How Much Does an African Safari Cost?
African safaris are expensive. Travel Africa magazine stated that the standard price of a 10-day safari in Botswana is £6000-8000 (US$8,500-11,000), or $850-1100 per person per day. Major international safari companies routinely quote $750-1000 per person per day for Tanzanian or Kenyan safaris.
That’s a lot of money for an African safari, especially when you’re a family of 4 or 5.
A few years ago we did a 15-day safari through Kenya and Tanzania. Our African safari cost $470 per person per day including several internal flights and splurges like a night at Nairobi’s Giraffe Manor. Our safari, booked through Sunworld Safaris in Nairobi, was perfectly crafted and well organized from a kid/family perspective. Nothing that they were responsible for went wrong. We stayed in amazing camps and lodges and the wildlife viewing was excellent. In short, it was everything that an African safari should be.
I mentioned “major international safari companies” above. I’m not going to name names, but everywhere we went, from lodges to game drives, we saw people who had booked through those companies. They were staying the same places we were and seeing the same animals we were, yet we paid half what they did.
Why do people book through the big companies? There are several reasons. First, the companies send out really nice catalogs. Second, they make booking easy – just call the local office and charge everything to your credit card. Third, their well-known brands offer some reassurance that your vacation is going to be stress-free. And that’s fine. If you have the money and want to book quickly and easily and not worry about a thing, go for it. I have friends who have traveled with these companies and been extremely happy with the trips.
But that’s not me. I have a backpacker mentality when it comes to spending money on travel. Well, at this point in my life I’ve moved beyond staying in hostels and camp sites, but I still hate paying more than I have to. And even though I was happy with our safari, I was constantly thinking of ways that we could have done it better and less-expensively. So based on my experience on this trip, and on previous safaris in Tanzania, Botswana and Zimbabwe, here are my tips on crafting the best possible safari at the lowest price.
1) Use Frequent Flier Miles for Plane Tickets
Safaris are expensive enough without factoring in the cost of plane tickets. If you can’t find inexpensive flights, think about using miles for free tickets. And be creative on the routing – you may find that you can get relatively inexpensive tickets, in terms of miles or cash, to non-African cities like Dubai. Then simply purchase cheap direct flights from there to your African destination.
2) Book the Safari Locally
Per my introduction above, local African companies can price safari itineraries far below the international companies. We were extremely happy with Sunworld Safaris and its Tanzanian division 4×4 Adventures, but there are numerous local companies. TripAdvisor is a good place to start:
- For TripAdvisor’s list of Tanzanian safari outfitters, click here and then click on Safaris.
- For TripAdvisor’s list of Kenyan safari outfitters, click here and then click on Safaris.
As with everything on TripAdvisor, don’t just go by the ranking, read the reviews, and take into account that some 1-star and 5-star reviews are fake.
I can personally vouch for Sunworld for Kenya and Tanzania, and The Uganda Safari Company organized a perfect safari and gorilla trekking for us in Uganda, but shop around and check out different itineraries and prices. And if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Look for an established company with its own fleet of vehicles and permanently-employed drivers/guides – important since smaller companies have been known to take drivers off the street. Also check to see whether it’s a member of a reputable tourism organization like the Kenya Association of Tour Operators.
3) Go During Off-Season or Shoulder Season
Most destinations in the world have peak seasons (expensive), off-seasons (less expensive) and shoulder seasons (in between). Africa’s no exception. However, you need to be aware of the trade-offs. If you find a great off-season rate at a specific place, find out why it’s the off season. It could be because it’s the rainy season. It could be because there are fewer animals around then. The trade-off may be worth it to you, or it may change the trip enough that it’s not worth going then, even at the lower rate.
Weather: Most people avoid March-May – it’s too rainy. Lodges shut down, the photography isn’t great and it can be harder to find animals since they have water everywhere and don’t need to travel to watering holes. But it’s worth looking at very early March or June when you could find good weather and shoulder season prices (of course there’s no way to predict weather).
Migration: The annual migration of 1.25 million wildebeest along with zebras and gazelles is generally in Kenya (Maasai Mara) July through October and in Tanzania (Serengeti) the rest of the year. We found the migration in and around Lake Ndutu at the end of February. Anywhere that the migration is passing through is going to be peak season – but it’s also amazing to see.
It’s difficult to generalize on peak / off-peak seasons, since every park is unique. If you know roughly when you want to visit and what animals you want to see, contact a local safari operator and ask about your best options.
4) Take the Right Number of People
The most expensive elements of an African safari are a dedicated car/driver and lodging.
The Land Cruisers that are used by most safari companies have room for eight passengers. Different lodges/camps throughout Kenya and Tanzania have rooms that sleep 2, 3, 4 or 5 people.
So think about joining up with friends to fill up those spaces. Having eight people in a Land Cruiser would be crowded and you would have to get along well, but you would save money. And then book the appropriate lodges based on how many people you’ll have. We traveled with five people, which dictated some of our camps – the ones with family tents or connecting tents/rooms. If you have a group of eight and find lodges with rooms for four, you’ll maximize all efficiencies and reduce your costs accordingly.
5) Stay in One Country
By combining Kenya and Tanzania we increased the cost of our safari. Not only did we need visas for both countries ($50 each in Kenya, $100 each in Tanzania), we also needed several local flights to move around. There were undoubtedly amazing things to see in each country, but we easily could have come up with either Kenya-only or Tanzania-only itineraries that would have allowed us to see almost as much at a lower (African safari) cost. Sunworld sent me a 10-day Kenya-only itinerary for under $11,000 for a family of four, or $1,100 a day. I know families that spend more than that for a day at Disneyland, factoring in hotel, food and tickets. But it’s better than Disneyland, because you’re in Africa!
6) Go for the Right Length of Time
As long as we were traveling all the way from California (20+ hours each way), we did the longest safari we could fit into two weeks and three weekends. That was a mistake. Our kids were getting tired of game drives after nine days or so – they had already seen a lot of animals and spent a lot of time in the car and they would have been perfectly happy to return home at that point. So more isn’t always better. Look for a 10-day safari, but make sure it’s 10 days on the ground. Some safari companies advertise 10-day safaris, but they consider days 1 and 10 to be travel days to and from your home, so really they’re only 8-day safaris.
7) End with Beach Time
We had a dedicated car and driver for all 15 days, which added up. In retrospect it would have been better to have roughly 10 days of safaris, end with a couple of days at the beach in Mombasa (Kenya), Zanzibar (Tanzania) or elsewhere, and get home a couple of days earlier. As we wouldn’t have needed a car/driver at the beach, our only real expense would have been a beach resort/lodge – an easy way to extend the vacation for not much more money.
8) Take the Kids!
Ok, this isn’t a money-saver, but kids under 12 cost a lot less than adults so there’s no reason to leave them at home. Sunworld’s 10-day Kenya itinerary prices kids as low as $209/day. And some places we stayed, like Giraffe Manor, are free for kids (with paying parents).
9) Get Travel Insurance!
Even an inexpensive safari is still expensive, so make sure you’re covered if anything goes wrong, including having to cancel your plans because of international events, arrival delays, and medical emergencies. We use G1G, based on price and coverage. Well worth getting a policy for peace of mind before heading to Africa.
Your Turn: Reducing African Safari Costs
Have you gone on an African safari? How did you bring down the costs? What am I leaving out?
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Useful tips, but stil… unaffordable for us. We spend a month in South-Africa for 1/5th of this 15 day holiday. I’m aware that this experience was completely different and definately worth every dollar for you, that Giraffe Manor looks amazing, but for many people this is only a dream 🙂 So it’s good to browse your wonderful photos and to enjoy the experience from my couch 😉
That’s great that South Africa is so much less expensive Yvonne. Did that include safaris? How many days? What else did you do? And how many people did you have? If there’s a much less expensive safari destination for families, I’d love to be able to tell people about it.
We also did our safari in Soith Africa for much less, but it was still pricey. For us, we found 4 full days of safari to be a good number. Granted if we were moving around like you were, more might have been nice. But we were at one private game reserve so that was the perfect amount.
My recommendation for people who want a safari experience, but can’t afford the prices of Kenya and Tanzania would be to go to South Africa. It’s much more reasonable and still has a great deal of animals to please everyone. We were insanely spoiled with at least 10-20 sightings of each of the big five during our short stay. Our guide told us that Kenya and Tanzania tend to promote to Americans and Europeans which means they hike up the prices. Whereas SA typically has appealed more towards locals so the prices aren’t as high.
But I still want to do your trip too!!
Thanks Karilyn! If you write an article on the experience with costs can you post the link here? I’d love to encourage everyone to head to Africa with their kids so I definitely want there to be options at lower prices. I haven’t done safaris in South Africa (although I’ve traveled around the country with friends), so I can’t speak to any safari specifics there.
Eric, VERY helpful tips. I keep writing eBooks on Amazon for my safari fund, LOL. Seriously though, going during off seasons, using points and staying in 1 land all make a ton of sense to me. Also, doing the simple legwork to avoid the overpriced operators. I swear, I am freaking stunned by how many folks pay out of the nose for stuff like flights, let alone bigger ticket events like safaris. Do some homework, shave that price down.
Great post, we have been thinking about a safari but didn’t know how to go about it without going through the big companies. What are your thoughts on a Safari in December which is considered a green period?
It depends on where exactly you want to go. Kenya and Tanzania can both be good in December, but South African game viewing isn’t supposed to be optimal then. Check on the animal migrations.
Really, I think it takes a commitment to deciding you are going to take an awesome trip, and sticking to saving for your goal. Set aside a certain amount of money per month, and make it happen!
What a wonderful experience for your kids!
Great post, particularly for getting people to realize safaris are not as unattainable as they may think. We opted to go to Namibia, where you can drive yourself. We rented a car (well, okay, it was a large 4WD pickup with a back seat) and spent some of our time at modest guesthouses in the towns, which helped with costs. We did take one escorted game drive, on the first day we arrived at the national park–the guide knew we’d be driving on our own for the next few days, so he gave us tips on best game viewing spots, safety, etc.
I think the most important point you make is that a safari doesn’t have to be a totally packaged event booked out of a glossy catalog. With a little bit of research, you can design a trip that best meets both your travel style and budget . . . and you can bring the kids!
Great point Larissa – in a lot of places in Africa self-drive safaris can be a great way to go. Some of the parks we went to, particularly Amboseli and the Serengeti, I could have seen driving. Some though, especially Lake Ndutu, I would not have wanted to attempt. We didn’t see many people driving themselves, and a couple of those that we did see were stuck in the mud, so that’s one drawback – not knowing the spots to avoid. Another drawback would be finding animals. Our guides were constantly on the radio talking with other guides in Swahili about animal sightings. We would have missed out on some of the highlights. But we would have saved thousands of dollars, and who knows – maybe we would have stumbled upon something amazing ourselves. At some point we’ll go to Namibia and do a self-drive and I’ll be able to compare the two.
From reading the comments, it sounds like South Africa is more affordable, but still offers a fun experience. Thanks for starting the conversation! I love travelling – I just wish I could afford to do it more.
Great article and some very useful tips. Will keep in mind when we travel to Africa again.
We’ve been to Africa three times, twice to South Africa and once to Namibia, and we never paid such prices . I just made a quick calculation, our Namibia trip of 25 days in high season and staying in really nice lodges had cost us about 115 EUR per person per day, flights from Europe, rental car, and everything else included.This is partially because we were traveling with 3 young kids and they were often staying for free, excursions and safari rides were also often free or discounted for them. South Africa was even cheaper. So yes, Africa is much more accessible and affordable than most people think. You just have to do your homework, shop around and book well in advance. But it’s totally worth it!
I haven’t been to Namibia yet, although it’s at the top of my list. It’s my impression that Tanzania and Kenya are more expensive because of the quality of the wildlife viewing – they can charge more so they do. Whenever I see lists of the best safari countries in Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana are usually at the top and South Africa and Namibia are further down. I want to see Namibia for its landscape more than for its animals. Kenya and Tanzania don’t allow self-driving in some parks, so you couldn’t rent a car everywhere anyway, and to the best of my knowledge park fees are higher.
You are right about the self-driving, Eric – it’s indeed not allowed in some parks in some countries and therefore you are less flexible and your trip is more expensive. And it’s also true that if wildlife is the main reason to go to Africa, Tanzania is probably the best country to visit.
That being said, wildlife watching in South Africa can be very good too and it can be absolutely amazing in Namibia. Advantage of these countries is that you get to see so many other things as well, including some of the most beautiful landscapes – safari is not the only reason to go there.
Here in Europe, you can book 10-12 day trips with a private guide to Kenya or Tanzania for +- 3,000 EUR/pp and there are trips to Namibia for 6,000 EUR/pp for the same period, or vice versa. It’s really about shopping around and looking for the better deals. And indeed, you get to see the exact same animals and often even stay at the same accommodations as someone who paid double or even more.
We spent last family summer holidays in Botswana and Namibia plus Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe&Zambia and enjoyed the whole 3-week trip for less than 15k $ (including flight from Europe). Per person / per day, it would be 180$. Both Botswana and Namibia offer the possibility of self-drive safari, so you don’t have to pay for services you don’t need. Both countries are top destinations for wildlife and birdwatching, though we had a better experience in Botswana where on top of self-drive we went for a 3-day camping safari in Moremi Game Reserve and walked across the savanna with a guide.
For the wildlife photographer, a trip to Namibia and Botswana is a dream destination. I am still in the process of sorting out my photos from Namibia.
If you want to avoid paying a fortune for a family safari, just book through local agency only the accommodation on your itinerary, book car independently (www.britz.co.za) and go for it. Entrance to national parks can be usually sorted out just with a day notice. Moremi can be visited only with professional guides but again, go for a camping safari bought from a local travel agency, and not for the luxuries lodges which charge over 1k $ per day… And there is no better experience that sounds of lions, hippos, and baboons when you sleep in a tent… 🙂
Thank you for the information Tomasz. I’ve been to Zimbabwe and Botswana and had excellent safaris in each place, largely traveling without guides and booking everything last-minute like you say. It worked well. Your $180/night is competitive with the $200 that I was able to get Tanzania/Kenya down to, but you had multiple countries for that which is great. Excellent photos too!
In Tanzania you can go on a safari for less than USD200 pp/day with good standard accommodation.
People tend to pay excessive price when they book through international agents and the fact is that those agencies don’t do the actual groundwork but use a local outfitter. So basicly you don’t even know which safari company you are going with. I strongly recommend booking directly from a local operator. They know their country the best and can create for you a customised safari itinerary.
As for self-drive, you will probably miss out a lot of sightings. Not only do the guides communicate about the whereabouts of animals but they also seem to have eagle-eyes and spot even well hidden wildlife.
I agree with all of this! We could have gotten the pricing down to $200pp/day by staying in one country, staying in more moderate lodges, skipping the Giraffe Manor and skipping the internal flights.
Safari is on our bucket list. However, safety us a big issue for me. My husband thinks it’s not an issue! Paranoid mother?!? We have done a safari (without kids) and been to south Africa twice.
Unfortunately, I have heard so many scary stories about life in Africa. I found myself constantly watching over my shoulder… Even when we climbed table mountain, I never felt 100% safe.. so to take the kids?? Your article has reopened the debate.
Hmmm…. you only live once!
Hi Marie. Did you see my detailed post on our safari? I talk about health/safety a little. From a safety perspective, I was 100% comfortable with the kids in Kenya and Tanzania. I would have felt safe in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia too. Of course we had a driver/guide with us most of the time. We had some money stolen at one of the lodges, but otherwise no issues at all.
I hadn’t pinned this post and it took me 30 minutes to find it(I’ve pinned it now 🙂 )
and reading it was totally worth it!
Thank you for the info!
No kids as yet, but it is still pretty expensive, nevertheless I do have some points to start planning off 🙂
Cheers Eric 🙂
Thanks for searching out the post Lavina! Yes, there are a lot of safari options and ways to bring down the cost. From the other comments below, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia continue to be less expensive destinations than Kenya and Tanzania. Happy planning!
I know Zimbabwe is unstable, but at Hwange safari lodge I showed up in person and negotiated in June for $12US a day for a guided safari. I saw everything except a cheetah. Even saw two Lionesses hunt and kill a wildebeest. However, I probably wouldn’t do that with young children.
I think when I take my kids I am going to do the Kenya 10 day or a but of combination of 10 day similar to what you did. Much more stable area for kids. Thank you for the tips. We have 7 total in our family cause 5 kiddos and it is nice to know how to make it more cost effective while having a “non-backpacking” experience.
Your African safari in Kenya and and Tanzania was amazing. The pictures are also awesome. Am sure the safari could have been a lot better if it was combined with a beach extension, but hey…there is always a next time 🙂
We are considering a safari next summer and your posts (and everyone’s comments) are very helpful! We had Kenya in mind, but we might shop around for South Africa (considering our limited budget).
Thank you all for sharing your expériences.
So glad I found this site! My husband and I have a trip planned in August with our two sons, ages 7 and 10. While I am super excited, I’m also a little nervous. Reading your articles has helped to put my mind at ease. We are staying at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti. We are only staying 5 nights, with a trip to the crater one day, a hot air balloon ride one morning, and the rest of the days we have safaris planned. I’ve looked over your packing list which was very informative. Any other advice I’m happy to take!
Thanks!
Thanks Heather! Five nights in the Serengeti will be fun. I’ve heard great things about the Four Seasons.
One thing that I’ve been meaning to go back and put into the post: watch your valuables. We had to take a lot of US cash with us for tips and the hot air balloon ride, and we got lazy with using the hotel safes since everything seemed safe and all of the employees seemed to be there long-term. I’m pretty sure I know where the theft happened but can’t prove it. So definitely use the safes, even at the Four Seasons! And don’t be afraid to take an afternoon off from safaris if the kids seem tired.
Thanks! We are planning 2 nights at Giraffe Manor and an 8 day safari in Tanzania- No kids as ours are all in college. airfare from Texas is $4000 for 2 in June 2019 and roughly $7,000 each for serengeti, Crater, Zanzibar, and Manyara National park..includes the in between flights and guided driver/tour..some luxurios camping and some basic tent style.
Sounds great Tracey! I really want to get to Zanzibar with my kids, and I’d love to get back to Giraffe Manor.
Hopefully airfare comes down. Since fares are only released 330 days in advance, it will be August 2018 when you can book, but they usually come down from the initial 330-day prices.
Thank you so much for this Eric!! My husband and I went on safari to Maasai Mara and Amboseli in July 2012 before we had kids (we stayed at the Tortillis Camp too) and it was amazing! It’s always been a goal of ours to take our kids back when they’re a little older (they’re 4, 3 and one on the way now), so I’m so glad to see that your kids enjoyed it! We booked with a local safari company back then so I know that we’d do that again. I also love these posts for the suggestions from others on places they’ve been or ways to make it more affordable for families. I would really also like to get to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania as we only did Kenya on our safari. Plus the beach would be an amazing addition! I love to travel and to do it with our kids, so it’s so nice to be able to connect with others that have the same philosophy. Thank you!!
Thanks for the note Ashley! If you haven’t joined my Family Travel Community, please do so: https://www.facebook.com/groups/410697089358831/. It facilitates exactly the connections you’re talking about!
My husband and I are planning a trip in mid-Oct but, unsure if we should do Serengeti OR Masai Mara. I would like to stick to one country. My kids are 6 and 8, and my parents will also be travelling with us too. I would like to see the migration, big 5, experience the masai tribe, Giraffe Manor and a beach. Would all this be possible in 10 days OR would we need 2 weeks. Any advice or itinerary suggestions would be great. We are all vegetarians (egg is okay for us but, my parents don’t even eat egg). So, will food be a problem?
Thanks,
Pallavi
Hi Pallavi. In October the Wildebeest are still primarily in the Masai Mara (starting to head back to the Serengeti) so I’d stick with Kenya. You could do everything in 10 days – 4-5 days in the Masai Mara, a night at Giraffe Manor and a few days on the coast. I’m not a travel planner, so I can’t advise you on a specific itinerary. And I’m also not a vegetarian, so I didn’t pay attention to the meals and whether or not there were enough non-meat options to keep vegetarians happy. I’m guessing there are plenty of blogs out there that talk about African food that would be good resources?
We are in the VERY BEGINNING stages of planning and thinking about a 7 day stay in East Africa and then 7 days in Cape Town. Traveling in July, with children 8 and 9 or 9 and 10. Should we add a week somewhere? We were thinking staying in Kenya for our safari and one night at Giraffe Manor. Should we change our month of travel? I know you said babies are visible closer to February, I worry about missing school then though.
Hi Sarah. Several thoughts:
1) You know your kids, so you probably have a feel for how they will do with a 2-week trip vs a 3-week trip. Botswana is great in July if you want to add a week. Or fly over to Zanzibar for a few days.
2) If July works best for you, stay with July. I did safaris in Zimbabwe and Botswana in July many years ago and we saw a lot of animals. Just contact the tour company you want to use and get their suggestions as to an exact itinerary for July, based on where the animals will be.
3) Book Giraffe Manor very early! They’re more popular than ever.
Nice article! I know there are many people who pay $1000 a day for safaris. That really is at the top end though and as a local specialist for Southern Africa, I can combine South Africa (mostly Cape Town & Garden Route & Joburg) with a Botswana safari AND throw in Vic Falls, with local flights, for less than what you paid per person. It might not be at the very top end, but will still be very good 4&5 star accommodation.
There is a perception that it is an expensive destination, but there really is something for everyone’s budget and even though you might not stay in the same lodge, you will still see the same sights and animals.
Look forward to meeting you in Tuscany and we can definitely discuss this further!
Deb
Sounds good Deb. I absolutely agree, and SA/Botswana/Vic Falls sounds like a great itinerary. Our trip included not only Giraffe Manor, but three Elewana Collection lodges. If we had chosen less-expensive lodges, our pricing would have been considerably lower.
This is a great article-Thank you so much
We are a family of four- Two boys(8&11)-Well traveled(Galapagos, Amazon Forest etc.)-I agree with you about diminishing returns- I feel like is till want to see two countries Tanzania and Kenya-Ideally I would only see three
1)Masai Mara
2) Ngorgoron Ngroron crater
3) Relax in zanzibar
Could you give me some insight into what is the best way to achieve this?-I have also written to sunworld travels. I was researching some options in Mara to stay and it looks like Mara Serena lodge or the Mara Interpids might be good for kids?-any thoughts on these?-wondering if sunworld can switch out their accommodation in the Mara bush camp to these if we pay extra?
Thanks Again!!- appreciate your insights and time!
Warm Regards
Rupa
Hi Rupa. Hopefully Sunworld has gotten back to you. I’ve found that safari companies can make practically anything happen. Lodges are easy to arrange based on your budget. The only hassle is transportation, but the safari companies know how to get from destination to destination the best way, whether it’s flying or driving.
I’m not an expert on exact agendas, but your three choices sound excellent for a family safari. They’re the three places I would choose too. But I don’t know the best way to get from Arusha/Ngorongoro to Masai Mara, for example. You definitely need local guidance for the specifics.
I am in the middle of planning our safari to Kenya now for myself and my two kids. We will stay the first night in Nairobi to adjust to the time difference and then have hired a driver for two days to take us to ol pejeta staying on site. We then return to Nairobi for one night then fly to the Masai mara for 5 nights then return for one night in Nairobi before returning to Australia. We are staying at an eco camp in the mara (camp malaika) which is co-owned by a Masai. I like that it is a smaller camp and the reviews are great. It’s costing 14 k aud which is 9.5 usd for the three of us for the whole trip including flights from Sydney. I think I did well for costings but obviously not as luxurious as your choices. From my research Namibia is very cost effective for safaris. You can do self drive there and they have a very cool looking Fort in Etosha NP. I chose Kenya because I thought it would be easier with kids and didn’t want long travel times, hence the flights to the Mara. Definitely thinking of Namibia and Botswana when the kids are early teens!
Hello, great information, another way you can reduce or bring down the costs would probably be mixing up the accommodations like you can choose to stay in 1star,2star, or 3-star lodges at the various parks. Having constant 3-star accommodation throughout the safari would be pricier than staying at different lodges along the safari. For example Kenya side you may decide to use a budget, which is 1 and 2-star accommodation then on the Tanzania side choose midrange which is a 3-star accommodation.
Have you gone on an African safari? How did you bring down the costs? What am I leaving out?
It looks like Activity dropped off this blog a couple years back. I am looking to travel to Africa for the second time. The last Safari was Amazing! We went from Arusha to Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro crater to Central and N Serengeti before ending the trip in Zanzibar. All for around 22K (family of 4-10 day) I could do the same trip over but would really like to do something different. (gorilla trek in Uganda/Rwanda, Zambia-
vic Falls, Botswana OK delta, Zimbabwe? Does anyone have an amazing itinerary they could recommend?
Uganda was amazing, for safaris and gorillas/chimps. My post is here.
Todd who did you use to book your trip
I would love to get back to Africa, so thx for your a while ago post! It looks like I spent about $23k for 15 days in 2016 to Tanzania and Uganda. My son was 7 at the time. If I wait a few more years we could go without him lol but I’d like to go sooner. We went for the wildebeest migration and for a gorilla trek. You have to be 13 to gorilla trek so my husband and I switched off staying with my son. We had 3 guides, private tour through Global Basecamps. I’ve kept in touch with our main guide and I’ll probably ask him if we can book him directly or have to go through his agency. I loved all the places we stayed, although we stayed somewhere swanky at Ngorogoro Crater and no need for that if there is cheaper (only one night.) I think I might skip Uganda this time and shorten to 10 days to price out. I want to go when the babies are being born this time. I can’t do $23k if there is a next time. I had my son apply for a scholarship to go to S Africa but apparently he didn’t get picked :(. I’m going to have to do more research but I’ll look into the places you used too. I like taking pics so I’m not sure about being in with 5 strangers. I even tried my family lol! I “let” them have the last day for swimming and lounging although secretly I still wish I’d gone out again ha!
Oh someone asked about safety. The foot treks we had armed guides. Idk if our regular guides were armed or not (in the Jeep.) There we’re two times I questioned my sanity. Our guide took our son (again 7 at the time) off to play soccer with some locals without us ( he had a great time and really at 7 you aren’t a hardened teenager lol.) The second time I toured the local hospital. They asked if my son wanted to play volleyball with the staff and he did that while I got a tour., which I didn’t know I was getting, but I’m not one to sit around either. My husband had stayed back at the hotel. I have to say I am not a rich American and everywhere we went there were pleas for money. You want to take a pic of the kid with the chameleon? Better have a tip. Attracted by drums to the local orphanage? They want you to choose a hand drawn pic (and pay of course.) you mention a basket is lovely? The woman tracked me down at my hotel when she’d finished. I don’t regret any of it, I just didn’t expect it either. So bring tip money! ATMs are few and far between and cc machines/Wi-Fi may not exist. Oh and at one of the airports we were whisked away to a hotel room for a couple of hours – we found that strange. So I’m sure something could have happened. But didn’t. 🙂 I will say everyone was great with my son! I don’t know how it would be with a teenager lol.
How did you pay for you safari through Sunworld? I see that they charge a 5% transaction fee for credit cards. Did you use the bank transfer option? I’m just leary of this because it’s a foreign company.
Yes we did a bank transfer. That’s one of the reasons people feel more comfortable going with (and paying a lot more for) a big-name tour company. But I’m willing to take the chance when a company seems legitimate. We had no issues trusting Sun World. Similarly in Uganda I paid the Uganda Safari Company via bank transfers and all went smoothly.