About camps, for two people

Seven to ten suits most couples. But the dining arrangement matters more than the number: a six-tent camp with one hosted table is a group holiday, and a sixteen-room lodge with separate tables is not.

Often, for an unromantic reason: at most camps it is the tent furthest from the main area, which buys quiet and a walk rather than a bigger bathroom.

Ask where it sits on the camp plan. "Next to the dining deck because it has the best view" is worth less than the name suggests.

It varies, which is why it is worth pinning down. At some camps a vehicle and guide dedicated to you; at others, you will not be joined unless the camp fills.

Ask whether it is guaranteed or best-efforts, and what happens when the camp is full.

They are canvas. Ten metres apart on a still night is not private in the way a hotel room is, and it cuts both ways.

It is entirely reasonable to ask about spacing, staggering and planting before booking a fortnight of it. Good camps have thought about it and will tell you.

Most will, and the better ones keep it understated. Tell us at the enquiry stage so they know before you arrive, none of it can be arranged at check-in.

We will not promise a specific gesture from a specific camp, because they are goodwill rather than a contracted inclusion.

A Africa safari is usually quoted fully inclusive: accommodation, all meals, park and conservancy fees, your guide and vehicle, and transport between parks. Most camps include soft drinks, house wine, beer and laundry.

Not included: international flights, visas or travel authorisation, travel insurance, tips, premium drinks, and extras like balloon flights and spa treatments.

For July to October, the migration months in the Masai Mara, six to twelve months is normal, and the best small camps sell out first. Christmas and New Year book up just as early.

For the shoulder months, three to four months is usually comfortable. Inside eight weeks we can still put a very good trip together, but you are choosing from what is left rather than from everything.

This site is a planning guide. When you send an enquiry it goes to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, who prepare your itinerary and quote and handle the booking, the payments and you on the ground.

You deal with one team from the first email to the airport transfer home.

No. Sending your dates, getting an itinerary and getting a costed quote is free and carries no obligation. Money only changes hands when you decide to hold space at a camp.