Safari - possible for family of 4 for £30k?

[TooTiredToType77]

I've just received an itinerary from a great travel agent I met at a travel show last weekend. 3 weeks, family of 4, Maasai Mara, Tanzania, Zanzibar - £64k PLUS international flights

This is a big, once in a lifetime family holiday after receiving an inheritance. I had a budget in my head for around £30-40k, which to me sounded madness in itself...but I'm so disappointed with the quote! I just can't spend £70k on a holiday.

So, which companies can I contact for a safari holiday within my budget?

Try trailfinders - we had an excellent experience with them

I can recommend Expert Africa or Yellow Zebra Safaris.

But also have you asked your agent what they can do for your actual budget?

Is this a joke ?

Yellow Zebra. Will work to your budget. That quote is madness.

I'm hoping so. Maybe it includes a private jet?

This is not a "great travel agent". This is a rip off. Good that you're asking, you should get some helpful suggestions.

I’m guessing your travel agent either thinks you are easy to rip off, or doesn’t want your business. Unless you have specified you want a complete luxury experience? Trailfinders should be able to help as others have said. Good luck!

It must be.

Also came on to say Expert Africa. Chris MacIntyre is amazing.

3 weeks is a lot.
Won't you get bored of the wildlife viewing by then?

In 2012 we did 2 weeks in South Africa, including 8 nights Safari in 2 different places, which was just about right for us (plus 2 nights in a fancy hotel at start and end, and 2 nights overnight flights).

Think about what you are valuing from the trip, cut out what you don't value.

A few years ago we used Audley Travel for two Africa trips.

3/4 nights on safari is plenty, unless you are moving between camps/countries and they have different things to offer. Safaris are tiring!

What about combining Nairobi (staying at Giraffe Manor) > Lake Naivasha or Nanyuki > Masi Mara?

Or

Cape Town > Okavango Delta > Chobe? (Possibly adding on Vic Falls - you can be driven from Chobe).

We paid around half your original budget for 2 people 7 years ago for one trip, and a bit less for an extended version of the second trip (including 2 nights on the Rovos Rail which wasn't cheap) 8 years ago.

This agent is ripping you off. We also flew premium economy or premium economy and business. Flights were included in the price.

I assume Zanzibar is a beach holiday not Safari.

but yes sounds wildly overpriced. I am sure you can do it for half.

@TooTiredToType77 Look at Wildlife Worldwide and their sister company Families Worldwide and maybe Expert Africa. They have a variety of trips and WW will tailor it for you or you could do an off the shelf trip - both are good. Definitely would be within budget if you are not too flamboyant!

Zanzibar is adding to the cost of your current itinerary. You fly there and back. There are sun, sea and sand resorts in Kenya which will save you a bit. We stopped the beach resorts when we took DC. We had been before DC and didn’t need to go back! Some of the places you can stay at in Kenya could have a pool and you relax a lot between game drives.

If you look at SA, you could do quite varied holidays in addition to a safari eg garden route or KZN/Drakenbergs. You could fly to Durban and go to safari areas from there and you could self drive. The lodges provide game drive vehicles so you can see everything. We have stayed at some less glamorous places but they have outstanding guiding. Sasha’s giant rewilded farms restocked with wildlife and many are great at conservation too so dc learn a lot.

Kenya will be high price in July - August due to wildebeeste migration in MM - its super busy. If you are thinking about then, maybe reconsider? Also were you taking lots of internal flights? That adds in a lot. You could also look at various options in Tanzania and not go into MM at all. Then go to Zanzibar. You are looking at a long safari and this is adding to costs too.

Having taken DC several times you might need to consider pace of holiday and where you stay. Some safari goers are a bit sniffy about DC. We were asked outright why we took them! My DC were engaged and interested but some adults are rude - this was at a lodge which advertised family activities. Think about what dc might like to see most of all. Where meets that requirement best? Are you wedded to summer hols or could you go at Easter? Hope that helps.

Tanzania in summer is high season. Nice lodges will be 1000-3000 per person per night. You can find cheaper ones but if you’ve asked for once in a lifetime they will probably be luxury lodges. You could probably do it for 40k.

I don’t think it’s necessarily overpriced/ a rip off if it’s all remote, boutique fly in fly out luxury tented camps with butlers, private safari vehicles, private transfers etc but you can certainly do a safari for a lot less and have a great time. Also Zanzibar is not all that so I’d skip that bit if you want to cut the budget a bit.

possibly if you didn’t give a budget they took that as “there isn’t one”.

Coral tree travel were extremely helpful and we had a fabulous holiday arranged by them.

Boring!
just accept that some people have different budgets to you

That's insane!

I did a safari very much on the cheap decades ago. Great experience but probably not what you are looking for. I've always thought Stubborn mule look good for family holidays. Not used them but love looking at their website and itineraries for ideas. They suggest 15k for family of four in Tanzania for 2 weeks:
Tanzania Safari Beach - Example Itinerary - Stubborn Mule Travel

My friends have used Audley travel a couple of times and think they are excellent. Always seemed incredibly expensive to me. But even they do a 12 day safari + beach in Tanzani for 5k per person including flights.

Tanzania Safari & Beach Tour | Audley Travel UK

Cut out the UK brokers - go direct to the local companies ....

Essential Destinations are who the UK companies subcontract to https://www.ed.co.tz/

Or Baur in Sri Lanka https://www.baurs.com/baurs-travels/

Or Ecoterra in Costa Rica https://ecoterracostarica.com/

@TooTiredToType77 I don’t agree with just doing 3/4 nights only on a safari. Thats just one area. You might not see what you would love to see. If you have no views on this, then a short safari might suffice. Personally I want some good lions, cheetah and leopards! Elephant herds are amazing. We have just had a holiday in Botswana and saw extended families of wild dogs with puppies. So what do
you like? Rhino conservation is a possibility and our DC took part in tracking tagged leopard when they were teens. In SA.

The Okavango Delta is very expensive. Just getting to Botswana is not cheap. However the delta is amazing in our summer but you need to mix it with a dry game area to get a different perspective. Just talk to some experts and not people you saw at the luxury travel fair!

Further to my comment above.
We used Go2Africa, and we went with my then 7yo (animal mad) and 13yo.

The first itinerary was pricey and included lots of non safari stuff we didn't value but it helped focus our minds on what we did want, and they worked with us to pull together something which worked very well.

@irregularegular We used Audley and then realised we'd paid them a chunk of money to make a call to Essential Destinations !

Yes, I was quoted £6200 for 2 for 3 weeks. That was flying into Namibia 4 nights touring, Okavango delta 3 day canoe safari, 3 night cruise down clobe river, 3 nights with 2 days of drive in safari clobe. Victoria falls 3 nights then down to the Mozambique coast for a week. I chose locally owned b&b options rather than big hotels, shared transportation at some points, various internal flights where they made sense. It's for 14 months time in term time I admit and mostly it's b&b (except for the canoe safari and cruise sections) as this is my preference, though most offer evening meals for about £5 per person

Two days of safari was more than enough.

They’re taking the piss with that quote