Amy & Friends - Magical Kenya V3

Expert tips:

Tipping your Safari Guide & other Service Providers in Africa

Tipping your guide/s or staff is usually considered customary in Africa but is always at your discretion, and only if you are totally satisfied. It is a delicate and sensitive issue and many people look for tipping guidelines.

Generally you would only tip at the end of your stay, on departure or final game drive. If you have an envelope, you can place the tip in that and give it to the relevant person/s.

We have quoted USD below, simply because it is a universal currency however all major currencies (Euro, GBP, USD) are accepted as well as local currency like Rands in SA or Namibian Dollars in Namibia. There is no need to exchange to local currency if you have foreign currencies.

Here's what we suggest as a minimum:

• Transfer drivers: USD 2 - 5 per transfer
• Lodge guides or city guides on full day trips: USD 15 per traveller per day
• Trackers: USD 5 per traveller per day

Lodge staff: the easiest way to tip the lodge's cooks, housekeepers and porters is to use the staff tipping box - the contents of which are shared - at the end of your stay. Work on USD 15 per traveller per day. If there is someone who has really stood out and provided excellent service, you may want to tip him or her separately - simply put your tip in an envelope with the person's name on it or pass it on via the camp manager.

It is worth considering your tips at home and preparing to have enough smaller denominations of whatever currency you plan to use – change and smaller notes are unlikely to be available in remote parts of Africa.

Included:

Breakfast, bottled water, use of the whole gym, Wi-Fi, statutory taxes

Excluded:

Lunch and dinner, beverages, transfers, activities, gratuities, extras

Expert tips:

Naboisho is a Maasai community owned conservancy, it is surrounded in the distance by villages and they do use certain areas to graze their cattle, so you will see herdsmen and cattle here and there - but don't worry this is normal in much of East Africa, the game viewing is still phenomenal.

Included:

All meals, conservancy bednight fee, all house drinks (except champagne), game drives, night drives, transfers to/from nearest airstrip and to/from Encounter Mara, limited laundry service.

Excluded:

Cultural visits (US$ 30 per person), balloon safaris.

Included:

All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), soft drinks, beer, house wines and selected spirits, teas, coffees and refreshments (on the property), transfers to and from the designated airstrips, scheduled and shared game drives, guided walking safari, bush breakfast, sundowners, Kitirua Conservancy Fee, laundry services.

Excluded:

Maasai village visits.

Expert tips:

Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers a number of additional activities, I do recommend the anti-poaching dog unit, if you haven't seen a tracking display before it is fascinating and also seeing the last two northern white rhino - to understand the conservation efforts to keep the genes alive. These are additional payment items and need to be arranged through the lodge or through us in advance - each of these activities are $70 pp and those funds are funneled into conservation and the conservancy, money well spent.

Included:

All meals, local beverages, airstrip transfers to and from Kamok airstrip - Ol Pejeta shared game- viewing drives, night drives, escorted bush walks (to be booked in advance, based on ranger's availability), canoeing and mountain biking, Community Trust contribution, picnics, laundry.