Safaris can be complex and are not inexpensive. Resist the temptation to choose a safari company based on price alone. Working with the wrong safari planner can have consequences ranging from the disastrous to a waste of your precious time and money. So before you part with thousands of dollars, explore the following questions with your safari planner. Ensure you are working with the best! You should receive a resounding YES and further details to all of these questions:
 | What percent of your time do you spend planning safaris to Africa? (Ideally, you want an exclusive specialist, spending 100% of their time, but don’t settle for anything less than 75%) |
| How many years of experience do you have in planning travel to Africa? (Look for at least 10 years to ensure they have dealt with a variety of destinations in varying economic and political climates) |
| How many safaris have you planned? (Should be at least 500; planners with less experience will not have the buying power with ground operators nor will they have the expertise to deal with non-standard requests or offer unique recommendations.) |
| Does your company have direct relationships with the camps, lodges and safari operators? |
| Have you personally visited the safari camps you are recommending? How many others? Who paid for your visit? (Many operators tend to visit only those camps offering free trips—but this hardly results in an unbiased opinion. It’s like a restaurant critic reviewing a restaurant only when the owner knows he’s coming and is providing a free meal! Is the practice of “sponsored” visits in the best interest of the safari planner or the client?) |
| Do you track my entire trip and manage all issues that may arise while I am traveling? What if there is a forced change in the itinerary dictated by poor weather or a missed connection? |
| Are you members of the Better Business Bureau, American Society of Travel Agents, Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa, Institute of Certified Travel Agents? |
| If I call the tourist board, can they vouch for your good standing? Can you provide client references? |
| What awards have you won? Can you send me any articles written by professional journalists who have traveled with you? |
Frankly, we think you’ll be hard-pressed to come up with as qualified a team as the professionals at African Portfolio!
Yours Truly,
Ferdinand Che
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