BACKGROUND IN BRIEF
Founded in 2005 by father and daughter, Geoff and Deborah Calmeyer, ROAR AFRICA's operations straddle two continents and employ a dedicated staff of passionate individuals. New York-based Deborah heads up the US team and coordinates directly with clients - crafting and implementing custom-made experiences for each unique journey. Whilst Geoff, animal scientist and knowledgeable guide, oversees the southern Africa team, who are tasked with the responsibility of looking after travellers and their needs from the moment they land. The combined team, along with an extensive network of local experts and guides are dedicated to ensuring the highest degree of personal care and attention to detail throughout your experience.
WHAT MAKES ROAR AFRICA DIFFERENT
No two trips are ever the same. In contrast to many other tour operators serving the region, ROAR AFRICA does not outsource their travel experiences or safaris to third parties. For every experience, we carefully select one of our highly-qualified guides, matching them to the specific needs of the clients in each case. The guide then remains with our clients throughout their journey, allowing us to provide a flexible, responsive and personalized service all the way. We are not travel agents; rather we are professional consultants, scientists, historians, designers, artists and specialists. Trip Designer, Deborah Calmeyer, meets with every client personally by phone or in person. With her intimate understanding of American tastes and needs, as well as her knowledge of Africa and unparalleled insider connections, clients are guaranteed a service that consistently exceeds expectations. Here is a taste of what sets ROAR AFRICA apart:
Only southern Africa
We do not claim to be travel experts on the entire world, not even the entire continent but we are authorities on southern Africa with an intimate history and personal relationship with this region that spans over three centuries. One of the many reasons that clients choose to return with us time and time again. See testimonials for more.
Only Custom-Designed
We do not work with large groups or tours. We do not believe in pre-packaging Africa! Custom itineraries mean private, custom experiences.
Only The Best Quality
We remain dedicated to the high-end spectrum of the market. This is due to the highly personalized nature of our service, the very small numbers that typically constitute a single trip and the premium nature of our handpicked destinations, transport and accommodations.
Only Impeccable Service
We get to know our clients well, and we give each one of them an enormous amount of time and attention. We understand how busy their schedules are and so we ensure that we maximize every moment and experience on their journey - providing for their particular interests and passions along the way.
Only Extraordinary Experiences
We specialize in providing experiences that are unique, fulfilling and magical. We are able to do this because:
- We spend a considerable amount of time with each client understanding their tastes, styles and passions and building their experiences around these
- We work with a diverse portfolio of carefully selected partners, chosen for their ability to deliver unparalleled service and exceptional attention to detail.
- We match knowledgeable, passionate and well-heeled guides to each travel-party - based on their particular requirements
- We have a strong network of specialists and local experts on the ground to assist in enriching clients' travels by providing additional knowledge around a variety of issues from indigenous cultures and customs to the intricacies of local economies.
- We take on only a small number of clients at any one time
- We take our social and environmental responsibilities seriously and invite our clients to do the same
- We look after our clients personally at every step of their journey with us
HOW WE WORK
We offer a service that is personal from beginning to end:
Step 1: ROAR AFRICA will arrange for a complimentary personal consultation with you by telephone or in person. During this consultation we will establish your desires and requirements and talk you through possible options.
Step 2: We will draft a customized itinerary for you outlining our proposed solution in detail.
Step 3: Your itinerary is then fine-tuned, carefully developing each experience until we have crafted a journey that is perfectly suited to your needs. *(We charge a $500 consulatation fee which is refunded against the overall trip costs once you book with us. This contributes to our extensive investment in your itinerary.)
Step 4: Once we have agreed on the itinerary, a 50% deposit is then required in order to begin preparations for your arrival in southern Africa. We will require the remaining 50% payment 8 weeks before your departure
Step 5: Your ROAR AFRICA guide - who you will already have met with telephonically, will be waiting for you upon arrival and act as your point of contact and/or personal guide throughout your stay
You can leave the rest of your journey in our capable hands. We are here to ensure that you enjoy an authentic, invigorating, thoroughly inspiring and hassle-free African experience.
WHY ROAR AFRICA
We understand that it's the small things that can make a holiday truly great. Our goal is to pre-empt your every need, to be discrete but ever present. We craft unique, customized journeys and experiences throughout southern Africa and our clients range form young groups seeking adventure to more mature groups simply wishing to sample new cultures or better understand their roots. Whatever the case, we design and implement trips where each day brings new sights, sounds, colors, flavors and all the memories that accompany these. At the same time, we remove the pressures so often associated with traveling - of negotiating traffic, on the wrong side of the road, getting lost, finding parking, locating hotels and knowing when to go where. With ROAR AFRICA your trip is designed for you and you will have a driver/guide at your disposal from arrival to departure, allowing you plenty of flexibility en-route.*
*(If you'd prefer, you can choose to have our guided assistance for only a portion of the trip).
Each ROAR AFRICA journey benefits from our full suite of services, which cumulatively contribute to the realization of your bespoke southern African experience. These include
- Access to quality advice and ongoing consultation throughout the planning phase
- Personalized itinerary development
- Route planning and transportation facilitation
- Custom selection and reservation of appropriate accommodation
- Dedicated support and expert accompaniment throughout your journeys
- Access to our knowledge networks throughout your journey to assist in answering any questions you may have and to guide you through the cities, safaris and other experiences you may encounter
Of particular interest are 'Personalized Safari Consultations' before you depart and 'Customized Guided Tours' in your chosen destinations. To further unpack these aspects of our offering and explain our unique approach, please see Services and Pricing on the next page.
