How to pick the best African safari for your travel style

“Safari” is a broad term used to describe a wide variety of travel options to see the unique wildlife of Africa. With choices from the very basic to plain luxurious, it is often difficult to see the wood for the trees. We asked some of our experienced travel team for their opinion to give you a pros and cons guide to choosing your safari. For convenience, we’ve split them into two broad categories: Safari and Overlanding. Safari’s refer to going specifically to and staying in the reserves. Overlanding, in addition to all the parks, will have you travelling literally ‘overland’ between destinations for example Cape Town to Mombasa.

Type 1: African Safaris

Referring to “Safari” here we are talking about visits to the wild places of Africa. Visiting the big game parks and reserves like Kruger, Chobe, the Serengeti and Masai Mara.

Budget Camping Safaris

If you are travelling on a shoestring, have wildlife as your main focus, want to get up close to nature and are happy to sacrifice some creature comforts then this could be the option for you.

Pros:

• Excellent value for money
• Often small groups and great guides with in-depth knowledge mean a more intimate experience
• There will be wild animals around the camp at night

Cons:

• Basic camping on a mattress, two to a tent
• Participation in camp chores
• Shared ablutions
• Sleeping bags required or hired
• There are optional activities that cost extra
• There will be wild animals around the camp at night

Exclusive or Small Group Safaris

Small group and Exclusive Safaris are a little more social with mixed age groups and all the personalised attention you need.

Pros:

• Smaller numbers mean it is more exclusive
• 4x4 are used wherever possible and flights for longer distances
• Good quality guides ensure a more personal experience
• No participation or minimal participation in camp chores
• All equipment provided
• Mostly ensuite ablutions
• Wild animals around the camp at night

Cons:

• Mixed age groups aren’t for everyone
• Often not as social as large tours
• It's still camping
• There will be wild animals around the camp at night·

Lodge Safaris

If you want to get into the wild but would rather take your creature comforts with you so that you can really focus on the game then this is the option for you.

Pros:

• More upmarket, comfortable with private rooms and ablutions
• Smaller groups, excellent guides and more personal attention
• Often private game reserves
• Price is inclusive with no local payments or hidden costs
• More restaurant-type meals

Cons:

• A little less wild
• Fewer open-fire experiences
• No roughing it in a tent

Forty Plus Safaris:

If you prefer a more mature group, free of children with more like-minded folks then this is the choice for you.

Pros:

• Lodge-style accommodation
• Private and en suite rooms
• More relaxed pace
• Excellent guides and more individual care
• No participation

Cons:

• Fixed itinerary

Type 2: Overland Africa Tours

Camping Overland Tours

Overland camping is all about roughing it, having the experience of a lifetime, and meeting new friends as part of a group. It's a more DIY approach with long stretches of open road so this may be the ideal option for you.

Pros:

• A younger crowd, big groups with mixed nationalities
• Budget-conscious and like-minded
• Simple wholesome meals
• Loads of participation around making and breaking camp, chores, dish washing etc

Cons:

• Need your own sleeping bag
• Tour leader, not specialist guide
• Basic menu with no frills, cooked on an open fire by the camp cook
• Additional costs excluded from tour cost eg; Local payments and optional activities. You'll need to budget for the extras
• Travelling great distances down dusty bumpy roads, in a non-air-conditioned vehicle

Accommodated Overland Tours

These overland tours keep the long roads, the participatory feel and the larger groups but give you an oasis in the form of comfort at lodge-style accommodation at the end of some of your days. It’s a real mix that gives you a taste of both worlds.

Pros:

• Smaller groups but still 12-18 people
• Lodge-style accommodation (mostly)
• camping style meals
• Some daily chores

Cons:

• Some Daily chores and helping out around meals and the occasional camping
• Travelling great distances down dusty bumpy roads, in a non-air-conditioned vehicle
• The basic menu for meals
• Sometimes there's a mix of camping and accommodated clients on one trip – some may see this as negative.

Small Group Overland Tours

Exclusive overland tours combine the long open roads with a level of comfort not afforded by camping and accommodated overland tours. Here everything is taken care of and you need only soak up the atmosphere of the African wilds.

Pros:

• Smaller more intimate groups
• Private en suite rooms
• Good quality guides
• Older clientele (not 20-somethings)
• Everything is taken care of
• some participation around the camp

Cons:

• Travelling great distances down dusty bumpy roads, in a non-air-conditioned vehicle
• Combination of camping and lodge accommodations

Family Overland Tours

Going on a family adventure is great but travelling with children requires some extra attention to detail. If you have kids but don't want to miss out on the adventure and would rather travel with like-minded people then this is definitely the right choice for you.

Pros:

• Travelling with children as young as 6
• Daily chores like setting up and taking down tents and doing dishes etc. are a great way to keep the kids busy
• Shorter travel days for children which means an easier pace for everyone
• basic menu offering wholesome food
• Travel with other families is a bonus for children

Cons:

• Travelling great distances down dusty bumpy roads, in a non-air-conditioned vehicle
• usually budget camping in two-man dome tents
• leaving your tent at night to use the ablutions

Andrew Hofmeyr Senior Safari Blogger

Andrew Hofmeyr is a seasoned travel writer with over 10 years of experience. He’s travelled widely in Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe, with favourites including Bali, the Drakensberg, and the Amatole Mountains. His writing covers conservation, wildlife, and travel advice, with work featured in Wild Magazine and the Kingdom of Eswatini Tourism. He also conducts insightful interviews with global experts.

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