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The benefits of a tailor-made safari

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There are certain things that the majority of people will want to do and see when they go on a safari but the chances are, with (for example) a family group travelling together, that there will be differing individual ideas as to specific priorities.

This might be a problem when travelling on some kind of set itinerary but, by designing such a once-in-a-lifetime trip specifically with each person’s proclivities in mind, a correct balance of focus can easily be achieved.

The actual requirements of each person travelling might be very varied – perhaps doing an unusual activity or seeing a specific animal – but a properly tailor-made itinerary created by a professional will ensure that the correct amount of time and opportunity is dedicated to achieving such aims.

A safari is a personal experience and tailoring it to meet the needs of each participant creates a unique and utterly memorable trip, which truly belongs to everyone travelling.

An itinerary to suit your needs

Safaris are suitable for everyone, from individuals, couples and families through to groups of friends. It is, of course, just common sense that a safari designed for a couple travelling privately might not be subject to the same parameters as a large family travelling together.

A couple will also have different ideas of how to plan their day than a family group although both may well want to spend time on their own – one of the unsung wonders of a safari is the ability of the bush to strip away the distractions of modern western life and allow individuals to reconnect!

A family may also be more inclined to interact with other travellers. When children are involved the range of activities chosen also need to be more carefully balanced than for two or more adults. On a walking safari or other specific activity the overall fitness of everyone travelling also needs to be taken into consideration.

Focusing on priorities

Tailor-made safaris put the requirements of every client right at the heart of the trip. This may mean seeing a specific species of animal, a particular place or geographical feature, doing a certain activity or getting a specific photograph.

There are those who have always wanted to see elephants in the wild, while for others it is a certain cat such as a lion or a leopard. Your youngest child’s favourite beast might be a crocodile – seeing one would definitely be a highlight of the safari!

None of this is any problem and creating the perfect holiday for the family means the planning will include the correct route so that “crocodiling” becomes an integral part of the itinerary.

Avid bird watchers will be keen to see the incredible species that call parts of Africa (and Asia or South America) their homes, for at least certain periods in the year.

Choosing a guide with particular knowledge in this field will help maximise spotting opportunities but, of course, this is not always everyone’s focus so an itinerary needs to be balanced in order to correctly fulfil all the participants' expectations. And, whatever the interests of focus involved, having the right - usually private - guide is the key to a wonderful safari.

As an example: younger members of a family might see bungee jumping off Victoria Falls Bridge as a lifetime ambition whilst others may want to go rafting in the gorges below the Falls.

This can be easily achieved without sacrificing the desire of others in the family who want to see wildlife; a few days in Vic Falls or Livingstone can then be followed by a safari in the national parks of either Zambia or Zimbabwe, as both are perfectly accessible by short internal flights from the Victoria Falls area (the Falls straddle both countries). In a nutshell: Careful, highly personalised, planning makes everything possible. Which leads us on to:

Expert advice

Even though the ultimate decision on what to do and where to go lies with those taking the holiday, our role is to provide expert advice to inform and drive that choice and thus ensure the finest outcome for everyone travelling.

Close contact, including visits to clients at home if required (always a pleasure!), allows us to get to know our clients and ensure that what we propose is 100 per cent correct.

Listening to the preferences and priorities of all the participants - adults and children - is critical and then ideas can be suggested, which are hopefully correct from the outset, but can be modified to achieve the goals of all those involved.

Accommodation

The type, style and orientation of where one may stay on a safari is a crucial part of the whole. There is a wide range of potential, from the very luxurious to the more rustic and from very specifically-oriented properties to very child-friendly camps and lodges – and all may offer differing activities.

Most of the properties we use are personally run with the owners often very much to the forefront on a daily basis and who take enormous pride in the guiding available from the camp. Getting this “where to stay” balance right for each client, whether a couple, family or small group, is a very important part of the whole.

Let’s face it, some people love the idea of fly-camping on quite a basic level (even if it is made very comfortable) whilst others will only contemplate serious luxury! Either way, the options are legion, but it is paramount that we make the correct choices on behalf of our clients personally.

Time available

Work commitments and schooling means that some people have longer at their disposal than others. No matter how much time you have, a tailor made trip will help you fill it to its ultimate potential. Even short trips can be full of wonderful sightings and activities. But the essence lies in the planning, maximising the achievement of specific interest’s whist also making the whole seamless, relaxing and fulfilling – a perfect tailor-made safari...

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