Frequently Asked Questions

We design and operate safaris across Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar, Namibia, Botswana (Okavango Delta and Chobe) and Victoria Falls (both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides).

Kingse is Australian-owned with founder Jackson Potter on the Gold Coast and our own guides and ground team in Tanzania. ABN 37 698 821 886. Tanzania Tour Operator License 036650. Read more about us.

Jackson Potter is the founder, based on the Gold Coast, Australia. Our senior guides, Pete Nanyaro and Wilson Kilong, are based in Arusha, Tanzania.

We're an Australian company (ABN 37 698 821 886) with a fully licensed Tanzanian tour operation (Tourism License 036650). No third parties, no middle men. We design the trip, we guide it on the ground, we deliver. Full story on the about page.

Every trip is tailored, but a typical safari package includes all accommodation, full-board meals during the safari, private 4WD vehicle and expert guide, park entry and conservation fees, domestic transfers and flights where applicable, and all activities listed in your itinerary.

International flights, visas, travel insurance, and personal expenses (tips, laundry, souvenirs) are typically not included. We provide a detailed breakdown with every proposal so you know exactly what you're paying for.

For peak season travel (July to October, December to January), we recommend booking 6 to 12 months in advance, particularly if gorilla trekking permits are involved, as Rwanda and Uganda both have limited daily permits.

For shoulder season and green season travel, 3 to 6 months is usually sufficient. We can sometimes accommodate shorter lead times depending on availability. The earlier you start the conversation, the more options we have.

East Africa is a well-established safari destination and millions of visitors travel safely each year. Our guides are highly experienced professionals, our vehicles are maintained to the highest standards, and the lodges and camps we work with have excellent safety records.

We provide comprehensive pre-trip briefings, 24/7 support during your safari, and work only with trusted, proven operators on the ground. Specific health precautions (malaria prophylaxis, vaccinations) are recommended. We provide detailed guidance tailored to your itinerary. Check the State Department's latest travel advice for each country before you book.

Safari can be wonderful for families, and we've designed many trips for guests traveling with children of all ages. The key is matching the right parks, lodges, and activities to your family's needs.

Some parks have age restrictions for certain activities, gorilla trekking in both Rwanda and Uganda requires a minimum age of 15, for example. We select family-friendly lodges with larger rooms, pools, and child-oriented activities, and can adjust game drive schedules to suit younger attention spans.

We take a 50% deposit to secure your booking, with the balance due 60 days before departure. For trips confirmed inside 60 days, full payment is due on confirmation in one invoice.

For trips involving gorilla permits, the permit cost is required upfront as these are non-refundable. We invoice in US dollars as standard. Bank transfer (ACH) to our US dollar account is offered alongside a card payment link on every invoice. Full payment terms and cancellation policies are provided with your proposal.

We invoice US clients in US dollars.

Every invoice includes both a card payment link and bank transfer details, so you can use whichever suits you. US bank transfers (ACH) go to our US dollar account.

Tipping is customary on safari, but it is never mandatory and you should never feel pressured about it. Tip what feels right for the service you get. As a general guide on a private safari like ours: USD 20 to 25 per person per day for your safari guide, USD 10 to 15 per person per day for lodge and camp staff (usually placed in a communal tip box), and USD 2 to 5 per person per transfer for transfer drivers.

Tips are always cash, never card, as most camps are too remote to process one. US dollars are welcome for tips and many guides prefer them; bring clean, recent notes, as older or marked bills are often refused. In Tanzania, Tanzanian Shillings are fine for tips too and there are ATMs in Arusha, and you pay for things on the ground in shillings. Your trip app carries tipping figures tailored to the countries you are visiting.

US passport holders need the multiple-entry visa for Tanzania: $100, valid for a year, applied for online on the official government site only (visa.immigration.go.tz), allowing up to ten days. One visa covers the mainland and Zanzibar. Since October 17, 2026, every arriving traveler also fills in Tanzania's health surveillance form, before you fly or on arrival. Kenya needs an eTA (electronic travel authorization) from $30, applied for at etakenya.go.ke at least two weeks ahead. Since October 5, 2026 Kenya also requires its own government travel health insurance, bought through the eTA. Uganda needs a visa too: apply online before you fly ($50 for a single-entry tourist visa, approval valid for 90 days) and it's issued at Entebbe. Rwanda charges $50 for a 30-day visa, bought on arrival at Kigali airport or online in advance.

Zimbabwe needs a visa, usually bought on arrival in US dollars, and Zambia doesn't need one for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. Namibia has needed a visa since April 1, 2025, which you can apply for online before you travel or on arrival. Botswana and South Africa don't need a visa for stays under 90 days. Where you're eligible, the KAZA UniVisa covers Zambia and Zimbabwe together when crossing at Victoria Falls. We send a destination-specific visa checklist with your pre-trip pack, and we always recommend getting your visa taken care of before you fly rather than on arrival, as some airlines won't let you board without it.

We generally tell people the vaccine is worth having, as one shot lasts a lifetime, but your doctor always has the last say. Take your full itinerary to a travel doctor or your primary care doctor. Book a telehealth appointment before you book anything in person, they can look at your whole itinerary in one call and save you the trip. If the vaccine is not right for you, they can look at an exemption letter instead. We never collect proof. Current entry rules are at travel.state.gov.

We send a detailed packing list with your pre-trip information, tailored to your specific destinations and time of year. Our full safari packing guide is in the journal.

As a general guide: neutral-colored clothing (khaki, olive, brown, avoid bright colors and white), layers for cool mornings and warm afternoons, comfortable walking shoes, a good camera with a zoom lens, binoculars, sunscreen, insect repellent, and any prescribed medications. Laundry is available at most lodges. You don't need to pack heavily, safari is casual.

Yes, travel insurance is a requirement for all Kingse Safaris guests. We recommend comprehensive coverage that includes medical evacuation, trip cancellation, baggage loss, and emergency assistance.

Safari destinations can be remote, and medical evacuation insurance is particularly important. We can recommend trusted providers if you need guidance.

This is one of our specialties. Tanzania plus Zanzibar is the classic combination. Rwanda or Uganda gorillas pair naturally with a Tanzania safari. Victoria Falls adds an adventure element to any East African itinerary.

Namibia and Botswana (Okavango and Chobe) pair beautifully with Victoria Falls or Cape Town, and combine via Johannesburg with East Africa for longer trips. We handle all the routing, flights, border crossings, and logistics. Multi-country itineraries typically run 10 to 16 days depending on how many destinations you include.

Yes. Namibia is one of our newest destinations. We run self-drive itineraries, fly-in safaris, and guided 4WD circuits taking in Sossusvlei dunes, Damaraland desert-adapted elephants, the Skeleton Coast, Etosha National Park and the Caprivi Strip.

Best paired with Victoria Falls or Botswana via Windhoek.

Yes. Botswana covers the Okavango Delta (water-based mokoro safaris and big-game viewing), Chobe National Park (massive elephant herds), the Kalahari and Makgadikgadi Pans.

Best paired with Victoria Falls or Cape Town. Water season versus land season changes the experience meaningfully, so timing matters. We'll walk you through the trade-offs when we scope your trip.

Yes. Chobe sits in northern Botswana, right next to Victoria Falls, and we usually combine the two.

Famous for the densest elephant population in Africa and afternoon boat safaris on the Chobe River. A 2 to 3 night Chobe extension slots into almost any Vic Falls itinerary.

Yes. We cover both the Zambian side (Livingstone, Devil's Pool in low-water season, more relaxed pace) and the Zimbabwean side (Victoria Falls town, the classic panoramic views). The KAZA UniVisa lets you cross between the two sides freely.

Vic Falls combines naturally with Botswana (Chobe, Okavango), Namibia, or as an extension to a Tanzania or Kenya safari.

Both offer the same species, mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Rwanda ($1,500 per permit) is more accessible, 2.5 hours on a good paved road from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park. Uganda is better value at $800 per permit (Uganda Wildlife Authority price; we confirm the current price when we book) and feels wilder.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is more remote, the trekking can be more challenging, and the forest setting is dramatic. Rwanda combines more easily with Tanzania (direct flights Kigali to Kilimanjaro). Uganda offers more primate diversity with chimpanzee trekking in Kibale. We can help you decide which suits your trip best.

It depends on what you want to see and where you're going. June to October is generally the peak dry season across East Africa. The best game viewing as animals concentrate around water sources. The Great Migration river crossings happen July to October.

January to March is calving season in the southern Serengeti. Green season (November to May) offers lush landscapes, baby animals, fewer crowds, and better rates. There's no bad time. Each season has its own character. We tailor timing recommendations to your specific interests. Read more in our Tanzania destination guide.

A tailored safari typically runs from around $6,950 per person for a week-long mid-range trip, up to $18,400 or more per person for flagship lodges and fly-in itineraries. Gorilla permits, Zanzibar beach extensions and multi-country combinations add to that.

The biggest cost drivers are lodge tier, season, party size (the per-person cost drops as the group grows) and how much you fly versus drive. International flights from the US are separate. When we checked in October 2026, economy returns from New York to Kilimanjaro ran from about $1,500 to $3,800 for July 2027 (most one-stop options $2,000 to $3,100) and about $1,300 to $2,550 for February 2027, and fares move. Read our Tanzania cost guide. Every quote is custom.

Plan on roughly 17 to 21 hours of total travel time from the East Coast, with one or two stops. The quickest is Kenya Airways' nonstop from New York JFK to Nairobi (about 14 hours), then about an hour on to Kilimanjaro, roughly 17 hours in all with a short connection. Otherwise you'll connect via Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Doha, Istanbul or Zurich. From Chicago, Houston, Atlanta or Los Angeles, expect 19 hours or more.

Kilimanjaro is the gateway for Tanzania, Nairobi for Kenya and Entebbe for Uganda. East Africa is 7 to 11 hours ahead of the US, so a first-night rest before the safari helps. Because of the distance, we suggest a minimum of 8 to 10 days door to door so the long flights are worth it. We help you plan flight timing around your itinerary, and we can book your international flights for you too.