Safari Costings

[Starlight86]

So its my DHs 40th birthday in april next year and i would LOVE to surprise him with a Safari trip as it would literally be his dream come true.

However ive started looking and freaking out at all the options and have no idea where to start!!

A few questions initially, Im not the "rough it" kinda girl so couldn't not camp in a tent, happy with a wee lodge or something but no way a tent but then i suppose its all down to budget and i have no idea how much a safari costs?

Also is 6 nights enough? We have 3 DCs so childcare could be split but i think 6 nights would be our max from being away from them.

Thanks

6 nights personally I think would be OK if it's just safari you're after. However...... I highly recommend Kenya. I served there for 6 months. When my family came out to visit, they flew into Nairobi and I took them masai mara. You would easily be able to book a 4x4 from airport and its easy navigation. The hotel had a pool and mud hut rooms, because bearing in mind you will be up at sunrise til. Sunset to see the Big 5,..... Huge beds etc..we just snoozed by pool during the day. We done safaris, visited Masai villages etc. When at the hotel the rangers will always radio in when a Big 5 siting has been seen. We actually saw a lion hunt and kill from the poolside. En route we had to.stop for a giraffe crossing and a hippo who appeared to be lost 😂

I then flew them down to Mombassa for some beach time

Are you taking your children or is it just you both? Some safaris are not suitable for young children.
Look at South Africa as well, you can do a self drive safari. May be that will help to keep your cost down.

Sorry, just realised that you are not taking your children.
Lot more options available then

I'm in South Africa OP.

6 nights / 7 days is plenty for a safari imo. And yes you can most definitely book into a lodge rather than a tent. But some of the tented camps can be really quite luxurious, so it's not off to ablutions for a shower type of thing.

What areas are you considering? You could perhaps look at KwaZulu-Natal and then you can have some safari days and some beach days? Self drive is also a good option, but you will get your best views when are with a ranger. They keep in touch with each other and know where to take you for the best sightings.

And what time of the year? Anything around November / December time will be more expensive and busier. And quite hot. Easter is also peak season but the weather is not as brutal.

September / October is a good time, lower rates, less busy (except for the one week school holiday that falls in thst time) and the weather is usually good as into Spring.

There are so many places to go, so I wouldn't only look to Kruger if you do consider SA.

Its a lovely gift for your DH btw. 😊

6 nights is probably plenty for safari itself. (We did 8, 4+4, plus 2 nights either side)
Check out Madikwe Reserve S.Africa. We stayed in 'tented lodges' (or something), so like proper accommodation but tented sides and roof. Lovely.
We went in August as less hot.
Definitely have a ranger not self drive. They know where to go and what to look for, it wouldn't have been nearly as good on our on.

I'm going to recommend Ulusaba in South Africa. Visited 3 times and it's been amazing every time.

@Starlight86
We have been on numerous safaris in numerous countries. For a first timer, I really would book a package, except in South Africa where fly drive is normal. Basic camping isn’t offered in many places. Luxury camping is.

3 nights in two camps works. Kenya is great for first time safari holidays but you need to decide where. We have stayed at Little Governors Camp, Governors Camp and the Mara Explorer Camp in the Mara. All are brilliantly positioned in the reserve. You could then look at Samburu or Laikipia/Lewa. Many lodges there are very special. I really would not drive in Kenya. Get a safari specialist like Expert Africa put this together for you. Wildlife Worldwide are very experienced Africa specialists too.

The references to the Big 5 animals are a bit dated to say the least. You won’t just rock up and see a rhino unless you are in a conservancy. I strongly suggest you think about what DH would most like to see. Lions are far fewer than they used to be. We love to see leopards, but some reserves have more then others.

I would recommend Kruger and Sabi Sands in South Africa. Sabi Sands has leopards. Phinda is a reserve rewilded from farms and they have a pangolin project. Most South African accommodation is very good. However do avoid “resort” safaris. Companies such as Wildlife Worldwide concentrate on animal viewing, not quasi zoos.

For the ultimate thrill: a walking safari can be incredible. Zambian lodges do these and the South Luangwa is amazing. For nearly everything. Seeing lions on foot is never forgotten. Zambian lodges also do night drives and Zambia is really wild Africa. Have fun but do use a knowledgeable company. Bush camps are often small and personal. Just don’t expect a spa!!

Hi Guys,

Thanks very much!

Yes im defo thinking a package, and no we defo arent taking the kids lol.

I was thinking end of april as thats his actual birthday, not sure if thats rainy season though?

Im really unsure budget wise, i had in my mind £5k including flights and everything but is that far too low?

Thanks again x

Just saw easter is peak....thinking very end of april going into may x

Yellow Zebra Safaris are a very good starting point. I was very impressed with them and the support they provided. We spoke to Matt.

Assuming you’re looking at £5k each? Also, in terms of timing - many safaris are a significant distance from main transport hubs do you will need to take that into account ito days away from children. To my very limited knowledge (and forgive for stating the obvious) you wouldn't able to do 6 night safari + travel and be away for only six days from the children. Any shorter I’d suggest is a lot of travelling and cost for only a few days safari.

@EdenMill
£5 k for 2 won’t get you very far sadly.

OP: yes it’s rainy season in Kenya but not in SA. Too early for Zambia. Tanzania is possible in April before the wildebeest cross over into Kenya. If your budget is low, you will struggle to do better than basic lodges because air fares have shot up too.

Agree.

To benchmark for the OP: the range of prices we were quoted for a 9 day (6 night safari) in mid- to upper- level accommodation in Tanzania (April/May) was £9-13k exc flights.

I would recommend Kenya as a first safari too. Quicker to get to than S Africa and once you land in Nairobi, you can be in the nature reserves within a hour or two. It would fly to Nairobi and maybe do 2 reserves. I think you would need £8-10 K though for 2 of you.

Yellow Zebra Safaris are a very good starting point. I was very impressed with them

I met two of their reps recently on safari😁 I was on holiday, they were working (visiting camps to update their knowledge - more interesting than my job!).

Definitely worth checking out their website, they have a good range.

I think you can do it on 5k, but not to some of places suggested upthread, which I would class as quite exclusive. And book a non direct flight, Emirates or Qatar perhaps.

You can look to a smaller game farm, and hire a car and do a self drive. Book a ranger for one day only. And stay in a less upmarket resort, there are really so many to choose from. They are still nice accommodations, even though more budget ones. You arent guaranteed to see the big 5 though. But it's never a guarantee anyway no matter where you go.

There are places in the Eastern Cape which might be worth looking at as well.

But as pp mentioned, don't underestimate distances. If you fly in to Cape Town, you have a roughly 8 hr drive to eastern cape unless you get a connecting flight to Port Elizabeth. If you fly into Johannesburg you have 2.5 hrs to (possibly consider) Pilansberg, or Sabi which is 4 ish hours. Kzn, some international flights fly in there, then about 2/3 hours to game farms around those parts.

Can i make a suggestion. We have a very good travel agent called Flight Centre. (I'm not affiliated, promise). I would contact them, let them know your budget and ideas and see what they can come up with for you.

Some parts of SA will have rain end April / May. But tbh in overcast raining weather you see more wildlife as it's not so hot.

My DM and I stayed at Hoyo Hoyo lodge in Kruger, South Africa. It was absolutely incredible. It has only 6 lodges so max if 12 guests, and mainly we only had two other people on our safaris. Our guide was incredibly amazing and we saw all the big 5 several times over on 3 days of safari. We went in May. The lodge is also all inclusive with delicious food. And looks out over a watering hole where elephants frequently go. One time a herd of around 20 elephants came charging from all directions including little baby ones, what an experience!
we spent £7.5 total (for us both) on two weeks around South Africa inc flights and fancy hotels, but not sure how much the actual safari bit cost. However, it is a trek to get there, and whilst 3 days of safari was a good amount, it’s a long trip just for a few days.

Can I say: all lodges include all meals. Some alcohol, some not. Location is everything. Resorts in rewilded farms don’t do it for me but might be cheaper. It’s not a cheap holiday though.

Kuoni doLake Naivasha and Governors Camp in the Mara but light aircraft takes you back to Nairobi. This is a great starter safari though. You have a chance to see a reasonable range of animals but the Mara is super expensive during July/Sept due to wildebeeste migration. Checking prices is vital. A safari by road saves money. Cheaper camps saves money. For something extra special, it’s very difficult to do a safari cheaply. A few nights maybe but not a whole holiday.

I went to Kenya in Sept time 7 years ago. I tagged it onto the end of a work trip so didn't have to cover flights but it was £500 for 2 days / 2 nights in one of the national parks. We def went to Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha so i think it must have been Lake Nakuru national park? They collected me from Nairobi and took me back to Nairobi. Saw rhinos, lions, giraffe, leopard, buffalo, loads of zebras / gazelles but no elephants. I booked it through a local Kenyan company that was recommended by a colleague working out there. Im sure prices will have gone up since then, but i imagine it will still be cheaper than the £12k we were quoted by Kuoni for our honeymoon to Botswana. Needless to say, we went elsewhere 😳

Following with interest as currently planning a safari for my honeymoon! Some great tips here.

Botswana has always been more expensive than Kenya. All lodges and camps are fairly small, expensive, snd not as many of them. No direct flights either. It’s more of a specialist destination but it’s wonderful.

We usually decide where to go based on what we want to see. And what we want to do. Money is ok for us but there are cost saving options. I notice the basic safari from Kuoni, who are not top drawer, is £3000 pp. They have too many places included so it’s more of a journey than a wildlife holiday. That really is about the minimum £ and Ethiopia Airways?

Everywhere has good guides. They communicate with each other so you don’t miss anything. However exceptional
guides find those smaller animals snd birds that are easily missed. They know the habitats snd daily life of the animals. Smaller camps are so much better and those close to wildlife hotspots, better still.

Some of the vehicles used by Nairobi operators are ? The standard of driving can really be ??? Use a British Company that vets everything.

I don't think 5k would be enough. I spent about 3.5k for a solo trip travelling in a group with GAdventures. I flew to Nairobi for one night, travelled from there to Tanzania for a safari then flew to Zanzibar for 3 days and then back home. It was 10 days. We camped in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater, the hotels in Nairobi and Zanzibar were very basic. I loved every minute of it but couldn't have afforded a luxury version.

@TizerorFizz 🤨 The vehicle we used was brand new and the driver highly experienced. You can't tar all local companies with the same brush. Many have excellent safety standards exactly because they are appealing to international travellers - you just have to do proper research to make sure you are with a serious company. Not to mention the benefit of putting far more money into the local ecocomy than with some big international company.

Have some respect for the people whose country you going to. Just because you are talking about a safari doesnt mean you have to have an attitude from the 19th century.

Are you quite sure that you have to rule out tents? We stayed in one like this and it was fabulous

www.kuoni.co.uk/kenya/safaris/cheetah-safari

we did this one which is perfect for a first safari. Kuoni ensure everyone has a window seat in the jeep, the hotels and guides were awesome, taking a longer flight via Doha saved a ridiculous amount.