Questions
About the paperwork
The ones that arrive about four months before a wedding.
Can we travel on a marriage certificate if the names do not match?
No. It is not a travel document and it does not reconcile a ticket that disagrees with a passport.
Book in the name in the passport you will actually carry, which removes the problem entirely.
How long does a passport name change take?
It varies by country and season, and published estimates are estimates. Assume longer, and do not book flights until the new document is physically in your hand.
Most couples travel on the existing passport and change the name afterwards.
Does travel insurance cover gorilla trekking?
Often not — some policies exclude it explicitly, others class it as an expedition or as trekking above an altitude limit. The same applies to riding and walking safaris.
Check before you buy, and make sure medical evacuation is covered regardless.
Do we need a yellow fever certificate?
It depends on nationality, route and where you have travelled before arriving, and it is a document check at the border rather than a health recommendation.
A question for a travel clinic with your itinerary in front of them, six to eight weeks out.
How much cash should we take?
Enough for tips, shop purchases and anything not inclusive. Small US dollar notes are the most useful thing to carry, and older note series are sometimes refused.
Take two cards on different networks, carried separately, and tell your bank you are travelling.
We are inside three months. Is it too late?
No, and we plan trips at this notice regularly. What changes is that availability starts doing the deciding — and if gorilla permits are involved, the dates may have to move to where permits exist.
How far ahead should I book?
For July to October — the migration months in the Masai Mara — six to twelve months is normal, and the best small camps sell out first. Christmas and New Year book up just as early.
For the shoulder months, three to four months is usually comfortable. Inside eight weeks we can still put a very good trip together, but you are choosing from what is left rather than from everything.
What is actually included in a safari price?
A Africa safari is usually quoted fully inclusive: accommodation, all meals, park and conservancy fees, your guide and vehicle, and transport between parks. Most camps include soft drinks, house wine, beer and laundry.
Not included: international flights, visas or travel authorisation, travel insurance, tips, premium drinks, and extras like balloon flights and spa treatments.
Who actually arranges my safari?
This site is a planning guide. When you send an enquiry it goes to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, who prepare your itinerary and quote and handle the booking, the payments and you on the ground.
You deal with one team from the first email to the airport transfer home.
Do you charge for planning?
No. Sending your dates, getting an itinerary and getting a costed quote is free and carries no obligation. Money only changes hands when you decide to hold space at a camp.
Ready to turn this into a real itinerary?
Send us your dates, who is travelling and roughly what you want to spend per person per night. Our Africa specialist comes back within 24 hours with a plan built around them and a costed quote.