How to read a safari quote: the ten items that matter

Two quotes for the same safari can differ by €2,000 per couple and both be honest: what changes is what they include. Here are the items to read, in order of importance.

1. Is the vehicle private or shared

This is the item that changes the experience, and the price, the most. In a vehicle shared by six or seven people, the group decides when to stop; in a private one, you do. If it is not stated, it is shared.

2. Where you sleep in relation to the parks

Inside the park or outside is not a matter of comfort but of time: staying outside can mean an extra hour on the road at dawn and dusk, which are the best hours of the day.

3. Park fees

They are charged per person per day, and are valid for a specific period. Check that they are included and for how many days: in some reserves, such as the Masai Mara, the fee doubles from July to December.

4. Meal plan

Full board, half board or breakfast only make a considerable difference to the bill, especially inside the parks, where there is nowhere else to have lunch.

5. Internal flights and baggage allowance

A flight from Arusha to Zanzibar or to the Serengeti airstrips may or may not be included. Check the baggage limit too: on small aircraft it is low, and must be in a soft bag.

6. Which insurance

There are three different things: medical insurance, cancellation insurance and air evacuation cover such as AMREF. Many quotes include only one. In Zanzibar you also need the compulsory local policy.

7. Tips

Almost never included. They are a real part of the income of guides and staff, and should be budgeted for.

8. Hidden supplements

Single occupancy, holidays, high season: many suppliers apply compulsory supplements at Christmas, New Year and Easter, sometimes as much as $35 per person per day.

9. Exchange rate and price validity

Ground services are bought in dollars. A serious quote states how long the price is valid and what happens if the exchange rate moves.

10. Cancellation charges and deposit

How much you pay on confirmation, when the balance is due, what you lose by cancelling at ninety, sixty or thirty days. It is the part nobody reads, and the one that counts if plans change.

The question that settles everything

Ask two operators for the same trip and have them send you the full list of what is included and excluded. If one of them replies with a figure and nothing more, you are not comparing two prices: you are comparing two levels of transparency.