Large Group Trip Planning: Testing the Waters

[jnotzon]

I know large group trips are not the norm when it comes to hunting Africa so hoping to get some insight as to the feasibility of one. Potential total group size is 20-25 people with around 10 people hunting.

For some background… my father is one of six kids and they all had the privilege to go on a trip with their parents and family friends in the early 2000s to RSA. Their group size then was around 12. Now twenty plus years later everyone’s kids have grown up and we have talked for years about doing a trip with all the family.

Main concerns from the start are there camps that can even accommodate a group of this size. Also, what and how many activities there would be available for non hunters.

Anyone with experience/resources for organizing a trip of this size please reach out.

Looking at 2027/2028

Thank you!

 

[JimP]

@Philip Glass would be a good one to talk to, he has organized a number of hunts for multiple hunters.

I went on one of his organized hunts a few years ago and it was a larger group, I can't remember just how many. We went with Frontier Safaris in South Africa north of Port Elizabeth, you might want to contact them and see if they can accommodate a large group o hunters and non hunters. You might want to break your group down to couples and single people to see what accommodations you might need.

Frontier Safaris – Hunt with the Superior Choice

Hunt with the Superior Choice

frontiersafaris.com

 

[Mountaineer]

Phillip Hennings owner of Khomas Highland Safaris has the space and private land to accommodate such a group. I have dreams of taking a group there. Good luck.

 

[BRICKBURN]

12 People hunting is a tough go. I've done it and it was successful.
25 total guests is monumental.
That is a lot of different tastes and interests to accommodate.
There are places large enough to do it.

 

[Philip Glass]

It can be done and will be a lot of fun!

 

[AZDAVE]

I have put together a trip for 16 people.

First there has to be a planner, IE YOU and you will have to shoulder the responsibility of most everything. With family it is like herding cats. Finding the place to go, things for non hunters to do and who is hunting with who and what are the easy part.

GROUP DYNAMICS is the tough part

Planning for big groups is very rewarding. Just remember that getting all the processes and steps in each process will make for a smooth trip and everyone having a good time.

1. Selection of where to go and who to book with.
2. Book the trip. (Making sure the money deposits from everyone gets there can be easy or hard)
3. Booking travel (USE A TRAVEL AGENCY IE GRACY travel or Express Travel)
a. Gun paperwork
b. VISA's if needed
c. Airline reservations
d. etc
4. Working with the planner at the safari company on non hunting options.
5. Hunting 1x1 or 2x1 so your outfitter can plan for the number of PH's that will be needed
6. Animals to be hunted
7. Taxidermy done in africa or in the home country.
a. Taxidermy is a INDIVIDUAL responsibility. You can legally make decisions for everyone. Just explain the options and each hunter takes care of his or her own.
b. you can only ship yours and your wife and or kids in the same crate cant do siblings or cousins etc all in the same crate
c. LINE up you home country based import agent before the trip will make yours and all the hunters life easier.
d. discuss shipping cost of taxidermy and or dip and pack
8. Discuss tipping before you even fly.
9. Work with outfitter on any special food and meal requirements. allergies, low salt etc
10. Work with outfitter for any special medical/health issues. IE Uncle Joe can only walk a 1/4 mile at a time etc
11.Make sure everyone knows that laundry will be done every day so that they don't bring 5 suitcases when one is enough.
12. make sure everyone knows the power is different in the country you are going to. The lodge will most likely have hair dryers so ask that question. will save from burning one up that was brought from the states
13. ASK QUESTIONS of the outfitter on all the small stuff, it will keep small stuff from becoming a big pain in the A$$.
14. Work on the group being timely and in place when they are supposed to be (CAT HERDING)
15. return home and taxidermy a year later stuff.
16. Probably easier to just have a phone call with you than to keep typing

 

[mdwest]

your #1 challenge is going to be finding a camp that can accomidate a party that large AND has enough land and is distributed enough that that many hunters can all be out at the same time and not be bumping into each other all day.. AND has enough PH's on staff to handle that many hunters... If youre planning on hunting 2:1 youve still got a pretty significant obstacle to overcome.. if youre planning on hunting 1:1 there are only going to be a handful of places that can handle you..

there are absolutely camps that can handle a crowd your size.. but as youve already identified, they are not the norm.. you'll either want to get with one of the guys here that have hunted with really large groups like youre describing and find out where they hunted.. or youre going to need to do some research and be prepared to ask all the right questions of the outfitter once you have identified a place you are interested in.. We'd love to have you hunt with Bos en Dal for example.. but we dont have the lodge space to handle a party your size.. we could make the hunting side work out between the land owned by Bos en Dal and all of the large concessions that are available to us in the immediate area.. but where everyone would sleep and eat would be a problem for us (as it is going to be for most outfitters)..

 

[jnotzon]

Phillip Hennings owner of Khomas Highland Safaris has the space and private land to accommodate such a group. I have dreams of taking a group there. Good luck.

My good friend @dchum has hunted with Phillip twice and speaks very highly of Khomas Highlands Safaris. I was supposed to join him this last time around but life happens and was not able to make the trip.

I may be wrong but feel Namibia is not a great option for the lack of non hunter activities. Feel like we will be limited to RSA to make sure there is enough to do for non hunters to have a good time.

 

[jnotzon]

I have put together a trip for 16 people.

First there has to be a planner, IE YOU and you will have to shoulder the responsibility of most everything. With family it is like herding cats. Finding the place to go, things for non hunters to do and who is hunting with who and what are the easy part.

GROUP DYNAMICS is the tough part

Planning for big groups is very rewarding. Just remember that getting all the processes and steps in each process will make for a smooth trip and everyone having a good time.

1. Selection of where to go and who to book with.
2. Book the trip. (Making sure the money deposits from everyone gets there can be easy or hard)
3. Booking travel (USE A TRAVEL AGENCY IE GRACY travel or Express Travel)
a. Gun paperwork
b. VISA's if needed
c. Airline reservations
d. etc
4. Working with the planner at the safari company on non hunting options.
5. Hunting 1x1 or 2x1 so your outfitter can plan for the number of PH's that will be needed
6. Animals to be hunted
7. Taxidermy done in africa or in the home country.
a. Taxidermy is a INDIVIDUAL responsibility. You can legally make decisions for everyone. Just explain the options and each hunter takes care of his or her own.
b. you can only ship yours and your wife and or kids in the same crate cant do siblings or cousins etc all in the same crate
c. LINE up you home country based import agent before the trip will make yours and all the hunters life easier.
d. discuss shipping cost of taxidermy and or dip and pack
8. Discuss tipping before you even fly.
9. Work with outfitter on any special food and meal requirements. allergies, low salt etc
10. Work with outfitter for any special medical/health issues. IE Uncle Joe can only walk a 1/4 mile at a time etc
11.Make sure everyone knows that laundry will be done every day so that they don't bring 5 suitcases when one is enough.
12. make sure everyone knows the power is different in the country you are going to. The lodge will most likely have hair dryers so ask that question. will save from burning one up that was brought from the states
13. ASK QUESTIONS of the outfitter on all the small stuff, it will keep small stuff from becoming a big pain in the A$$.
14. Work on the group being timely and in place when they are supposed to be (CAT HERDING)
15. return home and taxidermy a year later stuff.
16. Probably easier to just have a phone call with you than to keep typing

This will be the blueprint! Thank you for the insight and I agree with everything you’ve said here. I’ll be in touch.

 

[jnotzon]

your #1 challenge is going to be finding a camp that can accomidate a party that large AND has enough land and is distributed enough that that many hunters can all be out at the same time and not be bumping into each other all day.. AND has enough PH's on staff to handle that many hunters... If youre planning on hunting 2:1 youve still got a pretty significant obstacle to overcome.. if youre planning on hunting 1:1 there are only going to be a handful of places that can handle you..

there are absolutely camps that can handle a crowd your size.. but as youve already identified, they are not the norm.. you'll either want to get with one of the guys here that have hunted with really large groups like youre describing and find out where they hunted.. or youre going to need to do some research and be prepared to ask all the right questions of the outfitter once you have identified a place you are interested in.. We'd love to have you hunt with Bos en Dal for example.. but we dont have the lodge space to handle a party your size.. we could make the hunting side work out between the land owned by Bos en Dal and all of the large concessions that are available to us in the immediate area.. but where everyone would sleep and eat would be a problem for us (as it is going to be for most outfitters)..

Thank you for the reply. For the number of hunters would definitely need to be a 2:1. The goal would be to send off non hunters for a 4-5 day trip in country see wildlife areas, museums, wine country etc. and then meet up with everyone at camp for the last 3 days. Those three days is where we’d need the camp size to accommodate everyone.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I know large group trips are not the norm when it comes to hunting Africa so hoping to get some insight as to the feasibility of one. Potential total group size is 20-25 people with around 10 people hunting.

For some background… my father is one of six kids and they all had the privilege to go on a trip with their parents and family friends in the early 2000s to RSA. Their group size then was around 12. Now twenty plus years later everyone’s kids have grown up and we have talked for years about doing a trip with all the family.

Main concerns from the start are there camps that can even accommodate a group of this size. Also, what and how many activities there would be available for non hunters.

Anyone with experience/resources for organizing a trip of this size please reach out.

Looking at 2027/2028

Thank you!

I can't think of anymore to add to @AZDAVE's post above and recommend you follow his advice. I will say for a group that large, the travel logistics is certainly a challenge. This would make South Africa a good location for such a hunt. A downside would be finding properties that you can hunt that as one poster stated above prevents bumping into one another all day. @JKO HUNTING SAFARIS has a property we hunt in the Free State that is quite large and growing through land purchases. By the time this hunt takes place, it will be approximately 120K acres in size. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[AZDAVE]

The one thing that also needs to be added is health and evac insurance.

 

[sgt_zim]

Limcroma has the space at their Sable Valley camp, but I've already got a group of 8 booked there for August of 2027.

I'd guess any outfit that can support a big group will need to be booked at least 18 months in advance, maybe even 24 - 30 months.

They have around 250K acres under their control, so you won't likely be bumping into other hunters in your party.

Probably it would be easier to book April/May or September/October with any outfitter. I expect most are like me, especially if they're from the southern US - I want to hunt while it's still nice and cool, so that means June through August.

 

[JimP]

Your biggest problem will be the non hunters. Most camps are a ways away from the larger cities and if there are enough of them multiple vehicles will need to be rented or a larger passenger van.

Then there is what those folks would to do. We did a huge loop from Port Elizabeth to Capetown and then to Lesotho for three nights before returning to Port Elizabeth. There is a lot to see along that route including the South African wine country.

I highly suggest that you contact someone such as Jennifer at Travel Express for information on what you can do with the non hunters as for a guide and lodging while away from the camp.

 

[Art Lambart II]

If you’re looking to hunt a large group in South Africa Frontier Safaris in the Eastern Cape is the place to go, 80,000 + contiguous acres with plenty of sleeping quarters, but be prepared to walk the terrain at Frontier is no joke.

 

[Art Lambart II]

More Frontier Pictures

 

[dchum]

Lots of good advice here, what a great website

 

[Doug3006]

I think the first step is to ask all potential travelers to put down $2,500 to secure their spot. Then you can make plans for the 3 or 4 who are really interested.

 

[Frederik]

It can be done and has been done you will almost have to have two teams one running the hunts which will probarbly run with 2 hunters per PH and another team that could take non hunters for day excursions.
There are camps large enough but will need to be planned far in advance as in now for next season (2026). Good time to come since there is kids late summer holidays so you come as late as possiblke when it is as dry as possible.

Wishlist for the hunters might also not being met by all since hunting 2x1 and hunting top trophies in specific areas takes time so if you have someone concerned about the record books it might be a bummer. Sure you can bump into monster animals but that is luck.

Last place you want to hunt is a outfitter who drives into breeding camps for animals opening up gates all the time and seeing fences all the time.

Best of luck in planning and as above posted by @Doug3006 sepearte the serious from the "Yes" people first it make it much easier with a smaller number of people.

 

[LIMPOPO NORTH SAFARIS]

I know large group trips are not the norm when it comes to hunting Africa so hoping to get some insight as to the feasibility of one. Potential total group size is 20-25 people with around 10 people hunting.

For some background… my father is one of six kids and they all had the privilege to go on a trip with their parents and family friends in the early 2000s to RSA. Their group size then was around 12. Now twenty plus years later everyone’s kids have grown up and we have talked for years about doing a trip with all the family.

Main concerns from the start are there camps that can even accommodate a group of this size. Also, what and how many activities there would be available for non hunters.

Anyone with experience/resources for organizing a trip of this size please reach out.

Looking at 2027/2028

Thank you!

Dear @jnotzon sending you a DM , we specialize in bigger groups and are well equipped to give a trip of a lifetime.
Regards
Sampie Potgieter