Home
>
Outdoors
>
The Best Safari Company for Your Safari Trip - Heres How To Choose

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 choose a safari company 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 choose a safari company in Africa ranked by using trip reports from previous visitors to these areas.

Airbnb cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

AI phishing scams now use voice cloning and deepfake technology to trick victims, but Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals warning signs to watch for.

Inversion Space unveils Arc, a reusable reentry vehicle that can deliver up to 500 pounds of cargo from orbit to anywhere on Earth in under an hour.

Red flags like processing fees, urgent countdowns and requests for full Social Security numbers expose fraudulent settlement sites targeting consumers.

Comprehensive analysis of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps examines usability, routing accuracy, data handling and features across the top navigation platforms.

Expert analysis reveals whether wired Ethernet or wireless Wi-Fi connections are safer for home internet use, plus practical steps to secure your network from attackers.

Australian construction robot Charlotte uses sand, crushed brick and recycled glass to 3D print fireproof, floodproof homes with reduced carbon footprint.

Cybercriminals are using fake invitation emails to trick recipients into downloading malware and stealing personal information and data.

Flying drones could help retailers fight a 93% increase in theft rates as Flock Safety promotes airborne security systems to track suspects and deter crime.

The Fox News Artificial Intelligence Newsletter brings you the latest news on the emerging technology every Saturday, highlighting top stories.

Hacker group Radiant stole data from 8,000 children at Kido nursery chain, demanding ransom and directly contacting parents with intimidation tactics.

As 18 states implement bell-to-bell cell phone bans, creative students use Google Docs, iMessage on MacBooks and Post-It notes to stay connected in class.

A sheriff's captain says deputies often spend hours writing reports between calls, but Axon's AI program, Draft One, helps them save crucial time in the field.

Sora 2, OpenAI's new video-generation app, can create AI-generated videos based on a singular prompt. The results are both mind-blowing and terrifying.

iPhone and Android users can reduce Wi-Fi calling battery drainage through settings adjustments, background app limits and stronger Wi-Fi connections.

Work email scams are becoming harder to detect as criminals use AI and spoofed addresses to trick employees into opening malicious attachments and links.

From her Arizona living room, Christina Chapman ran a covert hub that helped North Korean operatives infiltrate U.S. firms, netting $17 million in stolen salaries.

UC Santa Barbara researchers developed a soft robotic intubation system that achieved 100% success rates for experts and 96% for paramedics with minimal training.

Scammers exploit probate filings to target grieving families with fake fees and debts, Kurt "Cyberguy" Knutsson reports.

Automotive giant Stellantis becomes latest victim of widespread Salesforce breaches affecting companies like Google, Cisco and Adidas this year.

A woman from Washington reunited with her missing Maine Coon cat Louie after 11 days using Love Lost, a free AI-powered pet recovery platform.

Expert cybersecurity tips help Mac owners remove malware infections and strengthen defenses with antivirus software, password managers and system updates.

Meta's AI chatbot training rules bans sexual roleplay with minors and block access to child abuse material as regulators scrutinize its safety measures.

Online banking users face a new threat: web injection scams that overlay fake pop-ups to steal logins. Here’s how to spot them and protect your accounts.

Meta introduced Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger while launching a School Partnership Program for U.S. educators to report bullying within 48 hours.

Executive order signed by President Donald Trump tasks Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA Commission with using AI to find new cures for childhood cancers.

The Best Safari Company for Your Safari Trip - Heres How To Choose

Outdoors