Frequently Asked Questions

Certainly! We’ll get to know your personal travel style and help you find the right destination based on your interests, timeframe, and budget.

As a matter of fact, that’s all we do! The sample itineraries on our website are designed to give you a taste of what’s possible. If you’re interested in a package, we can use this as a starting point to begin handcrafting your African safari, but your trip will be completely customized.

This varies by country and experience. See more detailed info about the best time to visit specific destinations:
South Africa • Botswana • Kenya • Tanzania • Zambia • Zimbabwe • Namibia • Rwanda • Uganda • Seychelles • Mauritius • Mozambique • Maldives

For southern Africa, we recommend a bare minimum of 3 nights on safari, giving you two full days for game viewing. If you have the time and budget, 4 or 5 nights will give you more time to relax and enjoy your lodge, plus enjoy walking or water safaris if they’re available.

We recommend contacting us at least 8 to 12 months before you plan to travel. This may seem like a long time, but trust us, boutique safari lodges fill up fast! At Africa Endeavours, we stick to 4- to 5-star properties that we’ve personally vetted, so you know you’ll love your safari experience. The more exclusive you want your safari lodge or camp to be, the more time you should allow to make sure you can book the one you want.

Most safari lodges don’t allow children under 12 to go on game drives. However, many will provide nanny services at the lodge or even have special nature and outdoor activities for children. We recommend staying in a malaria-free game reserve if you’re traveling with young children.

Our travel designers will help you find the best family-friendly safari lodges to suit your needs.

“Voluntourism” is not our area of expertise. However, the safari lodges we use are committed to sustainable tourism. Part of your accommodation cost goes toward conservation of the environment, providing stable employment to locals, and projects empowering local communities. Ask our travel designers about additional opportunities to give back.

This varies depending on the lodges you use, when you travel, and many other factors. At Africa Endeavours, we stick to 4- and 5-star lodges we’ve personally vetted. For more information, please check our About Our Pricing page. On safari, accommodations are all-inclusive.

For a South Africa safari, you can expect to spend at least $2,000 per person on round-trip international airfare in economy class. This doesn’t include connecting flights to other countries or in-country transfers. Prices will be higher for peak season travel.

The sample itineraries on our website are designed to give you a taste of what’s possible. If you’re interested in a package, we can use this as a starting point to begin handcrafting your African safari, but your trip will be completely customized.

Keep in mind that our sample packages are priced at low season and without airfare. The price can vary depending on when you travel, if you choose different lodges, if you want a room upgrade, etc.

Yes, we encourage you to use frequent flyer miles where you can. However, due to regulations, we cannot book a flight with your miles. Please contact us first so we can assist you in choosing which flights to secure. This is an important step to ensure no backtracking occurs and you make the most of your miles. We will let you know which flights it makes sense to use miles on.

The airlines dictate the pricing available. Generally speaking, we get similar pricing to what is available online. However, one of the benefits of our airline contracts is that we can book all your flights together on one ticket, eliminating many potential headaches.

If one of your flights is delayed, all remaining flights on that ticket will be reissued automatically. You’ll have the same baggage allowance for all your flights, so you won’t have to worry about hidden baggage fees. And finally, your checked baggage will go right through to your final destination, even if you have multiple layovers, so you don’t have to worry about picking it up and rechecking it at one of your stops.

We cannot guarantee any honeymoon upgrades. Most airlines do not offer upgrades for honeymoon couples’ international travel. Some properties will have special value adds for honeymooners, such as a bottle of champagne upon arrival or a special romantic meal. Our travel designers like to include special touches for honeymooners as well, but we don’t want to spoil the surprise!

First, we’ll chat with you to learn what you’re looking for in a trip and your timeframe, budget, and travel style. Then, it’s time to officially start the process, and the planning fee will be collected.

The planning fee covers a custom itinerary, research, coordination, unlimited communication with your travel designer, and our team’s firsthand experience. It is non-refundable and paid upfront.

Yes, we are a luxury travel company and require a minimum booking of $16,000 total for your trip. This includes accommodations, transfers, and any touring for all travelers in your group. All airfare is priced separately.

As is typical in the travel industry, we use wholesale rates that include non-disclosure clauses. However, we consider your budget throughout the planning process and hit that mark as closely as possible. Airfare prices vary widely depending on your travel time and may cause us to go over budget, in which case we will do as much as we can to adjust the rest of your itinerary accordingly.

We do separate your pricing into land and air costs. Wherever possible, we will send you links to the recommended accommodation and tours so you can make informed decisions.

Yes, the destinations we sell are quite safe. Of course, any major city in the world will pose some risks, and you should practice common sense, but the cities you’ll visit en route to a safari are developed for tourism, and you will find plenty of other travelers there.

Our travel designers visit Africa regularly and can provide personal recommendations on where to go and what to do in the city.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has the most up-to-date information about the Zika virus.

You can find country-specific information about vaccination requirements on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Yes. Travel insurance, particularly medical coverage and emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory. You can use our recommended travel insurance or find your own, but we require proof of insurance before booking.

If you fly between safari lodges (“lodge hopping”), it will be in a small aircraft with strict weight limits for safety reasons. A soft-sided bag without a frame is a must, and a weight limit of 15-20 kg for all of your luggage (including cameras and handheld bags) is strictly enforced on these flights. If you exceed the limit, you may have to pay for an extra seat or make other arrangements for your baggage; either way, it can be quite an expensive mistake!

A cheaper option to travel between safari lodges is to take a road transfer in a safari vehicle. These transfers don’t have a strict weight limit, but the bags will be piled underneath the seats, so you’ll still want to bring soft-sided luggage, such as a duffel bag.

We do not process visas; the traveler is responsible for ensuring they have the correct entry documentation. Please note that visa requirements change frequently. Find the most up-to-date information about your destination on the Department of State’s website.

As of 2021, all Americans visiting the European Schengen Zone must obtain an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) visa waiver. For the most up-to-date information, please visit etiasvisa.com.

Yes, for any destination you travel to outside the USA or Canada, you need a minimum of 6 months’ validity past your date of return from your trip. If your flights have been purchased already, be sure the name on your passport matches your ticket’s name to avoid problems at the airport.

Before we purchase your airline tickets, your passport and airline tickets must match 100%, which for US passports usually includes a middle name. Some airlines will charge you for a whole new ticket if the names are wrong, which can be quite a costly error.