India, May 17 -- You may have seen those recent viral videos highlighting the sad reality of overtourism on safari: During the Great Migration in Tanzania's famous Serengeti, wildebeest attempt a river crossing in one of nature's most dramatic spectacles, but just a few dozen feet away, a bona fide traffic jam of safari vehicles crowds the riverbanks like paparazzi at a premiere.

For conservation-minded travelers, it's a nightmare. And for safari-goers-many on their first and only trip-it's deeply disappointing. The fantasy of safari is a quiet communion with nature, not crowds.

As someone who goes on safari every year, I've learned that the difference comes down to asking one deceptively simple question of your safari tour operator (an...