r/LuxurySafari

We (3 people) are planning a Tanzania safari sometime in June. Can fly into or out of any airports in the area. Just seeing if anybody has any opinions on this/the best lodges. Here are some guidelines:

1. Budget 25k not including flights and non safari lodge hotels at beginning and end.

2. definitely needs to be luxury but maybe not to the level of singita since that might break the budget.

3. I’ve heard you want to stay multiple nights in any one lodge to avoid having to pack all the time/more relaxation? A lot of companies have given me itineraries with a lot of 1 night stays.

4. The less crowds, the better. I’ve heard the western corridor/grime to river is nice in June?

5. I’m definitely open to adding a bush flight or two in there to save time, but some driving is good too to see stuff along the way.

6. option for walking safaris along the way

Thanks!

Has anyone tried the special photography vehicles at one of the Kicheche camps in Kenya? I can't find any good photos/videos and am interested in knowing more about the seating. I know that it allows for a side of the vehicle to drop down and then you can lie down to take photos. But does that specific area also convert to a row of seats (e.g., such that there would actually be 2 rows behind the driver instead of 1 row and one flat platform to lie down)? TIA!

Staying at Mara Plains Camp for 4 nights in November. Is there a hot air balloon company nearby? I’m searching online and ChatGPT is all over the place with contradicting info.

Governor’s keeps coming up but maps is showing it quite a distance from Mara Plains.

I’m not inclined to spend hours getting there and back but daughter really wants this.

Hi. Has anyone stayed at the new Elewana Little Elephant Pepper camp in Mara North? Looking for some insight and photos.

Hi all,

We’re trying to plan a honeymoon and are hoping for advice from people who have done Namibia and Botswana, or know the logistics well. Aiming to go November this year for 12-14 days.

We’ve spoken to a few travel agents, but the itineraries coming back are extremely expensive (we know it's going to be a lot and are okay with that, but this is excessive - like $20k per person), and the logistics between the places we want to visit keep being presented as very difficult or basically requiring private/chartered flights. We’ve travelled a fair amount, so we’re wondering if there is a smarter way to do this.

The rough itinerary we’re considering is:

1. Sossusvlei / Namib Desert, ideally staying at andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
   • Big Daddy dune, Deadvlei, desert scenery, etc.
2. Northern Namibia / Damaraland
   • Flexible on the exact area or lodge
   • We’d love somewhere scenic, comfortable, and ideally air-conditioned
   • We are not looking to add Etosha or make this a safari-heavy stop
3. Okavango Delta, Botswana, ideally andBeyond Sandibe
   • This would be our main safari portion of the trip

The main blocker seems to be getting between these places. We keep being told we would need chartered flights, or that scheduled/local flights are not meaningfully cheaper. But we know there are some scheduled regional/light aircraft options, so we’re not sure if we’re missing something, if agents just don’t book them, or if the routing really is that expensive no matter what.

Questions:

• What are the best three stops for a Namibia + Botswana itinerary if we want desert, Damaraland/scenery, and Okavango Delta?
• What is the best practical way to get between these places?
• Are private charters genuinely unavoidable for this route, or are there scheduled/light aircraft options that make sense?
• Has anyone booked this kind of trip independently, or through a specialist who was good on logistics without making everything wildly expensive?
• Any specific lodges, routing tips, or “wish we’d known this before” advice?
• Anything particularly worth doing around Sossusvlei or Damaraland beyond the obvious highlights?

A bit more context: we are not trying to make the whole trip safari-heavy. We’re very interested in landscapes, desert, scenery, food/lodges, and some activities, but we only really want the Okavango Delta portion to be the main safari part. We’d rather not add Etoshe just for the sake of another game-drive stop.

Would really appreciate any advice from people who have done this route or know how the flight/transfer logistics actually work. Thanks!

We are starting our honeymoon in
Cape Town 4 days - Mount Nelson Belmond
Franschhoek 4 days - La Residence
Seychelles 5 days - Four Seasons

We have our heart set on the safari in South Africa but what singita property?
Boulders
Ebony
Lembombo
Sweni

What is importance: Best food, spacious rooms, I love having a pool with our room, I don’t love contemporary/minimalistic design which is what Lembombo is. I love doing activities cooking classes, tennis, yoga or even just walking.

Singita property 5/6 nights. I don’t want to have move properties.
Where should we go?

Looking to plan a honeymoon for my wife and I for June 2027 in Tanzania. We are looking to do 2 days in Arusha, 4 days on Safari and 4 days in Zanzibar. Would love recommendations on lodges to stay at + overall feedback on our current itinerary.

We are looking for a blend of luxury and relaxation and ideally not with a lot of families/kids.

Wondering if we should cut the night in Ngorongoro Crater and add an additional night in Tarangire NP or the Serengeti to minimize travel time between locations and maximize relaxation?

2 Nights in Arusha (arrive first night, relax next day)

• Gran Melia or Arusha Coffee Lodge

1 Night Tarangire NP

• Siringit Tarangire camp

1 Night Ngorongoro Crater

• Ngorongoro Melia Lodge

2 Nights Serengeti

• Four Seasons Serengeti

4 Nights in Zanzibar

• Melia Zanzibar

All input is appreciated.

For those who have done Gamewatchers/Porini- how rough is it? I like their philosophy and the conservancy model, and who doesn’t want an authentic safari experience? But I just don’t know if the bucket shower and communal meals would be a huge downside. After weeks of going back and forth with all the different options, I figured it’s better to ask here-for a first time family safari experience (traveling with a teen), would you recommend Gamewatchers/Porini? Will we regret not choosing something more luxurious? Also looking at Elewana, Mara Plains, etc. Ruled out JW Marriott because it’s not in a conservancy.

Due to some rescheduling by Qatar Airlines I land in Nairobi a day earlier than originally planned — at 12:05am on October 31 — I don’t check into Giraffe Manor until November 3 midday, then head to the Mara and Suyian. We thought a day or two to recover from jet lag (We are on Pacific Time) would be about right.

I consulted with my TA today and he thinks 3 full days in Nairobi before checking into one night at Giraffe Manor is a day longer than we normally would want to spend in Nairobi — its as if we are going to sort of be killing time in Nairobi.

Thoughts on an easy logistics/low impact excursion to Diani Beach? Any true luxury beach accommodations for just 2 nights?

Is it a good rest and relaxation sort of place to shake off jet lag or would you stay put in Nairobi and make the best of it?

We have a bush flight booked with Coastal Aviation from JRO to FIK, and they have a 15 kg luggage limit. Does anyone know how strict they are with it?

Any recommendations for Chartered Air providers RT from Wilson to Loisaba?

Staying at Suyian Lodge and I can’t get a clear answer on whether anyone is landing at Suyian Lodge airstrip. If not, Loisaba is our closest location to land.

Looking at private flights because it seems our Mara - Wilson flight via Safarilink is too close for comfort to grab a regular bush flight to Loisaba.

Was really hoping Air Wildnerness was flying to suyian or Loisaba but it doesn’t seem so.

Posting in the off chance that there is someone out there willing to split a last minute trip in a luxury Kenya trip with us.

We are planning on being in Kenya from July 21 - 25. We want to stay at Cottars 1920's Camp; however given how last minute we are booking, they only have a family tent available which comes in at $7,600.00 per night and holds 4 peope. It includes 2 rooms, and we are looking to see if someone want's to split the cost for the second room for 1-2 additional people.