|
|
| |
| Outdoor Adventure Information – Your Guide to Outdoor Fun | |
|
|
|
The Best Safari Company for Your Safari Trip - Heres How To Choose
Which is the best African safari company for my safari trip? This is a question that comes up very frequently and it's not surprising. There are so many safari operators in the market all promising the earth that it is very difficult to choose between them, especially when you know nothing about them. But there is a way to improve your chances significantly of making the right choice of safari company for your dream African safari trip and avoid the ones that might turn your trip into a nightmare. And it consists of three simple steps. Don't let this happen to you If you leave this decision to chance and just go with the safari company that seems the best or the cheapest you might end up in a situation like Dale and Dana Russell who went on safari in Tanzania and chose their safari company by gut instinct and price. They were the only two in the safari vehicle on this trip but things started to go downhill fast when they asked their driver and guide questions and he would only answer in monosyllabic grunts and sometimes not at all. And then on the way to the Serengeti from Nairobi he began to visit his relatives while Dale and Dana had to sit fuming in the safari vehicle. To make matters worse when they finally did reach the Serengeti he would drive straight at the animals as if he was going to run them over and then stop at the last moment. And finally on the way back to Nairobi he did run over and kill a goat that was crossing the road, making no attempt to swerve or slow down. Beware. There are a few shoestring operations like this out there but this one has fortunately since closed down. So how do you avoid these cowboy operators when you choose a safari company for your trip? Simply apply the following three steps and you will cut out all the risky operators. Recommendations from others Some of the best advice you will receive about a safari company is from people who have been on a trip with them already. They can tell you exactly how the company performed and it's first hand information without any kind of marketing agenda. This is a great way to create a shortlist of safari companies so if you know anyone who has been on safari before ask them about it. But what if you don't know someone who has been on safari before? No problem. There are dozens of websites on the internet that list safari trip reports and travel diaries written by the people who have previously gone on the trip themselves. Find them and learn from them. The tips and recommendations you can glean there are very valuable for your own trip. Check their credentials The next thing you need to do is check the credentials of the safari company you are planning to use to make sure they are reputable. To do your own research here is the process to follow... Membership in safari associations don't guarantee that a company is reputable but it can be a pretty good indication so find out if your prospective safari guide is listed. Here are the associations you can check: KATO - Kenya Association of Tour Operators, TATO - Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, SATSA - Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, TASA - Tours and Safari Association of Namibia, ATTA - African Travel and Tourism Association and ASTA - American Society of Travel Agents. If they are not members it doesn't automatically mean they are not reputable but it does afford some peace of mind. Ask the right questions So you have a safari company in mind and you've done a little research to find out more about them and now it's time to get in touch. What questions do you need to ask to make sure you are going to get the best value for your money? Find out how many other people there will be on your trip. Some of the companies can be guilty of trying to cram too many people into the safari vehicle and that can become unpleasant. And ask about their payment policies. Some companies place the clients money in trust until the tour occurs so that in the unlikely event of the company going into liquidation your money will be safe. Make sure they explain their cancellation and refund policy to you clearly and the timing of reservations and payments that need to be made. There are dozens of other questions that you can ask but these should go a long way towards establishing if they are a fly-by-nighter just out to make a quick buck. Follow the three steps and you can find the best safari company for your trip with unerring accuracy. The Top Three African Safari Operators list at the African Safari Journals website is compiled by using the recommendations of previous safari travellers and covers the best companies in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. Not sure where to go on safari? These are the Top Five Safari Destinations in Africa ranked by using trip reports from previous visitors to these areas.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Amazing Trek Across TIbet! Today Bookpleasures and Sketchandtravel are pleased to have as our guest, Brandon Wilson, author of Yak Butter Blues.In 1992, Brandon and his wife Cheryl travelled 40 days from early October to the end of November in 1992 over 1000 kilometers travelling along the ancient pilgrimage route across Tibet. San Francisco Beaches When you are planning a vacation to Maui or Rio de Janeiro you may put beaches on the top of you list of things to see. However, when planning a trip to San Francisco, you may have heard of North Beach, but North Beach doesn't have any beaches (though the neighborhood was named after a beach that used to be on its north shoreline). Top Five African Safari Destinations Any vacations in Africa will not be complete without going on a safari to experience the wild animals and the peace and tranquillity of the bushveld.But there are literally hundreds of national parks and wildlife areas in Africa that you can travel to. How to Repair an Inflatable Boat The owner can attempt small inflatable boat repair if factory-gluing instructions are followed closely. Rips and holes larger than one inch in the air chambers, or those within two inches of a seam, should be repaired with internal and external patches by a professional repair technician at a certified repair facility. Costa Rica White Water Rafting Trip Costa Rica's mountainous topography and copious rainfall are both responsible for one of the best white water rafting river choices in the world. Experienced rafting outfitters regularly run about half a dozen of rambunctious rivers, and those river trips not only provide plenty of excitement, but also allow enjoying gorgeous scenery. Santa Cruz Church - the Portuguese Legacy in Bangkok Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was first built the reign of King Taksin, a legacy of Thai-Portuguese relations that date back to the 16th century.Nestled among old houses on the river banks and newer buildings inland, the reddish dome of the old Catholic church is a prominent landmark on the Chao Phraya. Should You Buy a Used Inflatable Boat? There are two types of used inflatable boats for sale - those that have never been patched before, and those that have been repaired. Repaired boats are worked upon by factory technicians using the same glue and same techniques used for a new boat, and hence are as good as new ones. Alaska Hunting Guide WHAT TO HUNT AND WHERE: Alaska is a hunter's paradise. Hunting here can provide the full scope of experiences- from caribou to deer and moose, from grizzly and brown bears to wolves, from Dall sheep and mountain goats to muskox, from waterfowl to ptarmigan and several grouse species. Going it Alone: The Waterfall at Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska I stood at the observation point on the balcony at the Visitor Center overlooking the great Mendenhall Glacier at Juneau, Alaska. Before me was a beautiful scene. Visiting the Last Paradise on Earth - Costa Rica I've been traveling and writing about places I believe others would love to visit, to unwind from their busy and hectic schedules. Most recently I visited Costa Rica, a place which can be best described as one of the last paradises on earth. Great Indian Holidays Holidays in India, awesome in her size and diversity. This virtual sub-continent, stretches from the lofty Himalyas , a series of 2000km long mountain ranges in the north, to the extensive deserts in the west, the lush evergreen forest in the south to the far-flung sub Himalayan forests in the North East. Lake Winnipesaukee - The Smile of the Great Spirit Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest and one of the deepest lakes in New Hampshire. Centered in the popular vacation area known as the Lakes Region it provides 4-season pleasure for millions every year. Navigating on the Mountain, in Water, or in Woods there is an eTrex Unit For You Truly a small wonder, the eTrex takes the best features of a 12 parallel channel GPS receiver and put them into a six ounce package that is only four inches high and two inches wide. The result is a unit that will literally fit in the palm of your hand. The Cast of Culture in South Africa Drive along one of South Africa's scenic strips and you will notice a landscape composed of a backdrop of wide open spaces, blue mountains and blood-red sunsets. These scenes abound, but given the nature of the culture in South Africa, your attention could swiftly switch to a small boy gallantly escorting herds of cattle, end to end, over a rainbow-like walkway crossing one of the largest and busiest highways in South Africa. Driving in Greece - How Bad is it? Generally speaking, Greek drivers are not the best in Europe, but they are not the worst - those people know who they are!I have been in driving in Greece for a while now and have witnessed many examples of bad habits on the road, which have shocked my rapidly departing British sensibilities. It is not uncommon for drivers to hoot their horns at traffic lights, even when they are still on red and to fly through red lights. Planning Your Own Gorilla Safari Will Save You Money - Heres How Going on a gorilla safari must rank as one of the best wildlife experiences left in the natural world. Many people describe it as an overwhelming and awe-inspiring experience and worth every penny they spent on making it happen. Where to Find Some of the Best Beaches in the World We think that Cape Town has some of the best beaches in the world.You can choose beaches which are on the Indian Ocean, with warm water, or those on the colder Atlantic Ocean. Discount Lift Tickets - Learn what Colorado Ski Resorts Do Not Want You to Know! How to get discount lift tickets for popular ski resorts in Colorado including Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek.The ski resorts make it difficult for anyone coming from out of state to get a great deal on lift tickets. Improving Your Aim If your aim is not good, or is not quite what you want it to be, there are several ways you can work to improve it. Most people can hit the target almost every time when they are not rushed in any way. Visiting Whistler in Summer It is the end of the season for the year but a summer visit is preferred by many patrons who regularly visit the Twin Mountains. The whistler and Blackcomb rise above the valley and give a fantastic panoramic view.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
