luv2globetrot

So, I just got this e-mail from my tour operator, Eastern & Southern Safaris:

Here is some good news. The Kenya Wildlife Services (managers of the national parks) have decided to waive increased park entry fees for 2008 until Jan 2009, aimed at helping the tourism industry recover from the loss that was occasioned by the post election chaos and violence that rocked the country recently.

For us, this turned out to be a discount of $120 per person for a total of $240 discounted off of our safari.
(For reference, we are spending 2 nights in Samburu and 4 nights in the Mara.)

Just thought people might like to know.

BTW, I was very pleasantly surprised that they would share this info with me. That says a lot about this company to me.
Seems like they could have just applied that to new customers and never mentioned it to me.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass this along.
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www.luv2globetrot.com

steffid

Thank you for this information - good to know for our own planning. I had still the info that they will increase for July so now I can as well ask for a discount.

steff

MyDogKyle

Thanks for posting that information. I hope it does help Kenya get its tourism back on track. (I'd go back right now if I had the vacation time and money!)

That is very cool of E&S to let you know, and I am not surprised they were so honest about it. They're a wonderful company -- we had a terrific experience with them last year.

aowens

When was the fee increase supposed to start? I am wondering if this will effect our price for June 08. Final payment is due on April 15th and before I email to ask I would like to have some idea of what I am talking about.

aowens

Now that I read more carefully I think steffid says July is when they were supposed to change. Is this correct? Thanks, ann

pippa13

i just call that ETHICS!
it's amazing, now we get also "specials" because they cannot fill the tent beds. of course kenya is a MUST when it comes to big cats and the migration. but i think in the meantime kenya is on the best way to prize itself out of the market.
camp beds are so expensive that you get an equivalent in botswana which doesn't have that "mass market" label....

pippa13

park fee is 40US$pppd and was due to increase on 01 july to 60US$pppd. but this has been postponed to 01 jan 2009 means for the whole of 2008 park fee remains 40US$pppd

Patty

It was originally due to increase on May 1st. I never heard about the July 1st date but it's possible it was first postponed to July 1st, then Jan 1st 2009. I posted about the postponement to Jan 1st when I first heard about it but not in its own thread and the info sort of got buried, sorry about that.

Patty

Here's the very first thread about the park fee increase that I can remember indicating a date of May 1st http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34985899 so it's possible your June 08 trip was priced with the increase depending on when you received your quote.

sandi

The last park fee increase (in '06 or '07... I loose track) went from from $40/pppnt, to $50/pppnt. The increase for '08 was scheduled for May 1st to $60/pppnt.

They have now been postponed to Jan 1, 2009.

Still, not all parks have the same fees, so will be different depending on where you're visiting.

For those who initially received their prices prior to this postponement are due refund/s if trip is fully paid, or reduction before final payment is made.

And, yes this was discussed in January right after the problems in Kenya.

Patty

The last KWS park fee increase on July 1, 2006 went from $30pppd to $40pppd.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34778734

Park fees for category A parks are still $40pppd until Jan 1, 2009 now.

Current fees http://www.kws.org/tariffs-2006.html

Samburu and Mara reserves tend to follow KWS increases. Private/group ranch areas may have their own fees.

aowens

Thanks for the info. We were quoted price last year so I will email them and ask about fees. Thanks, ann

sandi

Patty - Thanks. I lost track of when last.

It's important to note, though for those camps on private group ranches, i.e., especially in the Mara (also in other parks/reserves), there is often a group ranch fee in addition to the Reserve fee. This fee will vary from camp to camp.