Plan Your Safari With Independent Guidance
African Safari Mag isn't a booking platform. We're an editorial authority that helps travellers make low-regret safari decisions through three things: vetted planner introductions, independent itinerary review, and proposal comparison.
"Safari means journey, but it's also a connection. To land. To people. To purpose."Craig Howes, Founder
What We Actually Do For Readers
Most safari sites either sell you a trip or rank operators by commission. We do neither. When you reach out through African Safari Mag, you get three things no operator can offer on their own:
1. A vetted planner introduction
Every inquiry is personally reviewed by Craig before any introduction is made. We work with a carefully selected group of safari specialists, including commercial partners like Asilia Africa and Go2Africa, and independent planners we've worked with for years. The introduction is based on fit, not commission.
"We feel fortunate to have come across African Safari Mag and its philosophy of education, inspiration and experienced direction. After diving deep into the planning process, it had honestly started to feel like drinking from a fire hydrant." Dr. Timothy & Alice Burandt, USA
2. Independent itinerary review
Once you've received a proposal from one of our vetted planners, we'll review it with you. Not to second-guess the planner, but to make sure the structure, pacing, and routing match what you actually want. This is the part of the process most travellers never get: an independent voice in the room.
"Using an agent to plan our trip has been a little stressful but your website helped immensely, explaining things and then setting us up with Timbuktu Travel. I cannot tell you how much we appreciate your looking over the itinerary and giving it a thumbs up." Colin & Debbie Triming, USA
3. Proposal comparison between operators
If you're weighing two or three different proposals, we'll help you understand the structural differences: pacing, conservancy versus national park positioning, migration framing, camp atmosphere. The things that don't show up on a price comparison but shape the entire trip.
"Thanks so much for your insight and clarification. It is very helpful." Steve Henderson, USA (after comparing two East Africa proposals)
Why African Safari Mag exists
Many safari disappointments don't come from the destination or the wildlife. They come from poor fit between the traveller, the trip, and the operator. African Safari Mag was created to address that gap.
Rather than pushing trips, rankings, or deals, we focus on clarity: explaining how safaris actually work, what trade-offs travellers are making, and what really matters when planning a meaningful safari experience.
When appropriate, we introduce travellers to specialists who are well suited to the type of safari they're planning, based on fit, experience, timing, and realism rather than marketing or price alone.
Editorial features and recommendations are guided by experience, fit, and long-term trust. While we work with a small number of carefully selected safari operators, lodges, and travel brands, editorial inclusion is never pay-to-play, and commercial relationships do not guarantee coverage, ranking, or recommendation. All partnerships are handled with discretion, transparency, and editorial independence.
🎥 The Story Behind African Safari Mag
What we help travellers with
African Safari Mag helps travellers:
Understand different safari destinations, seasons, and wildlife experiences
Evaluate safari styles such as luxury, experiential, photographic, family, or walking safaris
Compare booking approaches, including planners, operators, lodge-based safaris, and group models
Make sense of pricing, value, and expectation gaps
Decide who and how to trust, rather than chasing a single idea of “the best”
When appropriate, we may introduce travellers to specialists who are well suited to the type of safari they’re planning, based on fit, experience, timing, and realism rather than marketing or price alone.
What we do (and don’t do)
We do
Explain how the safari industry works, compare different approaches, and help travellers understand the right way to book for their needs.
We don’t
Book safaris, sell trips, rank companies for payment, or act as a tour operator or travel agency.
Editorial independence
African Safari Mag operates independently of safari operators and booking platforms.
Our role is guidance, not selling.
How our perspective is formed
The perspective behind African Safari Mag is shaped by:
first-hand travel across Africa
time spent with guides, operators, lodge teams, and conservationists
observing what works, and what quietly goes wrong, for travellers over time
This experience informs the judgment applied across our editorial content, planning guides, and decision-stage resources.
African Safari Mag values:
honesty over hype
context over claims
understanding over urgency
Who African Safari Mag is for
African Safari Mag is written for people who:
care about getting safari decisions right
want clarity before committing significant money
value experience, ethics, and fit over shortcuts
prefer calm guidance to sales pressure
If you’re looking for quick deals or one-size-fits-all answers, we may not be the right place.
If you’re trying to make a safari decision you won’t regret, this is exactly where we sit.