Frequently Asked Questions About Hunting Safaris in South Africa

We pride ourselves on being up front about our costs, with no hidden fees to take you by surprise later on. Therefore, our daily rates include everything required for your hunting safari, from the day you arrive until the day that you depart. Here’s what’s included:

• Accommodation, including linen and towels
• All meals
• Beverages, including soft drinks, wine and alcohol (in moderation, of course)
• Daily laundry, ironing and maid service
• Transportation from Johannesburg and back to Johannesburg International Airport
• Licensed Professional Hunter, trackers, and skinners
• All permits and hunting licenses, excluding cities
• Field preparation of trophies (skinning, caping, and salting)
• All transportation to and from hunting areas, utilizing a 4x4 safari vehicle
• Delivery of trophies to Highveld Taxidermy (more information on our Taxidermy page)

Our daily rates include everything needed for the duration of your safari, which starts the moment we pick you up, and lasts until we drop you off at Johannesburg International Airport. Some guests choose to visit family or friends in South Africa or other parts of the continent, either before or after their safari. Cruiser Safaris is not responsible for these arrangements, however, arrangements can be made to collect or drop guests off in other locations in or around Johannesburg, to accommodate your traveling plans. The costs of trophies taken are separate from the safari and depend on whether a hunting package was selected, or if individual animals have been selected for hunting. Here are things NOT included:

• Airfare to and from South Africa
• Accommodations before and after the hunt
• Trophy fees of animals bagged, or wounded and lost
• Any taxidermy costs
• Packing, dipping, and shipping of trophies
• VAT (Value Added Tax, currently at 15%) only on daily rates
• Gratuities
• Insurance
• Personal items

Yes. Some hunters prefer to share the thrill and excitement with a companion, living the memories of adventure together. This is called 2x1 hunting, in that there are two hunters and one Professional Hunter. With only one Professional Hunter being part of each hunt, we are able to offer a lower rate per person for this type of hunting arrangement.

The rate for non-hunting companions, or observers, can be found in the Daily Rates section of our website. Whether simply sharing in the thrill and accomplishment of a hunt or getting some candid photos or videos of your success, any observer is more than welcome to accompany you on your hunt. Of course, there are many other relaxing or thrilling activities for non-hunters to take part in at Cruiser Safaris or the surrounding areas.

Family is so important in this day and age and Cruiser Safaris firmly believes in teaching the importance of ethical hunting and conservation to children from a young age. That is why we gladly offer guests the opportunity to enjoy a Family Safari, which promises to be an unforgettable experience for the whole family. Children under 7 stay for free, and if they are between 7 to 18 they stay for half price! It is important to note that Cruiser Safaris is primarily a hunting outfitter and, though we do offer day side trips and other activities, unfortunately we do not have the staffing capacity to offer any formal childcare.

Trophy fees are the payments required for any animal you shoot. Different fees are applicable for different species of animals. In the unlikely event of an animal being wounded and not recovered, the trophy fee will still be applied for their loss. This very rarely happens, as we will do everything in our power to track down and recover the wounded animal. All fees can be found in the Trophy Fees section of the website.

Packages are put together to provide an economical way for including everything (daily rates & trophy fees) for your safari. Each package includes trophy fees for specific species available on our properties. In the unlikely event that you don't have the opportunity to get a shot on a representative animal included in the package, the trophy fee will be refunded in full from your safari balance.

At Cruiser Safaris we make every effort possible to ensure that you have the opportunity to acquire every trophy included in your package, and we are fairly certain that we can help you gain success. Unfortunately, not everything in hunting is a guarantee and lots can happen during your time in the bush. Should an animal be continually missed, or you don't shoot by choice, then the trophy fee will not be refunded.

Our packages are designed to ensure that there is enough time available for each hunter to get the trophies included in their package. Generally, allowance is made for one and a half days of hunting per animal. Of course, it is only natural that animals will be encountered that are not included in your package and it is up to you to decide whether you would like to take this additional trophy. Should you want to go ahead, and the animal is obtained, the appropriate trophy fee will be added to your safari balance. When deciding to add species such as Bushbuck, Eland, Klipspringer, Mountain Reedbuck or a Waterbuck, an additional day of hunting needs to be added to the total number of days in your package.

On occasion a spouse, significant other or a child accompanying a hunter might decide that they want to shoot a particular animal. If they shoot the animal, it can be counted as one of the trophies included in your package. However, should you decide to shoot the same animal, then the applicable trophy fee will be added to your safari balance at the end of the hunt. If the observer decides that they want to hunt any other animals, they would then be considered a hunter and their daily rate would have to be adjusted accordingly, along with the addition of trophy fees for any animals they have shot.

Some hunters are particular about the specific species they would like to hunt and do not want to be constrained by the time limits or trophies offered in our packaged deals. With this in mind, Cruiser Safaris offers the Build Your Own package, that offers discounts on our normal listed trophy fees and affords you the opportunity to select only the animals you are interested in hunting, or selecting the length of the hunt, with trophy fees settled at the end of the safari, based on the animals bagged.

Should you feel you are ready for action, we will take you out on a drive in the afternoon. If you shoot an animal on your arrival day afternoon, you will be charged for an extra half-day of hunting.

We suggest scopes to be sighted for 100 yards, as most shots will fall between 80–125 yards. On rare occasions distances could stretch to 175 yards or longer, but only if a hunter is very comfortable with longer range shots, as it uses up valuable time to track a wounded animal through the bush.

Value added tax (VAT) is a required charge on the daily rate of a hunting/observation safari, comparable to Sales Tax in America. VAT is not refundable and is currently set at 15%. Should trophies be exported under specific regulations set out by the Receiver of Revenue, there is no VAT charged on the trophy fee. Even when trophies are being exported, VAT is still levied at 15% on dipping and shipping services, and/or the tanning of skins. Should trophies be processed in South Africa, VAT is levied at 15% on 30% of the taxidermy value, as agreed between the taxidermy industry and the Receiver of Revenue.

Yes. Hunting packages combine daily rates and trophy fees and are figured on the current 1x1 rate per day, which will require payment of VAT based on the number of days of your package.