“bespoke” is the most elastic phrase in safari travel. At one lodge it means everything down to your laundry and sundowner gin; at another it quietly excludes park fees that add hundreds of dollars a day. When you compare quotes, you are often comparing different definitions.
Here is what the phrase should mean — and the questions that reveal when it doesn’t.
What a genuine bespoke covers
A properly bespoke luxury safari covers everything from the moment you land in Africa to the moment you leave: accommodation, all meals and house drinks, twice-daily game activities, your private guide and vehicle, all park and conservancy fees, light-aircraft flights between parks, road transfers and airport meet-and-greet.
- —All camps, lodges and meals, with house wines, beers and spirits
- —Private guide and 4x4 for every game drive
- —Park, conservancy and government fees
- —Internal flights and every transfer between them
The common hidden costs
The gaps usually hide in fees and logistics: park fees quoted separately (in Tanzania these can exceed $100 per person per day), internal flights “available at extra cost,” premium drinks, transfer legs between airport and lodge, and specialist activities like balloon flights, gorilla permits or private dining. None of these are wrong to exclude — but you need to know before you compare prices.
- —Park & concession fees billed separately
- —Internal flights and “inter-camp transfers”
- —Balloon safaris, gorilla permits and other permit-based experiences
- —Premium drinks, spa treatments and private dining
What is almost never included
International flights to Africa, visas, travel insurance and tips sit outside virtually every safari price, ours included. Budget roughly $30–100+ for visas per country, and $20–25 per person per day for tipping guides and camp staff. Comprehensive travel insurance with emergency medical evacuation is essential — some camps require it.
How we quote
Our quotes are bespoke on safari in the full sense above, with the exclusions — international flights, visas, insurance, gorilla permits at cost, tips — listed explicitly with realistic budget figures. If a number could surprise you later, we put it in writing first.
