How to Travel Africa on a Budget

Travel in Africa, especially safaris, can often be very expensive, but here is a quick guide to help you budget and reduce the costs of your Africa vacation. This guide is not for you who prefer luxurious resorts, marble hot tubs and air conditioned Land Rovers. Well, we all might prefer that, but this is a guide for you who just can’t afford it. There are plenty of ways to cut the costs of your African safari, you just have to be willing to be roughing it a little bit, and maybe step out of your own comfort zone a couple of times. But even though your vacation might not be as relaxing and luxurious as you had dreamed off, it will definitely be adventurous, exciting and full of unique experiences!

Cut the Cost of Transportation

Transportation in Africa can mean everything from a smooth and pampering experience aboard the Blue Train in South Africa, to a hot, sweaty, smelly, scary and bumpy ride in an over-stuffed mini bus in Zimbabwe. Personally I have experienced several hours of the latter, not one minute of the former. If they were both priced the same, I have to admit that I would probably have preferred the Blue Train. But considering the outrageous cost of the Blue Train, I don’t know if I would be comfortable paying that price even if I could afford it. However, I expect to change my attitude in that matter over the next 30 years, when I get closer to the average age of their passengers.

Mini Bus Taxis

This option is for sure the cheapest way to travel in Africa (apart from hitchhiking). It is also the most uncomfortable, most time consuming and probably also the least safe way to move around. But among Africans, this is one of the more popular means of transportation. The mini buses go pretty much everywhere at any time. It is a very intricate system, so it is usually best to ask the locals to help you find the right bus. And if you are traveling long distances you might have to change buses several times. However, most big cities have direct routes in between them.

The people running these buses are usually very honest, I had more problems with regular taxi drivers trying to rip me off, than the mini buses. The way they work is that the bus starts at a central where they wait for the bus to fill up. When they are happy with the amount of passengers, they will start driving, and you pass the money forward to the person in charge. If you need change back, don’t worry, it might take a while, but you will always get your change before you arrive at your destination. But always try to stay as close to the exact amount possible, you can’t expect them to have change for large bills. The prices will usually range from a few cents (USD) for short rides within a city, to maybe $10-20 USD for long drives across the country. If you change bus, you pay again.

The nice thing with this kind of travel is that you really get to see the local way of life. The transportation becomes a unique and memorable experience, an adventure you will always remember and maybe even be proud of! After all, remember that sometimes the journey is the destination!

If going by mini bus means roughing it too much, which I can understand, there are other options. Try looking at local bus companies, trains and sometimes even cheap flights. There are often some really good deals out there!

Budgeting safaris, food, and accomodation

Reduce Safari Costs

Safaris can be a huge expense in Africa, but luckily there are ways to reduce these costs as well. What I did was to rent a car with my girlfriend. This way we could drive around in the parks on our own, at our own pace, where we wanted and when we wanted. Personally I actually prefer this to an organized trip with a group and guide. It was a lot of fun, we saw pretty much all the animals we wanted to see, and we saved a lot of money!

In most parks you will be fine with a regular small car. A 4×4 is only necessary if you really want to get off the beaten path. And renting a little car is way cheaper than mostly all other safari options. If you want the advantages of an experienced guide, you might be able to find some good deals in the city’s close to the parks, or online.

Food and lodging

There are a few simple rules to save money on food and lodging. Always try to eat at small locally owned restaurants, or even markets. Here you will get the real local food, at extremely low prices compared to the big resorts. Accomodation is very straight forward; ask other travelers for advice, use guidebooks or search the internet. You should be able to find some very inexpensive hostels or guest houses in most cities in Africa this way. But of course, with lodging you get what you pay for, so if the price is very low you can not expect any western comforts like WC’s, hot showers, etc. But as I always say; that’s just part of the adventure!

How do you reduce the cost of your Africa travels? Let us know by leaving a comment below!