PHOTO: Mark Murphy and his wife with their local guide in Deception Valley, Botswana.

The market for independent travel is growing and will only get bigger, especially as Millennials begin to make their presence felt in travel. This is the group most influenced by travel agents when they actually make that move to seek one out for advice. Just as Baby Boomers drove the escorted tour and cruise industry for the past two decades, I predict that Millennials will drive the independent travel boom for decades to come.

That’s why you need to know about the Monograms product from the Globus Family of Brands. I recently visited Africa on one of their independent itineraries and will use these pages to highlight the trip and the overall travel experience delivered by Monograms.

The Trip

PHOTO: An elephant takes a swim in the Okavango River Delta in Botswana.

My Africa trip, the South African Sojourn with Botswana & Victoria Falls, didn’t fit into a set schedule, but was based off of an itinerary that was suggested to me by the staff at Monograms. They looked at my travel window, my past travel to Africa and my goals for this particular experience. Since I had already visited Cape Town, we decided to spend more time on safari.

There was no group to meet, or motorcoach to board, as the trip was designed around my wife, our specific needs, and me. It was an independent trip, but it followed a schedule that had been laid out just a couple of weeks prior to our departure from JFK in New York. With our itinerary in hand, we set out to explore South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe on a 16-night adventure.

The most striking aspect of the trip, besides the scenery, was the simplicity in how it all came together with my point of contact at Monograms. It was put into action with a single email and finalized just three emails later. We were traveling as a couple, but it could have easily been a multigenerational family or even a small group and the process would have been the same.

The Itinerary

Our itinerary covered three countries and featured a variety of unique lodges that provided different experiences. We did game drives on land as well as water, and we even ventured out on several bushwalks.

Our itinerary began in Johannesburg, South Africa. The next day, we headed to Kruger for a three-day stay at Kapama Southern Camp. On day five, we headed back to Johannesburg and on the following day traveled to the Central Kalahari Desert, staying at Deception Valley for three days. The Kalahari was followed by the Okavango River Delta and then the Chobe Game Lodge for four days. The last stop was Victoria Falls, with two days at the Ilala Lodge. We flew home from Johannesburg.

Guides

PHOTO: Lions playing at Chobe National Park in Botswana

Each lodge featured its own professional guides and drivers and, in some cases, an additional spotter. When you are on safari in Africa the goal is to see the Big Five – African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard and white or black rhinoceros. The guides throughout the trip were both professional and knowledgeable, and they shared unique insights with us based on the particular lodge they were associated with and the animals that inhabited each area.

For each stay, we were paired with not more than two other couples as we ventured off to explore in the early morning or later in the afternoon. In some cases, we found ourselves with our own personal driver and guide, as others decided to take the morning off and sleep in. Either way, it was an eye-opening experience and one that connected us with the local people and culture.

The guides weren’t limited to the game reserves, as knowledgeable handlers all along the way met us and shared their particular insights and suggestions. A lazy afternoon in Johannesburg could quickly morph into a personalized tour of Nelson Mandela’s home and the Apartheid Museum, as our interest was piqued by casual conversation.

Accommodations

The best thing about an independent tour is the flexibility that it gives you in choices. The Monograms product provides choices that allow you to step up to something like the Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana, the only lodge physically in the Chobe National Park, and spend a little more for that experience. Your clients will enjoy a high level of service and a variety of dining experiences, and be able to take in the river from an amazing walkway that runs the length of the property. Since the property is located within the national park, guests get a jumpstart on game viewing as it takes time for those outside the park to make their way in.

The luxury of the game reserve can be offset by staying at the Radisson Blu Gautrain in Johannesburg, a fine property that will exceed your expectations while not breaking the bank. It’s next door to Mandela Square, a place your clients will want to check out for people-watching, a cocktail and possibly dinner.

As part of the itinerary, we chose Kapama Game Reserve’s Southern Camp, but even within Kapama we had several choices for lodging, depending on our budget. The Southern Camp was a solid four-star experience that turned into a five-star stay when we upgraded on property to one of their brand-new luxury suites. It was winter in South Africa during our visit, but the view as I looked over the pool more than made up for the fact that I wasn’t going to be swimming. Independent travel is about flexibility and that was evident throughout the entire trip.

Transportation

When you are taking a multi-country, multi-property stay, you should make sure your connections are seamless. Or better yet, make sure someone else is looking out for you to indeed make that happen. Every step of the Monograms tour was in a word -- seamless. It began when we left the baggage claim in Johannesburg and our private driver met us for the transfer to our first property. It continued on, whether we were arriving or departing, with drivers meeting us every step of the way.

Traveling in a foreign locale can be challenging and, sometimes, intimidating. It’s critical that for novice and experienced travelers alike agents take as much stress out of any travel experience by working with a company that handles the coordination at all levels. In the case of Monograms by Globus, the only time I felt any stress was when a wild elephant wanted to sniff my head on a game drive.

Summing It All Up

PHOTO: The sun sets at Kapama Reserve, South Africa.

The tagline for Monograms is “Independent Travel. Simplified.” Those words speak directly to you, the travel agent, as well as the customer. As a travel agent, you want to spend your time with your customers matching their particular travel needs and desires with the right product. The less time you spend researching and planning, the more time you have to prospect and sell. Think of Monograms as your resident expert, with local knowledge and local guides in the places your clients want to go. Then take advantage of that knowledge and the efforts Monograms has made in its destinations -- to know them better than you could -- to look like a star for your clients.

For instance, if your client wants to be more active, the team at Monograms will work with you to customize the experience and handle all of the on-the-ground coordination. If it’s a family experience, especially a multigenerational trip, Monograms can create different experiences for the different guests, based on each individual’s particular need. You act as the expert when it comes to the client; they step in and act as your destination and research expert in putting the trip together.

It was a three-country tour of Africa, simplified, yet immersive and life changing. Take the next step in learning more about “Independent Travel. Simplified.” Visit Monograms.com, a Globus Family of Brands product.