What is the $50 hold fee for?
When you reserve a departure, a $50 hold places your rooms on a 14-day courtesy hold while our team confirms availability with each lodge. It isn’t a deposit and isn’t part of your trip cost. If we can’t secure your trip, or you decide not to go ahead, it’s refunded in full. Once your trip is confirmed, we donate your hold fee to small wildlife-conservation and community nonprofits in Africa, so even reserving does a little good.
How do I pay for a safari?
Three simple steps. First, you pay the $50 refundable hold to lock your dates. Second, we confirm your itinerary within one business day and collect a 30% deposit to secure the booking. Third, the remaining balance is due before you travel. We accept credit card or bank transfer. If you’re departing within 60 days there’s no deposit schedule; we simply arrange the full balance once your hold is in place.
Can I cancel?
Before we confirm your trip, yes. Your $50 hold is fully refundable and you owe nothing else. Once your trip is confirmed and the 30% deposit is paid, that deposit is non-refundable, but it’s transferable once within 8 months of travel if your plans change. Because a safari is a significant investment, we recommend travel insurance and are happy to suggest providers.
How much do your services cost?
Booking one of our set-departure safaris costs nothing beyond the trip itself, just the $50 refundable hold, which we donate. For a fully bespoke trip, pre- or post-trip extensions, or special upgrades, we charge a $250 custom planning fee, which we also donate to small charities. We can also book single hotels for free if you know exactly what you want.
How do you get paid?
Hotels and tour operators pay us a commission for bookings. This doesn’t sway our decisions about accommodation, because a repeat customer is more valuable to us than a slightly more expensive room. Our planning and hold fees aren’t income; we donate them to small charities.
How much do the hotels you book typically cost per night?
We book predominantly 4- and 5-star hotels. The price range is variable depending on the destination. The best hotel in some countries costs only $300 per night, while some luxury safaris cost over $3000 per person per night.
Fauna can also get the same published rates you see online. We have tools that let us compare multiple rate programs, access special travel advisor perks, and notify you if rates change after booking.
Can you only book the safaris on this website?
No, we can book almost anything. The safaris and lodges on our site are just a selection of our favorites, and they’re the trips we can get you into fastest.
Should I get travel insurance?
Like most people, we have mixed feelings about insurance; you don’t need it until you really need it. But given the large financial investment a luxury safari represents, we recommend purchasing it. It has helped our clients in the past, and we’re happy to share some of our favorite providers.
How sustainable are the hotels you work with?
Sustainability is hard. Most of the hotels we use are doing something, but there’s a spectrum of commitment. All take the basic steps of waste reduction and community engagement. Many, especially in wild places, are completely solar-powered and run wildlife conservation programs. Carbon offsets are a complicated topic, but some of our travel providers sell them for your trip as well.
We highlight best practices on our journal and engage travelers in these programs when possible. And to make our own impact tangible, we donate all of our planning and hold fees to small conservation and community nonprofits. The whole fee, not a slice of profits.
We combine expert knowledge with creative itineraries to make your travel dreams a reality. Contact us for a free consultation.
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