What Are You Paying For on a Luxury Safari?
- By Bena Roberts | Ethical Safari Specialist for Women
- Jun 26
- 5 min read
Let me answer the question I am asked more than any other:
Why are safaris so expensive?
Look guys. If you never loved a cheeky glass of champagne or are not concerned about comfort. You might not understand the pricing of a luxury safari.
Let me help you.
Everyone thinks that luxury means the size of your bed. Nope. Let me explain ...
Park Fees - National Park Fees in Kenya.
Just a quick word on park fees in Kenya, first. They are one of the biggest costs on any safari and many travellers do not realise how much they contribute to the final price.
What Luxury Safari Pricing actually means
Luxury Safari pricing takes into account the bigger picture. The fact that a hotel has a great bed, and you go out, eat out and come back to your room.
A Safari is not like that.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY ….. On Safari you...
Drive a lot in a Safari vehicle - which must be comfortable
You need a window seat to see the magnificent wildlife.
People don’t tell you, but a Safari is Exhausting. EXHAUSTING. There is no drinking till midnight and swinging off the chandeliers. You will experience a very different tired.
In Africa the altitude is different
You will feel tired and waiting to see wildlife gives you adrenaline rushes.. You peak on Safari and by the time you eat your five course dinner… the only thing on your mind is a good night's sleep.
Luxury Safaris take sleep, vehicles, food, water into account. They price for YOUR maximum comfort. On Safari you are looked after and usually there are zero additional costs.
Basically, Safaris sound expensive, but if you take this into account. You have everything that you need at hand - and you are pampered because you will be exhausted.
Great Safari companies know this, and they ensure maximum comfort, and that is reflected in the pricing.
Why Luxury Safari Costs Are Higher
Typical Kenya Safari Prices in 2027
Budget safari: $200–$350 per day
Mid-range safari: $350–$700 per day
Luxury safari: $700–$1,500+ per day
The reason luxury safari prices start around $700 per day is that they typically include park fees, accommodation, meals, guiding, vehicles and often internal flights. Once you start adding these costs individually, the pricing begins to make much more sense.
Each day a National park fee is charged by the parks from Mara, to Nakuru to Samburu. Going to a national park is NOT free. It costs a lot and the prices can jump in the peak season This is a cost that you can never exclude on a Safari. It's mandatory and some fees are USD 200 per day.
A Safari is an adventure in Africa where you sit in a 4x4, see amazing wildlife, eat like a king and stay in amazing locations.
A luxury safari means you have five star vehicles, five star food and five star accommodation.
BUT.
Darlings.
A 5 star safari is amazing because it has a secret weapon. What?
Well all 5 Star Safaris come with vetted, graded Safari Guides who turn you adventure from good, to great, to bloody terrific!
Why Luxury Safaris Use Highly Qualified Safari Guides
No one wants a guide who chews tobacco, unethically beeps his horn at animals and looks like he spent the night in the pub. Nope. You need a guide who…
Cares about his job and loves it
Understands wildlife, photography and customer service
Is happy and quick simply a great guide.
On Safari you spend 3, 5, 8, 12, or 14 nights with your guide.
Trust me. You want a good one.
Most important features of a luxury safari.
Great Vehicle (how to get the best safari seat)
GREAT Guide. Should be joint first, but I have it second, because I love my bum and I hate a bumpy ride - but seriously… The guide is the God of a Safari and will explain, chat, sing, and ensure you have a good time.
Good beds. On my first ever safari (budget) I swear the mosquitoes were too loud. I could not sleep and my trip was ruined by it.
A toilet in the tent and not down the road. Did I tell you the story about the Maasai guarding the tent and when I went to the toilet he said. "Jumbo" in the dark and all I saw was his tribal stick and nearly went to the loo - right there and then? …. No…
I didn’t tell you THAT story. Well, trust me. It happened and I screamed up a storm, nearly wet myself, cried on the loo and went back to my bed deflated. The Maasai, poor thing - looked more afraid than I did…
Look peeps.
I am really doing you a favour. Safari sales people might be able to convince you having a toilet 100 metres away from the tent, it not that far.. Good for the soul. Part of the adventure.
NO.
Listen to me.
A luxury safari or one of my mid-range safaris is your best bet at getting
An amazing adventure
Comfort
No bites
No bum pain
Great driving
Guides who know so much, you feel like you had dinner with David Attenborough.
These are the things that travellers forget to ask for. But are why Luxury, is not just about bedding. It's about quality.
Let me give you an example
How I priced my luxury safari.
So, my first luxury Safari is 7985 USD and it's a solo female Safari in Kenya. This comes in at about USD 726 per day.
I did not pull the number out of the hat. It is not a magic trick. I had to take into account several factors. The first being that I need 4 people on my safari to breakeven.
Yes. I offer lodges that charge up to 1000 USD a night and this does not take into account a driver, vehicle or park fees. All Safaris have to take into account every aspect. This includes insurance.
In my safaris I start with the hotel and get the best rates based on sharing. So the 1000 a night can be reduced to 500 or 600 depending on what lodge or tented camp. Then, I do park fees. These are dependent on the season and month. I try to sell most of my safaris in April, May, June and October, November when Park fees are heavily reduced.
This is where I save.
However, I will never get a low priced vehicle, van or safari bus. Comfort is expensive and I always use the best quality vehicle, vetted guide (usually GK) and excellent driver.
I think I told you the story of me having to pull out a safari van from the mud? Yes! What a nightmare!
Vehicle maintenance, expert guides. I don't want to repeat what I just said. But quality costs money.
I know everything costs money.
But I love to travel. I love to swim in a country and know everything about it and have an adventure. This is what a Safari should be. Personally I think a good mid-range, but better a luxury safari will give you the comfort you need to love your trip and talk about it for the rest of your life.
Comments