More wealthy travelers are going on luxury safaris — some for more than $2,500 a day
04.11.2024 - 16:37
/ insider.com
The sound of hyenas crunching on bones is one Sophie Serrano will never forget.
The trip she heard it on was just as unforgettable.
Serrano, a 28-year-old travel content creator, went with her family on her first safari in November 2023. It was her mother's bucket list vacation, she told BI, estimating that they paid $9,000 to $10,000 per person to spend 10 days at three luxury Tanzanian lodges (plus an additional three days in Zanzibar).
"It's a trip we had talked about for many years, and realistically, it just wasn't affordable for us in the past," Serrano said. "We got together and discussed if it was a financial sacrifice we wanted to make last year, and we all said yes."
Being surrounded by a group of monkeys was especially memorable — as was getting a massage during her stay at the high-end Siringit Serengeti Camp "with the sounds of the birds around."
"I've completely fallen in love with Africa," Serrano said. "I want to see all of it."
She's not alone — as of late, a growing number of travelers have been itching to go on a luxurious African safari, too.
Luxury tour operator Abercrombie and Kent's African safaris have always been among its best-selling vacations, the company told BI in an email. After the COVID-19 pandemic, interest has increased strongly.
The company offers dozens of these adventurous itineraries. Most first-timers book its 14-day Kenya and Tanzania program, which promises the opportunity to spot the "Big Five" — lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, and Cape buffalos — starting at about $24,800 per person in 2025, it said.
Dennis Pinto, the managing director of high-end safari operator Micato Safaris, told BI in an email that demand for its vacations has been "stronger than ever."
Micato's bookings ballooned 21.4% from 2023 to 2024, he said. Looking forward, reservations for 2025 are already pacing 19% ahead of this time last year.
Custom itineraries have been especially popular among its customers, according to Pinto. Its most booked itinerary is a "glamourous, unabashedly luxurious" 15-day Kenya and Tanzania itinerary, which includes six flights, a hot air balloon ride, and two nights at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti (or a comparable hotel) — all for a starting cost of $37,000 per person in 2025.
If you prefer to plan your own high-end safari, there are countless lodges and camps to choose from. During your search, you'll likely come across Singita's chain of luxury eastern and southern African safari lodges, whose guests have included Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres.
Good luck booking them — Singita has seen 80% to 90% occupancy rates throughout 2024, mostly in Tanzania and Rwanda, a spokesperson told BI. It no longer experiences a low season, they said, and