Budget safaris travel guide

The Big Five are incredible. But for me, the dignity, sustainability, warmth, generosity and wisdom of the Maasai people are the Mara's real Big Five.![]()

Going "out of Africa" does not mean having to go completely out of pocket. There are ways to experience the marvels of the Mara or the Serengeti’s stupendous swathes without the white sheets, gin and tonics, private jeep and pool at the end of the day. The best way to go budget is on an overland trip that usually takes in at least a couple of countries. Traveling in a small group, usually no more than 24, you travel everywhere by overland truck, often camp along the way and eat al fresco. The trucks have big windows instead of cosy air con, you camp rather than glamp, help out round the campfire, but still have the best responsible tourism safari guides you could hope for. And the cheetah chasing his dinner across the plains or the zebra dodging the crocs as he crosses the river doesn’t give a monkeys what you paid. And those moments are gold dust. Find out more in our budget safaris travel guide.
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Our Budget safari Vacations
The Masai Heartlands safari
An amazing and great value 2 week truck safari
From
US $4005 to US $4325
15 days
ex flights
Kenya & Uganda small group vacation
Trek to see the Mountain gorillas and chimpanzees of Uganda
From
£2399
14 days
ex flights
Kenya to Zimbabwe overland tour, 3 weeks
East African overland adventure from Kenya to Zimbabwe
From
£1345
22 days
ex flights
Kenya small group safari, 7 days
'Born Free' country, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara
From
£1450
7 days
ex flights
East African budget overland tour
3-week wildlife odyssey in the heart of East Africa
From
£2449 to £3299
20 days
ex flights
Nairobi to Dar Es Salaam 2 week tour
Overland adventure through Kenya and Tanzania to Zanzibar
From
£895
14 days
ex flights
Travel Team
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Best time to go on a budget safari

The best time to go on a budget safari is, for most people, when the price is right. A bargain is a bargain, right? Even if the clouds are starting to gather in force.![]()

In general, the dry season is the best time to go on safari, as this is when wildlife gathers around the rapidly shrinking waterholes. Once the rain comes, the animals start to scatter. The rainy season does bring migratory wildlife, such as wildebeest and zebra in the Maasai Mara and Serengeti. In Namibia, the green season is a joy in its own right, as the desert dust disappears, revealing a bevy of beautiful birdlife.