Avoid Pre-Packaged Standardized Tours (if you can)
As safaris have become more popular, travelers who settle for a pre-packaged, multiple set-departure offering often find themselves seeing more tourists than wildlife.
Be Sure You Are Making the Right Comparisons
A true safari is meant to be an expedition…a search for the elusive. You cannot begin to compare a lodge/permanent-tented site "tour" with the intimate, intense, and highly personalized experience of a Deluxe, Mobile-Tented Safari. (See "What Sets Us Apart" below.)
In today's world there are "tourist safaris" and then there are SAFARIS THAT GIVE A "TRUE SAFARI EXPERIENCE " -- where you are given the opportunity to not only see Africa but to feel and experience it deep down in your soul.
Such an "intangible" cannot be put into words (Not in a brochure, on a website, nor even in conversation)...yet it is THE MEASURE BY WHICH TO JUDGE THE TRUE VALUE OF A SAFARI. Once our clients are out with us, they begin to see and feel the difference immediately -- not just in what they are doing but also in seeing what others are doing. And, without exception, they always express the sentiment, "We are so glad that we decided to spend the extra money and do it the right way."
Ask About Itineraries
With so many people and vehicles now out on safari, the issue of PRIVACY becomes paramount. Itineraries focused on overpopulated and overburdened areas offer little more than a "tourist experience." Presumably, you are seeking something beyond that, so look for itineraries that include access to areas that are more remote and less-traveled. Once you are out on safari, you will see immediately what a difference it makes.
Ask About Vehicles
and Equipment
Are you being offered a potentially-crowded minivan or large truck that must stick to the roads OR a rugged, yet comfortable, 4-wheel drive Land Cruiser that can handle any type of terrain? Are you getting a one-size-fits-all metal cot OR an adaptable woodframe bed that can even be made into an elegant double upon special request? Is the toilet/shower facility private OR are you expected to share with the group?
Finally, Make Sure the
Operator Can Handle Your
Special Requests
For example, If you are traveling with children or older travelers, have dietary or other special considerations, make sure that the operator is equipped to deal with them. if you are a vegetarian, can a menu be created to meet your needs?
Think About What You Hope to Experience on Safari
Are you the "cruise ship type" who only looks to be ferried from one place to the next with little or no input as to what you see and do? OR are you more "hands on" and look to be more interactive when it comes to the planning or participating in your safari?
Consider the Group Size
Avoid safaris that come with a large "minimum/maximum" group size (e.g. most standardized tours as well as university, museum and zoo tours). With safaris allowing anyone from 13-24 people, not only are your movements restricted, but the large size becomes a barrier to any meaningful interaction. Dealing with so many people inevitably relegates the wildlife and environment to a mere backdrop. You're being denied the "true safari experience."
Find Out the Experience Level
of the Guides Leading the Safari
This can make the difference between an intimate encounter with the land, wildlife, and the peoples of Africa and a "drive-through zoo experience."
