Frequently Asked Questions About Safari

Do I need a visa?

Visas are compulsory for almost all nationalities traveling to either Tanzania or Kenya and normally prices between US$50 to US$100. There are e-visa structures in place for both countries which are recommended for clients to use for their visas before travel. Please ensure to check all visa requirements carefully before traveling as directives change often.

Why do safaris cost so much?

A safari can make for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but they can cost a lot — there is a basis for this. One of the principal reasons is a lack of infrastructure in distant areas. Building a safari lodge has different trials to build a hotel in a city. Roads need to be constructed; materials need to be transferred in. Boreholes need to be excavated to find water which then needs to undergo treatment to make certain it is clean. Solar panels and battery banks need to be positioned for electricity. Even once the lodge is built, subjection to the African components means that it is an everyday struggle to keep the property in good condition.

Food and supplies are usually flown in to maintain extremely good levels of service. There are usually a minimum of three staff assigned to every guest with expert guides, chefs, waiters, housekeepers, mechanics, etc — all of whom are paid and trained of course.

Park and other government fees need to be paid every day. These fees are essential to safeguard, take care of and enable key wildlife areas. On top of this, most responsible operators will also charge a minimal fee to aid local communities and conservation projects.

To bring down the price of a safari, guests can travel outside of peak season — when tariffs are a lot less, and the experience can be equally as good if not better.

Can children go on safari?

Without doubt! Aside from spending valuable time with your loved ones, a family safari offers irreplaceable experiences, unforgettable wildlife sightings, and the chance to discover nature.

Most of the camps that we quote are fitting for children of any age. In especially family-friendly camps, special activities and programs are offered for children, so they acquire good knowledge from their safari.

They will have the opportunity to learn bush skills and identify animal tracks, go on guided bush walks, visit a nearby community or school to learn about the customs of East Africa, buy local handicrafts, and more! Children will leave with a greater understanding and appreciation of different cultures and wildlife that simply can’t be taught in the classroom.

In the Masai Mara, what is the difference between a Conservancy and a National Reserve?

The Masai Mara National Reserve was created in 1961 and from the beginning became an established safari favorite. The combination of the tremendous annual visit of the great migration and the year-long residence of all members of the Big 5 against the iconic backdrop of immaculate savannah is a safari enthusiast’s dream.

Key features of the National Reserve:

• The land is county government owned and managed.
• During the region’s migration months (July-October) it is the best place for river crossings – Mara and Talek Rivers.
• Anyone can pay park fees and enter, including day trippers – it is therefore incredibly busy during migration months.
• No restrictions on the number of vehicles allowed at a wildlife sighting.
• Closer to balloon launch sites but no walking safaris, off-road driving, night drives, or visits to local communities are possible while in the National Reserve.

The first Mara Conservancy was established in 2005 and now is a collection of 15 separate conservancies that surround the Reserve. This land is owned by the Maasai, who lease concessions to tourism partners which offers the local community consistent income while conserving the land and wildlife.

Key features of a conservancy:

• Privately managed and as such, have stricter control on visitor numbers. Only those staying within the conservancy can game drive within the conservancy. 
• It is not possible to visit a conservancy if staying in a camp located in the main reserve.
• A maximum of five vehicles are allowed at a sighting.
• A wider range of guest activities on offer that is not available in the main reserve, such as walking safaris and night drives.
• Community and Positive Impact partner visits are easily arranged.

Tipping Guide in Africa

When traveling to a different location, tipping is most often faced with great apprehension. Should I tip? If so, how much? Sometimes, it even causes uncalled-for travel anxiousness. So if you plan to go to Africa anytime soon, or are preparing for your African escapade, here’s a handbook to tell you all about tipping in Africa.

TIPPING CULTURE IN AFRICA

First of all, tipping in Africa is not a must. It is only done on the virtue of good service; a simple realization of a job well done. In the end, it is your decision as to whether you will tip and how much you will tip. These tips are variable according to your experience and the whole someness of service you get. Generally, guests tip higher when they’re pleased with outstanding facilitation and low to average for inferior services. Again, it is all up to you.

While the majority of people work to make your safari a memorable one, the question is, whom should you tip?

• Tip for great service: You are not obliged to tip every person who sees to you but you can always afford a little perk at your judgment even to those you think are “just doing their jobs”
• “Professionals” are usually not tipped: These include property owners, cabin crew,pilots, sales assistants, managers, and medical workers.
• Tip the front-liners: Guides, drivers, trackers, porters, waitresses, waiters, and spa therapists are normally tipped.
• Don’t forget the behind-the-scenes staff: Always remember that some worksub-rosa to make your trip enjoyable and without whom, your entire experience may be varied. Think housekeepers, chefs, gardeners, guards, maintenance workers, and poaching units.

WHY YOU SHOULD TIP

Often, you will find that the foremost in this industry are taking home a basic living wage only and usually don’t have perks included. This, unfortunately, occurs more often than not and while you should always try to make a reservation with companies that pay becoming salaries and benefits to their staff, these are still the people where tipping will make a big distinctness in their lives and often a much-needed increase to their normal wage.

Tips are an untold way of saying more than just a “thank you” for driving you around, for showing you the Big Five, or for making you a substantial meal. These are the human beings you will spend the most time with on your trip so an idealization and admiration for the things they do beyond their obvious duties are greatly appreciated.

• Long working hours:Employees, both front-liners and back-end units, usually start their change over before dawn to set up for things like guests’ coffee and breakfast, safari vehicle, and other chores to keep up a smooth-running facility. In addition, they also stay up, way past your nightcap. All these are to vouch for your cozy stay and brilliant experience.
• The extra mile:Every teensy-weensy thing that would make your overall bucket-list experience something you ever imagined like going back to witness animal action, searching for the vertebrate or bird you’re looking forward to seeing, proactively preparing your favorite drink, or even remembering your name. These tiny little nooks and crannies deserve some recognition.
• The travel expense:A number of the staff live a distance from the camp/lodge. Some of them even live in agricultural areas or towns that aren’t that easy to get to. Your tip can greatly assist them with the costs of traveling back and forth every day.
• The time away from home:Staying away from home, especially from cherished ones is not an easy thing but because game parks are usually off the beaten track, most staff go on assignment for many weeks at a time and therefore, see their families not oftenand usually after anawayness from home.

Sure, safari packages can be high-priced, especially if you’re on a luxury safari but remember that these costs cover park fees, maintenance, accommodation, transport, WiFi, Electricity, fuel for generators, security, and many more.

RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIPPING

The tipping amount is ultimately your decision, depending on your budget and experience as well as your rating.

For a rough guide on tipping, here’s an approximate range of how much to tip:

• Porters: 1-2 USD per bag
• Gas station attendants: 1-2 USD
• Cab driver: Based on your total fare, round up to the nearest 10
• Restaurants: Tip a minimum of 10 percent of your bill unless a service charge is already included
• Tour Guide: 15-30 USD/couple a day
• Safari Driver: 15-30 USD/couple a day
• Tracker/Spotter: 15-30 USD/couple a day
• Airport/hotel transfers: 1-2 USD
• Personal butlers: 5-10 USD per day
• Cooks during mountain treks: 5-10 USD per day

Of course, this is just a generic guide and you are welcome to modulate the amount. Most safari camps also have tipping boxes where you can just subsidize the tips and the total amount will be later on distributed to the staff. This is a way to “tip” camp staff that you don’t necessarily affiliate with every day. Also, here are general rules for specific countries in Africa when it comes to tipping:

TANZANIA

• Normally, people tip Maasai dancers after performing their traditional dances.
• Tipping the Kilimanjaro crew (guides, cooks, porters, etc.) is also a norm, especially if the climb to the mountain peak is successful.
• It is common to hand tips to hotel staff, porters, skippers,s and PADI staff in Zanzibar.
• It is not usual to hand tips to spa attendants and taxi drivers, but tipping for exceptional service is always admired.
• Giving material things instead of cash is also an appreciated gesture.

KENYA

• Normally, guests tip Maasai dancers after they enact the traditional dances.
• Tips in Kenya are expected to be in Kenyan shillings or USD.
• It’s common to hand tips to spa attendants per treatment. For example, if you get two services, you will tip twice. Rule of the thumb is 200 KES per treatment.

BEST WAY TO HAND over TIPS

• Put in an envelope via the manager.
• Drop in a tip box.
• Direct hand-over.
• Leave in your accommodation/lodging.
• Credit card bill

AWKWARD QUESTIONS ANSWERED

IS IT RUDE NOT TO TIP?

Frankly, not tipping is looked down upon in a culture like Africa where remuneration is not like in Europe. We know that tips go a long way therefore if you are in a position to give, we highly advocate for this, as you are rewarding a service that was well done. If for any reason you are not in a position to tip, then of course it will not be enforced on you.

MY BUDGET IS LIMITED, CAN I GIVE LOWER THAN THE GUIDELINES?

Yes, Tipping is entirely up to you and how much you would want to leave for your server, however, some establishments do charge you a service fee.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO SHOW MY GRATITUDE APART FROM TIPPING?

Tipping is at your free will. Besides cash, material gifts are highly acknowledged, or even just leaving your change behind. Of course, a simple thank you is also well received.

IT’s SO AWKWARD TO TIP, CAN THAT BE INCLUDED IN MY TOUR COST INSTEAD?

Yes, this is possible, just let us know and we will give an estimate to add on top of your bill.

I ONLY WANT TO TIP A SPECIFIC STAFF AND NOT THE OTHERS, IS THAT OKAY?

Yes. Again, Tipping is entirely up to you and how much you would want to leave for any specific individual depending on your experience.

Now that you have learned about the tipping culture in Africa, check out these remarkable tours that you can try when you explore the continent.

4 Unbelievable Things That Dream up The Masai Mara Experience

A Masai Mara safari in Kenya is a unique kind of experience. It is one of Africa’s most classic safaris. Here, you are undertaking to spot the Big Five and spectate the most impressive wildlife performance on earth, the famed Great Migration.

Besides that, four main charms make up the action-packed Masai Mara experience:

• THE MAASAI TRIBES

The Maasai tribe is settled in northern, central, and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are a Nilotic cultural group. The language spoken by the Maasai is known as Maa language and isamong the best-knownresidents internationally due to their habitation near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes and their distinguishingtraditions and local attire. They are strongly paternal in nature. The elders sometimes get together with retired elders who determinethe most stellarconcerns for each Maasai group. The Maasai are devoted to a single deity called Engai. A man’s wealth is measured in terms of his cattle and children and their tralatitious lifestyle centers around cattle which comprise their direct source of food.

• THE UNVARIED WILDLIFE

Well celebrated for hosting one of the greatest wildlife migrations, the Masai Mara Game Reserve is home to all members of the Big Five including the lion, leopard, elephant, cape buffalo, and rhinoceros. The governingdwellers are the wildebeest, and their numbers are calculated in the millions. In search of greener pastures, millions of wildebeests, Thompson’s gazelles, topi, elands, and zebra migrate from the Serengeti to the Mara fromJuly to October. Impalas, duikers, coke’s hartebeests, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, and bat-eared foxes are also constituted in the reserve during the Masai Mara rainy season, which typically runs from late March to May and November to early January.

• THE FOUR DIFFERENT TOPOGRAPHIES

The Mara is separated into four different conformations known as the Ngama Hills, Oloololo Escarpment, Mara Triangle, and the Central Plains.

• NGAMA HILLS

Half of the reserve is made up of the Eastern facet from the Mara and Talek Rivers to the Ngama Hills. The Hills rise above the main Sekenani entrance gate and are a striking feature of the landscape perceptible from all areas of the park, and a serviceable landmark if you are doing a self-drive safari. It is the nearest part of the reserve to Nairobi and the most frequented. You can spot the big cats and cheetahs here along with their targets of gazelle, antelope, elands, and ostrich, along with herds of elephants. The only intersection between the eastern and western sectors of the park is the southern Mara Bridge, perfect for views of a large pool of hippos.

• THE MARA TRIANGLE

The Mara Triangle is governed by the non-profit organization known as the Mara conservancy in the interest of the Trans-Mara county council and it is the southernmost part of the Masai Mara National Reserve. With an area of 510 km sq, the Mara Triangle is one-third of the Masai Mara National Reserve. It boasts two natural boundaries, to the southwest is the Tanzania / Serengeti border, to the east is the Mara River, and to the northwest is the Oldoinyo Escarpment. Mara Serena is the only lodge inside the Mara Triangle and Little Governors is the only camp. The Mara Triangle is accessible by road and is easy to approach by plane with Serena and Kichwa Tembo airstrips. The grasslands of the Mara heave with wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle, as well as many other predators in July and August.

• THE SIRIA ESCARPMENT

Siria Escarpment is an escarpment in the Rift Valley province with the region font code of Africa / Middle East and is situated at an ascension of 1,828 m above sea level. An Escarpment is a long line of steep slopes rifting level surfaces above and below. It is also known as Doinya Escarpment, Istria Escarpment, Ololol Escarpment, or Soitolol.

• THE CENTRAL PLAINS

Situated between the Mara and Talek Rivers in the heart of the Masai Mara, the Central Plains features an exceedingly reliable game viewing, particularly for big cats, many of whom are habituated to vehicles. You can take great photos without fear of driving the cats away. The Mara River and the Talek are the only stable water sources flowing through the Masai Mara National Reserve. The Mara River sustains plenty of birdlife and aquatic life including hippos, crocodiles, and otters. leopards, vervet monkeys, and bushbucks who reside in the abundant forest that borders the river.

• THE PLENTIFUL BIRDLIFE

The Mara is home to over 470 species of avian species, many of which are migrants with almost 60 species being raptors. Vultures, secretary birds, marabou storks, crowned cranes, ostriches, and many more dwell here.

If you are looking to live these four incredible show-stoppers that make up the Masai Mara experience on your Kenya safari tours, get in touch with us today to get started.