We understand the magic that makes up a safari, and we take the time up front to understand the important aspects that, combined, make it a success. We consider your past experience, preferred style of camp, budget and special interests such as photography, local cultures or birding. Once we’re familiar with your requirements, the safari is then customised to make sure it’s exactly what you’ve asked for.
The quality of your guide is the defining element in determining your overall safari experience.
With a privately guided safari, we are able to guarantee your experience throughout, as an Essential Africa guide will accompany you. If the privately guided option is not your choice, then be assured that we always request the best guides at each camp where possible.
At Essential Africa, our guides are shareholders in the business and consider this to be our life. It’s more than just a job. We have been able to turn our passion for guiding and wildlife into a career. Each of our guides has at least a decade of experience in guiding our own safaris.
Travelling with a private guide allows us to build on each experience at every destination, instead of starting from scratch with a new guide at every camp. We avoid the repetition of info, and can concentrate on the aspects of your safari that you really like. It usually takes about two days to properly get to grips with everyone’s likes and dislikes, and the style of safari that is appreciated. Some of our guests are avid photographers; others are keen on the big cats, or interested in general wildlife or birds. We can concentrate on whatever aspect of the safari that most interests you, and offer good practical advice and firsthand knowledge that we have built up over the years of guiding in our favoured areas.
Local guides add a fascinating insight into their culture. Their knowledge of wildlife in their immediate surrounds is invaluable. We combine this with our broad general knowledge and continuity, which adds richness to the overall experience.
Because we’ve lived and worked at many of the lodges we visit, we’re able to understand exactly how they work and we’re able to liaise with the camp staff to make sure all requirements are met, and expectations exceeded. Therefore, through our own experiences of lodge life, we’re able to help smooth any unexpected glitches that may arise along the way.
If budget permits, we recommend using a private vehicle throughout the safari. As your safari unfolds and your experience grows, your interests and attention is drawn to particular aspects of Africa. Having your own vehicle for the safari ensures that, like having a private guide for the duration, we “progress” at the same pace. It also means that a week into our safari you’re not paired with folks who have just arrived for their very first game drive; by this stage you are more discerning about what you are looking for and how long you would like to spend with any particular sighting than someone who has literally just stepped off the plane.
We have selected a handful of operators in each country that provide access to the best game viewing areas and offer the most authentic wilderness experience. Their camps and lodges are efficiently run, and by sticking to those that we trust and use frequently, we can guarantee a high level of safari. It also means that, should anything go wrong, there are always good backup systems in place.
When it comes to the actual safari, you can be sure that the areas we pick have earned their spot in our chosen itinerary – great wildlife, and as far as possible, private concessions. We have first-hand knowledge of all the reserves, concessions and camps that we use. We’ve been there to see what it’s like for ourselves, so we know exactly what to offer our guests. We also know the best time of year to visit these areas, which is vital, as most areas have abundant game in certain seasons yet very little at times when conditions are more favourable elsewhere. In National Parks like the Serengeti we use mobile camps to ensure we’re in the heart of the migration. These spots are chosen for their position in areas with the least tourist activity.
We ensure that you have all the information you need regarding visa requirements, health issues, currencies, and local conditions. Long before you head for the airport, we make sure you’re fully prepared for the conditions ahead, by sending packing lists, recommending books for you to read, providing info on what currency to bring and the acceptance of credit cards, and tipping protocols. Insider knowledge of city tours and great restaurants just adds sparkle to the edges of your trip.
We take full responsibility for the entire trip from the time you arrive in Africa. This covers everything from the meet and greet at the airports by our guides or one of our operators, all accommodation, city tours, charter flights or road transfers between the reserves. If it is a privately guided safari, the guide will be with you every step of the way. And even if you choose not to take advantage of the privately guided option, our close communication with each camp throughout your trip will go a long way to making it memorable for all the right reasons.
If anyone has any comments on the above or would like to add anything further we would love to hear from you. We know that each guest who has travelled with us in the past has their own special reasons why their experience is beyond what they had imagined.
Regards, Lee.
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