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.
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.
Motswari Lodge is in the Motswari Private Game Reserve, part of the pristine natural habitat that is the Timbavati Game Reserve. The boundaries of the Timbavati are open to the Greater Kruger National Park. Motswari is a traditional, established lodge. Reasonably-priced, this inviting lodge offers spacious accommodation in 15 luxury en-suite bungalows. Visitors can experience up-close game viewing of the Big 5 on daily games drives and bush walks.
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.
Mashatu Lodge is a beautiful, waterhole-facing safari lodge in Botswana's game-rich Mashatu Game Reserve. There are 14 spacious luxury suites with large en-suite bathrooms and private bush-facing verandahs. The family-friendly lodge welcomes children of all ages and inter-leading suites are available for families.
Madikwe River Lodge is the original safari lodge in the Big 5, malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. Each wooden en-suite chalet has a private deck overlooking the Marico River and is set amongst lush, riverine bush. The lodge is family-friendly and has an excellent position in one of the best regions of Madikwe from a game-viewing viewing point-of-view.
Laikipia Wilderness Camp is an intimate, family-run safari camp that offers comfortable and homely accommodation in the unfenced wilderness of Central Laikipia. Laikipia Wilderness offers an authentic wildlife experience in a beautiful 70,000-acre landscape that is home to a wide range of wildlife, including the famous black leopard of Laikipia.
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.
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.
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.
Located in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve, Kambaku Safari Lodge offers an intimate, rustic luxury experience with just 16 guests. This exclusive, eco-conscious lodge offers excellent game viewing opportunities and is the perfect base for exploring the wild beauty of the Greater Kruger National Park.
John's Camp is an intimate, tented safari camp located inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mana Pools, one of Zimbabwe's most beautiful game reserves and a popular destination for walking safaris. Overlooking the Zambezi floodplains in the quieter eastern section of Mana Pools, John's Camp offers a welcoming, authentic, off-the-grid, eco-friendly African bush camping experience.
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.
Traditional ethnic style Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge is situated in a 10,000-hectare concession in the world-renowned Kruger National Park, South Africa. The lodge is built on an ancient elephant trail and offers luxury accommodation in true African style. Guests can view the area's abundant wildlife from open safari vehicles or even from the comfort of their private decks, as the lodge overlooks an active waterhole. Guests have the opportunity to interact with the local Shangaan or Tsonga people.
Set on the dramatic cliffs of the Knysna Heads on South Africa's renowned Garden Route, Head Over Hills offers a serene and luxurious retreat with stunning views of the ocean and the Knysna Lagoon. Ideal for travellers seeking a blend of comfort and natural beauty, the boutique property is perfectly situated for easy access to the town's attractions and outdoor activities, making it an excellent base for exploring the region.
Elephant Plains Game Lodge is situated on the banks of the dry Manyeleti river overlooking a permanent waterhole in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park. This affordable 4-star lodge is an excellent safari destination offering prime game viewing and perfect photographic opportunities.
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.
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.
David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa is a luxurious five-star hotel, situated on the banks of the great Zambezi River in Zambia. The hotel is only 7km away from the breathtaking Victoria Falls and offers modern and stylish accommodation, great cuisine and a variety of exciting activities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Perfectly positioned on a rise overlooking a perennial waterhole, Camp Hwange is professionally run by one of Zimbabwe's leading safari guides and offers an excellent safari experience filled with fascinating bush lore and a wealth of safari stories. Informal, yet with all the creature comforts, Camp Hwange offers the added benefits of a private concession from day and night game drives and off-road driving to walking safaris with an experienced ranger.
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