1

We booked a safari using the same tour operator- Freddy Safaris after our friend recommended this company to us, so it was easy to deal with Freddy, the manager. Our safari is due in two weeks time.

He asked us to send a booking deposit and our friend had advised us to use the bank transfer which we found very convenient. We send £800 which went through in a couple of days time with Freddy confirming receipt promptly..

We cant wait to go to the safari.

Goodluck...

2

I travelled to Kenya in Dec 2011-Jan 2012. I had to make advance payments to a couple of hotels and travel companies. I found that whatever method you choose, you are likely to take a sting, from your outgoing bank, from the incoming bank and currency charges. The amount of this varies of course from institution to institution ... I found 5% to be a regular handling charge for credit card payments, both from abroad and in-country.

Of course everyone wants their share of your money! But I found using my home bank to initiate the transfer of funds to be the most reliable as there was a definite paper trail.

It is quite normal to pay a deposit of this size up front before travel but do make sure that the bank account quoted is the correct bank account for the organisation you have intended to pay ... there have been cases of 'similarly named' company bank accounts receiving the funds rather than the company you intended to pay!

3

I made a deposit for a safari using a wire transfer. My credit union charges $40 for an international wire transfer.

Make sure you have the correct information when filling out the form. Initially the information that the safari company gave me and the information required on the wire transfer form did not match. I emailed the safari company and had them fill out the required info line by line.
It went smoothly.

4

Most convenient way is to pay with your credit card. You will have a recourse should anything go wrong.