Questions about taking the whole thing

It depends on the property, and the brochure language for the two arrangements is frequently identical. On some houses both are dedicated; on others they are shared with the main camp and allocated on the day.

Ask directly. It is a one-sentence answer and it is the single most consequential detail in an exclusive-use booking.

Sometimes, and it varies enough between properties to move a per-head figure meaningfully. Some houses count everybody, some charge children at a reduced rate, and some count only adults against the minimum.

Worth establishing before comparing two quotes, because it can account for most of the gap between them.

Three nights commonly, four at some properties, and longer over Christmas and New Year. A longer minimum can make a short trip uneconomic and a long one better value.

It is also the reason exclusive use fits better into a trip with fewer stops — which is usually the better trip anyway.

Often, and a buyout is usually the better answer than a house for that kind of occasion — the mess tent, the proper kitchen, several vehicles and a full guiding team are what twenty people actually need.

Book a long way ahead and expect a minimum stay. Also expect to be asked about the schedule in detail, which is a good sign rather than a bad one.

For a party of four in a house built for twelve, it can be. Some people came for the other guests — the dinner table, the briefing, the couple who saw something you missed — and exclusive use removes all of that.

Worth asking yourselves honestly whether the dining room is something you want to escape or something you were quietly looking forward to. Nobody will raise it while selling it to you.

More than a room rate does, because the whole unit is discounted rather than a per-person figure. A property out of reach in August is frequently ordinary in a shoulder month.

It is the most useful lever available on an exclusive-use booking, and it is why the same question can have different answers in June and September.

A Africa safari is usually quoted fully inclusive: accommodation, all meals, park and conservancy fees, your guide and vehicle, and transport between parks. Most camps include soft drinks, house wine, beer and laundry.

Not included: international flights, visas or travel authorisation, travel insurance, tips, premium drinks, and extras like balloon flights and spa treatments.

For July to October — the migration months in the Masai Mara — six to twelve months is normal, and the best small camps sell out first. Christmas and New Year book up just as early.

For the shoulder months, three to four months is usually comfortable. Inside eight weeks we can still put a very good trip together, but you are choosing from what is left rather than from everything.

This site is a planning guide. When you send an enquiry it goes to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, who prepare your itinerary and quote and handle the booking, the payments and you on the ground.

You deal with one team from the first email to the airport transfer home.

No. Sending your dates, getting an itinerary and getting a costed quote is free and carries no obligation. Money only changes hands when you decide to hold space at a camp.