a drop off at the airport. However, in those cases, we always recommend flights arriving in the morning of the first day and flights leaving in the evening of the last day.
- All necessary documents: passport, vaccine certificate and others that might apply;
- Any medication you might need: This should include medication for possible common situations like headaches or diarrhea;
- Sunblock, sunglasses, hat, lip balm and moisturizer;
- Your camera: we recommend bringing a wide lens (about 17-55mm) for those scenery pictures, and a telephoto lens (in the 200-400mm range) to catch animals at a distance;
- Binoculars: We do provide a pair of top notch binoculars per vehicle but feel free to bring your own which you may be more used to. Binoculars really make a big difference on a safari;
- Clothes: Comfortable and casual clothing, with khaki, beige or green colours. You should pack T-shirts, shirts with long sleeves, jeans, a sweater and a jacket (for the cold mornings), swimwear (if the accommodation you selected has pool or if you do a beach extension) and comfortable hiking shoes;
- Insect repellent;
- adaptor for G Type Plugs.
This is something we take very seriously. Upon booking us, we will send you a form in which you will be able to indicate any dietary preference or restriction or any specific request you might have. We will then provide that information in advance to all the hotels.
As for Tanzania, from 1st June 2019, all plastic carrier bags regardless of their thickness will be prohibited from being used in mainland Tanzania. However, plastics carrier items known as “Ziploc bags” that are specifically used to carry toiletries will be permitted as they are expected to remain in the permanent possession of visitors and are not expected to be disposed in the country.
Regarding Kenya, please see additional information on this link regarding the government decision to ban the plastic bags in Kenya: https://www.nema.go.ke/images/featured/FAQS_on_plastics_ban.pdf.