Privacy Policy

The East Living is the controller of personal data collected through this site. We are based in Kenya and serve travelers and suppliers internationally. We are a marketplace only — we do not operate tours. Contact: support@theeastliving.com.

Where UK GDPR, EU GDPR, or similar laws apply, we rely on these grounds:

• Steps toward a contract. Sending a verification code, matching your quote, and sharing it with an operator so they can reply.
• Consent. Newsletters, optional analytics, and any cookie that is not strictly necessary.
• Legitimate interests. Keeping the site secure, stopping spam, measuring whether operators reply, and improving listings — balanced against your rights.
• Legal obligation. Tax, accounting, or a lawful request from authorities.

We send email only when it is needed or you asked for it:

• A verification code or link after you request a quote.
• A copy of your quote request, and later messages from an assigned operator.
• A code to keep your safari list, then notes about that list (saved tours, timing, quotes).
• Password or sign-in help if you have an account.
• A reply if you write to us through Contact.
• A newsletter only if you subscribe — every issue includes unsubscribe.
• Rare service notices (for example if the site changes operator). We do not treat ads as a “vital” reason to email you.

When you request a quote we collect your name, email, phone, country of residence, message, the listing you asked about, and a technical address (IP) used to limit spam. We send a 4-digit code to confirm the email. Until that code is entered, the request is not treated as a verified lead.

After verification our team sees the request and assigns a verified operator — typically in the country of the trip. We share your name, email, phone, message, and trip details with that operator so they can quote you. We do not share your IP with them. From that point the operator handles your booking as their own customer. Requesting a quote is free. In Phase 1 we do not charge operators per inquiry.

We keep quote records for up to two years so we can handle disputes and measure whether operators reply, then we anonymise the personal fields. You can ask us to delete sooner at support@theeastliving.com.

If you apply to list, we collect company and contact details, licence and insurance information, and any documents you upload. We use this to review and verify you. If we create an operator login, that account is used only to see quotes we assign to you.

An account is optional for travelers. You can heart safaris in this browser without signing in. If you keep the list with your email, we store that address and the tours you saved so we can write to you about them. Sign-in may use an emailed code, a password, or a provider such as Google or Apple. Passwords are stored hashed, not in plain text. Compare lists and unsaved favourites stay in your browser until you keep them with an account.

Subscribe and we store your email (and name if you give it) to send travel notes. You can unsubscribe at any time. Contact-form messages stay in our inbox so we can reply. If you report a technical fault we may also log browser type and IP so we can find the error.

Like most sites, our servers keep short-lived logs (typically up to 30 days) that can include IP address, pages, and error codes. We also record product events such as “quote verified” or “quote assigned” so our team can see whether the marketplace is working. These events are not used to sell advertising.

The site is not aimed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16 (or under 13 in the United States). Quote requests and accounts are limited to people 18 or older. If you think we have data from a child, email support@theeastliving.com and we will delete it.

We share personal data only when we have a reason:

• The operator we assign after a verified quote, so they can reply to you.
• Hosting, email, and authentication providers (which may include services in the United States or Europe) who process data on our instructions.
• Professional advisers or authorities if the law requires it.
• A buyer if we sell the business, limited to what they need to keep the site running.

We do not sell lists of travelers or operators, and we do not share data for advertising.

If you live in the US, UK, EU, or elsewhere, your quote is processed in Kenya and then sent to an operator in Africa. That is necessary to answer your request. Auth and hosting providers may also store data outside Kenya.

For UK and EU visitors we use contracts that protect the data (standard contractual clauses or the UK equivalent) where a country is not covered by an adequacy decision. Operators who receive a quote become independent organisations for that conversation — their own privacy practices then apply as well. Ask them how they will use your details before you pay.

• Unverified quote drafts: until the code expires, then we drop them.
• Verified quotes: up to two years, then personal fields are anonymised.
• Newsletter: until you unsubscribe, then we remove the address within 90 days.
• Supplier applications: for as long as the listing is live, then as required by law.
• Server logs: about 30 days.

We limit who can open admin and operator tools, use encrypted connections, and avoid storing card numbers — Phase 1 has no checkout. No method is perfect. Tell us at support@theeastliving.com if you think an account was misused.

You may ask us to access, correct, delete, or restrict your data, or to object to our use of it. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it. We may keep what the law says we must keep. We aim to answer within one month. Email support@theeastliving.com.

Kenya. These rights also sit under the Data Protection Act, 2019. You may complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

United Kingdom and European Union. UK GDPR, EU GDPR, and (for cookies/email) UK PECR or ePrivacy rules may apply. You may complain to the ICO in the UK, or to your local EU data protection authority.

United States (including California). We do not sell personal information and we do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising. If a US state privacy law applies to you (for example the California CCPA/CPRA), you may ask us for the categories of data we collected, a copy, deletion, or correction, and you will not be discriminated against for exercising those rights. Email the same address and put “US privacy request” in the subject. We will not treat a quote to an operator you asked us to contact as a “sale.”

If you live elsewhere, we will honour equivalent rights that your country gives you.

We may update this policy. The version and date at the top are the current text. Continued use of the site after a change means you have seen the new policy.