An African safari can be your ‘once in a lifetime adventure’ therefore it is essential that you make the right pick for trip agency to make sure that the experience is memorable and full of stories!
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And if you are a person that self-drive safari doesn’t appeal or simply your time is limited and you wish to go on safari for just a couple of days, then we have a few tips for you if you want to select a good and reliable Africa safaris operator.
1) Become familiar with the real people in the company. Never trust organizations which do not have an ‘about us’ section and who do not offer phone numbers and a physical address. If a safari provider is unwilling to reveal themselves who would want to deal with them?!
2) Determine if they are the people truly performing the safari and not just the reservation agents. Then determine if they’ve a first-hand connection with the parks and lodges that you want to visit. Get on with the safari operator that operates in your desired destination on a consistent basis and knows all the roads and camp team.
3) Research wide and then narrow down your research. Try not to limit yourself to affordable operators for example, as some of the more expensive reserves also possess their affordable camps. The lodges also have a tendency to offer great discounts in the out of season intervals.
4) Discover how long the safari provider has been doing business because there are many ‘fly-by-nights’ in all businesses! Still, because a provider is new doesn’t suggest they’re not great – if the company doesn’t have a history simply have a look at their staff resumes.
5) Does the safari provider have the right expertise for your particular needs? If you wish an African photo safari, for example, ask what kind of vehicle you’ll be in, ask about the number of individuals that will be in the vehicle and ask about the type of guide you are going to have. The vehicle must have quite big windows which can open, or no windows (in case it is an open safari vehicle) plus a sunroof to shoot from. You do not wish to be filled into a vehicle like sardines – you need to have comfort and to have space to put your photo case and also to have the liberty to turn to photograph.
6) What do popular travel sites for instance Trip-Advisor and Lonely Planet say about the provider? Also, perform an online search on the safari operator and notice what shows up – if previous customers are unpleasant they’ll be posting trip reports on trip forums.
7) Discover what the operator will look after – could it be just the accommodation or maybe they do flight bookings and vehicle hire as well.
8) Receive a clear description of the cancellation / refund policy and discover their payment policies.
In the end, it’s also wise to listen to your gut feeling because it should signal you if the African safari provider is the best one for you or if you have had an escape from a negative experience!