Secret Safari

The exclusive travel club for Kenyan residents.

Type
Web Platform, Development
Sectors
Travel, Leisure
Technologies
Javascript, PHP, CodeIgniter, MySQL

The exclusive travel club for Kenyan residents

Secret Safari is a members-only travel club that grants Kenyan residents exclusive access to book resident rates online at world-leading safari lodges, beach resorts and private homes in Kenya.

The concept was created with the vision to give Kenyans access to high end accommodation in their own country, however not at inflated tourist prices but rather at local rates.

The client needed a web application that not only would look cutting edge and high end but one that was feature rich and packed with a host of functionality and integrations (more on that later).

The first phase of the project involved the designs of the User Interface (UI). Secret Safari promotes highly desirable accommodation, therefore incorporating aspirational and beautiful imagery depicting the possible accommodation options was a big must.

Mapping out the customer journey from their initial landing on the site to the process of them signing up, searching, booking and paying, required deep consideration an intuitive design that allows the user to navigate through this journey, easily and quickly.

We knew users would be browsing the website on their mobile devices, which meant that we would produce a set of mobile User Interface designs too.

TRAVEL SOFTWARE INTEGRATION AND SEARCH

In developing the Secret Safari platform, we executed a seamless integration with Tourplan via API, a comprehensive travel management software that oversees destinations, inventory, availability, and rates for properties such as lodges, villas, and houses.

This integration involved retrieving essential data, such as destination details and property information, and populating our own database with this information through an automated process that runs periodically. This ensures that the Secret Safari platform consistently reflects the latest property listings and details.

For more dynamic content, such as real-time rates and availability, we implemented a sophisticated search feature on the Secret Safari website. This feature leverages the Tourplan API to fetch and display up-to-the-minute information, allowing users to filter search results by various criteria including budget, destination, location, property features, and activities. Additionally, users can sort search results by price.

By incorporating these robust filtering and sorting options, we provide users with a highly customizable and efficient search experience, enhancing their ability to find and book their ideal safari adventures.

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POWERFUL SEARCH, BOOKING AND PAYMENT PROCESS

After completing a search, users are presented with results that include a sneak preview of each property, featuring a visually engaging image gallery that users can scroll through. Alongside the gallery, key details such as the booking price, property capacity, location, and a brief description are displayed.

Users have the option to either proceed directly to book or enquire about a property, or they can choose to view the property in more detail. On the property’s single view page, users can explore a comprehensive image gallery, read in-depth descriptions, see what Secret Safari loves about the property, view detailed information about all available rooms with corresponding images, read recent reviews, and access a map with directions.

Users can also refine their search by adjusting dates to see updated availability and pricing or proceed directly to book. The booking process involves a few quick steps to gather additional customer information and allow for instant payment. The payment amount, calculated dynamically based on preset parameters, can be either a deposit or the full amount.

To accommodate local transactions, we integrated with Mpesa for payments in Kenyan Shillings. The booking is processed in real time with Tourplan, and upon completion, both the customer and Secret Safari receive email confirmations of the booking.

CUSTOMER PORTAL AND CUSTOM CMS

Secret Safari is not just a visually stunning website - it's a feature rich website designed to deliver a seamless and enriched experience for its users. Not only does it allow users to browse, search, book and pay for their stay at breathtaking properties with ease, it also includes an exclusive customer portal and a custom-built Content Management System (CMS).

The customer portal, accessible to registered and approved members, is designed for complete control and convenience. Members can manage their profiles, effortlessly handle bookings, view detailed property information, and take advantage of an integrated loyalty scheme.

This interactive portal elevates user engagement by offering these exclusive features, creating a tailored experience that adds significant value for its members.

The custom-developed Content Management System (CMS) for Secret Safari is a powerful tool that empowers the site owner with complete control over the platform's content. This bespoke CMS allows the seamless addition of rich media to property listings, enhancing the visual appeal and user experience with high-quality images, videos, and other media assets.

Beyond property management, the CMS also offers robust capabilities for handling various content types, including destinations, blogs and image galleries.

This level of control ensures that the website remains dynamic, relevant, and visually compelling, meeting the evolving needs of both the site owner and its exclusive users.

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WE LOVE A GOOD CHALLENGE

The Secret Safari website relies on property and availability data from Tourplan, which itself integrates with various property management platforms to gather inventory and pricing information. This intricate web of connections, combined with the need for real-time checks during user searches, led to slower-than-desired response times.

To overcome this challenge, we developed a sophisticated caching layer within the search functionality. This enhancement allowed us to significantly improve search speeds by returning some results in real-time, while others were retrieved from cached data, ensuring a faster and more seamless user experience.

This approach significantly accelerated the speed at which results were delivered to users, seamlessly enhancing their experience and making the search for accommodation both smooth and enjoyable.