atravelynn

What is your opinion of the bronze, silver, and gold rating system?

What I have gotten, from bronze-level guides and guides with no rating is this and I am paraphrasing:

"I shelled out a couple thousand Kenyan Shillings for the training and put in the time, which was useful, but these were concepts I already knew for the most part and the process was a formalization.

The safari company provided no reimbursement nor is there any change in the level of my pay as a result of attaining this level.

It seems to be enforced by outsiders who want to use it as a marketing technique."

My perspective is that of a once a year visitor without inside information. I just visit with people I come in contact with. If the info I have heard is skewed and wrong, please correct it.

What do you think the future of the ratings is? Should all visitors be insisting on a bronze-level guide or higher? Is company reputation and a guide's years of experience more important than the rating system? I ask about how many years experience a company's guides have and how many years they have been with the company, but is that the wrong question?


It would be great if some Kenyan guides responded to this.

Thanks for sharing any insights you might have.

Percy

I am not that keen on having a rating system.

I think that recommendations on this site would be helpful.

How much more (or less !!) does a gold rate guide know compared to a bronze level guide. !

Good Topic for conversation.
Thanks for posting atravelynn...

and yes It would be nice to hear from some of the local guides and their experiences.


I had a terrific guide in Kenya/ Tanzania... got him through others that used him and offered high praise.

I will be following this thread for sure !