Take excursion before or after your hunt?

Someone wrote to me asking me this question and I thought that it would be interesting to hear everyone's take on it... here is what I responded.

I usually recommend to those who want to do a side excursion to do it after their hunt especially on their first trip to Africa. It is a very nice and more relaxing way to end the trip.

Some hunts can be tiring but also you will have gained experiences through your hunting safari and PH, something that will definitely help you appreciate, enjoy and look at things from a more knowledgeable perspective during your photo safari.

If you do it prior to the hunt, I have heard hunters say that the anticipation to start the hunt was almost overpowering and detracted somewhat from the tour...

I think that a bit of tourism is a great addition especially since you are already traveling all the way to Africa for your hunt.

I totally agree with you Jerome. If your travel priority is hunting, then stick to the plan and indulge on excursions after the priority has been dealt with. Definitely a good idea to take some time for relaxation and to take it all in.

An excursion to a beach resort, game lodge or a highland getaway does the body and soul a lot of good just before returning to the daily routines and hustle and bustle of work. In the case of Tanzania, you have the island of Zanzibar, world famous National Parks (Serengeti / Ngorongoro / Ruaha / Tarangire etc.) and central & southern highlands as well as Lakes Tanganyika / Victoria / Nyasa. Many beautiful options. Karibu.

I did mine before the hunt started. Although there was the nagging feeling of lets just go hunting.
Main reason i would recommend doing it before. Baggage and airline delays. Would you rather lose a day or two hunting or a day or two of tourism?

It was I that wrote Jerome and my thanks for your reply. Not meaning to ditch your advice, but we'll most likely be setting things up before the safari. Only reason being the timing of when the hunt begins and coming back. When we come back, we'll be arriving back in Phx on a Friday giving me a couple of days to recover before going back to work.

But I tend to agree with Thunder head, I'd rather lose a day of touring than a day of hunting. I will surely be drooling and chomping at the bit to get hunting while cruising through Krueger NP. But that will just be building anticipation.

For my trip in 2011 I am going the same way as Thunder Head. Planning on 2 weeks touring and then on to hunting. Again I tend to agree with the thought that I would rather loose a day or two waiting for baggage or perhaps my rifle then loose hunting days or at the very least stress out while hunting not knowing what will happen with items missing in transit.

This actually happened to friend of mine this year on his hunt in Namibia. His bags and rifles were missing for about four days. He had to hunt with a borrowed rifle and wait for his clothes to show up.