At Deeper Africa, safety and security
are our top priority at every stage of the journey. Whether you are camping on
safari or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, we anticipate your safety needs and
carefully plan for contingencies. Here are just a few of the precautions that
demonstrate our attention to safety:
Vehicle maintenance
is crucial in East Africa. We have in-house vehicle maintenance yards
and every vehicle is given a thorough inspection and tune-up before and
after each safari. All of our safari vehicles are equipped with first
aid kits and with radios for direct communication with headquarters, camps, Flying
Doctors, or Knight Support.
Our guides have deep roots in the areas where they operate. In practical terms this means they have a network of friends and colleagues everywhere you go.
Knowledge of animal behavior means
that our guides know when it is safe to approach and when it is better to keep
a distance. Guides scout terrain and wildlife before your arrival and during
your stay in the back country.
Part of our job is to inspect the
hotels, lodges and camps where guests stay on safari. When we do so, we pay
particular attention to the cleanliness of the kitchens, to hygiene practices
of the kitchen staff, and to the expertise of the food service staff. The
places we have chosen to work with all make these things a huge priority. At
our tented camps, all staff members are carefully trained to adhere to strict
standards for food and water hygiene.
Our safari vehicles are well stocked
with bottled water. Hotels, lodges, and camps also provide bottled water in
your room or tent for tooth brushing. On Kilimanjaro climbs we provide filtered
water.
Prior to your departure you will
receive Deeper Africa's guide book which includes information about health
issues for your travel in East Africa. We give you health checklists and
questions to ask your doctor. And we provide up-to-date information from
Centers for Disease Control about traveling in East Africa. Additionally,
pre-departure briefings prepare you with safe practices that will maximize your
safety and security. We give you detailed instructions on local laws, customs,
and safari practices, so that you will know what to expect at all times. For
added convenience, we give you phone and email contacts you can leave with
friends and family at home to assure access if they need to reach
you.
Flying Doctors and Knight
Support are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Staff includes paramedics,
trauma doctors, and nurses. These organizations maintain 24-hour contact
by direct radio, telephone, and fax to provide emergency evacuation for
Deeper Africa guests to regional hospitals in the event of an emergency.
For more information check out Flying
Doctor's or Knight
Support websites.
We strongly recommend that you take
out trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself. If it is necessary for you
to cancel your trip within 50 days of your departure, or to discontinue your
trip once it has begun, you will lose a significant portion of your investment.
Travel insurance companies offer cancellation coverage, trip delay insurance,
baggage loss and delay insurance, and additional health insurance. If you are
interested in any of these products, we recommend CSA Travel Protection
Insurance or Travelex Insurance. Application packets for CSA or Travelex travel insurance coverage are
included in the materials you receive from Deeper Africa. Be sure to read policy
information carefully, so you understand what it includes and excludes. You may
also contact CSA at
www.csatravelprotection.com or
888-470-9123, or Travelex at www.travelexinsurance.com or 800-228-9792.
