If you’d like to shop for curios, please communicate this to your tour leader/guide who will consider the group and the timing. When shopping, please make it brief to enable your tour leader/guide to stay on schedule.

Tipping is customary but not compulsory. You should never feel pressurised to tip. In restaurants, waiters and waitresses are generally tipped 10% of the bill. Our guides and chauffeurs receive a salary and are not dependent on tips. However, please feel free to tip if you’ve had an enjoyable experience or they have exceeded expectations. In this instance, we recommend around US$10 per person per day.

Please wear neutral-coloured clothing and avoid noisy fabrics. Ensure you’re dressed suitably for the terrain and weather conditions.

Please inform us of any dietary requirements in advance. On our standard safaris, we have a full-time chef on-site. On our budget safaris, we ask that our guests assist with meal preparation. All breakfasts and dinners are prepared in the open, allowing you to experience the African bush. Due to unforeseen circumstances, such as rainy weather or late arrivals at camp, there may be times when your tour leader will opt for a restaurant. Our guests are not expected to participate in general chores, but our guides work long hours, and we know they’d appreciate help if offered.

In malaria areas, all accommodation in the parks has mosquito netting in front of the windows and doors. The private lodges have wrap-around mosquito nets. The camps and lodges are well-lit, but a torch/flashlight may be needed when returning to your bungalow from the dining area or a night drive. All camps in the national parks and game reserves, except for the bush camps, have a shop where basic toiletries, snacks, beverages and souvenirs can be bought. Most camps, except for some bush camps, have swimming pools. Most parks have good mobile phone coverage. All lodges/camps have electrical power points to charge batteries and other equipment.

Please maintain silence during birding and game viewing. Whisper only when necessary. Your tour leader/guide may occasionally talk louder to quickly get the group’s attention if an animal is already leaving. We use playback with great care, generally only once we have failed to see a bird without this tool. In its best interests, we prefer to call it in only once. When we use playback, please gather around, keep quiet and motionless, and focus on trying to spot the bird. On forest trails, usually only two or three people in the front can hear what the tour leader/guide is saying. In this case, we’d like you to whisper what’s being seen/said to those behind you so that the people at the back can be kept informed. Please refrain from using cell phones while viewing wildlife.

Our tour leaders/guides are qualified registered as tourist/field guides and highly experienced in their field. They’ll do their best to ensure you have an enjoyable safari. With a good knowledge of the areas in which we operate, they know which routes are best and where to find the best possible sightings. Although our guides are very knowledgeable, should they be unable to provide you with an answer, please be fair to them. Kindly treat your tour leaders/guides with respect. During walking trails, the tour leader and the local guide are often in front together, especially when communication between the two is necessary. One of these leaders may sometimes be at the back of the group to assist there.

Expectations and Rules – Sustain Safaris

Expectations and Rules

Discover Africa's greatest wildlife

Curio Shopping

If you’d like to shop for curios, please communicate this to your tour leader/guide who will consider the group and the timing.
When shopping, please make it brief to enable your tour leader/guide to stay on schedule.

Tipping

Tipping is customary but not compulsory. You should never feel pressurised to tip.
In restaurants, waiters and waitresses are generally tipped 10% of the bill.
Our guides and chauffeurs receive a salary and are not dependent on tips. However, please feel free to tip if you’ve had an enjoyable experience or they have exceeded expectations. In this instance, we recommend around US$10 per person per day.

Dress Code

Please wear neutral-coloured clothing and avoid noisy fabrics.
Ensure you’re dressed suitably for the terrain and weather conditions.

Meals

Please inform us of any dietary requirements in advance.
On our standard safaris, we have a full-time chef on-site.
On our budget safaris, we ask that our guests assist with meal preparation.
All breakfasts and dinners are prepared in the open, allowing you to experience the African bush. Due to unforeseen circumstances, such as rainy weather or late arrivals at camp, there may be times when your tour leader will opt for a restaurant.
Our guests are not expected to participate in general chores, but our guides work long hours, and we know they’d appreciate help if offered.

Accommodation

In malaria areas, all accommodation in the parks has mosquito netting in front of the windows and doors. The private lodges have wrap-around mosquito nets.
The camps and lodges are well-lit, but a torch/flashlight may be needed when returning to your bungalow from the dining area or a night drive.
All camps in the national parks and game reserves, except for the bush camps, have a shop where basic toiletries, snacks, beverages and souvenirs can be bought.
Most camps, except for some bush camps, have swimming pools. 
Most parks have good mobile phone coverage.
All lodges/camps have electrical power points to charge batteries and other equipment.

Group Size & Dynamics

We generally host 4 to 6 guests, but our groups can sometimes go up to 12.
Kindly respect the cultural and religious differences of the group and remain flexible on safari.
Be prepared to compromise.
Your tour leader will make decisions favouring the majority vote.

Laser & Scope Etiquette

Your tour leader/guide will use a laser pointer to locate a bird that’s difficult to see. They will shine it briefly below the bird, as in low light, birds and animals become startled by the movement of the laser. Pay careful attention to the laser and your tour leader/guide so you can see the bird. Kindly leave laser pointing to them.
In terms of scopes, everyone needs to have a turn for a quick look (10 seconds). Afterwards, those who would like to look again may do so. Please don’t take long at the scope when others haven’t yet had a chance.

Photography Etiquette

Please feel free to take as many photos as you like while on safari, unless advised otherwise by your tour leader/ guide for reasons pertaining to your safety. You may also ask them to stop if you’d like to take photos.
Your tour leader/ guide will position the vehicles for the best photographic opportunities and stop at lookout points along a route.
Your tour leader/ guide will also take photos or videos, and these can be emailed to you afterwards as memories of your trip and for sharing.
For those who want to spend extra time photographing or studying fewer species, we recommend a photography or special tour – in some cases a private one.
Please stock up on memory chips (film) and spare camera batteries before departure, as these may be difficult to find en route. 16GB memory cards or more are recommended, especially if you’re interested in photography!

Quiet Please

Please maintain silence during birding and game viewing. Whisper only when necessary.
Your tour leader/guide may occasionally talk louder to quickly get the group’s attention if an animal is already leaving.
We use playback with great care, generally only once we have failed to see a bird without this tool. In its best interests, we prefer to call it in only once. When we use playback, please gather around, keep quiet and motionless, and focus on trying to spot the bird.
On forest trails, usually only two or three people in the front can hear what the tour leader/guide is saying. In this case, we’d like you to whisper what’s being seen/said to those behind you so that the people at the back can be kept informed.
Please refrain from using cell phones while viewing wildlife.

Tour Leaders/Guides

Our tour leaders/guides are qualified registered as tourist/field guides and highly experienced in their field. They’ll do their best to ensure you have an enjoyable safari.
With a good knowledge of the areas in which we operate, they know which routes are best and where to find the best possible sightings.
Although our guides are very knowledgeable, should they be unable to provide you with an answer, please be fair to them.
Kindly treat your tour leaders/guides with respect.
During walking trails, the tour leader and the local guide are often in front together, especially when communication between the two is necessary. One of these leaders may sometimes be at the back of the group to assist there.

Curio Shopping

Expectations and Rules

Discover Africa's greatest wildlife

Expectations and Rules

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