Hey Gents, I think this is a great topic.
Each outfitter when they started had a vision, "this is what Africa means for me" then they set out to create their outfit. For some it was a grand luxury lodge with a cigar bar and an ante chamber for the cigar bar. These are awesome and I would not hesitate to stay there if I could afford it. But sometimes in the luxury business, folk loose sight of whats the most important thing for a hunter. You know, ethics and animals.
For others when they set out on their quest to define what Africa means to them, like myself, they chose to go the route of the self sufficient, camp style. The Bureaucrats dictate but if you meet the most basic needs, a five star lodge is not what you need. A tented camp is sufficient, provided that a certain number of environmental and hygiene standards are met, this makes sense to all.
One of the main themes in most answers in the thread are a comfortable bed and a good hot shower (ICE COLD BEERS).
Once these two items are met, the rest is just added extra cost. I think the critical item that defines whether a guest will like or love their accommodations while hunting is the following; SERVICE. You can stay at a zero star hole, but if the guests treatment is five star, most could tolerate a bit of discomfort. Obviously this is where the minimum standards in RSA do help and in turn can be reflected in the costs to the client.
Another critical item to think about when setting up your camp and ablutions is "Would a Lady approve of this" if you can answer yes to that question, then you are miles ahead of the game. This also relates to CLEANLINESS (next to Godliness), which is a definite must when it comes to any establishment where people are paying to stay.
It is not the grandiose lodge that folks remember from their hunting trip, nor the spartan style tented camp, it is one of these two scenarios (I will leave the hunting out), 1) friendliness, acceptance and overall experience or 2) unfriendliness, treated as a number and bad overall experience. Whether you went the cheaper route or the most expensive route, if you are not treated like the dignitary that all guests to our land are, then the outfitter has failed in doing the most important job, making you want to come back for more.
Choose the operation that suits your needs best, just because Joe Soap Safaris (I hope there isn't a Joe Soap Safaris) has the highest quote for his five star lodge, doesn't mean that you will get 5 star treatment and don't think that John Doe Safaris ,is so cheap and must be for the (roughest of) men only as it is a 0 Star facility, you might be surprised at the 5 star service that his operation offers.
If you know the outfitter to be honest and true to their word, then the choice of what you want from your hunt is in your hands.
Thats my 2 cents (now 5 cents in Canada).
I think I found a good "in between" and going to give it a try this year. Either way its going to be a far cry from my "camp" in Texas or my last trip to Kyrgyzstan!
:draught:
