This question is a bit like asking the length of a piece of string, but I’ll do my best to give you an idea of how much you'll need to budget, and the different factors that will drive costs up or keep them down. One of the things that will make a significant difference to the cost of your holiday will be whether you go on a group tour or opt for a private journey.
For many people, the appeal of a group tour is the prospect of meeting new people and the camaraderie that comes with travelling as part of a group. Group tours are the better value option - the tour operator can negotiate good air fares and accommodation rates based on more people travelling. But not all escorted tours are created equal. You need to consider the maximum group size - this is particularly true when it comes to safari holidays and the size of vehicle you’ll be travelling in - and where a window seat is always at a premium for game viewing.
It’s also important to consider the standard of accommodation and where lodges are located. You’ll be getting up very early for morning game drives - so you don’t want to be staying in a lodge that’s an hour away from the national park entrance. You should also consider the rhythm of the tour, because many group tours pack a lot into a short period of time with long road journeys. A safari is a holiday after all, not a test of endurance.
A tailor-made trip gives you much more flexibility – you can choose the specific dates you want to travel on, the length of your holiday, how long you want to stay in each place and the style of accommodation that best suits you (and your budget). With a safari holiday you can also choose to fly by light aircraft between camps rather than travelling by road – this is particularly important if you haven’t got that much time for your trip or you don’t do well with very long road journeys. But you do pay a premium for a tailor-made private journey, and fly in safaris are more expensive.
The time of year that you choose to travel will also have a significant impact on the cost of your trip. For example, a holiday in July to September in Kenya or Tanzania to coincide with the Great Migration will be quite a bit more expensive than a trip off season. And sometimes there can be benefits to travelling off peak - for example, the green season in Botswana (November to April) is a great time to travel if you don’t mind the odd shower. Visitor numbers and prices are lower, there's more verdant foliage, and animals give birth to their young.
To give you an idea of the differences in price, for a 7-night group safari tour to Kenya (generally the best value safari destination), staying in decent 4* lodges in low season you can expect to pay upwards of £3500 per person. A private safari travelling from camp to camp by road would start at around £5000 per person and a fly-in 7-night safari in Kenya would start at around £6000 per person.
I hope that’s been helpful. Of course, there’s no substitute for having a chat and getting a quote for your specific requirements. You may want to add in some time at the beach after your safari adventure, and this is very easily done. A safari holiday is never an inexpensive option, but it's a magical experience and you'll have memories that will last you a lifetime. Case in point - here's a video a client's just sent me from her trip in the Masai Mara
Do get in touch, and let’s start planning your holiday of a lifetime.
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