Questions we are asked most

Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and what you want to see. We build an itinerary and quote, and adjust it until it fits. When you are happy, we send an invoice; the contract is concluded once we have received your deposit and sent you a written booking confirmation. Please check that confirmation against your booking details and tell us straight away if anything looks wrong.

A deposit of 40% of the invoice total secures your trip and must be paid within 14 days of the invoice date. The remaining balance is due 30 days before arrival. If you book within 30 days of arrival, the full amount is payable at the time of booking.

Trips that include international flights work differently, see “Do you book international flights?” below.

By bank transfer or credit card: the two methods that give both sides the most transparency and security. Card payments carry a 3.5% fee. Transfer fees are the sender's responsibility, and the amount that reaches our account must match the invoice, so please transfer in the currency stated and check the account details carefully.

Usually yes. Customer-requested changes to an existing booking carry a processing fee of 50 USD, plus any difference in the cost of the services themselves. Talk to us early, the closer to departure, the fewer options suppliers leave us.

Tell us by email immediately; the cancellation takes effect the day we receive it. Fees are 25% of the amount already paid at 60+ days before arrival, 50% between 60 and 31 days, and 100% of the total from 30 days before arrival. Unused services, late arrival and no-shows are not refundable.

Because our tours are group-based and priced on the number of travellers, a cancellation applies to the whole booking; if some of the group still want to travel, we recalculate the price for the smaller party. Full detail is in our Terms & Conditions.

Most visitors need a visa for Tanzania. Passports, visas, health and vaccination certificates and any other required documents are the traveller's own responsibility, and we cannot be held responsible if documentation is missing or incorrect. We are happy to tell you what is normally required for your nationality, but always confirm with your own embassy or the Tanzanian immigration service before you fly.

Yes. Comprehensive travel and medical insurance covering medical expenses and repatriation is your responsibility and we consider it essential. Worth adding: cancellation and interruption cover, evacuation cover such as Flying Doctors, and cover for damage, theft or loss of luggage and personal belongings.

We can. Where an offer includes international flights the quoted fare holds for 5 days, so confirmation by email within that window secures the price, and full payment is due within 10 days of the invoice. Those fares are non-refundable, which is how we keep them low; flexible tickets that allow rebooking or cancellation are available on request.

There is no bad month, only different months: the dry season concentrates animals around water and makes tracks easy, the green season brings newborn game, migrant birds and far fewer vehicles. Tell us what you most want to see: the migration in a particular corner of the Serengeti, calving season, or simply quiet camps, and we will point you at the right weeks.

Every quote lists inclusions and exclusions line by line: park and concession fees, accommodation, meals, vehicle, fuel and your guide are set out in writing before you pay anything. Anything not listed, such as international flights, visas, insurance, drinks and tips, is extra. If a line is unclear, ask us and we will rewrite it.

Only if you want to. Our trips are quoted for your own party, and the price depends on how many of you are travelling, which is why a change in numbers changes the price. Every vehicle carries a guide who is with you for the whole trip.

No honest operator can. Tanzania offers extraordinary chances to see wildlife in its own habitat, but nobody can promise particular animals or particular numbers. What we can do is put you in the right parks at the right time of year with a guide who reads the ground. When you are watching, keep a safe distance and follow your guide's instructions without exception.

We take every measure to keep our safari vehicles roadworthy, and our crews carry spares and know the routes. Poor roads, mechanical failures, weather and other events beyond our control can still cause delays or changes to the plan, and we are not liable for those or their consequences, but we will always work the itinerary around them to protect the trip.

Tell your guide and our head office immediately, while we can still fix it, that is far more useful to you than a complaint after the fact. If a matter is still unresolved to your satisfaction, put it in writing to us no later than two weeks after the end of the trip.

You must be at least 18 to make a booking, and some of our partners set higher minimum ages, we will tell you before you book if that applies. Families are very welcome; tell us the ages of the children and we will shape the driving days, camps and activities around them.

We work with English- and German-speaking guides. Tell us which you would prefer when you enquire and we will confirm availability for your dates before you pay a deposit.

We reserve the right to use photographs and videos taken and made available during a trip for marketing and other promotional purposes. If you would rather we did not use images of you or your family, tell us and we will leave them out.

Only where government or park charges move. If taxes, concession fees, wildlife management or national park fees change, we reserve the right to pass those on, even on a trip already paid for. We do not adjust our own margin after a booking is confirmed.