Why a private guide? Why LCCA? Why Lloyd?
You need good advice so that you get exactly the right safari at the right time with the right people. Plan your Safari
Every single one of my itineraries is customised for you: focused, elegant, sensible and unique. High-street travel agencies offer some wonderful African trips but they are not very flexible and you don’t know with whom you’re going to be travelling. That can be very tricky!
I do not offer generic large-group safaris. Most LCCA safaris are with repeat or referred clients.
So the difference lies in understanding exactly your aspirations and abilities, and creating that trip.
If you don’t know exactly what you want to see and where you want to go, LCCA will guide your decision-making so that you get a highly personalised experience that will please you throughout your African holiday. You will know you made all the right decisions.
By travelling with LCCA, you will experience a superbly guided, unique and magical personalised African experience. Lloyd takes your safari to a higher level with his knowledge about history, politics, local folklore and wildlife.
He will take you to the most special and fragile wilderness areas of Africa. LCCA combines style with practical reality, and it is all underpinned by nearly twenty-five years of experience in safari tourism, safari staff training and privately guided journeys through some of the most fascinating regions on earth. Be warned: traveling with Lloyd is an addictive and life-changing experience!
Should I take the privately-guided/bespoke safari route?
You don’t have to. I set up many trips for clients who take the option of a locally guided and hosted safaris, and these are absolutely wonderful. There will be an element of repetition of information and experiences as you move between guides and camps. But many people prefer the added value of traveling in the company of an experienced African guide, the so-called ‘private’ or ‘specialised’ guide. The advantages of this are:
1. Continuity: the private guide liaises with lodge staff and local guides to make sure that his clients are experiencing an ever-changing, non-repetitive experience. The PG knows the staff in each camp, and knows who to talk to in order to ensure that his clients are looked after as they deserve.
2. You don’t have to travel ‘blind’: your guide has traveled the route before and understands the potential bureaucratic and logistical frustrations of Africa, so you enjoy a seamless trip without any issues along the way, making your holiday smooth and trouble-free.
3. Great company: the private guide is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience, stories add link to Africa Bites and anecdotes, all of which is absolutely crucial to the spirit of the trip. He is deeply knowledgeable about every aspect of the African bush, its people, and all that moves in it by day and night, which massively enhances your experience of the safari. You can’t put a price on it, can you? PG’s usually become friends for life, and many people choose to travel with the same PG time and again: they are great fun!
4. Private game drive vehicle: the convenience of not sharing a vehicle with strangers is massive. It allows you flexibility in terms of your game drive schedule and removes the potential annoyance of guests who do not share the same interests as you. It is particularly important if you are a keen photographer, birder or wildlife observer who prefers to wait patiently at animal sightings. It means that YOU control the way your day unfolds
5. Back up: LCCA is well connected with all your hosts and will ensure that anything unexpected is dealt with immediately. LCCA always has your back. If you have a need, it gets sorted!