Business class plane tickets were already booked to fly around the world for my husband’s 50th birthday. Then he threw me a curveball: an African safari was also on his bucket list. He wanted to fulfill his wish considering the limitations of money and time. After all, when I heard “African safari,” all I could
Business class plane tickets were already booked to fly around the world for my husband’s 50th birthday. Then he threw me a curveball: an African safari was also on his bucket list.
He wanted to fulfill his wish considering the limitations of money and time. After all, when I heard “African safari,” all I could see were dollar signs, and not in a good way.
Plus, we only had seven days in South Africa, not including travel days in and out of Johannesburg and Cape Town.
After diving deep into Google searches and countless reviews, I booked a three-day, two-night safari for two in Kruger National Park through SafariWithUs for around R27,000, which converted to just under $1,500 at the time. It included transportation in an air-conditioned van, hotel accommodations, and two meals a day.
The safari experience was more affordable than I expected and I hoped it would be great value for money as well.
Although we were nervous, our trip was off to a good start.
Our trip to the hotel included a stop at Alzu Petroport. Ruth Bayang
On the first day of the safari, we eagerly awaited our journey at our hotel in Johannesburg.
Until then, all safari details had been handled by email. So when our friendly driver arrived, we breathed a sigh of relief.
On the way to our hostel, he stopped at Alzu Petroport, which he called “the best gas station in the world,” where we were able to stretch our legs a little. It had tons of items for sale and several restaurants inside, plus it was surrounded by nature. Just outside, we saw rhinos, which gave us a great preview of the wildlife we would see.
We arrived at the hostel in the middle of the afternoon. My husband can’t sleep without air conditioning, so he was relieved to discover a unit in our room.
After settling in and a short rest, it was time for our first safari.
Our first day included difficult situations and a dinner in the bush.
We were able to see giraffes during the trip. Ruth Bayang
A guide drove the safari vehicle, which was covered above but completely open to the elements.
The other professional on board, the tracker, was sitting in a chair on the hood of the vehicle. He looked like he was barely hanging on, and I thought that was cool and also scary.
The tracker helped detect wildlife during the safari. Ruth Bayang
We saw giraffes, hyenas, elephants and a large herd of water buffalo. We also saw impalas, known as the “McDonald’s” of the bush, our guide said.
Like the fast food chain, they are everywhere and are an abundant source of food (in this case, for lions, leopards, and cheetahs). The nickname becomes funnier when you notice the black “M” shaped markings on their light-colored butts.
We got closer to the elephants than I expected. Ruth Bayang
Later, we had a close encounter with a young elephant, who appeared to be caring for his mother. I was sitting on the right side of the vehicle, the same side as the elephants, and my husband was telling me to come closer.
As we slowly passed by, the young elephant suddenly let out a loud trumpet, making us both jump. When our hearts stopped pounding, we laughed.
It was amazing to see the wildlife up close. Ruth Bayang
The night concluded with dinner deep in the mountains in a secluded place. I have no idea how the guides found it.
Despite being in nature, the guides managed to set an elegant table with dim lighting and folded napkins.
I’ve never had food like this before. Ruth Bayang
We had chicken and a delicious sausage with vegetables, all cooked over an open fire. A hyena nicknamed “Bob” lurked nearby while we ate.
The experience was worth it, but I would have liked a shorter trip.
I would have been happy with just a day and night of safaris. Ruth Bayang
Honestly, that day and night of safari was enough for me. I would have loved to return to Johannesburg after breakfast the next morning.
In my opinion, days two and three didn’t add much to our experience. We saw different animals like hippos, zebras, lions and an ostrich, but otherwise it was pretty much the same.
We definitely could have saved money and still had a great experience by booking a shorter trip.
It’s also definitely possible to do a safari of this length for two people for under $1,500, especially if you opt for self-drive safaris and camping instead of hotels.
Still, our experience seemed like a solid value. For our first time on safari, I appreciated having knowledgeable (and armed!) guides who knew the lay of the land, animal behavior, and how to time our tours for the best sightings.