Am I crazy to consider ABD Africa with a special needs family member?

[DCPhotoGal]

Hi Heidi! I think it's great that you make this magic happen for your family I have been on 3 ABDs and I have also been to South Africa on a trip that was not part of a tour. From my experience with ABD, the trips have not been very accommodating to special health situations beyond food allergies. For example, on our Scotland trip there was a bike ride as part of the day's activities. I was 37 and in pretty good shape and found the ride pretty difficult because of hills and cycling on bumpy surfaces. One of the men in our group was struggling with the ride (to the point I thought he might have to go to the hospital) and the guides pretty much left him and his wife to find their own way back because they had to continue the tour with the rest of the group (their daughter continued with us). The guides were, of course, caring about the situation, but they weren't able to provide any special assistance. So I guess I'm just warning that being with the ABD group does not mean that you would have any additional help if someone in your group cannot keep up. We have found on all three of our ABDs there there are pretty strenuous activities (hikes, stair climbs, rafting, on and off of rafts, etc)--they are truly "adventures" and not "tours".

As for South Africa, I think the amenities are actually quite on par with what you'd find in Europe. My family absolutely loved our trip there and I would highly recommend it if you can make it happen (even if ABD isn't the best answer). I did have a problem with my camera battery charger blowing a fuse because of the irregular current at one of the game park lodges, so I would be cautious with that if you have specialized equipment. The vehicles we toured in were very bumpy and open aired, and I remember holding onto my daughters to keep them in one place at times. Understanding that there are times during the drives that you absolutely need to keep still and quiet is really important. As others have mentioned hyenas usually come out at night and it's rare to see them on the game drives. We saw one on our trip, but it was injured.

 

[cdhheidi]

Thank you Emily, this is exactly what I was looking for!

Having continued researching, I found what I think might actually work better than ABD, for our needs, called Africa Dream Safaris. They do a private tour for JUST your group in Tanzania, and as that is where the Serengeti is (and my son's favorite area of Africa) it seems like that might be the ideal place to go. Our TA spoke at length with them about our needs, and they seemed quite willing and able to make this work in any way we need it to, including electricity at every lodge or camp we would stay at (they have many to choose from) and they always have a private guide assigned to the group or family (it would just be the 3 of us on our safari plus our guide) for the entire adventure. Reading reviews I was very impressed, as was our TA after she spoke with them (she specializes in special needs arrangements, 95% of her bookings involve some kind of special needs arrangements). And how cool to perhaps have a guide who is a Masai warrior! More expensive to go this way, yes. But worth it in the long run I think!

I appreciate everyone's input and encouragement! I think this trip, when we make it (because I truly believe it will be when, not if!) is going to be an incredible adventure and so worth whatever we have to do to make it happen.

Heidi

 

[carpenta]

I wish you a wonderful trip Heidi for you and your loved ones. Now it seems the problem you face is getting your son to go home from the safari.

 

[Woodview]

Good for you in persisting in your hunt for the best option.

Well done ...& keep us All informed on how it goes.

 

[abdgeek]

Thank you Emily, this is exactly what I was looking for!

Having continued researching, I found what I think might actually work better than ABD, for our needs, called Africa Dream Safaris. They do a private tour for JUST your group in Tanzania, and as that is where the Serengeti is (and my son's favorite area of Africa) it seems like that might be the ideal place to go. Our TA spoke at length with them about our needs, and they seemed quite willing and able to make this work in any way we need it to, including electricity at every lodge or camp we would stay at (they have many to choose from) and they always have a private guide assigned to the group or family (it would just be the 3 of us on our safari plus our guide) for the entire adventure. Reading reviews I was very impressed, as was our TA after she spoke with them (she specializes in special needs arrangements, 95% of her bookings involve some kind of special needs arrangements). And how cool to perhaps have a guide who is a Masai warrior! More expensive to go this way, yes. But worth it in the long run I think!

I appreciate everyone's input and encouragement! I think this trip, when we make it (because I truly believe it will be when, not if!) is going to be an incredible adventure and so worth whatever we have to do to make it happen.

Heidi

Hi Heidi...I'm glad you found an alternative to ABD for your son. While I love ABD and have been on 5 so far, they do not appear to be able to handle customers with special needs. When I did the Australia ABD, we had an adult who used a rolater(walker) to get around. I don't remember what his actual medical issue was, but what I did notice was that ABD did not assist him in getting around(I'm pretty sure there's something in the contract we sign about this). However, they made sure to include them whenever they were present and got lots of pictures of them. The person who traveled with him was responsible for getting him on and off the bus, etc. Because of his limited mobility, he really couldn't do any of the activities we did even though he got suited up for snorkeling and surfing(ziplining, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, biking, surfing, etc). I think surfing was the only activity that had a special chair for him to go down to the beach in and instructors who would work only with him. Unfortunately, I'm not sure all the vendors ABD uses can handle customers with varying physical needs. While I'm sure they researched the trip ahead of time, I felt bad that they spent the money they did to just sit around while we did each activity. Don't feel bad if ABD doesn't meet your needs. I'm glad you found a company that does.