Detour Africa

Africa
Topic Type: Information

African Safari Tour

Msg: #1 350 days ago, August 11th 2007

Hi, am about to book a 42 Safari Tour through Detour Africa. Would love to hear stories or advice from anyone who has done one of these tours. Thanks

KT from CA

Katie
Post Count: 4

Msg: #2 265 days ago, November 4th 2007

Did you go already or are you scheduled to do a future trip? I just booked a 42 day Africa trip through them as well. Maybe we're on the same one. I'm going from Nairobi to Capetown, leaving at the end of November.

Or, if you've already gone, please let me know how it was. Thanks!

Will u Cave

William U Cave
Post Count: 3

Msg: #3 229 days ago, December 10th 2007

They are spectacular. i did a 24 day one from a nice little company who helped me tailor it to how I wanted. I saw so much wild life I couldn’t believe it. A friend of mine suggested the itinerary to me. He has done plenty of them. I can totally recommend a Botswana safari and if you can you got to hire a 4x4 and do some self drive safaris too. The freedom is the best part; if you want to turn left then you just turn left and let fait take hold. Totally recommend you do the 42 days tour 100 %

[Edited: 17:59 - Will u Cave ]

KT from CA

Katie
Post Count: 4

Msg: #4 196 days ago, January 12th 2008

I know how hard it is to decide who to go with. Detour is great and totally legit. Here's my experience...

I just got back from my 42 day overland tour (Nairobi to Capetown) and it was amazing. Detour Africa is a great travel agency. Wildlife Adventures had it's pros and cons, although from what I noticed along the way, all the companies were hit and miss. I'll post a full evaluation about Wildlife Adventures when I have more time. As for Detour, they are a good company to use and fantastic guys.

I stopped in to the Detour office when I arrived in Capetown (after my tour) and Shawn helped me and all my fellow travelers book everything we needed during our extra days in the city - shark cage dives, wine tours, accommodations, airport transfers, Baz Bus tickets, local flights, etc. I would (and will) recommend them to everyone.

One thing... DON'T be pressured by them saying that there is only one seat left. Unless you are dying for exactly that day, that trip, that tour, etc... there are plenty of companies/dates/times available. Shawn and Rob both say "act now or you'll lose the one spot left". They like the time pressure tactic. You can't blame the guys. They are salesmen. They told me the Wildlife Adventures tour I wanted to book only had one spot left, so I booked asap. It ended up that we had only 6 people in the truck. Basically there were 12 more spots left when I booked, so book when you're ready. I personally loved everyone on my tour and couldn't be happier that I decided to go for it, but I could have waited until the day before and still had the same experience.

There might be times when they are telling the truth about the limited seats available. If you really want that specific tour then just book it. But if you hesitate and happen to lose that "last spot", don't worry. There are about 10 other companies doing exactly the same thing. Shawn and Rob will find you a great tour, even if you miss out on the first one they tell you about.

All in all, Detour Africa - Shawn and Rob - are legit, helpful, knowledgeable and eager to make your experience a great one. And definitely stop in and see them when you get to Capetown. Shawn is a wealth of knowledge about all things Africa... and a great guy.

Good luck!
Katie

KT from CA

Katie
Post Count: 4

Msg: #5 87 days ago, April 30th 2008

A woman contacted me after reading my posting to ask for more info about Detour Africa travel agency. I decided to write her back with information about them and Wildlife Adventures, the overland tour company I went with. I figured that other people might like the info as well. Some of it is the same as my previous posting. Some of it is more detailed. Maybe it will help as you're planning your trips.

Here's what I wrote...

Hi!

Detour Africa is a great company. I was apprehensive as well, but
took the leap of faith. Rob and Shawn were the guys who helped me
out. Both were totally on top of it. They will probably try to get
you on a Wildlife Adventure truck. I think they have a special
relationship with them. Wildlife Adventures isn't any better or
worse than the others, but I will admit that some of the
accommodations they go with are nicer and they include more of the
entrance fees to parks. It's hit or miss with the trucks and guides
however. I did two separate trips - Nairobi to Vic Falls and then Vic
Falls to Capetown.

For starters, they forgot to have someone meet me at the airport when
I arrived in Nairobi, an extra service that was pre-requested and
confirmed. Make sure it is confirmed and reconfirmed about ten times.
Believe me, you don't want to be stuck in Nairobi by yourself.

As for the trip itself... From Nairobi to Vic Falls, the truck was
basically falling apart. We actually had to push start it the last
three days (no joke). The windows wouldn't shut completely and there
were small holes around the edges, which leaked everytime it rained.
On the bright side... we had an amazing guide (Ian). He is truly one
of the best guide in all of the overland companies. We crossed paths
with a bunch of trucks at campsites (from multiple companies) and
after hearing stories about their guides, we knew Ian was far better
than most of the others. He's knowledgeable, has a great demeanor at
all times, and most importantly... you feel safe with him. He's done
it for years, knows everyone everywhere, and got us out of more than a
few tricky situations. If you can get on a tour with Ian, you will
have a great time no matter what the truck is like.

And then there was the second half... The truck was great, one of
their newer ones (although the bar was set pretty low). As a side
note... the websites and companies say there are ipod docks and
speakers in the trucks. None of Wildlife Adventure trucks had them.
And, the seats are not very comfortable. Here's where it got really
bad... the guide we had on the Vic Falls to Capetown trip was possibly
the worst guide in the world. He was young, inexperienced,
unknowledgeable, antagonistic, bossy, insulting, disinterested and
borderline rude. He treated us like we were children who annoyed him.
His name is Charleton. If he's your guide, run the other direction.

That might have been more information than you wanted to know about
Wildlife Adventures, but Rob and Shawn will most likely suggest them
first, so I wanted to give you a lo-down. I'm not saying they are a
bad company. I don't think any of the companies are perfect. It's
basically luck of the draw with trucks and guides. If you have a bit
more money to spend and you're in to photography, "Africa in Focus" is
an amazing company. The trucks are beautiful, comfortable, brand new,
with tons of amenities. It's for pretty hard core-photo people
though. They even have individual safes/lockers for everyone's camera
equipment. And if you aren't a huge photography buff, you'll probably
have serious lens-envy.

Okay, now to answer the question you actually asked... Detour is a
great company. Things to keep in mind - They are salesmen, so they
will always say "pay now because there is only one spot left". I
think 9 times out of 10, that is totally bogus. Although I wouldn't
risk it if you absolutely have to be on a specific tour. I'd hate for
you to think you're calling their bluff and miss out on the tour you
needed to be on. But honestly, there are tours starting and stopping
every week. The guys at Detour gave me that pressure as well and the
tour I booked had about 14 empty seats. It was clearly NOT about to
sell out. I can't promise they aren't telling the truth, but I can
promise you'll find another truck, company or tour that will have room
(even if you book a day in advance).

Also, you can contact the tour companies directly to ask questions.
But, I strongly recommend going through Detour. A couple from
Australia originally planned to go through them, but got nervous and
went directly through the company instead. They weren't happy when we
discussed the cost of the trip and they learned that they paid a lot
more than I did. Had they gone through Detour, they would have saved
big money between the two of them. Keep in mind you can always ask
for a discount. I did, and Rob dropped the price a few hundred
dollars. He said that if he gave me any more of a discount he'd be
paying for my trip himself. Doubt that, but it definitely paid off to
ask.

If you're going to start or land in Capetown, go in and meet them.
Rob was out of town, but Shawn was there and he is an incredible
wealth of knowledge. He chatted with us about African politics, art,
landmarks, food, people, activities, etc. etc. He also set me up on
all of my activities in and around Capetown.

Don't know what other info I can provide. Feel free to write back if
you have any specific questions. I had an amazing time on the trip
(aside from our one crappy guide). It was 45 days of adventure and I
would suggest overlanding to anyone who doesn't mind roughing it.
It's not luxurious by any means. You'll be sick of the truck,
probably sick of some of the people, hot, sweaty, cold at times and
sick of camping food. But you'll meet sensational people, see
brilliant things, and get to see Africa at a really reasonable price.
Bring a good camera, tons of baby wipes (you sweat a lot), and
hundreds of pens to pass out to the village kids.

Hope you have a great trip!

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