Safari Quote & Invoice Generator – User Guide & Documentation

Concept

How the Dashboard Works: The 2-Panel View

The system gives you a real-time, interactive workspace divided into two sides:

Left Side: The Form Controls

This is where you type. Everything is organized into clean, numbered sections. You can add destinations, hotel lodge options, and transport items. All input fields are completely optional—fill only what you need!

Right Side: The Live Paper Preview

As you type on the left, the sheet on the right updates instantly in real time. You see exactly how the final document will look before printing. Any empty fields collapse automatically.

Pro-Tip: You never need to save or reload. When you are ready, simply click "Generate Official Invoice PDF" at the bottom of the form to download your file!

Step 1

Invoice Number, Title & Client Details

Start by setting up the identity of your quote or invoice in Section 1 (Invoice & Billing):

Field Name	How It Works & Best Practices
Invoice Ref #	The system automatically suggests a sequential number (e.g., `2026-0003`). Click the small `↺ Next #` button to immediately advance the sequence. You can also type any custom reference (e.g. `ABS-QUOTE-01`).
Invoice Title / Safari Name	Give your proposal an attractive name, such as `ABS_ Amboseli Sopa` or `ABS Safari`. This displays prominently as the main headline.
Client Name (Prepared For)	Type the guest or company name (e.g. `Hansen John`). Important: If this is a general quotation and you don't have a client yet, leave this blank. The "Prepared for:" label will automatically disappear from the document.
Issued & Due Dates	Enter your dates (e.g., `Feb 13, 2026`). Tip: If left blank for a comparison sheet, the top header will display SAFARI RATE COMPARISON instead of blank date slots!

Step 2

Choosing Your Branding Position (Top vs. Bottom)

Under Section 2 (Logo & Branding), you can toggle where African Bantu Safaris' contact information and logo appear:

Top: Official Agency Letterhead

Places the logo on the left and full company details (address, website, email, phone, and consultant name) on the right at the very top. Recommended for comparison proposals and rate sheets.

Bottom: Classic Invoice Footer

Starts immediately with the high-contrast invoice reference strip at the top, and places the branding signature block at the bottom of the page. Recommended for confirmed customer billing invoices.

Step 3

Tour Info Grid (Collapsible)

In Section 3 (Tour Info Grid), you have a 4-column summary box for: Tour Length, Travelers, Start Tour Date, and End Tour Date.

When to Use: Check "Enable Grid" for scheduled safaris (e.g., 3 Days / 2 Nights, 2 Adults, Feb 13 to Feb 15).
When to Hide: Uncheck "Enable Grid" (or leave the inputs blank) for general hotel comparison quotes. The entire grid cleanly vanishes with zero blank space left behind!

Step 4

Currencies, Totals & Automatic Reconciliation

Safari pricing often involves Kenya Shillings (KES) for transport and US Dollars (USD) for lodges and park permits. The dashboard handles this flexibly:

Quote Currency	Calculation Behavior	How to Use
USD Only	Auto-sums all USD items and options.	Check "Auto-Calculate" to have the total automatically computed (e.g., `USD 1,250.00`).
KES Only	Auto-sums all KES items and options.	Check "Auto-Calculate" to have the total automatically computed (e.g., `KES 150,000.00`).
MIX (USD & KES)	Keeps total as a flexible manual input slot.	Type your combined package rate into the Grand Total input slot (e.g., `USD 450 + KES 66,000`).

Live Currency Reconciliation: Regardless of currency, the system constantly calculates two background totals:
• Total (KES): All Kenya Shillings items.
• Total (USD): All US Dollar items.
These appear in real time in both your editor sidebar and on the document summary table!

Step 5 & 6

Building Regional Sections, Destinations & Lodge Options

This is where the new dashboard shines! You can create hierarchical itineraries matching how safari quotes are actually structured:

STRUCTURE HIERARCHY:

📁 Section (Region/Park) → e.g. Nairobi Accommodation Options or Maasai Mara Lodges
    📍 Destination / Hotel → e.g. Pride Inn Azure (with Room Category / Activity: Superior Room - BB)
        🏷️ Option 1: Double Room → USD 150.00 / night
        🏷️ Option 2: Single Room → USD 115.00 / night

The Crucial "In Total" Checkbox

When offering a client 3 different luxury lodges to choose between (e.g. Sopa vs. Serena vs. Fig Tree), you do not want to add all three prices together into the final invoice total!

Next to every pricing option is a small "In Total" checkbox:

Checked [✓]: The option is counted in the auto-calculated grand total.
Unchecked [ ]: The option remains visible on the proposal with its individual price, but is excluded from the grand total sum. Perfect for comparison quotes!

Step 7

Adding Free-Standing / Standalone Services

Some items are not tied to a hotel or day-by-day itinerary. Use Section 6 (Standalone / Ungrouped Items) to add general safari services:

4x4 Safari Landcruiser Hire: Title: 2 Landcruiser Hire, Subtitle: Custom 4x4 Safari Landcruisers with pop-up roof & guide, Amount: 460.00 / day.
Airport & Hotel Transfers: Title: Transfer Bus - Airport to Hotel, Amount: 120.00 / transfer.
Park Entry & Conservation Fees: Title: Maasai Mara Park Fees, Subtitle: Valid 12hrs (6am - 6pm) - USD 200 (Peak: July-Dec) / USD 100 (Reg: Jan-June).

Step 8

1-Click Sample Quote Template (`📋 Sample Quote`)

To see how a complete multi-destination hotel rate comparison quote looks, click the green 📋 Sample Quote button located at the top of Section 1 in the editor:

What it does: In one click, it loads:
• Document Name: ABS Safari (Rate Quote comparison mode)
• Nairobi Hotels: Pride Inn Azure & Ole Sereni with Single & Double room rates.
• Maasai Mara Camps: Pride Inn Mara, Fig Tree Camp, Mara Leisure Camp, and Mara Simba Lodge.
• Safari Extras: Landcruiser daily hire, Airport transfer buses, and Seasonal Park Fees.
• Clean Formatting: Omitted client/dates and collapsed tour grid for a pristine 2-page PDF!

Step 9

Exporting to PDF

Whenever you are satisfied with the preview on the right:

Click the large lime button at the bottom of the sidebar: "GENERATE OFFICIAL INVOICE PDF".
Your browser will immediately download a print-ready PDF named with your reference (e.g. Invoice_ABS-QUOTE-01.pdf).
The system will automatically advance the sequential invoice counter for your next document!

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I create a quote without any client name showing?

Simply leave the Client Name input box empty. The system detects this and automatically removes the "Prepared for:" row completely so the document looks clean and generic.

Q: Why does the header say "SAFARI RATE COMPARISON" instead of dates?

When both the Issued Date and Payment Due Date are left blank, the system automatically replaces them with the professional label "SAFARI RATE COMPARISON". To show dates, just type them in!

Q: Can I quote in both KES and USD on the same document?

Yes! Set the Quote Currency to MIX. Each individual option and service has its own currency selector (USD or KES). The summary table will automatically show both KES Total and USD Total.

Q: What if I have text like "per night" or "per person" in my price?

You can type either a pure number (e.g., 150) or text (e.g., 150.00 / night or Included). The preview and PDF display it cleanly without duplicating the currency symbol.

Q: How do I get back to the Contract Editor?

Click the Contract Editor tab at the top of the screen at any time to switch to driver and guide engagement contracts.