An African safari tops the bucket list for many, yet people don’t realize that this trip is easier and more affordable than they believe. Africa is an exotic destination, but it is easily within reach with a bit of planning. A reliable site for a variety of different safaris is SafariBookings.com
You may not need a tour company - After researching for a couple months, we decided to go with Baboon Budget Safaris because we loved their itinerary and price., While we booked our safari months in advance after careful research, other people on our same tour booked a single day in advance. Depending on your tolerance for risk and overall travel experience this could be an option for you. I personally love to plan trips in advance and felt very comfortable with the route we took, but you could reasonably to walk into a city one day and leave on a safari trip the next. I recommend you look into a few good tour companies before your trip and stop by their offices upon arrival in the city. This strategy would be much challenging or expensive during busy season.
Never pay for your trip in full before arrival. This could easily be a scam or something could fall through with the company. We paid 25% of our full bill to reserve our spot and paid the remainder upon arrival. We met a couple from Germany that paid in full and had lost all communication with their tour group. Although this is not common, it happens and it is good to be aware of it.
Be clear on what exactly your safari includes and what will be incurred as additional expenses. Some things are commonly included in safaris: transportation to and from the airport, accommodations throughout our trip include hotel stay in Nairobi and Arusha, and food and drinking water throughout our journey. While other items (visas, tips, souvenirs, or any beverages other than drinking water) are rarely included. It is important to understand what is included and what is not upfront, so those expenses will not catch you by surprise during your trip.
Safaris come in three major tiers: budget, mid-range, and luxury. All safaris do the same things during the day (game drives throughout the parks to spot wildlife), so the true differences between the tiers lies in the accommodations, food, transportation and pricing (obviously).
Luxury safaris offer the best-of-the-best experiences. When you pay up for these safaris, you can expect to receive amazing accommodations including lodges overlooking beautiful scenery, luxurious bathrooms and hotels. The food will be top notch and your safari vehicle will likely be air conditioned and provide amenities like wifi and charging stations.
Mid-Range safaris will have higher end accommodations with comfortable lodges offering services like laundry and wifi. The food will be tasty and the vehicles will comfortably get you where you are looking to go.
Budget safaris are just that, budget. The accommodations will likely be tents, either structured tents with beds and bathrooms in the back or full-on pitched tents. The food will be tasty but nothing to write home about, and the chances of your safari car having AC are slim to none.
Although this doesn't pertain to your safari, Bargain for everything! As soon as they find out where you are from, whether it be US, Europe or Australia,they immediately drive up the prices to nearly double. We were able to bring the price down form $150 to $50 for a few souvenirs we bought. You just have to stay firm and if they are not giving you the price you want simply walk out. They will change there mind pretty fast.
For us, a budget safari was perfect for what we went there to do. We went to Africa to see the beautiful scenery and exotic animals and disconnect from the world back home. The Budget safari did just that. While we were pitching our tents in the rain, in the middle of the Serengeti, all I could think of was what an incredible experience it was. Travel is not always meant to be luxurious, it should push you outside of your comfort zone.
Africa was unlike any trip we have taken previously. Be prepared for a truly wild adventure. (Below is a shot from our campsite next to the Ngorongoro crater)
