Group or Private Safaris?
Private safaris are all about flexibility and being flexible on safari is a necessity for better sightings, stunning pictures and "National Geographic moments"!
An air-conditioned bus tour in Europe is a relaxing way to take in the sights. Comfortable reclining seats with head and foot rests, curtains to block the sun, flushing toilets, ice cold drinks, soft conversations with your fellow tour mates, clear communications from your English-speaking tour guide. Itineraries are fixed with daily programs to take in all the sights with carefully orchestrated rest-stops and meal times. Most tours have plenty of "at leisure" hours for clients to explore on their own and to get away from the group. The comradie between tour members, the safety factor, the easy planning and free time to explore, is very alluring and contributes to the success of international tour companies.
But group travel in Africa is different.
Very bumpy roads, noisy vehicles, dust everywhere, hot sun, biting tsetse flies, soft-spoken guides with broken English, inconvenient bathroom stops and no air-conditioning! Unlike coach tours in Europe, itineraries can be influenced by alpha personalities - if the majority in a vehicle with 6 or 7 tourists decide to leave a game drive early and head back to the lodge, the minority can do nothing about it!
Tough conditions sometime bring out the worst in people. On safari, spending 14 days in a small vehicle with one bad apple is not our idea of having fun. Remember there are very few, if any, opportunities to break away from the group and explore on your own. Every moment of the day will be spend with the group unless you decide to skip game drives and stay at the lodge to rest.
The bathroom situation is particularly challenging. In the African heat tourists must drink a lot of water to rehydrate - translating to frequent bathroom stops. The larger the group the more frequent the stops and when 6 people have to take turns behind a single bush on the Serengeti plains there will be several 30-minute pit stops during game drives and travel days on the road!
While it is true that some benefits of group travel are still relevant, for example the ease of planning, companionship, and safety in numbers, these are superficial reasons for choosing a group safari. We do all the planning, your clients are taken care of from the moment they arrive at the airport until they depart, they are always escorted, and a private safari can be very social if they want it to be!
The use of "tour directors" is overrated unless the itinerary uses large tourist-style lodges (and many group safaris do). It takes good organization to keep 12 to 24 guests happy and because cheaper tourist lodges often have issues with anything from misplaced luggage to a lack of hot water to inexperienced staff to musty smells in the rooms, a tour director is an invaluable asset to help resolve the many complaints. Clients on private safaris with experienced guides do not need tour directors! The better camps and lodges have well-trained managers who take care of client issues and concerns.
If you really think your clients will miss the company of others, they will find it easy to socialize at our recommended camps & lodges because these attract very interesting couples and individuals from around the world. Stimulating conversations on safari often lead to lifelong friendships. Stories of animal sightings are shared around camp fires and many dinners are served using family style tables with 4 to 20 guests depending on the size of the camp!
But we understand if clients absolutely want travel companions! Wives often joke about husbands who will drive them crazy if it was only the two of them on safari! We can book them on a "fly-in" rate plan. They will fly from camp to camp (or drive where it makes sense using transfer vehicles) and do game drives according to the camp/lodge schedules. These game drives are shared and provide wonderful opportunities to establish new friendships.
But we understand if clients absolutely want travel companions! Wives often joke about husbands who will drive them crazy if it was only the two of them on safari! We can book them on a "fly-in" rate plan. They will fly from camp to camp (or drive where it makes sense using transfer vehicles) and do game drives according to the camp/lodge schedules. These game drives are shared and provide wonderful opportunities to establish new friendships.
Single clients do not have to settle on group tours. The safari guide is always around to converse with and can join you during meal times - it is actually a great way to learn more about the guide, his family and his culture on a more personal level. Unlike many other types of vacations, singles on safari rarely feel lonely - many luxury tented camps have communal seating and singles just blend in! Single supplements are an issue in Africa much like elsewhere but there are many lodges that don't have single surcharges!
Cultural immersion is another important factor when considering a group safari. There is no such thing as "positive cultural interaction" when a convoy of 4 vehicles and 24 people show up at a Maasai village! Have you been in Cancun or Cozumel on days when cruise ships arrive? Have you seen the higher cruise ship rate sheets replace the standard rates? Did you notice a change in the behavior of the local vendors and population?
Finally and most importantly, there is a huge misconception that group safaris are cheaper than private safaris! Don't believe this for one moment! Please read our safari reviews where you will find many examples of this misconception! In fact, group safaris from international safari companies reviewed by us are without exception more expensive than private safaris for the same itineraries.
 |
| Typical safari vehicle from a large tour company |
There are budget-oriented international group tours but these receive mixed reviews. Many are designed for young people and others suffer from several trade-offs - cheaper prices but larger groups, tourist lodges, fewer game drives inside the parks and longer road transfers because of lodge locations and the lack of inter-park flights. Please read the fine print when looking at budget group safaris. Many budget tours have minimum size requirements and will cancel at the last minute if the numbers don't add up.
