Big Time Field NotesNo. 21Costs & comfort
Private, group-joining, road or fly-in: choosing how you travel on safari
Two choices shape a safari as much as the parks do: who shares your vehicle, and whether you drive or fly between parks. This guide explains group-joining, private and tailor-made safaris, and road and fly-in travel, so you can choose what suits your pace and budget.
In brief
- Group-joining shares the vehicle and the days in the parks; a private safari keeps the vehicle and the pace to your own party; tailor-made builds the route around you.
- Our road safaris in Kenya and Tanzania use a 4×4 Land Cruiser at every comfort level.
- Flying between parks saves time on long routes; two of our journeys are fly-in.
- Ask about group size, window seats and luggage limits before you book.
Contents
Two choices that shape your safari
The parks decide what you might see; how you travel decides how it feels. A shared vehicle on a fixed itinerary is a different day from a private vehicle that can wait an hour at a sighting, and a long drive across a park is a different day from a short flight over it. Neither is better for everyone, and many journeys mix them.
The comfort level you choose, budget, midrange or luxury, is a separate choice: it changes where you sleep and what you pay, not how you move. Read budget, midrange or luxury for that side of the decision.
Group-joining safaris
On a group-joining safari you share the vehicle and the days in the parks with other travellers. It is a natural fit for solo travellers and for budget-conscious travellers who enjoy company. Our catalogue confirms group-joining departures for the 3 Days Maasai Mara Budget Safari and the 11 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Safari; ask about others.
- How many people share the vehicle, and is every seat a window seat?
- Is room sharing possible, or is there a single supplement?
- Which departure dates are confirmed?
Private and tailor-made safaris
On a private safari the vehicle is yours: you set the pace, start as early as you like, stay longer at a sighting or skip a drive to rest. It suits families, couples, photographers and anyone travelling with older or younger relatives, whose energy and interests differ from a group’s.
A tailor-made journey goes a step further and builds the route around your dates, interests and comfort level: the right choice if you want something our catalogue does not list, such as a conservancy stay, a coastal extension or a combination of countries. Ask which of our journeys can run privately, and what changes in the price.
Road safaris
Most of our journeys travel by road, and our road safaris in Kenya and Tanzania use a 4×4 Land Cruiser at every comfort level, the same vehicle whether the journey is budget, midrange or luxury. Driving between parks shows you the country in between, from Rift Valley escarpments to market towns. The trade-off is time: on longer routes, some days are mostly travel.
A road journey also gives the day a shape: a game drive on the way into a park, lunch at a viewpoint, a stop in a town for supplies. Ask how long each driving day is before you book, and plan rest where the drives are longest. Roads change with the seasons. Kenya Wildlife Service says park roads may need four-wheel drive in the long rains of April to June; Tanzania National Parks calls a four-wheel-drive vehicle essential in Tarangire in the rains; and the Uganda Wildlife Authority highly recommends four-wheel drive on the murram roads to Bwindi.
Fly-in safaris
On a fly-in safari, light aircraft link the parks’ airstrips, which turns a long drive into a short flight and leaves more time in each place. Our catalogue has 2 fly-in journeys: the 8 Days Ultimate Tanzania Luxury Fly-In Safari and the 3 Days Luxury Fly-In Bwindi Gorilla Safari.
- Serengeti: regular flights to Seronera airstrip, in the heart of the park (Tanzania National Parks).
- Samburu: the central airstrip has scheduled daily flights to and from Nairobi (County Government of Samburu).
- Bwindi: daily scheduled flights from Entebbe to Kihihi and Kisoro airstrips (Uganda Wildlife Authority).
Mixing and matching
The choices are not all-or-nothing. A journey can drive between nearby parks and fly the long legs, or travel privately for most of the trip and join others for a single excursion. Families often choose a private vehicle for the flexibility, then fly one long stretch so younger children are not in a car all day; budget-conscious travellers often join a group for the classic parks and add a private day at the end.
- Who else will be in the vehicle, and how many seats does it have?
- Does every traveller have a window seat? Ask, rather than assume.
- What happens if a road is closed or a flight is delayed?
- Which parts of the journey are by road and which by air?
At a glance
| Best for | Trade-off | |
|---|---|---|
| Group-joining | Solo and budget-conscious travellers who enjoy company | A set route and pace, shared with others |
| Private | Families, couples, photographers, mixed ages | Ask how the price compares with sharing |
| Tailor-made | Specific interests, combinations, special occasions | Needs time to plan |
| Road | Seeing the country between parks | Long travel days on some routes |
| Fly-in | Short trips, remote parks, more time in each place | Luggage limits; both our fly-in journeys are luxury |
Sources
- Kenya Wildlife Service: What is the weather pattern in Kenya? When is the best time to visit your parks and reserves? (opens in a new tab)
- Tanzania National Parks: Tarangire visitor guide (opens in a new tab)
- Uganda Wildlife Authority: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (opens in a new tab)
- Tanzania National Parks: Serengeti visitor guide (opens in a new tab)
- County Government of Samburu: Tourist attraction sites (opens in a new tab)
- Uganda Wildlife Authority: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: gorillas and getting there (opens in a new tab)
How this guide was prepared
This guide was researched and drafted with the help of AI tools, working from the official sources listed above and Big Time Safaris’ own catalogue. Its facts were checked against those sources on 20 October 2026, and it was reviewed and approved for publication by the owner of Big Time Safaris on 22 October 2026. It is a planning guide, not a first-hand field report. Seasons, park rules and entry requirements change, so check the latest official information before you travel.
