Taking you to some of the most desolate corners of Africa, Tanzania is the authentic safari destination where travelers get fully immersed in nature and witness some of the most awing natural phenomena. Tanzania safari adventure can be as simple or detailed as you would wish. From game drives to fly camping, and with a wide range of accommodation option, your Tanzania safari budget will most likely depend on accommodation, experiences and destinations you visit.
How to work out Tanzania safari budget
With Tanzania safari costing anywhere between 200 USD per person per day to over 1000 usd per person per day, we can just say that ‘any’ budget amount is enough for Tanzania safari. You will only need to make certain key destination to reach the best fitting Tanzania safari budget. Importantly, budgeting for a safari also involves ensuring you getting the best value of money. This will only be achieved when you have the right information when making decisions. Before you start working on your safari budget it is important that you know that:
- It is not just about the cost of a destination, consider the experiences too. Different destinations will give different quality of safari experience.
- Some activities would be highly rewarding for your safari experiences. Consider the best activities for an optimal experience.
- Some accommodation facilities are advantaged by their location which adds to your general experience.
Different aspects of Tanzania safari budget
1. Transfer means
Tourists visiting Tanzania mainly depend on road transfers when moving between destinations as it is more cost effective and guests get to enjoy the view of the dramatic Tanzania landscape. However, Tanzania being a vast country about 1.5 times larger than its neighbour kenya and about….. larger than Uganda, tourists visiting on road trips are limited to a few destinations that are set close distance to each other. These destinations can be split into the southern circuit encompassing Mikumi, selous, and ruaha national parks; and the northern circuit encompassing Arusha, kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara, Lake Natron, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Rubondo, Arusha and Serengeti. It is important you note that travelers who are on beach holidays in the Zanzibar archipelago can only access the southern circuit destination on roadtrips. To visit destinations in the northern circuit from Zanzibar your will have to take an air safari package.
Settling on Tanzania transfer cost
- Go for air transfers if you can afford it. This will help you reach more destinations and spare the time spent on the road for day trips.
- If you want to visit destinations in the southern circuit and Northern circuit or Zanzibar and northern circuit while on limited budget you can take air transfer when moving from north to south and go for road transfers for the rest of your trip
- If you can’t afford visiting destinations that would need Air transfers consider focusing in one route. Both routes have incredible wildlife views that will help you derive full safari experience.
2. Destination costs
One thing you must consider when making Tanzania safari budget is the expenses you are most likely to incur in the destinations you choose. Destinations in the southern circuit are generally more expensive than those in the northern circuit mainly due to the fact that they have limited tourism infrastructure. The game experience in the southern circuit is also quite less inspiring mainly due to the low wildlife density and limited activities. Destinations on the northern circuit on the other hand has impressive wildlife concentration which adds to the value of money. However destinations in the southern circuit enjoy the benefits of being closer to Tanzania Zanzibar islands and in this case are more cost effective for guests on combined beach and bush safari.
Settling on Tanzania destination cost
- When making Tanzania safari budget, consider the destinations in the northern region if you are seeking for a quality game experience. Here you can have optimal safari experience seeing all the major animals in just a 3- 4 days Tanzania safari.
- For guests on a combined beach holidays and bush safari go for the northern circuit when you can afford the additional budget that may rise due to air transfer. The southern circuit still has very interesting game scenes. The region particularly receives low number of visitors and has off beat bush vibe.
Accommodation cost
Like other destinations in East Africa, most of the accommodation options in Tanzania are under canvas. However, this doesn’t mean any low quality accommodation as the facility are uniquely and perfectly designed to offer all the comfort you need while on a safari. Good accommodation facility should not only be favorably priced but also offer the best experiences. The best accommodations are set in iconic locations where you will enjoy the wildlife right from your camp vicinity. Most luxury facilities in Tanzania are set inside the game sanctuaries offering seamless interaction with the wildlife . A few others are set in private game reserves situated along the borders of various national parks mainly established as wildlife corridors. Budget accommodations are, on the other hand, are mostly situated just outside the parks main gate. Most of the parks has public campsites for backpackers and which comes in a very affordable price.
Settling on Tanzania accommodation cost
- When seeking a pocket friendly Tanzania safari budget, we recommend that you go backpacking or pick an accommodation near the park main gates. Ensure that the facility you pick approximately less than 40 minutes drive from the closest park gate to avoid wasting time on the road. Most roads leading to different park gates are rugged and a drive from a distance more than 10 km could be tedious and take more time.
- If you are planning for a luxury accommodation enquire on the location and experiences the facility offer. If you on a migration safari ensure that the facility is set the direct path of the herd.
Cost of experiences
When making a Tanzania safari budget you must consider cost of all other activities you will engaging in besides game drives. Different bush activities will help enhance your safari experience. Some of the activities you can engage in include boat cruising, fly camping and walking safaris, night safari drives, go for open sided photo safaris, balloon rides, horse riding and taking bush meals/ sundowning. If you are travelling with children consider budgeting for children activities.
Settling on Tanzania cost of experiences
- To keep the budget low ensure you only engage in the activities you can afford. Where possible keep the things to list as short as possible. Different activities will also have different impact on your game safari. Give priority to activities that will help you derive the best experiences.
Last Tanzania safari budget tip
Start planning for your safari once you resolve to travel. Take time to keenly consider different price dimensions before making final budget resolution. Consider seeking advises from a travel specialist to make the most befitting plan.
