Back in the mid 1980s, I did a series of wildlife photo trips to Kenya and Tanzania. In those days, most of the TDs working in Africa were older expat Brits, many of whom treated the local Kikuyu driver/guides as the “wogs” they perceived them to be. It has always been my experience that local guides can be a great asset both to the TD, and to the tour members, and I treated them as the knowledgeable professionals I perceived them to be. I met them for breakfast each morning to plan the day ahead. At the end of they day, I thanked them for everything they added to the group’s experience. I soon noticed that when members of the other tours compared the lists of the animals they had seen, to those of my groups, our lists were always far longer and more exotic. My driver/guides went out of their way to give the group a better tour.
Salute to Local/National Guides and Docents
I’m sure we have all run into the “difficult” driver or overbearing local guide. Sometimes the biggest “management” problem on the tour, is to turn this person into an asset, but it is always pays off. For the comfort of the group, a good TM must at least appear to work with, rather than against, him/her.
Best… smr
Steven M. Russon