Safari.com - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

We're here to help for any questions you have regarding your African safari.
For any questions, or to start planning your trip, please send an email to helpmeplan@safari.com

How does it work, what is the process to book a safari?

Your journey begins with an inquiry, which you can place in several ways:
- Click "Start Planning" to share a general idea of your interests.
- Submit an inquiry for a specific package or lodge that has caught your eye.
- Contact us directly via email or phone for personalized assistance.

To ensure we can serve you best, include details like your travel dates (even approximate), the number of travelers, and the destinations or lodges you’re considering.

Once we receive your inquiry, a consultant will personally reach out to assist with any decisions you need to make and help finalize the perfect itinerary. They will also provide guidance on availability, flights, transfers, and other key details to ensure every aspect of your trip is tailored to your needs.

When you’re happy with the plan, the consultant will send a provisional booking email for payment and confirmation. After payment is received, we’ll gather a few essential details to share with lodges, airlines, and transfer providers. We’ll also activate travel insurance if you selected it, ensuring everything is ready for your seamless safari experience.

As part of our Seamless Safari Promise, we’re here to support you every step of the way—before, during, and after your safari—ensuring your journey is stress-free and unforgettable.

What is your refund policy?

First note that we can include travel insurance for as little as 1% of the booking value, which means we aim to make your booking fully refundable, regardless of when you cancel your booking.

CANCELLATION TERMS
1. Our cancellation policy is as follows:
     Flights are non-refundable.
     Cancellation prior to 61+ days of travel – 25% of total cost is forfeited.
     Cancellation prior to 60 - 31 days of travel – 50% of total cost is forfeited.
     Cancellation less than 30 days prior to travel – 100% of total cost is forfeited.
2. Please note that for certain times of year and for certain of our suppliers, cancellation policies may be more stringent than our above policy and     therefore the company holds the right to forward such additional charges onto the client should such an instance occur.
3. Safari.com will make every effort to avoid misquotation, however if we have made an obvious error or omission which leads to a material cost     implication we reserve the right to cancel a reservation without liability or penalty, or to allow you to make a top up payment to accommodate for     such error or omission.
4. Safari.com reserves the right to levy a 5% admin charge on credit card and bank transfer refunds due to cancellations.

But to reiterate, we can include travel insurance on bookings for a low fee, that includes cancellation cover and mitigates the costs above.

What is your payment policy?

We require a 50% deposit to confirm a booking.
The balance will be determined by the payment schedule of the lodge(s) in your itinerary and we'll send reminders when the balance becomes due.

Is travelling to Africa safe?

At Safari.com, safety is our priority. It's at the core of who we are. We employ expert guides, use state-of-the-art vehicles, and rigorously monitor conditions to ensure your safari is as safe as it is spectacular. Explore with confidence and peace of mind. 

Africa is a safe holiday destination, especially when it comes to safaris. Most of our travelers fly to airports close to the reserves and are then transferred directly to lodges where you will only interact with a small number of people.

For additional peace of mind we can easily arrange travel insurance at highly competitive rates.
This means, that for any events outside of your control, you will have cover for any cancellation fees (up to $5k per person), medical cover (up to $2m) and various other scenarios. Additional coverage is available for an additional fee, feel free to speak to our consultants for more information.

Is it cheaper to book directly with lodges?

There is a common misconception that booking direct will be cheaper.
In fact, safari lodges and operators are required to sell at the same industry rate. The reason this can occur is because online travel agencies , like ourselves, receive a commission from lodges when our customers stay at a lodge.
Often lodge reservations are less equipped to deal with bespoke customer requirements and generally don't assist with flights and logistics involved with making your safari happen.

At Safari.com, we handle everything including flights, transfers and even include free travel insurance.
The result is luxury support at the same price as booking direct.

Can you assist with flights and transfers?

We'll handle everything. Your happiness is our primary concern from the moment you place an enquiry to the moment you return from your trip.

I have found a better price somewhere else, will Safari.com match it?

Because lodges and operators sell the lodging portion at the same price, this would be unusual.
But when this does occur, we will absolutely match it.

Read our best price guarantee.

Have our consultants actually visited the lodges they use in planning your trips?

Our consultants have been in the industry for some time and have in-depth knowledge and experience of all the lodges and suppliers they will use to create your safari trip. But knowledge alone is not enough, and we are constantly sending our consultants on safaris so that they have first-hand knowledge of the products they sell.

If you'd like to take a look at some of their experiences, we frequently post about their trips in our blog.

Customer Testimonials

4.9
out of 5 based on
Dec 13, 2024
Leigh-Ann Croeser from Safari.com was fantastic
Leigh-Ann from Safari.com was great to work with to plan our group safari trip. She was able to get me on the priority waitlist for a lodge that I liked, which ended up working out for our group during my preferred dates. Leigh-Ann was responsive and provided various tour recommendations for us to decide on the best option for us. There were a few email and name typos from Leigh-Ann that I had to correct, but other than that, I had a great experience.
Stanley Choi
,
US
Dec 12, 2024
Dolan was terrific
Dolan was terrific. He got back to us immediately to answer all of our questions. And was so nice to hold a room for a couple of days because of my moms passing. It gave us time to finalize her arrangements and time to book our trip. I would highly recommend using him to book your trip!!
Scott Roberts
,
US
Dec 12, 2024
Great support and communication
I had great support from Lana, she has been helping to book the dream trip to Bostwana in a very efficient way. Great communication, very responsive and precise, could not wish for more. Highly recommend her.
Michael
,
CZ
Dec 12, 2024
Anja Is A Fabulous Travel Consultant
Anja Mayer was extremely knowledgeable, patient, prompt with her responses to questions, and always very helpful. She was also a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend to anyone that asks that Anja is the right person to contact if they are interested in travelling to South Africa or Botswana.
Lewis Warren
,
US
Dec 12, 2024
Anja did a fabulous job!
Anja was knowledgeble, patient prompt with her responses to questions and always very helpful. In addition, it was a pleasure working with her. I would recommend her to anyone without any reservation.
Lewis Warren
,
US
Dec 10, 2024
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to…
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to arrange and organize our trip!! She was on the ball, made sure everything was in place and travel arrangements secured! I highly recommend her!!
JUDITH ANN
,
US
Dec 9, 2024
Great support from Shann
Shann made the booking experience seamless - provided very helpful information to ensure we fully understood what the experience would be like and made sure we felt safe with experiences we have booked.
SUE And Bryson STEIN
,
AU
Dec 9, 2024
Quick & efficient
Very fast response, polite - impressive
Eduardo Rocha
,
BR
Dec 7, 2024
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays…
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays travel ..information about flight changes hard to get..but on arrival the holiday was taken over Safari.com..amazing ..experience everything was fine tuned and the staff ..guides drivers fabulous and friendly ..lots of knowledge..lots of fun and the surprises they did was so lovely ...loved every minute ..Paris our guide was amazing..10/10 and Eric driver ..the waiters and waitress every and everyone in the hotels .smiling and friendly..Best holiday of my life
Gillian Dodsworth
,
GB
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