A private conservancy is wildlife land owned or leased from local communities and run by a handful of camps, with strict caps on beds and vehicles. The game viewing matches the famous national parks next door — the animals do not read boundaries — but you share a sighting with one or two vehicles instead of twenty.
Conservancies also unlock what parks forbid: off-road driving to sit with a leopard, night drives for the nocturnal shift, and walking safaris with your guide. And because your nightly rate pays lease fees directly to landowning families, a conservancy safari is conservation working exactly as it should. Kenya pioneered the model around the Maasai Mara; Tanzania’s private concessions, Botswana’s Delta concessions and South Africa’s private reserves follow the same logic.
Highlights of Private Conservancies
Exclusive traversing
Vehicle caps mean sightings are yours — often literally alone with the animals.
Off-road & night drives
Follow the action off the track and meet the nocturnal cast after dark.
Walking safaris
Cross the land on foot with armed professional guides — forbidden in most parks.
Community ownership
Lease fees flow to local families, so wildlife is worth more alive than lost.
Where the conservancy model shines
Every safari country does private land differently. These are the four we rate highest — and how each one works.
Kenya
The pioneer. Naboisho, Olare Motorogi and Mara North border the Maasai Mara with a fraction of its vehicles; Lewa and the Laikipia conservancies add rhino and wild frontier country further north.
Explore Kenya → Eastern AfricaTanzania
Private concessions like Grumeti flank the Serengeti — migration country traversed only by a handful of camps, with walking and off-road driving.
Explore Tanzania → Southern AfricaBotswana
The entire Okavango Delta is carved into vast private concessions — the conservancy idea at its grandest scale, explored by 4x4, boat and mokoro.
Explore Botswana → Southern AfricaSouth Africa
The Sabi Sand and its neighbors share an unfenced border with Kruger — decades of careful private guiding produce what many consider the best leopard viewing on earth.
Explore South Africa →Recommended lodges & camps in Private Conservancies
Where you stay shapes your whole safari. These are properties we know personally and return to again and again — chosen for their location, their guiding and the way they make you feel. Tell us which appeal and we'll build your journey around them.
These are a few of our favorites — we work with many more across every price point. Have a specific lodge in mind? Tell us in your enquiry and we'll secure it.
Best time to visit
Dry season across most conservancy country — peak viewing and walking weather.
Green season — newborn wildlife, dramatic light and better rates on private land.
In the rainy months many of these same camps drop their rates by 20–40% — emerald landscapes, newborn wildlife, superb birding and far fewer vehicles. Peak season isn't the only great season: tell us your budget and we'll show you what the green season buys.
Planning & cost
Fully tailor-made — priced privately to your camps, season and travel style. No fixed packages.
Every journey is private and tailor-made — your own guide and vehicle, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout.
Everything else,
answered before you ask
The practical details that apply to every safari we plan — so this page is the only one you need.
Money & tipping
US dollars are accepted at virtually every camp, and cards work at lodges and city hotels. Your trip is fully inclusive, so cash is mainly for tips: plan on roughly $10–20 per guest per day for your guide and $10–15 for camp staff, handed over at the end of each stay. We send exact guidance with your final documents.
Health & safety
See a travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure for routine shots and malaria advice (most safari regions require prophylaxis; parts of South Africa are malaria-free). Camps are remote but professionally run, with radio contact and evacuation cover — we require travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation.
Staying connected
Nearly all lodges have Wi-Fi in the main areas (often in-tent too), and an eSIM from your US carrier covers the cities. Expect to be offline on game drives — most guests come to see that as the point. Family back home can always reach you through us, day or night.
What to pack
Soft duffel bags only (light aircraft cap luggage around 33 lb / 15 kg), neutral-colored layers for cold mornings and warm afternoons, and binoculars. Laundry is included at almost every camp, so pack for 4–5 days no matter the trip length.
Full packing list →Continue exploring
Maasai Mara
The Maasai Mara — big cats, river crossings and some of the finest year-round game viewing in Africa.
Explore → ExperienceOkavango Delta
An Okavango Delta safari explores Africa’s great water wilderness by mokoro and 4x4.
Explore → South AfricaKruger & the Sabi Sand
Kruger & Sabi Sand — arguably the world’s finest leopard viewing, in some of Africa’s most polished lodges.
Explore →Private Conservancies FAQs
Getting to Kenya — flights, visas and health
Current at the time of writing. We re-confirm every requirement for your exact routing before you travel — and we will tell you what to apply for, and when.
Let's design your Private Conservancies journey.
Tell us how you like to travel and our experts will craft your private, tailor-made itinerary — no obligation.
Enquire now