Why is a Botswana Safari So Expensive?

According to economists — and anyone who’s tried to book Mombo — Botswana is batshit expensive. A two-bedroom villa at Jao costs the same as the entire five-bedroom Wild Hill. It’s pretty close to Arijiju territory and even six-bedroom Sirai House.

We get a lot of bookings for Botswana, but it’s not always the easiest destination to justify.  After all, when I say “expensive,” I mean over $10,000 per night for two people, at peak season (June through October). That’s what Mombo charges. And it doesn’t even include a complimentary Range Rover to take home.

You’ll also probably be on anti-malarials. So: more expense. Possibly more diarrhoea. It’s the full luxury package.

The price is already a high entry, but to make matters worse, if I were ranking the best safari lodges in the world — just based on the lodge, the design, the luxury, the amount of champagne they force feed you — not a single one from Botswana would make my list. That’s not me saying they’re bad. They’re just not Singita Milele. Most don’t even have air conditioning, which becomes a bit of a problem when it’s 40°C in October and your tent has started cooking your eggs, by which I mean your ovaries. Some camps even admit that during the quieter months, they might only have a few guests per month, because the heat is so intense and/or it’s raining so much. Basically, like St. Tropez and ski resorts, they make their money in peak — and they make you pay for it.

From a distance, and from a purely luxury point of view, it’s fair to ask why you’re likely paying 50% more than you would in South Africa, where the lodges (generally speaking) are better, and the service almost certainly is. So, let me explain.

High Cost, Low Volume

Botswana has chosen the high-value, low-impact tourism model. Translation: fewer guests, more exclusivity, and far fewer irritating people standing up in the vehicle with an iPad. And all that less destruction of the environment thing too.  Camps are small, permits are limited, and occupancy rates are often low by design. The fixed costs don’t change, so the prices go up. Pure, simple, painful maths.

Then there’s the conservation angle. Botswana sets aside a large portion of its land for parks, reserves, and wildlife areas. More than 25% of the land is reserved for wildlife protection.  The government charges serious conservation levies to support anti-poaching, protect habitats, keep the parks running, and presumably to pay for all the lions that seem to show up just when you want them.  These fees are baked into your nightly rate whether you care about conservation or not. You’re not just paying for accommodation, you’re funding entire ecosystems. Whether that soothes the financial burn is up to you.

So, What Are You Paying For?

You’re paying for a country that’s basically a massive, unfenced wildlife sanctuary. The wildlife density is extraordinary, and thanks to the lack of mass tourism, so are your chances of seeing it. So all that sweet coin of yours is paying for precious silence. Space. That rarity of not seeing another vehicle all day. That kind of exclusivity normally comes with an NDA and a private jet to a private island (ok, not going there).

You’re paying for mokoro trips in the Delta, walking safaris, boat excursions, and the ability to lodge-hop by helicopter in 15–20 minutes and find yourself in a totally different ecosystem — delta, desert, floodplain — all without ever seeing a road.

And yes, you’re paying for conservation. And communities. Many of the camps are built on land leased from rural communities, who expect not just rent, but real returns: jobs, schools, infrastructure, and a share of the profits.

Do I think it’s worth it?

This is the part where I could say “it depends,” but we both know that’s useless. So here’s a better answer.

Let’s remember Dorsia Travel exists as an ultra-luxury travel agency.  So, are there better luxury lodges out there than in Botswana?  Definitely.  So if that is your pure focus, you can do better than Botswana.  However, as I get older, with more bags under my eyes, I am very, very keen on the experience, and I do believe Botswana offers something that is only comparable to the Serengeti and Mara in terms of game viewing.  And those are not exactly known as havens of peace, although there are options to mitigate that.

If your focus is pure luxury, Botswana isn’t where you should start. You can find better camps, better amenities, even better food elsewhere — South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, take your pick. But if your focus is experience — truly wild, deeply remote, game-rich, people-poor safari — then Botswana belongs at the very top of your list.

I’ve said before that South Africa has its pros and cons. Everything’s fenced. It’s curated. But that’s also its strength — it’s predictable. Want to see a lion? No problem, it’s trapped in a very large zoo and isn’t going anywhere. Pros and cons.  Botswana is a country that is completely unfenced, which feels like it was created as a wildlife sanctuary.  And nature rewards you when you leave her alone.

So if your focus is on some of the best game viewing on earth, with the least amount of people around, Botswana should be high on your list.