Admin
The half of it nobody writes about
None of this is difficult. All of it is easier eight months out than three weeks out.
The passport name
The name on your ticket must match the name in the passport you travel on. Not the name you will have after the paperwork clears, the one in the document on the day.
If you are changing your name, either travel on the old passport and book in that name, or allow genuine time for the new one to arrive before you book anything. This catches somebody every single year and it is entirely avoidable.
Visas and entry
Requirements change, and they change without much notice. Check when you book and check again a month out. Several countries here now use online travel authorisations rather than visas on arrival, and the processing time is not always instant.
A single-entry visa is a trap on a multi-country trip. Say what your route is and check what you need for it.
Insurance
Take a policy that covers medical evacuation. On a remote safari this is not a box-ticking exercise, the nearest hospital may be a flight away, and the evacuation is the expensive part.
Check it also covers the activities you have booked. Some policies exclude gorilla trekking, riding, or anything described as an expedition.
When to book
| Travelling in | Book by |
|---|---|
| July – October, or Christmas | Six to twelve months ahead. The best small camps go first. |
| January – March | Four to six months ahead |
| The shoulder months | Three to four months is usually comfortable |
| Inside eight weeks | Still possible, but you are choosing from what is left |
Gorilla permits are the exception at any time of year: they are limited daily, they are booked by the agency on your behalf, and they sell out months ahead in peak season.
Telling the camps
Say it is a honeymoon at the enquiry stage, not at check-in. Most camps do something; none can do it at an hour’s notice.
What we will not do is promise you a particular gesture from a particular camp, because they are goodwill rather than a contracted inclusion and we do not control them.
Money on the ground
- Most camps are fully inclusive of soft drinks, beer, house wine and laundry
- Tips are separate and worth budgeting deliberately, your quote will suggest a scale
- Small US dollar notes are useful; very old notes are sometimes refused
- Card acceptance is good in cities and patchy in camps
More from our Africa guides
Specialist guides across our Africa network
Each of these is a focused guide we publish. Same Africa specialist behind every enquiry.
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