Going on an African safari will normally cost you anything from $150 to $600 pp per day. But there is still a way to go on a budget safari in Africa for only $70 a day for a week.

Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? But only $490 per person sharing for a 7 day safari in one of the best game parks in Africa is still possible and it can be done if you know exactly how and where.

And I do because I have been on over fifty safari trips over the past twenty five years which gives me relevant first hand knowledge with the added bonus of inside information from the tips and recommendations in the trip reports that I receive at African Safari Journals.

I often plan budget safari trips like this for myself (about two every month) so this is not just wild theory that it can be done for $70 per day. I'm putting it into practise and you can too...

What Does a Safari Normally Cost?

It varies widely but a guided safari can cost you anything from $150 to upwards of $600 per day.

The overland safaris are normally the cheapest because accommodation is in camping grounds and you participate in cooking the food and washing up (and pushing the safari vehicle if it gets stuck). There are good economies of scale because of the size of the groups that go on each trip which drives the price down.

Full guiding with room and board in luxury hotels or tented accommodation starts to increase the price and in some exclusive reserves in South Africa like Mala Mala you can pay $750 per day for the privilege of enjoying the African wildlife but you do get waited on hand and foot and have to do very little more than turn up, eat, sleep and enjoy.

Self guided safaris can be extremely affordable but you do need to have very good local knowledge so that you can avoid paying more and so that you know where to find the wildlife. You have to do all the work yourself in this case (the same as any other holiday) but you pay a lot less.

The Longer You Stay The Less You Pay Per Day

I have done all the costing and planning for a budget safari trip like this already because I regularly go on self guided safaris (at least twice a month) sometimes lasting for up to two weeks.

Of course, you might not want to go for that long (I love the safari lifestyle - the longer the better for me) which is no problem because you can tailor it according to your needs. But if you do it the way I do, then the longer you stay the less you pay and if you go for a month it effectively works out at $58 per day. That's only $1740 for a whole month on safari. Amazing...

If the high price of safaris has been putting you off going to Africa until now this could be your opportunity.

Just follow the guidelines that I use to plan my budget safari trips that I have put together for you below (you can print out the relevant parts and take them with you) which details exactly what you need to do to go on an African safari for a week at $70 per day and less the longer you go.

Here's what the budget safari guidelines contain:

The Budget Safari Destination - This is one of the top national parks in Africa.

Daily Conservation Fee - How to only pay for six days and get the rest of your stay free.

Cost Breakdown - How much it will cost you listed by item.

Wildlife Spotting - The secrets to seeing more wildlife every day.

Accommodation - Where, how and what.

Transportation - Get to Africa cost effectively and travel in the park cheaply.

Food and drink - Eat and drink affordably and well.

"What To Pack" Checklist - Avoid the risk of packing the wrong things for your safari.

Camping list - Here's a seperate list of what to pack for the camping side of things.

African wildlife sightings - Get the latest animal sightings sent to your cellphone on safari.

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