How To Choose The Best Safari Lodge For Your Trip

How To Choose The Best Safari Lodge For Your Trip

You’ve finally organised your time off work, had your jabs, started on your packing list and have even possibly decided on the destination which you would like to head to, but you don’t know where to start on deciding which safari lodge to stay in.

Well this is where the experts at Africa Travel come into their own. We know whether the Madikwe Safari Lodge is better than Jock Safari Lodge, and if the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is more suitable for you than the Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge. Choosing your luxury safari lodge in Tanzania, or the best safari lodge in South Africa is not an exact science, so Africa Travel have put together our handy Top Ten guide to helping you select your perfect African safari lodge.

1. Cost

Perhaps the number one factor in deciding which safari lodge is right for you.

Safari lodges range in cost from budget-friendly right up-to ultra-luxurious, where the nightly cost per person can easily stretch into four figures. Costs can vary significantly depending upon the time of year you wish to travel, (don’t dismiss low season – it is often a great time for game-viewing, with fewer crowds and plenty of offers available), whether you wish to stay in a private Game Reserve or public National Park, how luxurious you want things to be, and just how many days you want to be on safari for.

Africa Travel have plenty of safari lodge options to suit all budgets so contact us to learn more. We will also tell you which safari lodges we don’t think are worth the expense….

2. Location

Another obvious factor in helping to decide which safari lodge to choose is the location.

Do you want to visit other non-safari areas during your time in Africa?

If Cape Town is on your list, perhaps head off to the Eastern Cape or Kruger National Park for your South African safari lodge stay. Those wanting to see the Victoria Falls should consider going on safari in Zimbabwe or Zambia, whilst beach-lovers should choose a Tanzanian safari lodge before they head across to dreamy Zanzibar.

Nervous flyers might like to select a safari which is within easy reach by road of a major airport, (for example the Nairobi National Park), rather than somewhere which is most easily accessible by a small light aircraft flight, (such as the Masai Mara). Some lodges are located within National Parks, while others are in private conservancies. Private conservancies often offer more exclusive experiences and the ability to go off-road for game drives.

As someone once said, the most important thing is location, location, location…….

3. Game-Viewing

Have a think about just what you would like to see when you are away on safari?

Are the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo), key for you, or you a keen birdwatcher?

Is there something specific which you would like to view? - some species are only found in certain areas so this may determine where you head to and where you stay.

For example gorillas, lemurs & meerkats are predominantly found only in Rwanda/Uganda, Madagascar & South Africa respectively.

Also do you want to be guided on safari by a professional safari ranger, or would you prefer to self-drive yourself? Those wanting to look for themselves should really travel to South Africa & Namibia, where self-driving in National Parks is very well-established.

4. Activities

Deciding what safari activities you would like to do will also play a major part in the planning process. Water babies wanting to enjoy river cruises & motorboat excursions should make a beeline for Zimbabwe, whilst keen walkers are well catered for in Zambia’s South Luangwa.

Hot air balloon enthusiasts will love the landscapes of Tanzania’s Serengeti and quad-bike enthusiasts will adore Namibia. Anyone wanting to experience a leisurely paddle in a unique mokoro, (dug-out canoe), should stay in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, with culture-vultures will be happy in Kenya. Spotting game by helicopter is offered in Botswana and South Africa, but whatever your wishes, Africa Travel are sure to be able to help.

5. Amenities 

What exactly do you want there to be at your safari lodge?

Is it important for your chosen property to be the best safari lodge in South Africa?

Is a swimming pool a must-have? Do you need a massage in a spa during your time on safari?

Is visiting the gym every day crucial to you?

These questions all need to be answered when it comes to deciding which safari lodge is best for you.

6. Guiding Quality

Having a good safari guide can make or break a safari, so ask Africa Travel about our list of preferred safari guides. Guiding qualifications in some destinations are harder to obtain than in others, which means that the quality of guiding can be superior in some spots – as an example Zimbabwean safari guides are coveted the continent-wide.

Africa Travel knows who works where, so we are able to help you in selecting the very best safari lodge.

7. Sustainability 

As we all become more and more concerned about responsible tourism, aim for safari lodges that are committed to conservation, sustainability and community development. Ask Africa Travel for further details of which safari properties are doing the right thing.

8. Time Of The Year 

Something crucial to consider – you don’t want to travel all the way to Africa and end up seeing nothing on safari, so where you travel at certain times of the year is so important.

Africa Travel have decades of experience in knowing just where to go, and just where to avoid.

For those who want to see the Great Migration we can tell you which Tanzanian safari lodge to stay in, and when. We can also tell you exactly where to avoid going if you are limited to travelling in April & May only…..

9. Personal Preferences 

We are all different people, and we all want different things from our safari, and so ticking things off from your own personal preference list will help Africa Travel decide just which safari lodge is right for you.

Do you want a safari lodge that is small and intimate, (you might be on honeymoon?) or would you prefer somewhere a little larger and more sociable?

Are you travelling with children, or would you like to stay somewhere which is adults-only?

Is communal dining a no-no for you?  Do you want to have a safari guide & vehicle all to yourselves?

10. Recommendations & Reviews

Finally, do you want to rely solely on online reviews or recommendations when selecting your safari lodge? Or do you want to speak to the unbiased, knowledgeable experts at Africa Travel?

We only ever give recommendations based on personal experience so you can be certain that what we recommend is right for you, and not right for us, (or your friends). Go on, give us a try.

Why Book Your Safari Lodge With Africa Travel?

Now that you know how to choose your perfect luxury safari lodge, it is time to contact Africa Travel. With over 30 years’ experience in creating tailor-made and bespoke holidays to the best countries in Africa, there is no one more qualified to advise of the best safari lodges, the best safari destinations in Africa, or to organise an unforgettable safari holiday to Africa than Africa Travel.

We have a wealth of specialist resources to help you book your perfect safari lodge, and we are trusted by more and more customers to create a memorable experience which is not just another holiday, but rather the best trip possible to Africa, staying in the best safari lodges.

All of our staff have travelled extensively, whether it be staying in the best safari lodge in South Africa, a Kenyan safari lodge, a Serengeti safari lodge or the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, and you can trust that our personal recommendations will deliver the African holiday that you have always dreamt of.

We know which vaccinations are required, the best time to travel to Africa, those African countries that are visa-free, and we can recommend the best luxury safari lodges in Africa. We organise exclusive and private tours, and arrange for the finest guides to escort you at your African safari lodge.