Most of our guests tend to deploy 8 to 14 nights in Africa, of which anything from 3 to 9 nights are spent actually on safari in Botswana. Combining with other locations like tropical beaches, rural areas, Victoria Falls and Cape Town can add variety into a trip and help to keep a lid on costs.

8 to 14 nights

Longer trips of 15 to 21 nights tend to include 6 to 12 nights on safari, usually split across two to five different areas, sometimes in two or more countries. Longer explorations of non-safari areas such as the Western Cape (Cape Town, Whale Coast, Cape Winelands) also become possible and are incredibly good value.

15 to 21 nights

We absolutely love putting together trips of 22 to 50 nights, or even longer. Sometimes we are lucky enough to work with guests who are taking a sabbatical from work or who are retired and just love to travel. In these trips, the possibilities become almost infinite and can include a half dozen or more countries.

22 to 50 nights

Tanzania

Set on the East Coast of Africa, Tanzania is a truly remarkable place, the richest and most diverse safari country, with far more than its fair share of Africa’s crown jewels, including Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.

This is the place to head if you are looking for a truly diverse African experience, usually an overland journey, with equal parts of epic wildlife, majestic volcanic scenery, authentic tribespeople, farms, villages and towns.

It’s also top of the list if you want to combine safari and tropical beaches.

In all honesty, Tanzania alone is worth several trips.

Trips from USD 4500

Kenya

Also on the East Coast of Africa, Kenya is the second most visited safari country on the continent, a place of great diversity, with popular reserves including the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo and Samburu, as well as some much more remote wilderness areas and an extensive tropical coastline.

Unfortunately, the better known reserves in Kenya can get very busy in core areas, so we need to tread carefully to deliver a quality safari.

If you are looking towards the upper end of the budget range, then trips can be remote and fabulous. But if you are looking for value, you may be better off looking at Tanzania or countries further south. 

Trips from USD 5000

Botswana

Moving to the south of the continent, Botswana is widely considered to offer the highest quality safari in Africa.

The experience is not as diverse as Tanzania, but the remoteness and purity of the bush experience is unsurpassed.

If you are looking for either an easy vacation or a deeply immersive wilderness experience, this is the place. We just need to be careful about the very high prices during the Jun-Oct dry season.

Botswana is great in combination with Victoria Falls, the Cape or the tropical beaches of Mozambique.

Trips from USD 6000

Our safari experts have incredible 
first-hand knowledge and an average
of 12 years experience building great 
trips.

Expertise and experience

Since 1999, we have created over a million sample  trips and helped over 120,000 guests fall in love with  safari Africa.

A proud history

Over the years we have polished our operation to be super-reliable. Arranging your trip should be almost as much fun  as going on safari. 

Seamless and fun

Your trip should cost no more than if 
you had booked all the components directly. You effectively get our services for free.

Delivering value

Every single trip that we build is unique. Your trip will be precisely tailored to meet the exact requirements of everyone in your group.

Supremely tailor-made

The first safari company on the internet, we helped to shape the modern safari and we continue to be the prime innovators in our field.

Original innovators

Tell us your whatever you know about your ideal trip. Whether you're drawn to specific wildlife, particular regions, or have preferences about the style of accommodation, the more we understand, the better we can help you to craft the perfect experience.

Share your ideas

South Africa

South Africa is by far the most popular location for safari. It is a vast and incredibly diverse country, with far more highlights than could ever be included in a single trip.

The primary trip shape is a combination of safari in Kruger, with time in Cape Town, the Whale Coast and the Cape Winelands.

There is a huge choice of safari accommodation, right across the price spectrum, including some of the best lower cost options in Africa, so this is often the place to head on a lower budget.

However, South Africa is a much more developed country than those further north and the safari experience can feel significantly less pure and wild.

Trips from USD 3500

Zimbabwe

Also in the southern part of Africa, Zimbabwe is best known for the Victoria Falls, but also offers some of the most earthy, authentic, heart-pumping safari on the continent.

If you are looking for a short safari of 3-5 nights, then Hwange has some great value options.

Otherwise, Zimbabwe is a relatively high-priced location, which appeals most to experienced Africa travellers, who appreciate the extremely high levels of safari guiding.

The walking safari here can be truly extraordinary, with deliberate approaches onto elephants and lions. 

Trips from USD 4500

Zambia

Set in southcentral Africa, Zambia is a delightful backwater, also best known for the Victoria Falls, but with a handful of superb safari reserves.

The camps here have a reputation for intimacy, authenticity and a pleasantly homespun feel, many with a marked leaning towards walking safari, which is always a good sign.

Zambia is a mid-to-high price safari environment, which tends to appeal most to experienced safari travellers in search of new frontiers and first timers who are specifically looking for somewhere unusual for their safari. 

Trips from USD 5000

July to October is when the weather is warm and wildlife viewing should be at its strongest, as the animals cluster around the few remaining water sources. Visitor traffic is an issue and traffic avoidance is important.

Jul-Oct 

There can be unpredictable periods of short rain during this period, however the safari experience usually remains very enjoyable. Wildlife viewing can be more challenging, with the animals becoming more dispersed, but there's still plenty to see.

Nov-Dec 

This period is usually a lull between rains. However, the more naturally arid areas to the north and southeast usually experience good weather and reasonably strong wildlife viewing. Visitor traffic drops significantly after New Year.

Jan-Mar

This period is the main rainy season. Wildlife viewing is more challenging, with the animals being dispersed and increased foliage cover reducing visibility. There's still plenty to see, notably with lots of wildflowers and baby animals. Visitor traffic and prices are low.

Apr-Jun

Your dedicated safari specialist will work with you to build a selection of sample trips. We'll discuss seasonality, wildlife movements, logistics, lodge options, activity levels, whatever is necessary. And we will keep on refining until we are all confident that we have reached the perfect trip.

Crafting your trip

Everything is arranged. All you need to do is turn up. You probably won’t even need to show your paperwork, you will simply glide from one group of friendly and efficient local hosts to the next. And our support team remains on hand throughout, leaving you free to focus entirely on the extraordinary experiences ahead.

Travel with confidence

Many of us here at ATR have travelled extensively with our own kids, so we know for a fact that safari is great for families.

This is the kind of trip that guarantees to generate memories that you will share for the rest of your lives.

However, there are significant health issues to consider in most safari areas, so we need to proceed with caution.

Most dry season safari is ideal for kids of 12 years and older, eminently feasible for kids 8-11 years and potentially viable from 6-7 years old. If your kids are 0-5 years, then it’s probably best to stick to the non-malarial areas of the Cape, then progressing up into Namibia as they get older.

Family safari 

Safari is an inherently romantic experience that can be endlessly tailored to suit you.

We have been helping guests to build awesome honeymoons for many years. We have intimate knowledge of some of the wildest and most romantic places in the world.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to be yourselves. Please don’t feel it is necessary to fit into the usual romantic tropes if they’re not for you. Just focus on having a great trip.

We very much understand the importance of these trips, we know that your honeymoon needs to really hit the heights and be a truly life-punctuating experience.

Honeymoon safari 

On safari, luxury means different things to different people.

The most conventional meaning is that the accommodations are extremely comfortable, with elevated levels of hospitality. This is relatively easy to deliver, there are lots of luxury lodges.

However, simply inserting more luxurious lodges into your trip is no guarantee of a better safari. In fact, the opposite can be true.

For us, the hallmarks of a truly high quality safari are a suitably slow pace, wonderful remote locations, superb safari guiding, exclusive and intense wildlife interaction, precisely tailored experiences and considered attention to detail. We can do that.

Luxury safari 

Safari in Kenya ranges from quite pricey to surprisingly expensive. It is around 30% lower than Botswana, on a par with Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and substantially higher than South Africa and Namibia. You can expect to spend USD 700 to 3200 per person per night.

We are more than happy to work across this range of prices. The only important thing is that we help you find the very best safari to suit your budget.

The two dominant price factors are the length of time that you spend on safari and the specific lodges that you choose to include in your trip. Deploying more time in town, rural and beach locations can bring the total cost down dramatically.

If you have a higher budget, we will help you determine which camps do actually deliver elevated levels of service and experience. We will also highlight other subtle ways in which your trip can be raised to another level, including the use of whole camp bookings, private guides and vehicles, helicopter explorations of remote areas etc.

If you have a medium budget, the best ways to keep a lid on costs are to travel out of the Jul-Oct dry season and to carefully choose lower-cost lodges.  You can also reduce the number of core safari nights and deploy time in more cost-effective beach, town and rural locations. We will help you understand where to trim and where to splash in order to achieve the best overall experience.

If you have a lower budget, then we can always look at other fundamentally less pricey safari countries.

"We just returned from a weeks safari organized  organized   organized by ATR and have nothing but positive reviews!"

Maasai Mara 

Set 200km southwest of Nairobi, Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s best known wildlife reserves. A part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara is an extremely scenic area, renowned for hosting the enormous migration herds Jun-Oct.

Guest accommodation is in around 150 camps and lodges, the best of which are all very high-end. There are very few good middle and lower priced options.

Virtually all safaris to Kenya include at least a few nights in this area, making this a very busy area at times. 

However, it is still very much possible to put together a very high quality safari experience in the Mara, primarily by staying in the private conservancies to the north of the main reserve.

Lodges USD 600-3500 pppn 

Amboseli 

Set 150km southeast of Nairobi, Amboseli is an iconic national park which is renowned for huge tusker elephants, set against the classic backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Guest accommodation is in around twenty properties, a handful of which are higher quality and located in private concession areas outside the main reserve.

The volumes of vehicle traffic heading into Amboseli make it a relatively difficult place in which to deliver quality safari. Staying outside the reserve helps and visiting outside the main safari seasons is a great advantage. However, for a high quality experience during the high season, you might be better off in the adjacent Chyulu Hills area.

Lodges USD 450-2200 pppn 

Samburu

Set 230km north of Nairobi, Samburu is an arid and particularly atmospheric safari area, set alongside a magical perennial river that brings life to the desert year round. It is a magical place and home to some very interesting animals, including gerenuks, Grevy’s zebras and reticulated giraffes.

Guest accommodation is in around twenty lodges. Those inside the park tend to be large and commercial, whilst the better quality options are situated in large private conservancies round about, from where you can raid into the main reserve during the quiet hours around lunchtime.

Samburu is easily reached by air from Nairobi and there are usually direct connections to the Maasai Mara, making this a popular triangle. It is also a great starting point for the wilds further north notably in the Mathew’s Range.

Lodges USD 400-2500 pppn 

Kenya is the home of the modern photographic safari, which was first pioneered in the 1960s, and which has ultimately delivered conservation across the continent. The country contains locations which have become iconic household names.

Historic roots

The wildlife in some parts of Kenya, especially the Maasai Mara, is prolific and very accessible, with all the usual suspects, including  elephants, lions and leopards. Further north, the arid landscapes are home to rare species like gerenuks and Grevy’s zebras.

Rich wildlife

One of the great advantages that Kenya benefits from is that Nairobi is one of the best connected cities in Africa, making Kenya easy and relatively cheap to access. There are direct flights from many cities across America, Europe and Asia.

Easy access

Because Kenya was settled by the British aristocracy during colonial times, it remains very well connected. afari here is definitely stronger in the upper end, with lots of fabulous lodges on remote private reserves. Middle and lower range options are generally weaker. 

Top-end lodges

The Maasai Mara represents only about 12% of the Serengeti ecosystem, the remainder lies over the border in Tanzania. The border is closed, but it is still possible to combine the two.

Serengeti 

Whilst Kenya has its own tropical beaches, the allure of Zanzibar and its surrounding islands is too much for many people to resist. Flight connections are either via Nairobi, or direct from Serengeti.

Zanzibar

For gorilla and chimp tracking experiences, we usually look towards Uganda, with Rwanda being an alternative for very high-end trips.

Uganda

Maasai Mara 

Set 200km southwest of Nairobi, Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s best known wildlife reserves. A part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara is an extremely scenic area, renowned for hosting the enormous migration herds Jun-Oct.

Guest accommodation is in around 150 camps and lodges, the best of which are all very high-end. There are very few good middle and lower priced options.

Virtually all safaris to Kenya include at least a few nights in this area, making this a very busy area at times. 

However, it is still very much possible to put together a very high quality safari experience in the Mara, primarily by staying in the private conservancies to the north of the main reserve.

Lodges USD 600-3500 pppn 

Amboseli 

Set 150km southeast of Nairobi, Amboseli is an iconic national park which is renowned for huge tusker elephants, set against the classic backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Guest accommodation is in around twenty properties, a handful of which are higher quality and located in private concession areas outside the main reserve.

The volumes of vehicle traffic heading into Amboseli make it a relatively difficult place in which to deliver quality safari. Staying outside the reserve helps and visiting outside the main safari seasons is a great advantage. However, for a high quality experience during the high season, you might be better off in the adjacent Chyulu Hills area.

Lodges USD 450-2200 pppn 

Samburu

Set 230km north of Nairobi, Samburu is an arid and particularly atmospheric safari area, set alongside a magical perennial river that brings life to the desert year round. It is a magical place and home to some very interesting animals, including gerenuks, Grevy’s zebras and reticulated giraffes.

Guest accommodation is in around twenty lodges. Those inside the park tend to be large and commercial, whilst the better quality options are situated in large private conservancies round about, from where you can raid into the main reserve during the quiet hours around lunchtime.

Samburu is easily reached by air from Nairobi and there are usually direct connections to the Maasai Mara, making this a popular triangle. It is also a great starting point for the wilds further north notably in the Mathew’s Range.

Lodges USD 400-2500 pppn 

Central Kalahari 

Set in the heart of Botswana, Central Kalahari is a vast and arid national park, a great contrast to the water-world of the Okavango Delta, and renowned for unusual sightings like aardwolves, brown hyenas and huge black-mane lions.

Guest accommodation is in just a handful of lodges, only one of which, Tau Pan Camp, is set deep within the reserve.

This is a specialist safari area. The landscapes are hypnotically repetitive and the wildlife is naturally sparse. Furthermore, the park regulations do not permit walking safari, off-road driving or night vehicle safari, so the options are limited.

Central Kalahari only tends to feature in return visits to Botswana, or in very long combinations of four or more camps.

Lodges USD 500-2500 pppn 

Chobe

Set in the north of Botswana, Chobe is the heart of a vast conservation area, a very important national park, and with a long-established reputation for prodigious wildlife.

However, Chobe is also the location that hosts the majority of the overland traffic in Botswana, which means that it can get very busy and generally offers a much lower quality of wilderness experience compared with the famous private concessions of Okavango and Linyanti.

Guest accommodation is in around a dozen lodges, plus some very large campgrounds. These are supplemented by a swathe of accommodation in the town of Kasane, at the north end of the reserve.

We generally try to avoid the Chobe area, although it does occasionally feature in trips when guests want to return to specific areas that they visited many years ago.

Lodges USD 250-2500 pppn 

Tuli Block 

Set in the southeast of Botswana, Tuli Block is a very large private reserve which offers arguably the best non-malarial safari area in Africa.

The area contains a good range of landscapes, with rocky mountains, open hillsides and open savanna. The wildlife populations are rich, with particularly notable populations of lions, leopards and elephants.

Guest accommodation is in a handful of lodges, most of which offer an unusually wide range of activities, including walking safari, mountain hiking and hides.

The Tuli Block is totally separate from the other safari areas in Botswana, with which it is almost never combined. Far more likely that you travel in via Johannesburg and combine with locations across South Africa.

Lodges USD 400-3000 pppn