The hustle of numerous emails to different hotels, dealing with different personnel. It is wearisome, to say the least. This is why you should book your safari with a tour operator or Travel agent to do all the work for you at no extra cost.
Hiring a Tour Operator to do the booking for you is not only making your safari planning easier but also humbling since you are enabling an income to someone.
There are tones of reasons Why you should book your safari with a tour operator over doing it yourself. Let’s dive in deep and see the advantages.
13.) Experience and Expertise.
There is a famous quote that goes like, “Don’t clutter with a tour guide, they can take you to places no one will ever find you”. I don’t mean to scare you but trying to pass a message. It is more fun and engrossing having a dedicated tour guide throughout your Safari.
Well, Some Lodges and Camps might have their resident guides but their prices will always triple unless you are willing to overpay.
12.) Personal Touch.
Nothing more satisfying than personalized service. When you book with a Tour Operator, they will give you a dedicated guide.
He or she is the one to welcome you at the Airport or pick you from your hotel or your resident home. You start bonding from day one to the last Day.
They will go beyond just to make sure you get the best experience ever. You will be more of a family to them than just a client.
Trust you me, a tour operator has an upper hand in negotiating rates with hotels than you think. There is a lot of competition in the Travel industry and every tour Agent is trying to sell. One of the wit ways is to negotiate for a better rate.
They know you will most probably request a quotation from more than 3 tour operators. If all have the same positive reviews and provide almost same quality service which is the other factor that will make you as a client book with tour Operator A or B?
Your Guess is right, Price, of course, is a major factor and they know that. This is a sure guarantee you will get a better price. A real value for money unlike if you booked it directly.
10.) Safety.
You are in a new country, never been here before, where do you start? What about safety? Isn`t it a better feeling of safety when you have been chatting or emailing with a local as opposed to the machine? Isn`t it better to have direct contact of the local in that particular country as opposed to None?
When you book with a tour operator. You will have a direct contact who will be designated to attend to you from landing to flying off back to your country.
The designated tour consultant will always be available 24 hours any day you can call or WhatsApp them in case of anything.
Once in the Country, the tour consultant will hand over you to your tour guide who will be with you throughout the Safari but in case you still need any assistance with the tour consultant you are free to reach out any day any time. You couldn`t feel any much safer than this.
9.) Privacy.
One of the main reasons why you should book your safari with a tour operator is the privacy you will get. First, if you chose a package with a Tour Van or 4wd Land cruiser Jeep. It will be a private Safari unlike when you book directly with camps and Lodges where you will be mixed with other travellers, knowing very well everyone has different interest and personalities.
Some will want to stop to take pictures while others will feel like we are wasting time trying to snap some stray Hyena. Scuffle is inevitable at any time or you will just choose to oblige everything your counterparts are saying to avoid issues.
Why all this when you can comfortably do a private Safari, just you and the Guide. If you decide to stare at a lion for two hours no one will question you.
Your wish will be your guide’s command. Isn`t that more engrossing and exhilarating?
8.) Pliability.
Flexibility is one of the reasons Why you should book your safari with a tour operator. Imagine talking to a machine? Somethings are better explained orally than written. Take this example, you want to do some changes to your Safari and you had booked several camps and lodges on your own.
To change and probably you wanted a swift change, imagine finding contacts of all the camps and lodges to start explaining everything and what changes you will need?
Now take the same example, and apply it to, Tour Operator. It will only be a single phone call or email and leave the rest to the Tour Operator. How convenient?
7.) Tailor-Made Safaris/Vacation/ Holiday.
Another main reason Why you should book your safari with a tour operator is that; you can draw your safari from scratch to meet your needs, Standards and interests.
Tour Operators main objective is to put your interest first, they will need you tomorrow or even refer them to your friends and families. This will prompt them to put you first before profit.
You can alter your itinerary a thousand times and no one will get worked up or give up on you. The goal is for you to have a lifetime experience. They understand you have saved for a long time and giving you the best is the least they can do.
Whether you are a solo Traveler, a couple or a group. You will never be alone. A local (Guide) will always be with you.
This doesn`t mean no privacy or anything like that. When travelling from Park A to Park B OR FROM Town A to C. Your Guide will always be there.
In case of nightlife and you need a local presence for security reasons and assistance, your guide will always be there with you unless you request him/her not to accompany you.
5.) Transparency.
Some Lodges and Camps may use Hospitality Vocabulary which may mean the opposite of what you may understand, for example (½ Twin bed $300) to you it may read a double room is $300 which is not correct. The right rate should simply read Double $600.
You may be swift to book it Directly claiming you have gotten a good deal only to be smacked with an astounding bill upon check out.
Tour Operators will never use these Vocabulary tricks but they will always be transparent on what is included in a package and what will be excluded, way before you commit.
4.) Freebies
Whenever I Travel with my designated Tour Operator, I always get a Safari hat, Branded T-shirts or Reusable water bottles, it can be labelled your name or any personalized message.
Now Where will you get that from a Machine? Most of the tour operators like I said before are more of making you feel better by getting the best-personalized experience of all time.
Tour Operators have access to resources, try booking a Safari during your honeymoon or birthday, then inform them while booking. From Arrival to departure. You will feel like a real VIP, quite appreciated, the surprises throughout your Safari will be incredible, to say the least. Again, how will a machine plan all this? Okay, you can decide to plan all this on your own but just remember it will come at an extra cost while you would have gotten it for free.
Oh, did I mention most of the Tour Operators and Travel Agents offer free airport transfers to and from the city Hotel? Yes, they do.
3.) They are awesome.
Tour Operators and Travel Agent are so passionate about what they do. They are selfless and ready to share the world with you.
They will pour every drop of knowledge they have flawless and without expecting anything. Their main role is to make you enjoy your vacation/Safari to the core.
Your nod and smile mean a lot to them, they are not only passionate about what they do but also trained to be hospitable. However, be careful you can easily fall for them unknowingly. Kindness and care are rare in today’s world and this is what you will get throughout your Safari/Vacation.
2.) Proponent.
Things can go awry on your trip; a good tour operator or travel agent will go to bat for you no matter what or who is at fault and try to get your Safari/vacation back on track.
They will be able to use their resources just to make sure everything is in order and even try to make you forget if there was an issue to start with. Who wouldn`t want such VIP Treatment? These are the simple reasons why you should book your safari with a Tour Operator or Travel Agent.
The moment you adjudicate and choose to travel with a Tour Operator or Travel Agent. You are making someone somewhere earn a salary. You are improving the economy and when the economy is good everyone is not only happy but also healthy and at Peace.
When you book directly or book it yourself, someone might not get that salary and to make matters worse you may end up paying more and getting whack experience. You don’t want that.
Especially now the Travel industry was badly hit by COVID 19. Though crawling back but as slow as a snail. It has never been a better time to support that travel agent/ Tour Operator than now.
ABOUT US
All you need to know about Into Safaris. The best Africas travel blog. Hey there! My name is Francis Sove. I’m a thrill-seeker, adventurer, Tour enthusiast and a travel blogger, who’s been exploring all the possible destinations in Africa for more than 9 years.
Contact us: info@intosafaris.com
Contact us: info@intosafaris.com
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