Frequently asked questions

SafariSmith is a U.S.-facing Safari Adventure Agent that helps Americans plan and book complete, tailor-made South African adventure safaris with transparent pricing, trusted South African relationships, and full concierge support.

SafariSmith is for travelers who want Africa to be built around their main reason for going. Hunting, wine, golf, fishing, photography, wildlife, Cape Town, family travel, or another priority can become the centerpiece, with the rest of the journey designed around the people traveling.

Yes. SafariSmith is designed to connect multiple South African experiences into one tailored itinerary, coordinating the relevant specialists, properties, transfers, and activities so the trip feels like one journey instead of separate bookings.

No. Hunting is SafariSmith's founding experience, but it is not a requirement. SafariSmith also develops trips around Cape Town, the Winelands, golf, fishing, wildlife, photography, family travel, and other South African experiences.

SafariSmith trips are custom-quoted because price depends on trip length, group size, accommodations, activities, hunting species where applicable, transportation, and pace. The SafariSmith quoting standard is dated, versioned, line-item pricing with clear inclusions and exclusions.

SafariSmith tracks suppliers through a verification process that can include research, direct contact, commercial verification, and firsthand experience or site visits. Verification depth varies by supplier, and SafariSmith does not treat a web listing as the same thing as a verified relationship.

Yes. SafariSmith designs around the whole group. Spouses, children, grandparents, and non-hunting companions can have their own interests and daily activities built into the itinerary rather than being treated as secondary travelers.

SafariSmith combines transparent, explainable pricing with a U.S.-and-South-Africa planning perspective, selective local relationships, deliberate trip pacing, and one connected itinerary. The goal is to make a complex African journey easier to understand, compare, and book.

Yes. That is what the Kenton-on-Sea packages are built for. Most guests add two to four days on the coast before or after an Eastern Cape hunt with Andri Fox Safaris, and SafariSmith plans the transfer between the hunting area and the coast so it runs as one trip with one itemized quote.

Kenton-on-Sea is a small coastal town on South Africa's Eastern Cape coast, between Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Port Alfred, where the Bushmans and Kariega rivers meet the Indian Ocean. Guests usually fly into Gqeberha and travel to the coast by road.

A planned offshore session runs about 5–6 hours dock to dock, usually launching around 6:00–6:30 AM and returning around 11:30 AM–12:30 PM. Allowing for the run out and back, that is roughly 4–5 hours of actual fishing. The skipper sets the exact times on the day based on the weather, tides, sea and target species.

Offshore fishing sessions are weather permitting. Launch time, duration, fishing location and the decision whether to launch remain subject to the skipper's judgment based on weather, tides, sea conditions and safety. If the ocean isn't suitable, we move to estuary or river fishing, boating, the beach or another local experience. Anything that carries an extra cost is offered as an optional upgrade and priced before you agree to it.

That depends on the season, the sea and where the skipper takes the boat that morning. We'll tell you the likely target species for your dates when we quote. No catch, species or number of fish is ever guaranteed. You're paying for the time on the water, the boat, the gear and the know-how.

Each package is priced for the number of guests, so the cost per person comes down as the group grows. Every package covers the lodge, meals, the boat, tackle and bait, and appears as its own line on a dated SafariSmith quote in US dollars, alongside any hunt or other parts of your trip.

We don't normally sell a single fishing day. Getting to the coast takes time, and one day leaves nothing in hand if the wind picks up. Two days and one night is the minimum, and most guests choose three days.

Yes. Partners and family can stay at the lodge and spend the mornings on the beach, the river or the coast while the anglers are offshore. Tell us who is fishing and who isn't, and we'll show each person's cost on the quote.

The published rates cover one to four guests. Larger groups can often be accommodated using additional boats and houses, but every group above four is a custom package that our fishing partner confirms before we quote.

The two areas we plan around are the Eastern Cape, home to Addo Elephant National Park and several private Big Five reserves, and the Greater Kruger in the northeast. The Eastern Cape fits easily with a hunt or Kenton-on-Sea fishing. Kruger is its own leg of the trip, usually reached by flying into Skukuza.

Addo and the Eastern Cape's game reserves are outside South Africa's malaria areas, which is one reason families often choose them. Kruger is a low-risk malaria area, with the highest risk in the wetter months, roughly October to April. Always take medical advice from your doctor or a travel clinic before you travel.

If you're already hunting or fishing in the Eastern Cape, Addo or a private reserve near the coast adds wildlife without another flight, and it's malaria-free. If the safari is the main event, or you're pairing it with Cape Town or a golf safari, the Greater Kruger's size and private lodges are hard to beat. We'll lay out both for your dates.

SANParks puts Addo Elephant National Park about 30 minutes' drive from Gqeberha and its airport, which makes it an easy last stop before a flight home.

Yes. It's one of the most common additions. Non-hunters can spend a day in Addo during the hunt, or the whole group can finish with a night or two of game viewing before flying out of Gqeberha. We plan the transfers so it runs as one trip.

No. These are wild animals in large, open areas, and no honest operator can promise a particular sighting. Guided drives with an experienced ranger give you the best chance, and more time in the bush gives you more chances.

Addo allows both self-drive game viewing and guided game drives. Private reserves are guided, in open vehicles with a ranger. For a first safari, or for photographers who want to be positioned well, we usually recommend guided drives.

Often, yes, and the malaria-free Eastern Cape makes it easier. Some lodges set minimum ages for game drives or offer family vehicles and kids' activities. We check those rules for each lodge before we suggest it.

Wildlife legs are quoted for your dates. The lodge, game drives, park conservation fees and transfers each appear as their own line on a dated SafariSmith quote, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.