Straight answers
Safari costs, answered plainly
Including how to compare our quote with somebody else’s.
Pricing
How quotes work
Why is one quote half the price of another?
Almost always one of four things: shared rather than private vehicle, a camp outside the park boundary with entry fees excluded, a leg driven rather than flown, or rate periods that do not match your dates. Ask both agencies whether the price includes park fees and whether the vehicle is private — the gap usually explains itself.
What is actually included in a safari price?
A Kenya 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.
Are park fees really that significant?
Yes. They are charged per person per day, and in the Mara conservancies they are a large share of the nightly rate — they are the lease payment to the Maasai landowners that keeps the land open. A quote that excludes them is not comparable to one that includes them.
What deposit is required?
Nothing is due to see a plan and a quote. A deposit is only required once you want camps actually held, since camps will not block space indefinitely. The deposit, balance date and cancellation schedule are all set out in the quote before you commit to anything.
Practical
Money on the ground
How much should we tip?
Ask your agency for a suggested range for both your guide and the camp staff tip box — we give one in the pre-departure notes rather than leaving you to guess awkwardly on the last morning. It is customary and it matters to the people receiving it.
What currency should we carry?
The Kenyan shilling, with US dollars accepted for larger tourism payments. Bring dollar notes issued in 2013 or later — older ones are frequently refused. Cards work in cities and at most camps; ATMs are plentiful in towns and absent in the parks.
Is a Kenya safari cheaper than Tanzania or Botswana?
Generally cheaper than Botswana, which runs a low-volume high-price model, and broadly comparable with Tanzania. Kenya has a wider spread — you can do it genuinely cheaply or genuinely expensively, which is less true elsewhere.
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.
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.
More from our Kenya guides
Specialist guides across our Kenya network
Each of these is a focused guide we publish. Same Kenya specialist behind every enquiry.
Comparing quotes?
Send us the other one. We will tell you honestly what the difference is made of — and if theirs is better value for what you want, we will say so.