THE ROTHSCHILD DIFFERENCE

Simple Details to Make Your Vacation Magical

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – famed creator of gentleman sleuth, Sherlock Holmes – once wrote ”…the little things are infinitely the most important.”

The big picture of a safari is stunningly remarkable – a captivating opportunity of a lifetime that is utterly inimitable. But, like Conan Doyle, we believe that it is the little things that manifest unforgettable memories from even the most conventional of vacations.

This philosophy permeates your entire interaction with Rothschild Safaris. It would be easy for us to book the same pre-packaged, pre-planned vacation ad infinitum, but that is not why people come to us or, indeed, return to us time and again.

Kicheche Camp, Kenya
Photo: Kicheche Camps, Kenya

From the moment a client contacts us, these myriad little things become evident. No guest is simply a number in the system and, while you may speak to several of my staff, and perhaps myself, we will be completely aware of your wishes, your requirements and each interaction you have had previously.

When you begin your booking process, we will send you a questionnaire asking for some simple yet personal details. The conventional questions appear, such as your contact details and date of birth, but we also ask a little more of you.

Are you to be celebrating a special occasion while on your vacation? Do you have any medical or dietary requirements? Are there any special interests, such as birdwatching, photography or a pining desire to see rhino in their natural habitat, that you wish to indulge? All of these little things, as well as our personal conversations with you, allow us to create a carbon copy of your personality that will enable us to craft not simply a perfect vacation, but the perfect vacation for you.

Photography Safari, Africa

Once your itinerary has been expertly-crafted, you will receive it both digitally and in the mail, along with an exclusive Rothschild Safaris travel bag and hat. We often find that, when these bespoke items arrive, the excitement of the imminent adventure grows exponentially, as they wait patiently to escort you on your journey!

One of the more arduous aspects of any vacation is the dreaded paperwork. From ensuring you have the right vaccinations to booking your flight, preparing your visa and insurance and arranging numerous other aspects of your voyage, it can be a quagmire to wade through and a miasma of things to remember.

Due to your personal information, any medical insurance you may have and various other confidential details, many of these are tasks that only you can undertake. Yet here, too, the little things count. Our travel designers will contact you with insurance and visa advice, assisting you in completing all necessary paperwork. We will remind you when the time comes to book your flight, and then continually review that flight for any delays or cancellations.

Safari Packing Advice

Your vacation is approaching. With two weeks to go, you are considering the items you should be taking, slowly accumulating them in your closet. But with the excitement comes an inkling of trepidation; what should you pack? What are you forgetting? What might you need when you reach your destination?

Your concerns are unfounded. Your personal travel designer will guide you through every aspect of your packing, acutely aware of where you are going, what to expect and all those easily-forgettable items that will help your vacation run smoothly. Only last month, I personally spoke to one of our clients for an hour discussing nothing other than the shoes best suited to their upcoming vacation!

Elephant Pepper Camp, Kenya
Elephant Pepper Camp, Kenya ©Suján

We often refer to our handcrafted packages as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’. As such, there may also be items you buy that may be used only for your vacation. To ease your luggage burden and support the communities that have hosted you, we suggest to our clients that donation may be a solution to benefit everyone. For example, gorilla trekking requires the kind of footwear that is rarely required at your nearest Mills Mall or while dining out at your favorite restaurant! If they will no longer require such boots after their vacation, guests will often donate them to the guides and trackers who have escorted them and we can assist in getting donations to those who need them most.

When the day arrives, so will we. At almost every destination airport, we will provide a meet-and assist service just for you. While hotels may have their drivers awaiting guests, displaying names on a professional sign and ready to escort clients to a luxurious limousine, we will greet you almost the moment your toes touch the tarmac. Carrying your baggage, guiding you through the terminal, we will even fast-track your journey through passport control and arrival, whisking you to the front of the line, again completing any necessary paperwork with you, and bypassing any delays so that your vacation may begin all the more swiftly.

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Indeed, every transfer, every connection, every flight and every ride will have been pre-booked, pre-planned and expertly taken care of prior to your arrival.

The owners of the lodges want to welcome Rothschild travelers specifically, and will look after them accordingly. They will reserve the nicest room for you and make sure that you have the nicest time they can possibly provide for you.

Of course, an aspect of this is in their best interests, wishing to ensure that we continue to bring guests to their lodges, but there is far more to this acute attentiveness and preferential treatment. We have developed intimate relationships with many of our providers, from guides and staff to owners and operators, building a kindred respect that encourages them to view all of our clients as friends of the family.

Somalisa Camp, Zimbabwe
Somalisa Camp, Zimbabwe ©African Bush Camps

Should you be plant-based, gluten-intolerant or have other dietary requirements, you won’t be required to endure the constant questioning of the menu or continually repeat requests of your staff members – they have already been informed. Lodges will cater to your exact culinary requirements, restaurants will be booked in advance and informed of your needs and even your medical necessities will be taken care of in advance.

I remember traveling once with a group one member of which was diabetic. In the middle of Africa, far from any convenience store or delicatessen, the guest was presented with low-sugar, diabetic-approved chocolate. It is that level of service that comes only with a true attention to detail.

Gourmet Safari Cuisine

This personalized level of catering is given not only to those with dietary or medical necessities. Do you prefer Pepsi to Coke? You’ll have it. Particularly partial to a Johnny Walker Red at sunset? Your wait staff will serve it, not even needing to ask if you’d like it on the rocks. If you provide us with a request, we will do our utmost to fulfil it and, with such unmitigated knowledge of destinations, venues and experiences, oftentimes we will far exceed it.

Despite all of this, you will never feel as if you are on a package tour, and personal choice is seamlessly yet subtly intertwined into every journey. Of course, you are completely free to be left to your own devices, but our staff on the ground are available at the slightest notice to assist and support you, answering any pertinent questions you may have. If you wake up one morning yearning to see leopard, we can arrange a guide to escort you to the perfect location. If an anniversary has snuck up on you and you’re searching for the perfect romantic gift, we can organize a champagne breakfast at sunrise for just the two of you.

We will allow you the space to experience your vacation your way, safe in the knowledge that assistance is only ever a phone call away.

Champagne Breakfast, Africa
Champagne Breakfast by helicopter, Botswana ©Helicopter Horizons

Returning home from such a spectacular vacation is inevitably somewhat anticlimactic. Your travel designer will call you once you have had time to reintegrate into the real world, reliving the magical adventure you have recently returned from and ensuring that all was as you had hoped. We also request that you complete a short survey regarding your vacation and our service to you. This enables us to ensure a faultless service every time and any issue, big or small, is addressed. Yet unlike most faceless organizations, we will then call you to reassure you that your feedback has been gratefully considered and acted upon.

As life begins again and as the nostalgia of recollection slowly replaces the freshest, most vibrant memories, we will present you with a little keepsake – a token of our gratitude that has been carefully selected to bring all those wonderful moments flooding back.

Khwai Sky Beds, Botswana
Khwai Sky Beds, Botswana ©Natural Selection

After almost 25 years of creating global safari experiences, we have learned that the grandiose elements of your vacation may offer wonderfully breathtaking moments, but it is the myriad little things that make your entire journey simply unforgettable.

Talk to our travel designers today about crafting your exclusive vacation experience… with all the little things included.

Images via Rothschild Safaris