Top 3 Reasons to Book Your Africa Luxury Safari Tour with a Travel Expert
Africa is brimming with adventure. For many, an African luxury safari tour is the trip of lifetime. That’s why it’s wise to invest in an African safari destination expert who knows the lay of the land, literally and figuratively.
There are many reasons to work with a travel advisor is the right move—but here are the three most compelling reasons you should:
1. You’re Tapping Into a Trusted Network
When planning your African luxury safari tour, Google can only get you so far and it is easy for an image or glossy site online to be a little misleading. There are major advantages that online research simply cannot deliver—namely, access to local connections that ensure are truly getting the safari tour experience you are expecting.
Travel advisors connect you to an entire network of on-the-ground experts, which typically has taken years to cultivate.
These relationships can be a game-changer if something unplanned happens during your trip. I saw proof of this before I started Find Your Africa. I remember a friend asked for my advice as she planned her safari. I recommended a great wildlife reservation, where she booked her stay.
However, upon her arrival, wildfires broke out—forcing the reservation to close. Although she got a refund, she was now in South Africa with no accommodations.
She called me, and I was able to leverage my network to help her. I pointed to her to a beautiful hotel in Johannesburg, where I knew she could unwind, indulge spa treatments and access other safari tours.
I reached out to another connection, and was able to get her a VIP transfer to a stunning 10-bed game lodge in another safari reserve. Because I had personally reached out to this lodge, the staff warmly greeted her by first name. Several even said “we’re going to take great care of you because James sent you.”
I share this story to underscore the value of working with a safari travel expert. During hiccups like these, a travel advisor will ensure your is the once-in-a-lifetime experience that you expect.
And it’s worth nothing that travel advisors will also ensure you have a better overall experience, even if everything goes according to plan. They can get you access to people, places, tours and personal touches, experiences and perks that are often not open to the public.
2. You Can Pick Your Own Adventure, Literally
I had a client who was considering an African luxury safari vacation package through a large platform. She was struggling to choose between two packages—which at the surface level, were very similar.
She reached out to me at Find Your Africa for some help, which I was delighted to provide.
I quickly spotted a key difference. One package included lodging in the Kruger National Park—and the other package included luxury safari accommodation in the exclusive Sabi Sands Private game reserve.
Online research told her they both had great reviews and comparable rates. What it didn’t tell her was these were very different experiences.
Kruger National Park includes public roads, which means there is no control over animal sightings. When an animal is spotted, you might have the road to yourself or there could be dozens of other vehicles on the road blocking your view.
On the other hand, Sabi Sands reserve is private. Sightings are strictly controlled to no more than four vehicles and expert safari guides share everything you ever wanted to know about the animals as you see them up close in an open safari vehicle. As you might imagine, this makes for a much better experience.
Beyond that, I was also able to provide additional context. Having personal experience with both options, I could easily break down each property's pros and cons.
We looked at the entire safari package, not just the two lodges. I took into account where she was coming from and other destinations she would be visiting. I looked at her transportation method, accounting for road conditions, airstrip locations and transfers.
After we broke down the entire trip— including all hotels, tours and lodges, I’m pleased to say that she decided to build a new personal package with Find Your Africa capable of meeting all her South African safari desires.
3. You’ll Get That Priceless Peace of Mind
Working with a travel advisor is not always the cheapest route—but it does ensure the best value. Or at least, that is our commitment at Find Your Africa where our personal relationships with your destination means your luxury safari itineraries are special.
From the onset, we take great care to understand what type of experience you want to have. This guides the itinerary and African safari luxury tour we design for you, calling on our decades of experience living and working in Africa.
This level of attention and expertise is especially valuable for first-time visitors to Africa. As one of the largest continents, Africa is obviously vast—and frankly, narrowing down your search can be confusing, not to mention time-consuming. Unfortunately, there’s also room for a lot of mistakes.
Our goal at Find Your Africa is always to make your adventure stress-free, which very much includes planning the details.
Ultimately, your trip is an investment. Working with a quality Africa luxury safari travel advisor ensures you get the best return on that. If you’re ready to make your safari dream trip a reality, let's chat.
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