Going on an African safari will normally cost you anything from $150 to over $1500 per person per day. But there is still a way to go on a budget safari in Africa for under $120 per person daily for a week or more.
Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it? But only $725 per person sharing for a 6-day safari in one of the best game parks in Africa is still possible and it can be done if you know exactly how and where.
And I do because I have been on over one hundred self drive safari trips over the past forty-five plus years which has given me relevant, first-hand knowledge and experience on how to go about this.
With the bonus of inside information from the tips and recommendations in the trip reports that I receive at African Safari Journals.
I often plan and go on budget self-drive safari trips like this for myself so this is more than wild theory that it can be done for less than $120 per person daily. I'm putting it into practice and you can too...
So What Does a Safari Normally Cost?
It varies widely but a guided safari can cost anything from $150 to over $1500 per person per day.
The overland safaris normally cost the least because accommodation is on camping grounds and you participate in cooking the food and washing up (and pushing the safari vehicle if it gets stuck).
There are good economies of scale because of the size of the groups that go on each trip which drives the price down (this is not an overland tour, however).
Full guiding with room and board in luxury lodges or tented accommodation starts to increase the price and in some exclusive reserves in South Africa like Mala Mala you can pay $1025 per person daily for the privilege of enjoying the African wildlife, but you do get waited on hand and foot and have to do very little more than turn up, eat, sleep and enjoy.
Self guided (self-drive) safaris are the most affordable but you do need to have very good local knowledge so that you can avoid paying more and so that you know where to find the wildlife. You have to do all the work yourself in this case (the same as many other holiday experiences) but you pay a lot less.
The Longer You Stay The Less You Pay Per Day
I have done all the costing and planning for a budget safari trip like this already because I regularly go on self-guided safaris, sometimes lasting for up to two weeks.
Of course, you might not want to go for that long (I love the safari lifestyle - the longer the better for me) which is no problem because you can tailor it according to your needs.
If the high price of safaris has been putting you off going to Africa until now this could be your opportunity.
Just follow the guidelines that I use to plan my budget safari trips as shown below, which provides detailed information about exactly what you need to do to go on a low cost African safari for a week or more at less than $120 per person per day.
Here's What the Budget Safari Guidelines Contain:
The Budget Safari Destination - This is one of the top national parks in Africa.
Daily Conservation Fee - How to only pay for six days and get the rest of your stay free.
Cost Breakdown - How much it will cost you listed by item.
Wildlife Spotting - The secrets to seeing more wildlife every day.
Accommodation - Where, how and what.
Transportation - Get to Africa cost-effectively and travel in the park cheaply.
Food and drink - Eat and drink affordably and well.
"What To Pack" Checklist - Avoid the risk of packing the wrong things for your safari.
Better Safari Photography e-book - Free book to help you improve your wildlife images.
Camping list - Here's a seperate list of what to pack for the camping side of things.
How To Guide Your Own Safari - Everything you need to know to successfully and cost-effectively do a self-drive safari in Southern Africa.