A budget safari in East Africa is a great way of enjoying famous wildlife, stunning scenery, and thrilling adventure at an affordable price. Unfortunately, the rise of the trend of online booking has made scammers thrive by offering deceitful deals.
How to avoid safari scams in East Africa, Although most travel companies provide value for money, there are some providers who lure customers with excessively low prices and hidden charges or poor-quality accommodation and services. Before committing yourself to any deal, just take some time to double-check what you will be purchasing.
Here are five warning signs you should watch out for before booking your budget safari online.
1. Lack of Detail About Accommodations
The first red flag to watch out for when selecting a safari tour package is the description of accommodation as “lodge or similar” without mentioning the actual name of the hotels/lodges.
Many of the safari tour operators advertise good quality lodges and then end up putting the clients in other, relatively less expensive lodges situated at a considerable distance from the national park.
2. Extra Costs Not Mentioned
A very cheap rate quoted by a company might appear very tempting, but it is important to check whether all the necessary expenses have been included in the quoted cost or not.
A reliable safari tour operator will include the list of all expenses in their package. The cost mentioned should include transport, meals, entry fees, and game drives.
3. Strange Money Requests
If a company demands the payment of money into personal bank accounts, it could be a potential scam operator.
Any reputable safari operator will have its own business account, and it should be able to provide you with all the details related to the itinerary, cost breakdown, cancellation policy, and company registration.
4. Absence of Verified Review or Physical Business Existence
Before making the purchase, do an internet search of the company. If you find that there are no customer reviews available, or that the company does not have a verified physical address, or even a sign of registration at the tourism board of the area, then you must be very careful.
Sites for reviews and discussion forums for safari lovers can prove the reputation of the operators in dealing with customers before.
5. Unreasonably Affordable Transport and Intensive Itinerary
Unbelievably affordable safari packages may lower prices in a variety of ways, such as renting old and poorly-maintained vehicles, hiring incompetent guides, or planning an unreasonable travel itinerary with no time for sightseeing.
A proper safari will involve a reliable 4×4 car with either a pop-top roof or an open roof, and a reasonable itinerary that will provide you with enough time at each destination.
Conclusion
While budget safaris are a great opportunity, you have to choose an appropriate tour operator first. Accommodation must be confirmed, all inclusions should be clear, payments must be made via a secure means of payment, a company’s reputation must be verified, and unreasonably affordable deals should be avoided.
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