Take Dale & Dana as an example. They booked a trip with one of the
many budget safari operators
available in Tanzania.
| "The trip
starts out strangely; our guide likes to stop along at various places along
the way and leaves us alone in the car without any explanation, as he goes
and talks to friends or has a cup of tea. After a few hours, our 4-wheel
drive Land Rover breaks down. Again, without a word, the driver/guide stops
the car and gets out and starts fixing it." "Our
saga with our verbally-challenged guide continues -- he never says a word
the entire time (although he does speak decent enough English), and if we
ask a question about the wildlife we are graced at best with a one-word
response, though often ignored entirely."
"At one point, a few baby goats were crossing the road.
Our driver chose to not apply his brakes and only swerve slightly and as
Dana gasped loudly, we ran directly over one of the baby goats, obviously
killing it. The guide didn’t flinch, say anything, or slow down even a tad" |
BEWARE- Although this particular safari company has fortunately since
closed down, there are still safari operators like this out there.
How To Avoid The Safari Scam Artists
So what can you do to avoid these "cowboy" companies and still get value for your safari money?
1. Get safari operators advice and
recommendations from someone who has been on safari with the company you
are interested in already.
2. Book with reputable safari operators to avoid the "fly-by-nighters".
3. Don't skimp on price. Generally, most of the risky safari companies are to be
found in the below budget category because they need to cut corners to maintain the
extremely low prices. Stick to the rates categories and you should be ok.
I've set up a list of the Top Three
Safari Operators in several African countries that conforms closely to the
criteria above.
I have an advantage being the
founder of
African Safari Journals as I get to read all the safari diaries that Africa travellers send through
to claim their
free journal webpage.
It quickly becomes clear who the good safari operators are and who the
ones are that you should rather avoid.
The list ranks the Top Three Safari
Companies in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia.
It's based on the recommendations and experiences of former safari travellers and reputations
built up in the travel industry and
compiled by yours truly,
Bruce Whittaker, the founder of
African Safari
Journals.
You can use the list to very effectively
and quickly sift through the large amount of safari operators that exist
in each country to find the cream of the crop.
The safari companies are grouped into three categories on the list:
Deluxe safaris (when money isn't an
object), mid range (still like your
luxuries but willing to rough it a little) and budget safaris (you are there to see the wildlife
as cost effectively as possible and you don't mind camping to do it).
You can also make a rates and availability enquiry about any of the companies
you are interested in to exactly price your dream safari.
The list is broken down into four instalments over four days and includes a top
five destinations list to help you decide exactly where to go on
your safari, the opportunity to win a free safari trip and a "what to
pack" checklist.
To have the Top Three Safari Operators list e-mailed to you immediately simply
fill in your name and e-mail address
below.
The list will appear in your inbox within seconds...
