Category: Safari Guide

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How To Become An African Safari Guide – A Quick Guide To An Amazing Opportunity

Life is for living. It’s a precious gift that needs to be grabbed with both hand and enjoyed to the absolute maximum. When you have an outlook on life like this, you want to make the most of any opportunity at your disposal to make life-changing memories.

That’s why today we’re going to tell you about a life venture that is all about fun, excitement, adventure and a whole lot of amazing memories. What are we walking about? Becoming an African Safari Guide!

An incredible idea, right? However you may be wondering where on earth you get started in your new quest. Actually, becoming an African Safari Guide doesn’t need to be too difficult a feat, but there are a few things you need to do. Ready to get started? Great, here we go!

Understanding The Difference Between A Game Reserve & A National Park.

A great first step is to understand what kind of guide or ranger you would like to be and in what kind of environment you would like to work in. To do this it is important to understand the difference between a game reserve and a national park.

You Need The Right Passion

The role of African Safari Guide is not for everyone. At the end of the day we are all unique individuals, each with our own strengths, weaknesses and passions. To both be suitable and enjoy the role of being an African Safari Guide, you should be able to tick pretty much all of the following:

– Have a love of the outdoors and plenty of experience taking part in outdoor pursuits.

– Be hungry for adventure, feeling there is nothing better in life than new experiences.

– Be well organised with the ability to manage time well.

– Have a love of animals and ideally experience dealing with animals.

– Have a good eye for detail.

– Have exceptional people skills, including a love for of talking and a confidence when in the company of other people.

Do the above points seem to describe you well? If they do, you may be the perfect person to become an African Safari Guide. In addition, if you are a little bit of a drama enthusiast it will certainly go in your favour. We all know the joys of a tour guide who is larger than life, and the bore of a tour guide who is dull and lifeless.

Being a positive person will also be an excellent advantage for this position. Whilst the role of an African Safari Guide is fun, it also requires determination, commitment and a love of life.

So Why Is There A Demand For African Safari Guides?

It seems that the demand for great African Safari Guides is continually growing and with good reason. African nations are seeing the benefit of developing an infrastructure which will support tourism within the area. In the past we may have only thought that places such as South African and Kenya offered safari trips, now however much more destinations are seeing their potential and jumping on board.

What About The Specific Training Needed To Become An African Safari Guide?

Ultimately, just because you have a few pets, view yourself as a positive person and have a passion for life, it doesn’t mean you can automatically become the next best African Safari Guide in existence! Becoming a skilled guide requires a specific set of skills which need to be learned. So how can you acquire such skills?

The best place to develop your training is actually in the field. That means being in Africa and learning as you go along. Of course you don’t need to go it alone. Since the demand for African Safari Guides is high, there are many companies who are willing to assist potential guides in becoming trained and experienced. One of the best safari guide qualifications in Southern Africa is is the FGASA qualification from Level 1 – 3. Most companies will help you qualify for this qualification and certification.

Once you find such a reputable company you can look forward to a truly unique experience. Skills which you will learn may include learning to lead a game drive, both on foot and with a vehicle, learning to operate a 4×4 vehicle and developing the skills needed to entertain a group of people who have big expectations.

Of course we have not had the opportunity to discuss everything that becoming an African Safari Guide involves, but we hope we have at least helped you to understand whether it could be the next life venture for you. After all, life is for living, so don’t let is pass you by!

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A Good Safari Guide Can Make a Long Journey In the Wilds A Memorable Experience

Safaris are not holidays for those who are looking for a relaxed and peaceful time. These are more like adventure sports and need the right temperament and attitude and a willingness to brave difficult conditions. These outings can become that much better if you have the services of the right safari guide. A safari is essentially a long journey that is undertaken by people who want to remain outdoors in conditions that are far from ideal, and a good safari guide can go a long way in making such journeys memorable.

An image that comes to the mind of most people when they think a safari guide is a person who has a rugged outdoor look, is well tanned, wears a khaki shirt and hat, and is always armed. Most guides who are into this business of conducting safaris are people who will have the first-hand experience of jungles and ground conditions in Africa. They will have worked under other more experienced hunters and guides before branching out on their own.

Safari guides must be persons who are well acquainted with the culture and traditions of the area they work in, whether it is in Africa or elsewhere. They should be familiar with the remotest of villages and other areas, even those that are rarely visited by tourists. They must have detailed knowledge of the wildlife and fauna that they are required to track, know of their usual spots and habits that keep them moving from one place to another. They must have the instincts that allow them to track down the game. This requires very good eyesight, a good sense of smell, cunning, the ability to track signs and reach vantage points quietly so that the animals are not frightened or spooked.

A safari guide has to deal with people and must be able to lead a team of support staff that ensures the comfort and safety of his customers. The guide also needs to be a leader that others will follow and obey. He requires exceptional organizational skills to see that his customers are well looked after and have all the comforts that have been promised at the beginning of the safari.

Safaris can be of many types and can vary from the rugged to the luxurious. The safari guide is an essential part of such outings and can make the difference between success and failure. Safaris are often conducted miles away from civilization and the safari guide must have the ability to overcome all obstacles that can arise in the wild. This can result from breakdowns of vehicles, injuries and accidents, shortage of food and water and many other things that are a part of the outdoors. The guide needs to be physically fit and must at times be able to function as rescuers for people lost or injured in the wilds.

The safari guide needs to be aware of all rules and regulations that govern a particular forest or desert and the needs specific to its flora and fauna. They require being very patient and understanding of animals and their habits so that they can track them down for their customers for hunting or photography. The guide must be aware of local weather conditions and likely changes in them so that he can be fully prepared to deal with any emergencies that can arise as a result.

Guides must be aware of animal migration habits and patterns so that they are able to track them suitably. Safaris are undertaken only during specific seasons and are prohibited all round the year. This is essentially to leave the animals to their natural habitats so that they increase and prosper.