Straight answers
Private safaris, answered plainly
Including when we would tell you not to buy one.
The basics
What private means
Does a private safari mean a private camp?
No. A private vehicle means your party alone in the vehicle; the camp is shared with other guests. Taking a whole camp or house to yourselves is exclusive use, which is a different and usually larger cost.
What does "private on request" mean?
It means shared unless you pay a supplement. It is the phrase to watch in a quote, because the supplement is frequently not stated until after you have compared totals. Get it in writing.
Will a private guide be better than the camp guide?
Not necessarily. A good camp guide knows their patch intimately, and a travelling guide does not. What a private guide buys is continuity across camps and parks — which is why it earns out on long multi-park trips and rarely on a single three-night stay.
Can we have a private vehicle for only part of the trip?
Yes, and it is often the sensible compromise — private in the park where it matters most, shared where it matters less. We will price it that way if it helps.
Money
Cost and value
How much more is it?
There is no general answer — it depends on the camps, the season and your party size, and it ranges from nothing (many conservancy camps include it) to a substantial daily supplement. We quote the same trip both ways so you see the real number.
Is it cheaper for a family?
Per head, much. The supplement is charged per vehicle per day, so four people pay a quarter each and six pay a sixth. Families are frequently told they cannot afford private when they are the party for whom it costs least.
When should we take a whole house instead?
Above about six people it starts to beat camp rates, and above eight it usually wins clearly — with your own cook, guide and vehicle included. We check it against camps whenever a party is large enough for the question to matter.
What is actually included in a safari price?
A Kenya safari is usually quoted fully inclusive: accommodation, all meals, park and conservancy fees, your guide and vehicle, and transport between parks. Most camps include soft drinks, house wine, beer and laundry.
Not included: international flights, visas or travel authorisation, travel insurance, tips, premium drinks, and extras like balloon flights and spa treatments.
Who actually arranges my safari?
This site is a planning guide. When you send an enquiry it goes to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, who prepare your itinerary and quote and handle the booking, the payments and you on the ground.
You deal with one team from the first email to the airport transfer home.
More from our Kenya guides
Specialist guides across our Kenya network
Each of these is a focused guide we publish. Same Kenya specialist behind every enquiry.
Not sure it is worth it?
Send us the trip. We will price it both ways and tell you which we would choose, including when that is the cheaper one.