Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, all of our programs are available and operating. They can be booked online through this website.
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No, it is not necessary to contact us and check availability. Everything you can book online on our website is available and you can just book it online.
No, your booking will never be cancelled from our side. We cooperate with two other big safari operators and therefore can guarantee enough participants for the shared safaris offered on our website at any given date. Also for the Kilimanjaro climbs we cooperate with partners. In almost all cases there is a group. However, even though the situation is highly unlikely, it is potentially possible that you are the only climber. In this case you will have your own porters and guide. For the shared day trips, if you book with a lead time of one week or more, we can usually find other participants to join you. If you book with shorter time notice, you might be the only one doing the day trip.
You can pay making use of the following options: -- If you are booking more than 2 months ahead, you can also pay a first instalment (via all available payment options) to secure your booking, and the remainder 1 week prior to the start of your program. In this case also please drop us an email to info@budget-safari-tanzania.com and we can send you payment links for the two instalments.
Of course you will get an official invoice and payment receipt. When you book online, it will be automatically issued and emailed to the email address you provide. Should you not see the invoice, please check your spam folder, where
When making an online booking, you will immediately receive via email an automated invoice/receipt. Should you not see the invoice, please check your spam folder, where automatically generated emails might end up at some providers. For the Kilimanjaro climbs, you will usually meet the guide the evening/night prior to your climb at your accommodation in Moshi for a briefing. You will be informed about this from us in writing.
On our website, you can find details about the safari accommodation options, including pictures and names of the campsites and lodges used.
Children of up to (including) 4 years can join for free. The child rate applies from 5 to 16 years. From 17 years the adult rate applies.
You cannot customize the itinerary of SHARED SAFARIS, but you can customize the itinerary of PRIVATE SAFARIS. In case of a private safari you have your own driver-guide and vehicle, so there is total flexibility concerning the itinerary. You can just book online a private safari of the duration you wish (e.g. 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days) on our website and then write in the comment field how you would like to itinerary to be customized. The rates are the same for all private safaris of the same duration. Please note that the itinerary you are requesting for must be logistically feasible (e.g. taking into consideration distances that need to be driven; e.g. a "2 days only Serengeti Safari" is not feasible due to the large distances between Moshi/Arusha and the Serengeti - it would mean that you would just drive to Serengeti on the first day and then return to Moshi on the second day, so you won't spend any time inside the Serengeti other than the overnight stay). We will reply to you via email to confirm whether the itinerary you have requested is logistically possible. You can also contact us and ask prior to making the online booking.
If you are a foreigner holding a Tanzanian Residence Permit, there is a small discount, as the entrance fees for Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Kilimanjaro National Parks are reduced in this case. Foreign residents of East African countries other than Tanzania however cannot get any discounts, as no reductions of National Park entrance fees and tourism taxes apply in this case.
Yes, if you are booking more than 2 months in advance, you can pay 20% to secure your booking, and the remainder 1 week prior to the start of your program. If you want to make use of this option, please do your online booking without finalising the payment and send us an email to info@budget-safari-tanzania.com. We will then manually email you payment options for the 2 instalments.
You can find our Cancellation conditions under 4) Cancellation in our Terms & Conditions.
We recommend you to take out a travel cancellation insurance, which would cover all cancellation costs, should you not be able to start your trip due to an unforseeable event. The travel cancellation insurance of CAREMED is a good choice. You need to take it out a minimum of 30 days prior to the start of your travel.
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On a "Shared Safari" you will join a group of other travellers. You will sit in the same safari vehicle with them. The maximum number of travellers in one vehicle will be 7 travellers. They might stay at different accommodation, depending on the category (camping, simple lodge, standard lodge) they have booked. The shared safari is the more cost effective option per person. On a shared safari you will of course NOT have to share the room/tent with other travellers that you don't know, but only the vehicle. On a "Private Safari" you will have your own vehicle and driver-guide. There is total flexibility about the itinerary when you book a private safari, so you can customize your safari. The private safari is the more expensive option per person.
We recommend you to arrive in Tanzania latest the day before the start of the safari or Kilimanjaro climb, as the safari and Kilimanjaro climb starts early in the morning. For Kilimanjaro climbs there is usually a briefing about the climb in the evening before the climb. In the online booking process on our website, you can simply add accommodation at "Kili Cottages" for the night prior to your safari/Kili climb (and also for the night after your safari/Kili climb) by checking the respective check-box. Kili Cottages is a simple, but modern and clean budget accommodation in Moshi Town, offering AC and non-AC (fan only) single, twin and double rooms. However, if you prefer you can stay at any other hotel. For safaris we can pick you up from any hotel or public location in Moshi Town and Arusha Town at no extra cost. For Kilimanjaro climbs we would pick you up from Moshi only. The recommended airport for international arrivals is JRO (Kilimanjaro International Airport). We can also pick you up from the airport on arrival and bring you to your accommodation (and back to the airport at the end of your holidays). If you would like to book airport transfers, just check the respective checkbox in the online booking process. If you prefer, you can also arrive by flight on the day when your safari starts and start your safari straight away. For the shared safaris, pickup time at JRO airport in this case is 7:30am-8am and at Arusha airport 9am-9:30am.
3-7 days prior to your safari, Kilimanaro climb or day trip, you will receive an email from us informing you about the exact pick up time. Please be ready at that time at the reception of your hotel so that we can start the safari without any delay. Please inform us about the hotel/location where you would like to be picked up in the comment field when making an online booking, or if you haven't booked your accommodation yet, email it to us as soon as you have this information. For safaris: We can pick you up from your hotel or any other public location in Moshi Town or Arusha Town (also other towns along the safari route such as Boma Ng'ombe, Mto wa Mbu and Karatu are possible). For all SHARED safaris, except for the 3 days Ngorongoro + Serengeti safari, the pick up times are:
Only for the 3 days Ngorongoro + Serengeti safari, as a lot of driving is involved, the departure is one hour earlier than above indicated departure times. For this safari, there is also the option to start the safari with a transfer to Mto wa Mbu the evening before the start of your safari, stay there overnight and then start your safari the next morning from there. For private safaris, as there is total flexibility, you can also start the safari at a later hour. However, we recommend you not to start more than 1.5 hours later than above indicated times to make best use of your first day of safari.
For Kilimanjaro climbs: All Kilimanjaro Climbs start at 9am from Moshi. We will pick you up from your hotel or any other public location in Moshi Town.
For Day trips: The Chaggaland day trip starts at 9am from Moshi. Arusha National Park day trip usually starts at 7am. Tarangire National Park day trip usually starts at 6am. All other full day trips usually start at 10am. We will pick you up from your hotel or any other public location in Moshi Town.
The end time of the safari on its last day is typically: Please note that we cannot guarantee these times as there might be reasons why your return delays, e.g. traffic conditions, sickness of a traveller, technical problems of the vehicle etc. So if you book a flight, make sure to allow buffer time. For international flights you have to be at the airport latest 2 hours prior to the departure time.
You can do your safari throughout the year. The driver-guides will adapt the routes within the National Parks following the migration patterns of the animals to make sure you can see a maximum amount of animals.
Rainy season is in Tanzania from middle of March to middle of May, and from middle of November to middle of December. You can perfectly do your safari during rainy season. It will most likely not be raining throughout the day and when landscapes are green you can see many animals. Safaris are never cancelled due to rain. The 4WD safari vehicles can pass almost any road and the driver-guides will adapt the exact routes within the National Parks if necessary.
Vegetarian meals are available. Please inform us when making the booking about your preference for the vegetarian meal option. Concerning vegan meals, we have tried to train our cooks to understand the concept of vegan food. However, as a vegan meal plan strongly differs from the Tanzanian way of cooking, they might not follow it 100% strictly. Cow milk is particularly often used for sauces. So we recommend clients who expect 100% vegan meals, to directly ask the driver-guide/cook what he is planning to prepare as a meal and ask for the ingredients being used, and advise him to avoid those ingredients that don't match their dietary requirements.
For camping safaris, it includes a basic tent, a sleeping pad, a sleeping bag, a foldable camping table and a foldable camping chair. If you book a simple lodge safari which includes camping on certain locations where no simple lodge exists, in addition to above equipment we also provide a field bed and we use a larger tent size compared to the camping option. For Kilimanjaro climbs, we provide a basic tent, a sleeping pad, a foldable camping table and a foldable camping chair. Please note that the sleeping bag is not included. If you don't bring your own sleeping bag, you can rent one at hiking equipment rental shops in Moshi (which is approx. 15 usd for the duration of a Kilimanjaro climb).
The maximum capacity is 7 passengers. We use 8-seater Toyota Landcruisers which are customized for safari use (including pop-up roofs) in case of a group size of 5-7 persons for any safari of a duration of 3 days or longer. In case of a group size of up to 4 persons, we use a 5 seater Toyota Landcruiser with pop-up roof. |
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We are a company, which is fully registered in Tanzania with BRELA (Business Registration and Licensing Agency) and TRA (Tanzania Revenue Authorities). Our company name is WU Intercultural Experience Tanzania Ltd. Our brand name for budget safaris, Kilmanjaro climbs, and excursion services is Budget Safari Tanzania. We also are fully licensed from TANAPA (Tanzania National Park Authorities) to operate safaris and Kilimanjaro climbs in all Tanzanian National Parks.
There are a few reviews on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/budget.safari.tanzania/reviews We have just recently started to spend effort into social media, so there are not many reviews yet. We would appreciate if you could leave your review.
Yes, our office is located in Moshi/Tanzania at the following address: Moshi-Arusha Street, CCM Building Room 214, Moshi, Tanzania Please see the location on Google Maps.
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