THE INSIDER – there is no such person as an Africa specialist – trust us)!

Membership in Tour Operator Associations has critics and there are no guarantees that your outfitter or guides will be better than others but you can at least contact the Association if you are unhappy with your safari! If your outfitter is not a member then there is nowhere to go. As expected, the outfitters who are not members (their reasons vary) are the ones who lobby the hardest against these Associations! The top few local outfitters have international contacts – simplifying communications and payment especially if they accept credit cards.Be aware that a few licensed outfitters and lodges/camps in East Africa don’t sell directly to the public. When you contact them they will send you a list of agents in your home country.</>

3. Tour Operators, travel agents, safari consultants, safari representatives, safari consolidators, safari planners, safari experts, etc.

It does not matter how fancy the title; these operations share two common facts – they don’t operate their own safaris and they have only limited knowledge of the many destinations in Africa. ! They don’t own safari vehicles, they don’t own camps or lodges, they don’t own safari equipment and they don’t employ safari guides! Instead, they invest in elaborate web sites, trade shows, brochures and sales people. In other words, MARKETING is what they do best! They don’t specialize in one region; they carry brochures with safaris to all of Africa. Because of their large coverage and limited experience they add little or no value to your safari. When you book with these individuals or companies, your safari will be outsourced to a licensed local outfitter and in most cases you will pay more than going direct with no added benefits.If the company you are dealing with is NOT based in East Africa, then consider the following:

Insider TIP #1: Always ask the following question – do you operate your own safaris in East Africa, or do you outsource to a ground operator? There is nothing wrong with outsourcing – unfortunately not all local outfitters offer the same quality safaris so you should research a particular local outfitter on the internet before booking a safari with its overseas agent.

Insider TIP #2: Beware of paying too much! When using an agent or consultant, ask yourself how much value are they adding to your safari? Many agents add no value (except inflated prices) and you can do the exact safari for much less if you contact the ground operator directly! Instead of paying high fees to consultants, use the internet to research your safari.

Insider TIP #3: Beware of group tours! Safaris offered by agents are often group departures. Unless you have specific reasons for joining a group tour, DON’T! A group on safari in the bush is different from a group on a tour of Italy! The roads are bad, the vehicles are small with no bathrooms (a real drag if someone has stomach problems so common in Africa), it is hot with biting insects and each individual wants to see different animals. If one person is an avid photographer, then matters can quickly escalate to a really unhappy experience.

Insider TIP #4: Beware of generalists! Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are diverse countries with so much to offer that few agents can keep up with new developments. If your agent also sells South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe then he or she cannot possibly know all the latest camps, attractions, wildlife movements, restaurants and hotels in each country! Nowadays it crucial to book with country specialists, not Africa specialists (there is no such person as an Africa specialist – trust us)!

Insider TIP #5: Who are you dealing with? A true destination specialist or someone who travels to Africa once a year on a short fam trip? Or someone who has not been to Africa in years?