People often ask us about how they can make the most of their money, and get the best safari possible for their budget. Well here are three excellent ways to get the best value for money, without harming the quality of your safari.
Invite friends along!
One of the, if not the most expensive part of any safari is the safari vehicle, driver/guide and fuel. On the majority of our safaris you have your own private guide and customised safari vehicle with you for the duration of your trip. But the cost is a constant one, meaning it does not go up or down depending on how many people are travelling with you. So the more people you bring on your safari, the more people this expense is shared across.
For example: For two people to book our 12 Day Best of Uganda Safari, the cost would be $3950pp. However, if you could find four friends to go with you, then the cost for 6 people on exactly the same safari, but sharing a vehicle with your friends/relatives would reduce to $2940pp, saving you over $1000pp.
Use new lodges!
With tourism really starting to take off in Uganda over the past few years, new lodges are popping up everywhere! To try and help get their name out there, these brand new lodges are offering their accommodation at great value. Now being new, some of these lodges may not have the best service, but many of them do offer excellent service and our regional experts can recommend these to you.
Two of the best examples would be Haven Lodge in Bwindi (an excellent lodge with ginormous rooms, just outside the forest with some of the best views I have seen anywhere in Uganda) and Kabalega Wilderness Lodge in Murchison Falls (located on the banks of the river Nile this lodge offers excellent service and is in a great location). Both of these lodges offer you a luxury experience at mid-range prices!
Travel in rainy season!
The rainy season in Uganda and Rwanda is in March/April and November. To avoid the rains, not many tourists travel during these months, meaning that you can get things a lot cheaper. Accommodation is usually cheaper (though not always) and gorilla tracking permits in Uganda often reduce from $600 to $350 during these months. This can add up to a big saving on your tour, and the fewer tourists can often mean a better safari experience.
However, there are a couple of drawbacks; getting around the more rural areas where there are dirt roads can be tricky, and more time should be allowed for this in your itinerary. And gorilla tracking can be extremely difficult in the slippy mud, so should only be done by the fit and intrepid during these months. On the plus side, the views at this time of the year are at their clearest and most spectacular, and game is often easier to spot, especially in Murchison Falls as the animals don’t have to travel as far in search of water.
I hope this helps and has given you a few ideas for your safari, if you have any questions then send us an email (by visiting our ‘contact us' page) or leave your question in the comments section below!