10 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Safari Company
Nairobi, Kenya: Giraffe Manor
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY CREATE AUTHENTIC AFRICA SAFARI EXPERIENCES?
No one wants the Disneyland version of Africa. At Tett Safaris we work tirelessly to monitor and review our accommodations and locations to ensure that you will receive an authentic safari experience free from tourist crowds and in game-rich locations. We also ensure our cultural experiences will be engaging and the real deal.
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY UNDERSTAND YOUR TRAVEL STYLE?
So, you’d like a true bush safari experience but want to wrap up your excursion in the lap of luxury? Or perhaps you want part wildlife safari and part cultural adventure on your trip? At Tett Safaris, we will gather your input, analyze your style of travel, and then craft personalized safaris that utilize our American sensibilities with a deep understanding of Africa. This makes Tett Safaris quite unique compared to most other safari companies.
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY OPERATE ITS OWN SAFARIS?
The devil is always in the details. We doubt you want to be handed off to a third-party vendor who doesn’t take a personal interest in your travel plans. Tett Safaris books, plans and operates our own safaris directly for our guests. We are in it for the entire duration of your trip, to ensure that you are happy and that all goes smoothly on your travels. We implement your preferences ourselves, in the planning and on the ground. We personalize your experience and control the quality from start to finish, eliminating miscommunications and delays caused by middlemen.
IS THE SAFARI COMPANY REGISTERED IN THE U.S.?
This is important. When a safari company like Tett Safaris is registered in the United States, your travel investments are protected by a U.S. bank. You have the option to buy trip cancellation insurance and depart well prepared with medical coverage. Traveling with a company registered abroad can put your investment at risk without means to recuperate your monies if your safari is interrupted or not delivered. If you fall ill or someone in your party is injured, you may also have to navigate foreign courts without the protections afforded to U.S. residents or offered by a U.S. registered company like Tett Safaris.
Hoanib, Namibia: Skeleton Coast
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY OWN SAFARI CAMPS IN AFRICA?
Safari companies that also own lodges are in two businesses – the hotel and the tour business – and this creates a strong financial incentive to funnel you into their lodges rather than optimize your safari experience. Tett Safaris has no ownership in any lodges, so we are impartial and will choose a selection of camps and locations that are best suited to you. Tett Safaris runs a tight ship and is well respected by camps and lodges in Africa, thereby ensuring excellent service for our clients.
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY HAVE A HIGH REPEAT AND REFERRAL RATE?
Other companies build their businesses around volumes of one-off travelers and that doesn’t always equate to caring service. At Tett Safaris, our business is generated by referrals and repeat travelers. This motivates us to optimize every day for every guest on every safari.
IS THE SAFARI PERSONALIZED AND OPTIMIZED FOR YOU AND YOUR BUDGET?
We build every safari from the ground up, hand picking each location and safari camp to match your preferences and budget. We leverage our 30-year relationship we have built with the premier African lodges camps and send them a substantial number of guests. Other safari companies often shoehorn you into an existing so-called “custom” itinerary to save on trip development time and cost. This is your trip! Don’t let anyone compromise your safari.
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY OFFER A CONCIERGE SERVICE IN THE U.S. AND 24-HOUR SUPPORT WHILE ON SAFARI IN AFRICA?
Crucial! There are times when you are overseas when you may need some attention or help from your safari company. After-hours phone calls and often lead to delays in problems or issues getting solved. Tett Safaris understands concierge service and we will not only prepare you for your journey, but we will monitor your trip from start to finish. Once in Africa, we are available at any hour in the U.S. to assist you via our emergency after hours phone. We also have partner offices in key gateways such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kasane, Livingstone, Victoria Falls, Arusha, and Nairobi, with staff on the ground, available 24/7 to ensure your safari experience is unforgettable, and to support you in case of an emergency. That’s what we mean by full service!
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY HAVE HELPFUL SAFARI PLANNING TOOLS ONLINE?
Tarangire, Tanzania: Game drive, Tarangire National Parl
Are you ready to start planning your dream safari? tettsafaris.com is a one-of-a-kind website that offers powerful planning tools to our guests. Here you will find our transparent information on lodge prices, useful links, maps, visa requirements, blogs, packing advice, a safari store and more! We pride ourselves on providing current and relevant information to help our guests plan for their safari.
DOES THE SAFARI COMPANY HAVE AVIATION EXPERIENCE IN AFRICA?
Most safaris include a combination of flying on local commercial airlines, scheduled light aircraft, and private charters. Private aircraft offers the fastest way to get around Africa and often it’s the only way to access wildlife destinations. We have accumulated over 30 years of hands-on aviation experience and carefully select our air partners on the ground. Our longstanding experience in African aviation and strategic air charters enables us to fully optimize your logistics, minimize your travel time, and maximize your time on safari. We truly understand the charter industry in Africa and easily maneuver our clients with private aircraft to get them to their destinations on time.
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