Some game lodges and camps in southern and Eastern Africa seem to be expensive at first glance if you see the prices per night. So why should you book these accommodations when there are, for example, cheaper public camps?
What is crucial is that you are looked after and looked after by a private company and with quality standards. In the case of state campsites, they are not necessarily given. The private accommodations are generous, very well, and often luxuriously appointed. The food is excellent and the service is generally excellent. During animal watching trips you are guided by well-trained, expert rangers and trackers (tracker). As many of these accommodations are located on private land or concession areas, it is also possible to go off the road, taking into account nature conservation. Bus tours are also possible. A safari walk through the bush with an armed ranger is a very special experience; You often see interesting details that you can quickly see from the car.
Most of the private lodges and campsites are located in the middle of the wild and no fence prevents the game – sometimes in the middle of the camp. Not for nothing, you will be accompanied by the staff to your tent or chalet in the evening.
Game drives in the open safari vehicle with a slightly elevated position or in vehicles with a raised roof allow a more intense experience than in closed vehicles.
Many lodges and campsites can accommodate only a few guests, 20 is often the maximum. Individuality and attention are thus guaranteed. Campsite and lodge management and the rangers understand themselves during their stay as their hosts. They have extensive knowledge of flora and fauna. They know the animals, their deposits, and their behavior. As a rule, you are always on the road with your ranger and tracker, who has soon found out where your interests lie, which are especially taken into consideration during guided tours.
Last but not least, the transport will have an effect on the price for all things that make a stay in the bush pleasant. Thus, for example. In the Okavango Delta (Botswana), Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Kruger National Park in South Africa. In summary, it can be said that almost all Game Lodges, Bush Lodges, and Camps, which are operated privately, are worth their price because of the offers and services.
The state accommodations were originally established to allow a wide mass of the local population to make a cost-effective stay in the national parks, self-sufficiency was compulsory. Meanwhile, most camps have restaurants and small shops, self-sufficiency is no longer absolutely necessary. Also, a limited offer of experienced rangers guided game drives are offered. The official trails in the national parks are not allowed to leave either the self-propelled or the ranger, they are dependent on watching the animals from the road. Adding the cost of food, drinks, national park fees, and safari activities at the lower price of accommodation, you are quickly close to the cost of some of the private accommodation. However, you will expect comfort, luxury, individuality, and good service in the rest camps in vain.
It is difficult to make a statement about the quality of animal observations. Of course, you can not guarantee the sighting of the Big Five (Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhinoceros) in the free wilderness – this is luck.
