A safari company should be defined by its guides — not its marketing.
Why KisangaraAfrica’s largest protected ecosystem — at 5% of the visitor density.
Southern CircuitComprehensive travel insurance is a mandatory requirement for all Kisangara bookings.
Kisangara requires all guests to hold comprehensive travel insurance including medical evacuation cover before departure. This is not optional. Remote bush locations in Tanzania are hours from the nearest hospital. Medical evacuation by light aircraft — arranged through AMREF Flying Doctors — is the standard emergency response, and it is expensive without insurance.
A standard travel insurance policy purchased from a high-street insurer typically does not provide adequate medical evacuation cover for East Africa. Most policies cap medical coverage at levels that are insufficient for a serious injury or illness requiring air evacuation and treatment. Kisangara recommends purchasing either a specific East Africa travel insurance policy or supplementing a standard policy with AMREF Flying Doctors membership — which covers evacuation costs completely for the duration of membership.
Safari activities — game drives, walking safaris, gorilla treks, Kilimanjaro climbs, Zanzibar water sports — must be specifically covered by your policy. Many standard travel policies exclude adventure activities or charge additional premiums. Read the exclusions carefully before purchasing. If you are climbing Kilimanjaro, your policy must cover high-altitude trekking to at least 5,895 metres.
Trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended for all Kisangara bookings. Safari deposits are non-refundable within 90 days of departure and the final balance is non-refundable within 60 days. A comprehensive cancellation policy protects this investment against illness, injury, or unforeseen circumstances that prevent travel. COVID-related cancellation policies vary significantly between insurers — check the specific terms before purchasing.
Minimum USD $500,000 — ideally unlimited. Medical evacuation from remote bush locations by light aircraft to Nairobi or Arusha, followed by potential repatriation to your home country, easily exceeds this figure. AMREF Flying Doctors membership provides unlimited evacuation cover from Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda for approximately USD $25 per week.
Private hospital treatment in Nairobi or Arusha is significantly cheaper than Western equivalents but still expensive without coverage. A minimum of USD $250,000 in medical treatment cover is recommended. Ensure the policy covers treatment in Tanzania and Kenya, including repatriation to your home country if required for ongoing treatment.
Safari bookings involve significant non-refundable costs, particularly lodge deposits confirmed eight to twelve months in advance. Trip cancellation insurance protects these costs against illness, injury, death of a family member, employment loss, or other covered reasons. The policy should cover the full cost of the safari including flights.
Safari game drives, hot air balloon flights, walking safaris, Kilimanjaro climbing (up to 5,895m), gorilla trekking, and Zanzibar water sports must all be specifically covered. Many standard policies exclude these activities or cap payouts for them. Read the activity exclusions section carefully and call your insurer to confirm specific activities if you are unsure.
AMREF Flying Doctors is the region's leading air ambulance service, operating since 1957. Their aircraft are stationed across East Africa and can reach most Tanzanian safari locations within ninety minutes.
A Flying Doctors tourist membership covers unlimited medical evacuations within a defined geographical area — typically covering Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda — for the duration of membership. A one-week tourist membership costs approximately USD $25 and is available for purchase online before departure. Kisangara strongly recommends this as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, comprehensive travel insurance.
In a genuine medical emergency in the bush, the sequence of events is: your guide contacts camp by radio, camp contacts the Flying Doctors operations centre, an aircraft is dispatched to the nearest available landing strip — most parks have internal airstrips within thirty minutes of any camp location. The patient is stabilised by the Flying Doctors medical team on the aircraft and transported to the Nairobi or Arusha hospital most appropriate for the condition.