Private guide - have you or would you use one?
 

I am a bit confused about private guides, especially in S Africa and Botswana. While in Kruger, we thought it would be fantastic to have a guide with us. Me driving, husband taking pics, ranger looking for stuff. Next time in Kgalagadi. We will save more pennies. But I'm confused about hiring a guide when they go to a private reserve. Assuming the resident guides know where the hyenas or dogs are denning or where some animals regularly hang out, etc, why use someone who would be new to the area? I get the tracking part, too. If they are good, they can find stuff. Any thoughts? I don't know anyone who has done it but have met people on safari who have. I am not referring to photo tours, either. That I get.

I've heard of private guides in Kruger. They are very familiar with where the game likes to "hang out". And typically they also provide/drive their own vehicles. This could be big advantage to stumbling around on your own (like we do :) ). Was it our own jczinn who about a year ago had a guide in Kruger to help them with birding?

So I can see a private guide for Kruger. But I can't see one usually for a safari camp, e.g. Lion Sands, Motswari. Unless perhaps the camp knows the guide. A guide can be "good and find stuff". But really knowing the area/reserve and the other guides out in it, I think would be more much important than being the best tracker since Daniel Boone. Call a couple of camps and ask them about it.

Of course for other safaris like in Tanzania, Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro, it is very common to have your own private guide and vehicle for 10-14 days. But I'm sure you know that.

regards - tom

Have used them in the past usually do this boots on the ground
hotels of quality know who is best.Lots of internet scamming
personally never wire money or retain a "private guide" who is
not local to the area.

Happy Planning...

I would say I spot 70% more wildlife with a private guide
than on my own they know the feeding/watering places and
best times (dusk/dawn usually) for quality experience.

If you staying in any of the private reserves, then you already have a guide and tracker included in the price and there is an option to hire a private vehicle with a ranger/tracker team during your stay which will cost you between R2800 - R3500 extra per day. Not sure if I am misunderstanding you but if you considering to hire a guide that is private and not connected to the private reserve then you wasting your money causea they would not be allowed to drive around - in the private parks you can only do game drives on that lodges vehicles with their crew. Best would be to maybe look at this option via the reserve and who they would recommend you use as agree its no use having a guide who is not familiar with the reserve. Hope that I have understood correctly and be helpful.

Christabir refers to private guides in Botswana and SA in the private concessions. I think in these private concessions or anywhere else for that matter - you not only need fantastic/skilled/professional guiding skills (which an outside private guide can bring), but, you also need adequate knowledge of the area itself. Sometimes, an outside guide relies on the knowledge of local guides to impart that understanding. Most times, some of the resident guides can bring all of these critical elements into the skill set (ofcourse, not all guides - they are all different in talent and experience)

I have used/continue to use a private guide in Bots. However, he is also a resident guide and we have been friends from before he turned into a private guide.

Just to be clear, when I say "Kruger" I mean Kruger National Park. Not the Greater Kruger Area.

This may be what I remembered about jczinn having a private guide for Kruger -
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...dullstroom.cfm
and-
http://lawsons.co.za/userfiles/File/...janet_zinn.pdf

And to echo again what HariS and I said above, the best guide in an area is one who has been guiding there for 10 plus years.

regards - tom

Thanks once again.

tom - that's the type of trip, though not birding alone, we were looking for. Thanks for that link. Having a guide will double our costs (paying him/her and room and board). Not sure it would increase our sightings that much. Everyone knows how cheap I am. And my husband and I travel so well together - not sure how adding a guide would change that. But that's a whole other issue. I knew you were referring to Kruger NP. :) jczinn mentioned doing the same thing for a future trip to Namibia/Kgalagadi - same trip I'd like to try. Maybe she/he has already done it and can share!

HariS - now how does that work on a private reserve? Do you make arrangements to use one of their vehicles or do you bring your own? I have seen "guide accommodation" rates at some camps (that's how I know some places allow it). I could never arrange for a stranger to spend that much time with. You are lucky to know someone so well in the biz.

Christabir,

My friend works for the company and is stationed in the private reserve. He can be booked as a private guide for their specific camps in their portfolio. Needs to be booked in advance as does one of their vehicles.

Thanks HariS. Now I get it.

I would add to the list of reasons that people have had a private guide with them, from observation. Please do say if you think any are one in a million shots - but they are all real.

1. The guide organized the whole trip as well as being the guide, and the fact that some parts of the trip could be done without a private guide doesn't matter... it's all paid for and so the guide is there to "manage" the guest's experience every step of the way.
2. Guest is convinced that his or her private guide is the best and doesn't trust anyone else.
3. Company - people traveling alone enjoy the company and guiding of a particular person and for them it is a key part of the whole experience.
4. Guide is also a pilot flying the guest around.
5. Guest is used to having the same guide for whole trip (whether alone or shared with 10 others) so just doesn't think it would be anything but normal to have your own guide every step of the way here too - surprised that other guests don't have their own guides ("But how do you know which plane to get on?")

And I almost forgot...

6. They professional hunter and guest having a bit of R&R after the hunt (came across that in Namibia).

Glad I caught this thread. Yes, it was I who hired a private guide for our Kruger trip and we just returned from another fabulous trip to Kgalagadi (and up the West Coast, from Cape Town through Namaqualand) using the same guide--Leon Marais from Lawson's http://www.lawsons-africa.co.za/

As previously stated we hire a guide primarily because we are birders and a guide will know the birds and the unusual places to find them. But even that can be done independently with a good bird-finding guidebook. But the other reason, in a place like South Africa, is that my husband doesn't like to drive long distances (he has a sciatica problem) and also feels that by driving he is not having a relaxing vacation. He is not one of those guys who loves to drive. :) And I don't want to do the driving because I want to be free to photograph (with my big lens it is rather imperative that I am in the back seat.)

So we find this private guide thing works best for us. It is absolutely more expensive, but its the only way we can do it for trips like this.

It is always a bit of a risk in terms of how well you get along with, and like, a guide that you'll be with solidly for all that time. We are very fortunate to have found Leon at Lawson's. At this point we consider him a friend and he is also a photographer, and so traveling with him was incredibly easy and we'd not hesitate to do it again. We are now planning a trip to Tanzania and I hope we can find as good a guide!

As far as the private reserves--there I don't see much point in having a private guide. If you'll note, on our Kruger trip Lawson's left us at Sabi Sands and then picked us back up when we were done. That is only possible because of their location in Nelspruit--obviously in other areas that might not be feasible.

Well,I think we are talking "guides" and then we are talking "guides". A "guide" can mean a bunch of things.

A guide can be a tour "escort", as for A&K, they follow the client(s) to be make sure everything goes smoothly. Then we have guides that are expert and specialists in an area or subject. Such as a guide who drives a game drive vehicle within a reserve.

You pays your money and takes your choice :)

regards - tom

Thanks for chiming in jczinn. I'd love to hear about your Kgalagadi trip. It's our next one - we just can't figure out when to go. I am a bit concerned about going there without any 4 wheel drive experience. There are some 4x4 trails we'd like to do, but not without someone who would hopefully know how to stay out of trouble. But like you say, it's expensive. Having a guide will double our costs - paying him/her and accommodation and food. Would need someone who could brai as we would like to stay in the wilderness camps that have no restaurants. I don't understand the concept of cooking over a fire with lions and hyenas and no fence! It sounds insane. I'll need someone to protect me. :)

I love the concept. Not sure we can afford it, though as tom points out. Choices must be made. Lots to think about.

kimburu - I've met people who have guides for all of those reasons, too. Some make sense, others not so much for me.

I guess I personally don't see enough value in having a private guide in Kruger proper to get one for myself.

I've typically done some of the game walks and 3-day wilderness trails when there, which are of course guided. I learn a lot from the rangers doing the walks that I can then apply later when self-driving. For example, I've learned quite a few of the birds doing this.

I also read a lot and try to learn about the different habitats both before I go and when I'm there.

I'm not much of a photographer, I don't worry too much about what I might be missing, I don't go with a Big 5 checklist, and I'd rather find things myself much of the time. That's just me.

Gritty - I just wonder how many creatures we pass unseen. We LOVED driving ourselves around Kruger, too. We were able to spend as long as we wanted at sightings and made our own schedule. Being 3 meters from a lion while on our own is quite the experience. We had been on many game drives before, but we miss a lot on our own. We're not as good spotters as atravelynn. We don't care about the "checklist" either. I am just a little uncomfortable with the remoteness and conditions in Kgalagadi to go it alone. We were on roads in Kruger that we didn't see other cars for hours - and that's a crowded park.

I know people do it all the time, but cooking outside in an unfenced camp, knowing there are lions out there, seems nuts!