Changing Safari Lodges by Prado: Make Transfer Day Work Without Rushing

A move between safari lodges involves checkout, packing and a new arrival route, even when the properties look close on a map. Add a morning game drive and you'll need to decide how it fits around the move before departure day.

Check the route from one reception to the next

Map the transfer from the departure lodge's reception to the receiving lodge's reception. Include the exit and entrance you will use, along with any transfer meeting point.

Ask the receiving lodge for directions from the property you're leaving. Directions from Nairobi may be little help if you're starting elsewhere. Check whether you'll cross separate protected areas and whether that requires additional admission arrangements.

Share the full transfer route with the hire provider. EliteMotion's rental terms require written approval for route changes, so settle any new recommendation from the lodge before checkout.

Save arrival instructions and contact numbers offline. Have a second way to reach the next property if your first contact is unavailable.

Prepare for checkout the evening before

Confirm breakfast and checkout times with the lodge, plus any packed meal you need. Find out which charges remain unpaid and whether you have stored bags to collect, borrowed items to return or room keys to hand back.

If you want a morning outing, decide when you'll pack the luggage and where the car needs to be afterwards. Repeatedly loading and unloading to fit everything in may be a sign that the two plans need adjusting.

Charge devices, then gather their cables. Keep documents, water, an extra layer and anything passengers usually need at breaks together in a travel bag that's easy to reach.

Give each adult a specific room check. Someone can take the bathroom, while others check the sockets, safe and wardrobe. Named responsibilities work better than hoping someone else has looked.

Finish checkout before setting off

Sweep the room once more before loading. Check the safe and other storage, keeping travel documents together instead of leaving them on furniture. Look at bedside sockets, under bags and among the bedding for small items.

Settle the account and speak to the relevant staff about anything unresolved while you're still there. Keep the receipt or confirmation somewhere you can find it later.

Load bags securely according to when you'll need them. Heavy luggage mustn't sit loose above passengers. Leave space for the last small bag so it doesn't end up across a door or seat belt after you've filled the boot.

Take two minutes before moving to check that everyone is present and that you have the keys, documents and agreed equipment. It's easier to find a missing item then than to return for it later.

Allow time for any game viewing

A dedicated morning game drive and stops for wildlife along an authorised transfer route need different arrangements. Both take time out of the transfer day.

For a morning outing, allow enough time to return, finish checkout and make the onward journey comfortably. If that doesn't fit, drop the outing or change the booking. Rushing the packing and checkout won't create a workable schedule.

During the transfer, you'll probably have all your luggage in the car. Check what that does to passenger visibility and access to equipment compared with the previous day's unloaded setup. Stop only where permitted, and keep valuables out of view if you leave the vehicle.

KWS Nairobi National Park guidance covers the use of established roads and designated stopping arrangements. Check the current rules for each park or conservancy on your route, since managed areas don't all have the same access arrangements.

Update the next lodge after departure

When you can give a realistic arrival window, send it from a safe stop. A passenger can handle the message without distracting the driver. Keep it short: say where you are in the journey, when you expect to arrive and what needs confirming.

Mention any meal, activity or transfer connection the lodge has arranged. If your new timing won't work, ask the lodge to revise it explicitly so staff and guests aren't following different plans.

If the approach changes, stop and coordinate with both the lodge and the hire provider. Being late for lunch doesn't justify an unapproved shortcut.

Check in before committing to another outing

At the next property, finish check-in and unload before deciding on an immediate afternoon activity. Confirm the following day's plan too. A transfer can be tiring even over a modest distance, and people who have spent the day sitting beside luggage may want time to rest.

Choose the car with that fully loaded day in mind. Check Prado seating and luggage options, then brief EliteMotion on both lodges, the intended route and the whole group's load.