Every question
we get, answered.

Book tours and hotels directly on bookaratours.com — pick dates, pay a 30% deposit via Paystack (cards, Apple Pay, M-Pesa where available), and get an email receipt. For a full custom itinerary, message us on WhatsApp with rough dates and group size; we reply within two hours with a plan and price. Final balance is due 45 days before departure.

25% of total trip price. Fully refundable if you cancel more than 90 days before departure. 50% refundable 60–89 days out. Non-refundable inside 60 days (this is standard for the lodges we work with — we pass through their terms transparently).

Yes — we offer a 25% deposit, 25% at 60 days, 50% at 30 days, by default. Talk to us if you need a different schedule.

Tours and stays are priced in USD on the site. Paystack checkout accepts international cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay) and M-Pesa where available. Settlements are processed through our Kenya-registered merchant account — you don't need a Kenyan bank to book.

Yes. As a KATO-bonded operator (licence KE/4421) we are required to hold client deposits in a separate escrow account until the trip operates. If we ever ceased trading, your deposit is recoverable through KATO.

Most nationalities now use the Kenya eTA (electronic travel authorization). Apply at etakenya.go.ke. Cost is $30 USD plus a small processing fee. Approval takes 3–7 days. We help you apply if you'd like — flat fee $50 for full white-glove handling per traveller.

No — book them yourself. International flights are commodity-priced and you'll get a better deal direct (Kenya Airways, Qatar, Emirates, Turkish Airlines all serve Nairobi well). We book all internal Kenya flights as part of your trip.

Jomo Kenyatta International (JKIA) in Nairobi. We pick you up with your name on a sign and transfer you to your first hotel or to Wilson airport for internal connections.

Some. Carry $200–300 USD in small bills for tips and incidentals. Most camps and lodges accept card. Markets and street food are cash-only. M-Pesa works phenomenally well if you get a Kenyan SIM (we can arrange).

Yellow fever certificate required if you're arriving from a yellow-fever country. Routine vaccines (tetanus, hepatitis A) should be up to date. We recommend typhoid for first-time East Africa travellers. Talk to a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before departure.

Yes in safari areas — take prophylaxis (Malarone is the modern standard, one pill a day from two days before to seven after the trip). Nairobi itself is largely malaria-free. All our camps provide treated nets.

Drink bottled water (provided free at all our partner camps). Tap water in cities is theoretically safe but we recommend bottled for short stays. Ice in our camps is made from filtered water.

For tourism — yes, very. Stay within the safari and beach circuits we plan. Avoid demonstrations in Nairobi (rare but possible). The KATO and TRA frameworks ensure operator standards. We have a 24/7 WhatsApp line you reach immediately if anything goes wrong.

Dawn drive: 5:30am–9:30am. Afternoon drive: 4pm–7pm. We tailor these around your preferences — earlier for photographers, shorter for families with young kids.

In the Mara: yes, basically every drive. In Amboseli: sometimes. In Tsavo: with patience. We can't guarantee a specific animal but our routes are designed for reliable sightings.

Nairobi: excellent. Most camps: good wifi in the main lodge area, none in tents (this is by design). Coast: very good. Bring a Kenyan SIM for serious connectivity — we'll deliver one to your first hotel for $20 with $20 of data.

Layers (cool mornings, hot middays). Earth tones for safari (avoid bright white — attracts dust). Closed shoes for walks. Swimsuit for camp pools. Mosquito repellent. A small daypack. We send a detailed packing list 30 days before departure.

Yes. Most camps accept children 6+. Family suites available at flagship camps. Some experiences (walking safari, balloon) have minimum ages. See our family safari guide in the journal.

Yes. Registered as Bookara Tours & Travel Ltd in Kenya, KATO member (KE/4421), TRA Class A licensed. Based in Nairobi. Founded 2021. Two co-founders (Henry Kay and Mercy Mbinya), four full-time staff, a network of senior driver-guides we work with on every trip.

Six people in the Nairobi office. Twelve senior driver-guides on retainer. We deliberately stay small — when you message us, you reach a real person within fifteen minutes during Nairobi daytime.

Because it's how Kenya does business. We tried a normal contact form and an email-only flow. Conversion through WhatsApp is dramatically higher and guests are happier because it's a real conversation, not a ticketed correspondence.

We retain a 15–20% concierge fee on lodge and flight costs. This is included in your trip price. We pass through park fees, visas, and travel insurance at cost. We publish the breakdown openly on every trip page — that's a deliberate brand choice, not an accident.

We have a 24/7 WhatsApp line and a dedicated on-trip support number. In ten years we've had to intervene about a dozen times — flight delays, a guest needing a doctor, one room reassignment. Every time, fixed within hours. If anything ever isn't right, message us immediately.