Mid-range lodges offer a balance between comfort and cost, typically providing well-appointed rooms, good service, and strong locations without the price tag of top-end properties. This is the most common accommodation category on safari and often represents the best balance of value and experience for most travellers.
What qualifies as "mid-range" depends heavily on the destination. In South Africa, this may include a wide range of comfortable, well-priced lodges, while in more remote or high-cost regions like Botswana or parts of East Africa, similar budgets may only access more basic accommodation.
For this reason, safari prices should not be compared across countries in absolute terms. A mid-range lodge in one destination may be priced similarly to a luxury lodge in another, so these categories are best understood relative to location rather than fixed price points.
Not sure how this category compares across different destinations? See our Safari Accommodation Price Guide.
Although not in a game-rich area per se, Doro Nawas Camp is an excellent base from which to explore the dramatic and stark Damaraland landscape. Arid and inhospitable, it's home to a surprisingly diverse range of desert-adapted wildlife, including desert-elephant, gemsbok, springbok, bat-eared fox – and even the odd black rhino and cheetah.
Opened in 2018, Stanley & Livingstone Boutique Hotel is the first of its kind in Victoria Falls, one of Africa's major attractions. Serene and luxurious, it provides a lovely base from which to explore the many sights, scenes and attractions the area has to offer. Or you can simply relax and take a break between safaris, watching as the wildlife comes to visit at the waterhole.
Bakubung Bush Lodge is one of the most established safari lodges in Pilanesberg National Park, offering a lively, resort-style safari experience close to Johannesburg. With a wide range of facilities and family-friendly accommodation, it is a popular option for travellers looking for an affordable safari getaway in a malaria-free reserve.
Camp Shonga is a luxury tented camp situated in a private concession within the Kruger National Park, South Africa's greatest game reserve. Camp Shonga is a small and cosy bush retreat, featuring only 5 luxurious tents with en-suite bathrooms. Spectacular views of the African bushveld and its wildlife can be enjoyed from private viewing decks, as well as during game drives with expert guides.
Notten's Bush Camp is an affordable, rustic and comfortable safari lodge in the southern sector of the Sabi Sand Reserve. The lodge accommodates guests in nine tastefully furbished suites, all en-suite with a private viewing deck which overlooks a large plain and watering hole.
Sitting atop its very own island in the expanse of Lake Kariba, not far from Bumi Hills, is Musango Safari Camp. As with Bumi Hills, it’s just outside the Matusadona National Park. A small, well-established safari lodge, Musango is owned and run by the well-known Steve Edwards, former conservationist and warden of Matusadona, who personally guides and shares his incredible wealth of knowledge about the area, its wildlife and its history.
Nkorho Bush Lodge is located in the northern Sabi Sand Game Reserve, a conservation area covering more than two million hectares. The reserve shares unfenced borders with the world-famous Kruger National Park. As a result, the diversity of wildlife to be seen at Nkorho is breathtaking and guests are often treated to sightings of some of the Big 5, even from the lodge itself, which overlooks a waterhole and open plain. Nkorho Bush Lodge offers reasonably-priced, comfortable accommodation for 16 guests in 8 en-suite thatched chalets.
Ruaha River Lodge is spectacularly situated overlooking the Ruaha River, one of the lifeblood drinking sources for the abundant game, especially during the dry season. Ruaha National Park, known for its prolific elephant population and large prides of lion, offers visitors incredible scenery and the safari experience of a lifetime.
Camp Shawu is situated in a private concession area within the famous Kruger National Park, South Africa. Named after a magnificent elephant bull that frequents the area, the camp offers luxury accommodation for only 10 guests, with beautiful views over the Mpanamana Dam. In the dry season, a variety of animals gather at the dam to drink. Camp Shawu shares a vast concession area with Camp Shonga and Shishangeni Lodge, in the south-eastern part of the Kruger Park, which has an abundance of wildlife.
Imbali Safari Lodge is situated in one of nine private concessions in the famous Kruger National Park, South Africa, and offers guests a fantastic African safari experience. The lodge offers luxurious 5-star accommodation with a private deck and jacuzzi. At Imbali, you can enjoy open-vehicle game drives through some of the best wildlife areas in Kruger.
Shepherd's Tree Game Lodge is an intimate safari lodge in Pilanesberg National Park, offering a more traditional bush-lodge atmosphere for travellers seeking a quieter safari close to Johannesburg. With fewer rooms and a more secluded feel than many Pilanesberg lodges, it suits couples and travellers looking for a more authentic lodge experience.
Chobe Marina Lodge is situated just outside the Chobe National Park in Kasane, Botswana. The lodge provides luxury accommodation with beautiful views over the Chobe River. Chobe Marina Lodge offers a variety of activities, including open-vehicle game drives in the Chobe National Park, or game viewing by boat along the Chobe River, reputedly the best boat-based game viewing in the world. This lodge is reasonably priced and can easily be combined with nearby Victoria Falls for an unforgettable safari.
Elephant Bedroom Camp is perfectly situated in Samburu National Reserve to get the best lion, leopard and rare northern species sightings the park is well-known for. There is also a wealth of unusual flora to look forward to.
Plains Camp is part of Rhino Walking Safaris in the Kruger National Park. As the name implies, Rhino Walking Safaris specializes in foot safaris and guided bush walks. Often, Plains Camp is combined with Rhino Post Lodge on the same trip, offering the guest a combination of game drives and walking safaris.
Katavi Wildlife Camp is one of a handful of camps in the remote Katavi National Park in Tanzania, offering an uncrowded and spectacular African safari. Unobtrusively built amongst the trees on the edge of the Katisunga floodplains, the small and simple yet stylish tented camp offers incredible views. During the wet season, the plain fills with water and the birdlife is spectacular. During the dry season, expansive herds of game can be seen making their way to the permanent water source nearby.
Located in the remote north of Zimbabwe's rugged Matusadona National Park, Changa Safari Camp overlooks Lake Kariba. Family owned and run, this East African style tented camp offers authentic accommodation and a wide range of lake, beach and bush excursions that take advantage of its unique location.
Set on the western side of a massive fossil pan, Nxai Pan is the only permanent camp within the Nxai Pan National Park. It has easy access to the famous Baines’ baobabs. Overlooking sprawling grasslands and wide open spaces, Nxai Pan is home to the massive annual zebra migration, second only to the great migration of the Serengeti.
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a charming tented safari camp located in Kenya's Laikipia region. All seven spacious, eco-friendly canvas tents look out onto the Ewaso Ngiro River and, with activities like the Junior Ranger Programme, Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a fantastic choice for families.
Nicol Street Heritage Cottages (formerly More Quarters Hotel Apartments) offer the best of both worlds: discreet five-star service and the independence of beautifully restored heritage cottages. Set just off Kloof Street in Cape Town's leafy Gardens neighbourhood, these elegant, private cottages combine space, privacy and a strong sense of place, with easy access to the city centre, Table Mountain and Cape Town's best restaurants, cafés and boutiques.
Owned and largely managed by the local community, Damaraland Camp is a model of a successful community partnership. Eco-friendly, yet luxurious, this intimate safari camp offers first-hand encounters with some of the most highly-adapted local wildlife, particularly desert elephants and black rhinos – in starkly beautiful surroundings.
Tucked beneath the shade of enormous trees in Botswana's Mashatu Game Reserve, Mashatu Tent Camp is an eco-safari tented camp that overlooks a waterhole and offers an intimate and authentic safari experience with a maximum of only six guests per vehicle on game drives.
Kanga Camp is in one of the most remote sections of the pristine Mana Pools area, a World Heritage Site not far from Chitake Springs. This vast, untouched wilderness is a veritable eden, offering excellent and varied safari experiences. Closed mid-December until 1 April each year.
About 80km south of the Chobe River in Botswana lies Nogatsaa Pans Lodge. The area is studded with natural clay-bottom pans that provide plentiful water in summer, supplemented by boreholes during the winter months. Idyllic and peaceful, there are raised hides at four waterholes for watching the fascinating inhabitants of this pristine bush.
Muchenje Lodge, set on an escarpment overlooking the Chobe River, is a popular safari destination with great views over the Chobe floodplain. It is the only luxury lodge in the area west of the Chobe National Park, and offers fantastic open-vehicle game drives within the park.
Why not chat to one of our safari experts who can answer all your questions and help you design your dream trip to Africa.
