Frequently asked questions

It's a simple, human process with no obligation:

1. Tell us about your trip using our trip planner, or contact us directly. Share who's traveling, when, what you'd love to see and a rough budget.
2. We design your journey. A travel designer reviews your request, asks any questions and prepares a day-by-day proposal with a clear quote.
3. You review and refine it until it feels right.
4. You approve the final itinerary and quote.
5. You receive payment instructions or a secure payment link from Travel Ease Company LLC, and only then do you pay.
6. You travel with local support on the ground.

Every trip is tailor-made, so there are no one-size-fits-all packages. You can read more on How It Works.

Yes. Submitting a trip request, talking with a travel designer and receiving a proposed itinerary and quote are all free, with no obligation to book. We don't ask for payment or card details to start planning.

You only pay once you've approved your final itinerary and quote, at which point Travel Ease sends payment instructions or a secure payment link. If you decide not to go ahead, that's completely fine, and you won't owe us anything.

You'll see a confirmation with a reference number, and a travel designer reads your request personally. We aim to reply within one business day, usually with a few questions to understand your trip better: what excites you most, how flexible your dates are, and any needs such as diet, mobility or children's ages.

We then check availability with our local partners and prepare a proposal with a day-by-day itinerary, accommodation styles, what's included and a clear quote. You can reply by email, phone or WhatsApp, whichever you prefer.

It depends on the trip. A single-country journey based on one of our Sample Journeys is usually quicker to prepare than a multi-country safari with several light-aircraft flights and permits that are limited in number. We'll give you a realistic timeframe when we first reply, and keep you updated if we're waiting on availability from a lodge or park authority.

If you're working to a fixed date, such as a honeymoon or school breaks, mention it in your request so we can focus first on the arrangements that matter most.

Absolutely, that's the whole point of tailor-made travel. Every journey on our site is a starting point, and we'll adjust the dates, accommodation, activities, pace and budget until it fits you. Common changes include adding a beach extension, slowing the pace with more nights in each place, upgrading a camp or switching to a private vehicle.

Before you approve, you can ask for as many revisions as you need. After you've approved and paid, changes are often still possible, but they depend on availability and on the terms set out in your written proposal, so let us know as early as you can.

That's one of the most common starting points, and it's where we can help most. In the trip planner, tell us you'd like help choosing, then share what you enjoy (wildlife, beaches, culture, food, adventure or a mix), when you'd like to travel and a rough budget.

Your travel designer will suggest destinations that suit your season and style, and explain the trade-offs honestly. For inspiration, explore by interest, such as Safari & Wildlife or Beaches & Islands, or look at a sample like Serengeti + Zanzibar.

As a general guide, start six to twelve months ahead for peak safari months (roughly July to October in East Africa), the Christmas and New Year period, school breaks and gorilla trekking, when the best-located camps and permits are in demand. For many other trips, three to six months is comfortable.

Shorter notice is sometimes possible, especially outside peak season or if you're flexible on lodges and dates. Tell us your timing when you start planning, and we'll be honest about what's realistically available.

Yes, in the ways that matter most for a smooth trip. We advise on sensible international routings and connection times, and we can include regional and internal flights in your itinerary, such as light-aircraft flights between safari camps or domestic flights between cities.

For international flights, tell us in your trip request whether you'd like them included in your quote or prefer to arrange them yourself, for example with airline miles. Either way, we'll plan transfers and timings around your flights so your arrival and departure days work smoothly.

Yes. Because every trip is tailor-made, we plan for couples, families, friends, private groups and celebrations.

For honeymoons, we focus on privacy, special moments and a balance of adventure and rest, often a safari followed by an island such as Zanzibar, Mauritius or the Seychelles. For families, we check children's age policies at every lodge and activity, and often suggest private vehicles and family rooms. For groups, we can look at exclusive-use lodges, villas or vehicles.

See our pages for couples, families and private groups.

Yes. Travel Ease is registered in the United States, but we plan trips for travelers from many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and India. You can choose a display currency on our site, and your travel designer will take your departure country into account for flight routings, time zones and seasonal planning.

Entry requirements depend on your nationality, so our Travel to Africa section includes guidance for specific source markets, with links to official sources. Quotes are prepared individually, and your proposal confirms the currency and how payment works.

Only after you've approved your itinerary and quote. Planning, proposals and revisions are free, and nothing is charged while we design your trip.

Once you approve your written proposal, Travel Ease Company LLC sends you payment instructions or a secure payment link. Most trips involve a deposit to confirm the arrangements and a final balance before travel, but the exact amounts and due dates depend on your trip and its suppliers. They're set out clearly in your proposal before you approve it.

After you approve your itinerary and quote, Travel Ease Company LLC sends you a payment request: either a secure payment link or approved payment instructions, such as bank transfer details, together with the amount due and the due date.

We never ask you to enter card details on the Africa Awaits You website, and we won't ask for payment before you've approved your trip. If you ever receive payment details that look unusual or unexpected, please contact us via the details on our Contact page to verify them before paying.

Because every trip we plan is designed around the traveler, and prices depend on live availability for your exact dates, lodges, flights and permits. An instant checkout would mean charging you for something that no one has checked or confirmed.

Instead, a travel designer builds and prices your trip, you review and approve it, and only then does Travel Ease send payment instructions. It takes a little longer than clicking a button, but it means you know exactly what you're getting before you pay, with no surprises later.

No. The "from" prices on our journeys and packages exclude international flights, because fares depend heavily on where you're departing from, your dates and your cabin class. Internal and regional flights that are part of an itinerary, such as light-aircraft flights between safari camps, are included where the journey page says so.

In the trip planner, you can tell us whether your budget includes international flights. We're happy to advise on sensible routings and connection times, and your proposal will always state clearly which flights are and aren't included.

Because every trip is tailored, a single fixed price wouldn't be honest. Our "from" prices are estimated starting points per person, based on two people sharing a comfortable version of the itinerary in a typical season, excluding international flights.

Final pricing depends on dates, hotels, group size and itinerary. Peak-season travel, luxury lodges, private vehicles, single rooms or added activities raise the price, while shoulder-season dates or simpler accommodation can lower it. Your proposal includes a clear quote for your actual trip, with inclusions and exclusions listed, before you commit to anything.

Africa Awaits You is a Travel Ease Company LLC product. Travel Ease is American-registered, African-owned and locally experienced, combining the accountability of a U.S.-registered travel business with local expertise and trusted on-the-ground partners.

Your itinerary is coordinated by Travel Ease and supported by local African travel professionals, such as guides, drivers and ground handlers in each destination. When you're ready to pay for an approved trip, payment instructions come from Travel Ease directly. You can read more about our approach on How It Works.

While you travel, you're looked after by experienced local professionals: the guides, drivers, lodge teams and ground handlers who deliver each part of your itinerary. They know your plans in advance, meet you on arrival and handle the day-to-day logistics.

Before departure, you'll receive your final itinerary with contact details for the people responsible for each stage of your trip, plus a way to reach us. Our role is to coordinate everything, keep all the pieces connected and help if anything needs to change.

Travel in Africa can involve long distances, small planes and changing weather, so we plan with the unexpected in mind. If a flight is delayed, a road is closed or you feel unwell, contact your guide or the local contact in your travel documents first; they're closest and can respond most quickly. You can also reach us, and we'll work with our partners to rearrange what's needed.

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical care, evacuation and cancellation. How changes and refunds are handled depends on the circumstances and on the terms set out in your written proposal.

Africa is a continent of more than 50 countries, so safety depends on where you go rather than on "Africa" as a whole. Millions of international visitors travel each year to countries such as Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. As anywhere, sensible precautions matter: use trusted transport, keep valuables out of sight in cities, and follow your guide's advice around wildlife.

Conditions can change, so check your government's official travel advice for each country before you book and again before you travel. We share practical, destination-specific guidance and plan routes with current advice in mind. Our Travel to Africa section links to official sources.

It depends on your nationality and on each country you're visiting, and the rules change from time to time. Some destinations allow visa-free entry for certain nationalities, others use electronic visas or travel authorizations that you apply for in advance, and some issue visas on arrival.

Please check the entry requirements for your nationality in our Travel to Africa section, where each item links to an official source and shows when it was last checked. Always verify with the official government source before you travel. Your travel designer will also remind you what to check for your specific itinerary.

Vaccination and health requirements depend on your destinations, your itinerary, your personal medical history and sometimes the countries you've visited recently. We're not medical professionals, so we don't give vaccination advice.

Please consult a travel health professional or your doctor well before you travel, because some vaccines and medications need time to arrange. Check official health guidance for each country too. Our Travel to Africa section links to official sources for entry requirements, and your travel designer can give you a full list of the places you'll visit to share with your health professional.

In cities and most hotels, you'll find Wi-Fi and reasonable cell coverage. On safari, connectivity varies: some camps have Wi-Fi in the main area, while remote camps may have limited or no signal, which many travelers come to enjoy.

For reliable data, many visitors buy a local SIM card or an eSIM, provided their phone is unlocked and supports it. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp are widely used by guides and partners. Before you leave, share your itinerary and emergency contacts with family at home, and check your phone plan's international roaming charges to avoid surprises.

It depends on the country and the type of reserve. In East African national parks, safaris usually use closed 4x4 vehicles with pop-up or open roofs, so you can stand for viewing and photos. Private conservancies and southern African reserves, such as those around Kruger and in Botswana, typically use open-sided 4x4s with tiered seating.

At lodges, game drives are usually shared with a small number of other guests. A private vehicle costs more but lets you set your own pace, which suits families and photographers. Your proposal will state which type is included.

Tipping is customary in most of the destinations we plan trips to, and it's an important part of income for guides, drivers, trackers and hotel staff. What's appropriate varies by country, type of lodge and service, and many camps use a shared tip box for team members you don't see, such as chefs and housekeepers.

Rather than quote figures that may be out of date, we include current, destination-specific tipping guidance with your travel documents. Tips aren't included in our quotes and are always at your discretion, based on the service you received.