The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators lists registered safari companies to ensure reliability. Photo / 123RF
Choosing a safari operator that is conservation-minded, with ties to the local community and well-trained guides can add up to the trip of a lifetime and also nurture nature, writes Costas Christ
Last year, an alarming video posted online recorded four-wheel-drive safari vehicles in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve racing after hunting cheetahs and nearly scaring them off their kill.
In July, a Spanish traveller was trampled to death by elephants in Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa, the third time this year that a tourist was killed by wildlife on a safari.
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And in September, wildlife researchers and tourism representatives in Arusha, Tanzania, raised concerns about safari companies causing significant distress to wildlife and damaging natural habitat.
All of these events make careful vetting of safari companies ever more important — for the safety of the visitors and the wildlife they hope to see, but also the communities supported by safari tourism.
“Our travel choices can make a huge difference in helping to save Africa’s landscapes and protect endangered wildlife,” said Kaddu Sebunya, CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, an international conservation organisation based in Nairobi, Kenya. “When travellers book a safari with a reputable company at the forefront of conservation-based traveller tourism, they are not only contributing to conservation but also to the economic wellbeing of local communities.”
Hope to go on safari someday? Here’s what you can do to have that great experience of a lifetime, but also ensure your hard-earned dollars benefit local people and protect nature.
For most other vacations, you can piece together your own tour à la carte — booking various components such as hotels, vehicles, meals and guides directly. But most safari companies will require you to book everything with them so they can best ensure coordination of the often-complicated logistics of getting around Africa’s parks and reserves. (International flights are an exception).
And the remote location of Africa’s safari settings, along with challenging local travel conditions, make going on a wildlife safari more expensive than most other nature holidays.
“There really is no such thing as a budget safari. With park fees, accommodations, meals, transportation, guides and game drives, even at the lower end, prices start at around US$500 [NZ$875] per person per day,” said Ashish Sanghrajka, CEO of Big Five Tours and Expeditions, a safari operator that’s been organising trips for more than 50 years.
Companies advertising low-cost safaris warrant additional scrutiny. They may not be legally registered or own their vehicles, their guides may not be licensed, and you could be left stranded if there is a problem.
The length of the trip is another important consideration. Opting for a minimum of 12 nights, with three nights in any one camp or lodge, will allow for a more immersive wildlife and cultural experience. Less than that can turn a safari into an exhausting whistle-stop tour. (Full disclosure: I was a wildlife researcher, and then also a part-time safari guide in Africa, for nearly a decade).
Finding an experienced safari operator with a conservation background — one that knows the lay of the land, the weather, the politics, the people and the wildlife — means doing some homework.
Yes, there are some travel agents who specialise in safaris, but many tend to focus on the basics, like where to stay, without an understanding of conservation-based tourism. They may also be inclined to make recommendations because of commissions they receive from companies they book with.
Either way, you will want to do your own online research on where to go and what you hope to experience. Many travel companies — including safari operators — talk about having a commitment to protecting nature and benefiting local people, but what they actually do is the most important.
In addition to describing itineraries and highlighting the operator’s expertise, a reputable safari company’s website will also list conservation and community initiatives. Look for a “sustainability” or “code of ethics” tab for details.
While this could help narrow your options of whom to go with, in our age of online misinformation and “greenwashing”, you’ll want to dig deeper.
“Ecolabels and green certifications can be misleading. Businesses often pay to get them. Instead, search for evidence of actual impact,” said Joss Kent, CEO of andBeyond, a nature travel company founded in 1991 that was among the first to publish detailed conservation and community benefit reports, including its recently released 2030 impact strategy.
The websites of most reputable safari companies will include impact reports that cite measurable results of projects ranging from community development to rewilding natural habitats and the protection of rare and endangered species. For instance, in its 2024 Impact Report, Natural Selection, a safari outfitter specialising in southern Africa, provides a detailed explanation for each of its conservation and community projects, such as the Thamo Telele Giraffe Genetic Testing Program and the learning centre for children in Khwai Village, Botswana.
Safari companies are required to be legally registered in the country where they operate. The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, which promotes sustainable tourism and has a code of ethics, provides a list of registered safari companies on its website. Associations like this exist in most safari destinations and provide another way to help identify reputable tour operators.
Finally, keep in mind the importance of researching independent online reviews.
A sometimes-overlooked part of vetting a safari company is ensuring it only hires professionally trained and licensed guides. Much of a rewarding safari holiday — uncrowded wildlife sightings, authentic cultural experiences and personal safety — frequently comes down to guide qualifications. In Kenya, for example, guides licensed by the Kenya Professional Safari Guide Association are versed in animal behaviours and safety protocols. Reputable safari companies will also provide field training for their guides.
There is an inside joke among veteran guides that goes like this: What is the difference between a top safari guide and a typical safari guide? The former will scan the horizon in search of a large pride of lions and then look to see if there are any safari vehicles nearby. The latter will scan the horizon in search of a large cluster of safari vehicles and then look to see if there are any lions nearby. You want the former.
Trevor Macy is a film and television producer based in Los Angeles who travelled to Botswana last December for a wildlife safari with his wife and daughter.
“It took us our first couple of game drives to really understand what our guide was capable of,” said Macy, 55. “Sitting with him at a water hole for several hours just observing nature was an incredible education. He taught us how to tell where lions are just by listening to the birds.”
A safari operator’s commitment to responsible travel will extend beyond their own operations to the lodges and camps they contract with. Many sustainable accommodations might have environmentally friendly practices, such as renewable energy, recycling and elimination of plastic waste. In addition, they will also prioritise hiring and training people from local villages and towns and supporting the local economy. As a traveller, you can also vet these lodges online by reviewing their sustainability information or ask the tour operator for additional details.
“We believe that a safari lodge should offer great guest service, embrace local cultural heritage and demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting nature,” said Jonathan Raggett, CEO of Red Carnation Hotels, the owner of Xigera Safari Lodge in Botswana.
In addition to being powered by solar energy and not using plastic water bottles, Xigera showcases one of the continent’s largest private collections of contemporary African art, which is on display at the lodge, along with local and regional artists’ stories.
Once you’ve done your homework to narrow your choice of tour operators, it’s time to pick up the phone and speak to the companies directly, verifying what you have researched online.
A reputable safari operator will not have to “look into it and get back to you”. Rather, they will be able to provide the information in real-time on the phone and then follow up with additional resources.
Your travel choice does make a difference. By exercising that choice in a meaningful way, not only will it help ensure your own trip will be filled with safe, fun and fascinating wildlife experiences, you will also be in the vanguard of helping to make safari travel better for nature, visitors and locals alike.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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