Planning a safari. Updated November 2026. 4 min read.
Kenya has thousands of companies selling safaris, from long-established family firms to an Instagram account opened last month. In 2025 the country's regulator, the Tourism Regulatory Authority, revoked the licences of four Mara companies over fraud. The good operators are easy to check, and they expect you to check. Here is the five-minute test, the red flags, the questions to ask, and our own answers.
The short version: ask for the company's Tourism Regulatory Authority licence number and check it, look the company up in the KATO directory, ask who your guide is and what certification they hold, get an itemised quote in writing, and pay by card. A company that is happy to answer all of that is usually a company you can trust with your trip.
The five-minute check
- The licence: every tour operator in Kenya needs a current licence from the Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA), renewed every year through its online system, TRIMS. Ask for the number. A real company sends it without fuss, and you can check it with TRA
- The registration: a Kenyan company has a registration number that can be checked through the government's eCitizen business registration service
- The trade association: membership of KATO, the Kenya Association of Tour Operators, is voluntary, but its member directory is public. A company that says it is a member should be in it
- The guide: ask who will guide you and what certification they hold. The Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA) certifies guides at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels; Silver and Gold are hard-won
- The paperwork: ask for an itemised written quote and the cancellation policy before you pay anything
Red flags
These are the warning signs the regulator itself lists. One on its own may have an innocent explanation. Two together: walk away.
- No licence number, or reluctance to share it
- No physical office in Kenya and no landline
- Contact only through WhatsApp or social media messages
- Full payment up front by untraceable methods, such as a wire to a personal account or mobile money to an individual
- Vague, bundled pricing that does not say what is included
- A price far below comparable quotes for the same parks, camps and dates
- No clear answer on which park and conservancy fees apply, or which parks need Kenya Wildlife Service permits
How to protect your money
Get an itemised written quote and a written confirmation of the booking before you pay. Read the cancellation policy and keep a copy. Pay by credit card where you can: U.S. card issuers let you dispute a charge for services that were not delivered, a protection a wire transfer does not give you. Buy travel insurance that includes supplier failure cover, so you are protected if a company stops trading before your trip.
Read recent reviews on independent platforms, not only the testimonials on a company's own site. Since 2024 the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has had a rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, which helps on U.S.-facing sites, but it is not a guarantee. Look for reviews that describe a real trip in detail, and for how the company replies to the bad ones.
Ten questions to ask any company
- Who is my guide, and what is their KPSGA level?
- What vehicle will we use: a Land Cruiser or a minivan, how many seats, a pop-up roof, and will everyone have a window?
- Is the vehicle ours alone, or shared with other travelers?
- Are all park and conservancy fees included, at the rate for my travel dates?
- Is the price per person sharing, and what is the single supplement?
- What insurance does the company hold, and does my trip include emergency evacuation cover?
- What happens if my international flight is late or cancelled?
- Who do I call at 2am, and will they answer?
- How are your guides paid?
- What is not included: tips, drinks, a balloon flight, the eTA, the inbound health insurance?
The answers tell you a lot, and so does the tone. A good company answers quickly and specifically, and is happy to put it in writing. Our guides to private versus shared safaris and to tipping help you judge the vehicle and the guide-pay answers.
Our answers
Here is the same test, applied to us. Kenya Experience LLC is a U.S. company. It is a collaboration of two U.S. companies: GCK Travel, which plans travel for groups, schools, churches and institutions, and Roundtrip Safaris, which runs our Kenya operations, meaning the safaris, the lodges, the guides and the team on the ground. When you book with us, you deal with a U.S. company, and your trip in Kenya is run by Roundtrip Safaris.
| The question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| Who are you? | Kenya Experience LLC, a U.S. company formed by GCK Travel and Roundtrip Safaris |
| Who runs the trip in Kenya? | Roundtrip Safaris, our partner on the ground |
| Licences and registration | Ask us, and we send our partners' current licence and registration details so you can check them yourself |
| Your guide | Ask, and we tell you who is guiding your trip and what certification they hold |
| The quote | Itemised, listing what is included and what is not |
| Payment | In full, or in monthly payments with no deposit, finishing before you travel |
| The people | The founders' names and photos are on our About page |
| What we are not | Not a marketplace of hundreds of operators, and not the cheapest quote you will find |
We do not print licence numbers on this page because they renew every year and should be checked fresh; ask for them with your quote and check them with the regulator. We are not the cheapest because properly paid guides, well-kept vehicles and camps we know personally cost what they cost. We would rather explain the price than hide it.
