We are booking our safari with a reputable tour operator in East Africa. While they are asking for a 15% deposit now, they want full payment 45 days before we start our safari. Other operators I got quotes from were indicating we could pay them in full when we arrive. Is the 45 days in advance full payment common in Africa or should I be very worried?

This comopany is a member of KATO (Kenya Association of Tour Operators).

Anybody have any advice? Much thanks in advance..

Pay when you arrive? Who are these people?

please play only 15% so that they can make a deposit for your different venues and pay the rest when you get there.

I paid a deposit on booking and the balance several weeks before the start of my trip. I think this is fairly common. I had no trouble.

The company we are using in Kenya has the same procedure, pay a deposit when we book and pay the rest 45 days before departure.

In Tanzania it was similar except either 30 or 60 days in advance for the final payment.

For comparison we also have a couple of trips to Alaska planned for next summer and for one we have to pay the final 50% in April, for the other we make final payment 60 days in advance.

So this seems to be pretty normal.

Bill

We've paid the deposit, then the balance a while before we got there, on all our trips except for one.

We found taking it with you is a real hassle. You either have to take loads of cash - which I'm not happy with - or travellers cheques. This meant that we spent time in the companies office in Arusha signing off a whole load of travellers cheques, when we would rather have been heading off to the exciting places!

Either pay in advance or pay on arrival is common when dealing directly with East African operators. On our first trip, I paid our balance in traveler's checks on arrival but on subsequent trips have just sent a wire in advance. Assuming you've checked them out and it sounds like you have, I wouldn't worry. If you're really concerned, you could ask if they accept credit cards, but usually there's a surcharge added.