Are you looking for the best African safari operator, but don’t have any idea where to start? With thousands of travel and tours which specialize in safari experiences Africa, choosing the right one would be difficult. Besides, Africa has too many things to offer from sounds, landscapes, lights, and different kinds of wild animals; it is considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
So, to ensure that you’ll have the safest, exciting, adventurous, and fun-filled experience, it is highly recommended to choose the right African safari operator for your trip.
Remember, the company you hire can make your trip memorable or worst. To help you with the selection process, here are some steps that you need to follow to ensure that you’ll hire the best among thousands of operators out there.
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Safari: What Is It?
Is it your first-time? Or a repeater traveler? Regardless of your current status, for sure, you’re aware of what safari looks like. Aside from the wildlife and breathtaking landscapes, you can also experience virgin islands and beaches hidden in the heart of safari.
Not only that, there are some luxurious safari lodges where you can stay and feel comfortable. You can also walk through the desserts, experience self-drive and riding activities to vast safari desserts. Safari can also offer horseback riding, experience to fly using a hot air balloon, or a canoe.
Here are the best places to visit in Safari Africa:
- Botswana for the Okavango Delta
- South Africa, Kruger National Park, and Sabi Sand Game Reserve
- Masai Mara Kenya
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Namibia
- Tanzania
- Serengeti National Park
- Ngorongoro Crater.
The best time to travel in Safari is from June to October. During this month, less rainfall is expected to experience. Meaning, it would make it easier for tourists to stay outdoors, to enjoy driving, and to see wild animals running free from their natural habitat.
Steps to Choose an African Safari Operator
Now that you have a glimpse of what Safari looks like, for sure, you’re excited to see Safari in real life. But hold on, there are things that you need to consider before you book for a flight.
1. Word of Mouth
The same with many services and products that you can buy from the market or even online, the feedbacks and opinions from the people that you knew are helpful. If you have family members or friends who have been in Safari before, ask them what operator they would personally recommend. Since they already visited Safari before you, their advice would be beneficial for your trip. Make sure to take advantage of their experience to make yours more exciting and less hassle.
2. Online Reviews
You can find a lot of good reviews from tons of bloggers on the internet nowadays. Aside from bloggers, you can see reviews from real people in different travel review sites. From there, check out the comment section for other people’s feedback. Jot down their good and bad experience to use it for your own good. Also, you can post a comment on those blogs, and don’t be afraid to ask some questions to clear any confusion. Besides, most of these travel bloggers will give you some tips and advice that you can use during your travel.
3. Reputation
Once you follow steps 1 and 2, most likely, you already have your top-picks safari tour operators on your list. Make sure that the company you’ll choose is:
- Quality
- Reputable
- Ethical
- Economical
Also, ensure that the company you want is a member of:
- ATTA (African Travel and Tourism Association)
- APTA (Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa
- KATO (Kenya Association of Tour Operators
- ATA (Africa Travel Association)
- TASA (Tours and Safari Association of Namibia)
- TATO (Tanzania Association of Tour Operators)
- SATSA (Southern Africa Tourism Services Association).
You can freely ask these operators if they are registered or a member of any of the above organizations.