FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

• What do I need to bring with me?

  A healthy sense of humor, and your spirit of adventure! Besides this, your personal items, especially those that may be difficult to obtain during your tour. We will send you a comprehensive check list of essentials that you need to bring along.

• Are there age or health restrictions on any activities?

  Only travelers over the age of 15 are allowed to track primates or participate in walking safaris. Any traveler found to be suffering from a communicable disease such as a common cold or cough, influenza or diarrhea may be barred by park authorities from tracking gorillas and chimpanzees to avoid passing the infection on to the primates. If you are suffering from such a disease on the day of the track, we recommend that you report this to your Professional Guide, as this may allow him to obtain a refund of your tracking permit for you.

  We do not have an upper age limit for clients, and encourage mature clients to travel. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are aware of the demands of a trip and the fitness levels required.

• How do I know if I’m fit enough for a tour?

  Our primate tracking, bush walking and active tours include strenuous hikes in hot or humid conditions, and it is recommended that tour participants are of good health and fitness. However, we have taken people of all ages, from all walks of life on safari, including disabled clients in wheel chairs, and we will probably be able to design a trip that is right for you.

• How can I communicate with people back home when I am on safari?

  Communications throughout Africa are improving in leaps and bounds, and the most areas have mobile and/or Internet coverage, with the majority of our clients being able to roam on their existing home number. Almost every bush lodge will have Internet facilities, and the town hotels we use all have fully equipped business centres. We provide all our clients with a local phone and number, which you can give to your loved ones before you leave home for them to call you on safari.

• Who will meet me at the airport?

  We always have our friendly and welcoming Guest Relations staff to meet you at the airport and assist with check-in procedures at your hotel. We will also have a member of staff on hand to assist with your check-out at the end of the tour and see you off at the airport.

• How will I travel from one place to the next?

  We use a combination of road and air transfers to get you from one place to another. Our vehicles are all custom built for the local conditions they operate in, and we only use air companies of the highest safety record and reliability.

• Who will my guides be?

  Your guides are members of a truly remarkable group. Their enthusiasm, expertise, language skills, environmental understanding, cultural knowledge, and safety training are unparalleled. Besides showing you wonders you would never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely. They love to share stories and swap tall tales, and each and every one of them embodies the spirit of adventure and the joy of exploration.

• What kind of food can I expect?

  Food in your town hotel will be varied and you will find on offer a wide choice of local, Western and Oriental cuisine. In the wildlife areas, menus are generally Western with some local fare. Meals are well cooked, and clean water is used for cooking. Special and vegetarian diets can usually be accommodated. We recommend that on your tour, you restrict yourself to drinking bottled water, and never tap water, even in the town hotels.

• What sort of accommodations should I expect?

  We use the best available accommodation in any area we visit. In towns at the beginning and end of your tour, the accommodation available consists of 3 to 4 star hotels.

  Accommodations in the wildlife areas consist of camps and lodges which range from comfortable to luxurious, all having en suite or private bathroom facilities, good food, well-stocked bars, and most with flush toilets and hot and cold running water. Those tented camps in some of the more remote or ecologically-sensitive areas have more basic bathroom facilities, with bush toilets and bush showers. However, even these are comfortable and offer a high standard of service.

• What is included in and excluded from the price of my tour?

  Details of typical inclusions and exclusions are listed at the bottom of the “Dates and Prices” page for each tour on our website. However, before you send us a deposit to book your tour, you will have received a detailed list of what your tour price includes and excludes.