Money
The lines that decide a special-interest trip are not the bed
They are the guide, the vehicle and the land — and all three are itemisable, which means all three are askable.
| Per person per night | What it buys |
|---|---|
| US$800 – 1,200 | Established camps in genuinely good locations, a private vehicle throughout, light-aircraft hops between parks rather than long road transfers, and guiding that is a profession rather than a job. The entry point to a safari that does not compromise. |
| US$1,200 – 1,800 | Camps on private land, where the rules change: off-road driving to a sighting, night drives, walking with an armed guide, and a cap on how many vehicles may attend anything. Usually the point at which people stop comparing safaris on price. |
| US$1,800 – 2,500 | The camps people name when they get home. Six to ten tents, an owner or manager who is present, a guide assigned to you for the stay, and food that would hold its own in a city. |
| US$2,500 – 4,000 | A guide who travels with you from park to park rather than being handed over at each one, private charters on your own schedule, and small camps taken whole for your party. |
| US$4,000 and up | Exclusive-use houses and villas with their own staff, mobile expedition camps built for your route, and private aircraft between countries. Bought for privacy and control rather than for thread count. |
Indicative planning ranges only, per person per night sharing, for a fully inclusive safari — accommodation, meals, park and conservancy fees, guiding, and transport between parks. They are what we see in the market, not a quote and not an official tariff. Your quote will be exact and itemised. International flights are not included.
The special-interest lines
| Line | Who needs it | How it prices |
|---|---|---|
| Private vehicle | Photographers, mixed parties, anyone wanting their own hours | Per vehicle per day — better value for four than for two |
| Specialist guide | Birders especially; photographers where light matters most | A daily rate, plus their bed and travel on a multi-camp trip |
| Extra seat for equipment | Photographers on light aircraft legs | The price of a seat |
| Land that permits more | Walkers, photographers, anyone wanting night drives | Built into a higher nightly rate on leased or private land |
| Riding | Riders, obviously — and it is a small list of properties | Usually included at the properties built for it |
| Fly camping | Walkers, photographers wanting ground-level work | A per-person supplement, where the land permits it |
Where to spend first
On a photographic trip: the vehicle, then the land, then the nights per camp. On a birding trip: the guide, then habitat variety, then everything else. On a walking trip: the land, and there is no substitute for it.
On all three, a larger room is the last thing to buy and the first thing most drafts offer, because the room is the part with photographs.
What sits on top
Park, reserve and conservancy fees per person per day; permits where they apply; internal flights per leg; tips and premium drinks. We itemise all of them rather than folding them into a nightly figure.
On a special-interest trip that matters more than usual, because the question you will want to ask is what happens if we move this money from the room to the vehicle — and a bundled rate makes that question impossible.
Ready to turn this into a real itinerary?
Send us your dates, who is travelling and roughly what you want to spend per person per night. Our East Africa specialist comes back within 24 hours with a plan built around them and a costed quote.