Guiding Atypical Guest Groups: Empowering Extraordinary Experiences
Master the Art of Guiding Diverse Guest Groups & create everlasting memories.
As a Field Guide, your experience will extend beyond the boundaries of ‘typical guest groups’. Successfully guiding diverse or atypical groups, such as the elderly, disabled individuals, and families with small children, requires adaptability, empathy, and a tailored approach. In this blog post, we will explore techniques to ensure an exceptional experience for these unique types of guests.
Guiding the Elderly: The elderly bring a wealth of wisdom and life experience to your safaris. To provide a memorable and comfortable experience, consider the following tips:
- Plan accessible routes: Opt for routes with well-maintained roads and minimal obstacles where possible, ensuring ease of movement for guests with limited mobility. Always offer assistance when boarding or disembarking from the vehicle (and ensure adequate lighting is available) and have a step ready nearby when stopping for coffee or sundowner breaks. Avoid asking your elderly guests to get off the vehicle unnecessarily, bring samples & examples to the guests on the vehicle.
- Pace and duration: Adjust the pace of the drive to accommodate the physical abilities and energy levels of your guests. Allow for frequent breaks and opportunities to rest and absorb the surroundings. Consider shorter game drives and schedule earlier breaks for sundowners. For elderly guests, a slow scenic drive is often more enjoyable than chasing after sightings and enduring bumpy off-road rides.
- Engage their senses: Focus on captivating storytelling, sharing anecdotes, and emphasizing sensory experiences to cater to diminished senses. Encourage interaction (even if it is on the vehicle) and create an inclusive atmosphere. In between drives, elderly guests typically love leisurely walks on lodge grounds, focusing on plants and birds.
- Patience is key, especially when dealing with elderly guests. Remember that care & empathy are important aspects when dealing with all guests!
- Always double-check that your guests have all their game drive essentials with them before heading out to the vehicle.
- Take note of any physical disabilities or hearing impairments, see below for further hints & tips.
Guiding Individuals with Disabilities: Creating an inclusive and barrier-free environment for disabled individuals requires careful planning and consideration. Here are key techniques to employ:
- Pre-communication: Reach out to guests before their first game drive to understand their specific needs and requirements (if this has not already been done by a manager). This will enable you to make appropriate arrangements in advance, such as accessible transportation and specialized equipment. If a guest requires the use of a wheelchair, always ask how you can assist them in getting in and out of the vehicle, as they may have their own preferred process.
- Adaptive tools and resources: Familiarize yourself with assistive devices such as mobility aids, hearing loops, and tactile materials that can enhance the experience for visually or hearing-impaired guests. It is imperative to give extra focus on clearly communicating with guests using hearing aids, as lip reading can often help them follow discussions. Keep in mind that some hearing aids cancel out background noise and wind, so avoid speaking while driving or in windy conditions if the guests cannot see you talking.
Guiding Families with Small Children: Family groups with young children present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Consider these techniques for an enjoyable family safari:
- Child-friendly activities: Incorporate interactive elements like animal tracking, scavenger hunts, and short, engaging stories to captivate the attention of young children. If children are allowed to stay up after dinner, scorpion hunts around the lodge grounds are very popular and allow their parents to have a child-free glass of wine.
- Safety first: Emphasize safety protocols and provide child-friendly explanations of potential hazards. Establish clear boundaries to ensure a secure environment. Never stop for sundowners after dark if you have small children present. Depending on the age of the children, check with their parents if they might require you to return earlier than usual, as small children's dinner and bath-time routines shouldn't be disrupted, if possible.
- Flexibility and patience: Be prepared for frequent stops, bathroom breaks, and unexpected distractions. Adapt your pace and content to suit the attention span and energy levels of children rather than the adults. Interactive interpretations are always a clear winner, such as making rope from bark, whistles from Terminalia galls, and creating plaster spoor casts that they can keep as souvenirs. If the reserve allows it, fishing is a great way to captivate and engage kids in nature. Remember, happy kids equal happy parents!
- Snacks are king! Keep a few parent-approved child-friendly snacks and drinks in the front of the vehicle to avoid making multiple stops for access to the hotbox/coolerbox. This will be especially helpful during periods of concentration lapses and behavioral mishaps. Make sure you have discussed dietary requirements, restrictions, and allergies with parents beforehand to ensure everyone's safety and enjoyment.
In conclusion, guiding diverse guest groups allows you to create extraordinary, unforgettable experiences that cater to unique needs and preferences. By implementing techniques tailored to your type of guests, you can ensure an inclusive, educational, and enjoyable safari for all.
Remember, adaptability, empathy, and effective communication are the keys to success in guiding, especially with these special guest groups. Importantly, embrace the opportunity to expand your horizons as a guide, and let each experience be a testament to the power of inclusivity in nature tourism.
Nightjar Training, Consulting & Guiding is committed to providing top-notch training for existing field guides, including mastering the art of guiding all guest types. Visit our website at www.nightjar.co.za to explore our comprehensive services and expand your horizons as a skilled and inclusive FGASA Field Guide.
