So you’ve planned your dream overland trip in Africa, the backpack is at the ready and you’re twittering and blogging about all those “lust after” locations – in fact your friends are literally salivating at the prospect of joining you out on tour. “Too late guys – sorry – all booked up,” tweet, tweet… All you have left to do now is count down the days until the BIG Five departure… then the unfortunate happens…
Last week, we were all sad to hear that overland specialist Kumuka Worldwide would no longer be operating, but their departure from the travel industry is a stark reminder that even dreams can fall by the wayside. And in times of economic uncertainty, it’s even more important to ensure you’re fully covered.
Make sure the company is fully bonded: We love saving money, doesn’t everyone, and these days it seems as though everywhere you look there’s a deal going. On the surface it might seem like the winning hand of fate, but if an operator isn’t fully bonded and they go bust, all your hard earned cash might just disappear in a puff of smoke, along with the company who sold you your discounted dream tour. Most of us have our mind firmly fixed on the proposed route, exotic locations and the experience, then again it’s wise to think about the boring bits too, and the combined ATOL, ABTA and AITO logos are the holy grail when it comes to compensation. If the company you book with isn’t bonded and they do go down in flames your insurance policy might not cover you, and even if you put forward your best argument, we’re doubtful you could claim it was an act of God. The good news – we’re fully ATOL and ABTA bonded! And yes we do offer discounts so check out our specials page as we’re always updating our offers…
Quiz the tour operator: Social networking has made it even easier to get hold of the information you need on travel companies. “Yeah I had a great time, the overland trucks were awesome and it was safari central…” Good write-ups generally make people feel safer when they’re booking, but any worthy operator should be open to questions too.
- Does the company own their overland trucks?: This is an important question, as if the company does have sole ownership they will responsible for the maintenance of their own fleet, and it says a lot about their economic standing in the overall travel industry, as no third parties are involved.We currently own a complete fleet of 18 trucks, all of which are regularly maintained.
- How many guaranteed departures does the tour operator run on an annual basis?: Every operator will have a list of scheduled dates, but the number of guaranteed departures are a better gauge of the companies success. Currently on an annual basis we offer around 600 guaranteed departures. Look out for the guaranteed departure feature on our online booking system!
- What responsible projects are you involved in?: Most travel companies will have a responsible tourism policy on their website, but get past the minutae and ask them what they are actively doing in the community. Recently we launched the Travelling Eco-Book Depository – you can find out more about the project and other overland voluntour projects here – http://bit.ly/NBiPSv
Let’s face it, almost all travel companies are active on Facebook and Twitter, but it’s not just about having a presence – look at the level of interaction. Active and constant communication speaks volumes about a company’s reputation and the wonderful world of social networking allows you to track conversations in real time.
It goes without saying that the economy is still in flux and Kumuka will be sorely missed by their customers and their colleagues in the travel industry, including everyone here. In fairness to those affected, we’ve promised to prioritise and assist where we can, as we believe that Africa is, quite simply, the coolest continent on the map.Acacia Africa: 020 7706 4700; info@acacia-africa.com; www.acacia-africa.com. ATOL No. 6499 and ABTA No. W4093 PROTECTED.
Writtten by: Siobhan Bonshi E. Credo