The short answer
A safari quote that wins has seven parts, in this order: the guest's trip repeated in their own words, a day-by-day summary with the lodge or camp for each night, what is and is not included, park fees as a separate line, the price per person and the total in the guest's own currency, an expiry date, and the deposit step with one clear next action. Put them in the body of the email so the guest can read it on a phone without opening anything.
Send it the same working day you receive the inquiry, then follow up on a fixed plan instead of waiting and hoping. Guests, mostly from the US, UK and Europe, often compare several operators at once, and the quote that is easiest to understand and easiest to say yes to usually gets the deposit. For the follow-up plan in full, read our guide on safari inquiry follow-up, and for what American guests expect, see selling safaris to American travellers.
The seven parts of a safari quote, one by one
Build the quote in this order. Each part answers a question the guest is quietly asking while they read.
1. Their trip, in their words
Open by repeating what the guest told you. This proves a person read the message and not a template. Use their words, not yours.
You told us you are two couples travelling in late July, that you want to see the gorillas and then the big cats, and that one of you does not enjoy long drives. Here is how we would build that.
If the guest left something unclear, say what you assumed. A wrong assumption in writing is easy to fix. A wrong assumption found at the airport is not.
2. A day-by-day summary with real lodge names
Give one or two lines per day: where the guest wakes up, what they do, how long the drive is, and where they sleep. Name the lodge or camp for every night. A guest who can look up the place you named will trust you more than one who is told "a comfortable lodge". If you are not sure of a lodge yet, say which two you are choosing between and when you will confirm.
- Day 1: Arrive, meet your driver-guide, transfer to [lodge name]. Dinner and bed.
- Day 2: Early start, drive to [park name], afternoon game drive, overnight at [camp name].
3. What is included and what is not
Write two short lists. Included usually means accommodation, the meals you name, the safari vehicle with fuel and driver-guide, and drinking water. Not included usually means international flights, visas, travel insurance, tips and drinks that are not part of your meal plan. The guest will find the gaps later anyway, so say them first. This one habit removes most of the "I thought that was covered" arguments before they start.
4. Park fees as a separate line
Show park entry fees and permits on their own line, with the date of the tariff you used. Each place charges in its own way, so check the owner's current tariff before you quote. Gorilla permits are bought for a set date, and they cost more in Rwanda than in Uganda. The Maasai Mara in Kenya is run by Narok County, not by the Kenya Wildlife Service, and its fee changes with the season. Tanzania's park fees are charged per person for each 24 hours in the park, and sleeping inside the park carries a separate concession fee. A guest who sees one flat figure cannot tell which of these you counted, so list each one. Showing fees separately is honest and it protects you: if a fee changes before the guest pays, everyone can see exactly what moved. How your team sets its own margin on top of those costs is something we work through in our reservations training.
5. Price per person and total, in the guest's currency
Quote in the currency the guest thinks in, such as US dollars, pounds or euros. Show the price per person sharing, the single supplement (the extra charge when a guest travels alone and needs a room to themselves), and the total for the group. State that the price is held in that currency until the expiry date, so the guest is not afraid of a rate change.
6. An expiry date
Write a real date: "This quote is valid until [date], because lodge rooms and park permits can only be held for you until then." Only write this if it is true. An honest deadline moves a hesitating guest. A fake one costs you their trust.
7. The deposit step and one clear next action
Tell the guest exactly what happens if they say yes: the deposit amount, how to pay from abroad (a card link or a bank transfer works for most overseas guests; mobile money suits local guests), and when the balance is due. Then end with one action only: "Reply YES with the names exactly as on your passports, and I will send the deposit link today." One next step beats three options.
A quote that wins against a quote that loses
Here is the same quote done two ways. Most lost bookings look like the right-hand column.
| Part of the quote | Strong quote (what we recommend) | Weak quote (what loses guests) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Repeats the guest's trip in their own words | "Thank you for your inquiry, see attached" |
| Itinerary | Day by day, with the lodge or camp named for each night | "Gorilla and savannah safari, 8 days" |
| Included and not included | Two plain lists, written before the guest has to ask | Left out, or hidden in small print |
| Park fees | Separate line, with the tariff date | Mixed into one big total, or forgotten |
| Price | Per person and total, in the guest's currency | One figure in a currency the guest has to convert |
| Deadline | A real expiry date with the reason | No date, so no reason to decide |
| Next step | Deposit steps and one action to take | "Let us know if you have questions" |
Notice what the strong column has in common: the guest never has to ask a question to understand it. Every question you make them ask is a chance for another operator to answer first.
A sample subject line and email, then the follow-up plan
Subject line
Put the guest's name, the trip and the expiry in the subject, so the email is easy to find again:
Your 8-day Uganda gorilla and safari plan, Sarah and James, valid until 14 November
The email in short
Greeting with the guest's name. Two lines repeating their trip. The day-by-day summary. The two lists of included and not included. The park fees line. The price per person and total. The expiry date. The deposit step. One closing line with the single action you want. Sign with your own name and a WhatsApp number, because many guests prefer to reply there. Keep the whole email short enough to read on a phone in two minutes.
A follow-up plan you can copy
- Same day: send the quote. If the guest wrote on WhatsApp, send a short WhatsApp line saying the full quote is in their email.
- Day 2: a short, friendly check that it arrived and an offer to answer any question.
- Day 4 or 5: answer the worry guests often have at this point: is the lodge right for us, is the season right, is the drive too long. Share one useful fact, not a nudge.
- Two days before expiry: a calm reminder with the date and what you will release if you do not hear back.
- After expiry: one polite last message that leaves the door open: "If your dates are still free, I can check again for you."
Stop after that. Guests who feel chased go quiet, and guests who feel looked after come back. The full cadence and message wording are in our safari inquiry follow-up guide.
Where safari companies slip, and when not to bother with us
Common slips
- Sending only a heavy PDF. It may not open on a slow phone connection. Put the key points in the email body and attach the PDF as extra.
- Quoting in one currency and getting paid in another without saying so. The guest worries about the rate and stops replying.
- Replying slowly and then sending a perfect quote. Speed matters as much as quality. A good quote on day one often beats a perfect one on day four.
- Making the guest do the maths. Always give per person and total.
- No one owns the follow-up. If it is "everyone's job", it is nobody's job. Give each open quote a named person and a date.
When this is not your problem
If you only sell one fixed day trip at a set price, a simple price list on your website and a payment link may be all you need. If you get very few inquiries, a better quote will not fix that: you need more of the right people finding you first. And if your team answers messages slowly, fix that before anything else. A good template cannot rescue an inquiry that waited three days.
If you have the opposite problem, inquiries arrive but too few turn into deposits, that is a sales process problem. It is what our safari reservations training works on, with your own team and your own real inquiries.
How we help the quote do its job
The Safari Growth Program is for owners of safari and tour companies and of lodges, camps and hotels in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Botswana. It has three phases. First we fill the funnel, which means we bring more inquiries to you: your website, search, Google Business Profile, and ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Google. Then we close it: your reservations and sales process, plus training, because inquiries mean nothing if the team cannot close them. Then we help you keep the guest: support during and after the trip, reviews, and repeat and referral business.
The quote is the heart of the second phase. We work with your team to build the structure above in your own words and your own itineraries, set a follow-up plan, and make sure each inquiry has a person responsible. We do not sell you a template to download: you keep the method and use it in your own email or on your own system. The guarantee is: "your first new inquiries within 14 days of going live, or we work free until they arrive". See the direct booking system for the full offer, and use the free online travel agency commission calculator to see what booking sites such as Booking.com take from you today.
Growth Informer Software Services is a US-based company with remote teams around the world, including a team in Kampala, Uganda. We are not the right fit if you sell one fixed day trip, or if your problem is a slow team rather than a weak quote. To start, send your business name, country, what you sell and where your inquiries come from today, on WhatsApp +256 702 946 946 or through the form on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send a safari quote as a PDF or in the email body?
Put the key points in the email body: the trip, the day-by-day summary, what is included, the price and the next step. Attach a PDF only as an extra. Many guests read on a phone, and a PDF can be slow to open or easy to ignore.
Should park fees be inside the price per person?
Show them as a separate line, with the date of the tariff you used. Park rates can change and can differ by season and by type of guest. A separate line is honest, easy to check and easy to update if a fee moves before the guest pays.
How long should a safari quote stay valid?
Set the date by what you can really hold for the guest, such as lodge rooms and park permits, and say that reason in the quote. Give a real date, not a vague one. A short honest deadline helps a hesitating guest decide, but never invent one.
How many times should I follow up on a quote?
A good plan is four or five touches: the same day, day two, day four or five, two days before expiry, and one polite message after it. Each message should help the guest, not just ask for an answer. After that, stop and leave the door open.
What does it cost to get help closing more safari inquiries?
It depends on the business: how many inquiries you receive, what your team handles today and what you sell. We give a fixed quote before any work starts. Send your business name, country, what you sell and where inquiries come from today, on WhatsApp +256 702 946 946 or through the form, and we will tell you what fits.