Page 14 - The Best African Safari

It is easy for most safari companies, (at least the ones that are honest) to
do a good job when things go well but this is Africa after all and how a
safari company reacts to things like lost luggage, missed connections,
management changes in lodges and broken down vehicles (which should
not happen if they are good vehicles and well maintained) is when a
safari company really proves its value.

But there are some simple signs and questions you can ask to help you
decide if a safari company is right for you.

One should never choose a safari company on price alone. Safaris can be
found at all levels of price and luxury, but make sure the essentials are
covered. Like hiring a contractor to remodel your house the cheapest is
not usually the best. Low prices are tempting but can mean that the
company is using older vehicles, does not pay or treat their people well
and uses lodges and camps that are less than ideal. So what are the clues
to look for? OK, here comes one of my famous lists:

 How responsive are they? Is your safari company easy to reach? Can
you reach them by both email and phone? Do they get back to you
the same day? How thorough are their responses to your
questions? Does it feel like they truly care or does it feel like they
just want to sell you a trip? As a client during my first safari I had a
million questions. I expected that if I sent an email with a question I
should hear back that same day.

 What do their prior clients say? While sites like Trip Advisor can be a
helpful weeding out process ask your potential safari company to
put you in contact with some of their past clients. Are they willing to
do that? Do the discussions you have with them convey that they
had a great once in a lifetime experience or was it just a “nice” trip?

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