Practical
Mostly inclusive, with three exceptions
Tips, premium drinks and the occasional extra. Everything else is usually already paid for.
What is usually included
- All meals, and usually soft drinks, beer and house wine
- Laundry, at most camps, often same-day
- Game drives and the guide
- Park and conservancy fees, though it is worth confirming
- Transfers between camps on the itinerary
What is not
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Tips | Guides and camp staff. Budget deliberately; your quote will suggest a scale. |
| Premium drinks | Champagne, aged spirits, specific wines |
| Balloon flights, spa treatments | Usually bookable in advance, which is better than on the day |
| Shop purchases | Camp shops are frequently very good and rarely take cards |
| Gorilla permits | If applicable — always quoted separately |
Cash
- Small US dollar notes are the most useful thing you can carry
- Notes older than a certain series are sometimes refused — ask your bank for newer ones
- Local currency is useful in cities and rarely needed in camps
- Card acceptance is good in Nairobi and Kigali, patchy in camps, absent in remote ones
- ATMs exist in towns and not where you will be
Tell your bank
A card blocked for suspicious activity on day two of a honeymoon is a genuinely miserable hour, and it is entirely preventable with one call or one toggle in an app.
Take two cards, on different networks, carried separately.
Tipping, without the awkwardness
Most camps have a general staff box and a separate envelope for your guide, which removes almost all of the social difficulty. Your quote will suggest a per-day scale, and the scale is a guide rather than an obligation.
One practical note: tip at the end of a stay rather than daily, and in cash rather than by card.
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