When weighing up safari options, people often simply compare their prices at face value. However, the true worth of a safari is in its value for money: what exactly it includes – like drinks and flights – but more so the service you receive when planning, booking and enjoying it. At Art of Safari, we add value in the following ways:
All-inclusive pricing
All of our safaris are costed on an all-inclusive basis, and when that’s occasionally not possible, we tell you exactly what’s included and what’s not. While this form of pricing can sometimes appear more expensive than partially-inclusive options, it’s critical to remember that you only get what you pay for.
If you choose a partially-inclusive safari, it’s likely you’ll either end up disappointed with your safari experience, or you’ll incur additional costs while travelling, and you might very well end up spending more than you would’ve on an all-inclusive basis.
Always make sure you compare apples with apples when considering safari options, and look for exclusions and limitations in the fine print, such as park fees, drinks, laundry, safari activities, et cetera. Any of these items can significantly change the final cost and overall experience of your safari.
Special offers and discounts
There are a wide variety of special offers and discounts available for African safaris, however not all of them are open to the public. Even when they are, it can be time-consuming and complicated to figure out the tricky combinations required to give you the best value for money. Simply moving your travel dates a couple of days, adding a day, or substituting one safari lodge for another can make a significant difference to an itinerary’s cost.
Being in constant contact with our partners across Africa means that we have immediate access to the latest deals, and as we work with special offers daily, we always know how best to achieve great value for money. For more information on how we make luxury safaris more affordable, see here.
Valuable relationships
The team at Art of Safari has extensive combined experience in the safari-travel industry. As such, we not only know which lodge and tour operators we can trust, but we’ve developed long-standing relationships with the best in the business.
This means we have unrestricted access to the finest on-the-ground support and advice, and we can secure the best all-inclusive safari prices. When you book a safari with us, you’re able to leverage off our valuable relationships, and reap all their rewards.
Expert advice
Despite Africa’s remoteness, we know it’s possible for you to research and book a safari yourself. However, there are a staggering array of options available for a safari vacation, and wading through the wealth of information online often leads to choice paralysis.
In addition, knowing which safari lodge will be best for your desired experience or memorable moment will be tough, particularly when you throw seasons and price points into the mix. When it comes to crafting a dream safari, there’s no substitute for professional experience and advice.
Leg work and support
Again, while you might be willing and able to book a safari yourself, there’s no denying it will be a time-consuming process, and there’s no guarantee you’ll save any money.
To weigh up the value of booking through a knowledgeable travel specialist versus doing it yourself, a competing travel company conducted a survey, and the results were as follows:
- On an USD8,000 safari, the DIY traveller saved USD173 (or 2%), however, they spent more than seven times as many hours in researching and planning than their counterpart.
- With the travel specialist, there was one dedicated point of contact for all correspondence and payments, and fully consolidated and professional travel documentation to go on the road with. Going it alone resulted in multiple points of contact and a significant number of emails, payments and confirmations. Consolidation and collation of this all had to be done by the DIY traveller themselves.
- While travelling with a travel specialist, there was a single point of contact for emergencies and support. No such support existed for the DIY traveller.
- The traveller booking through the travel specialist had financial protection while the DIY traveller was at risk of default by any one of the many suppliers they’d contracted directly to compile their itinerary.
So, the evidence is in: while it’s cheaper to book a safari yourself, the pitfalls definitely outweigh the saving. Not only will you have the laborious burden of doing the leg work yourself, but you carry all the risk, which hardly seems worth a negligible 2%.
Even if you choose not to book with Art of Safari, we strongly suggest you consider one of our competitors over going it alone. That said, we’re so confident that we offer excellent value for money that we offer a price guarantee.
