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.

Found 56 Results
Victoria Falls Hotel Stanleys Terrace
Victoria Falls Hotel

The Victoria Falls Hotel is the 'grande dame' of the Victoria Falls National Park, Zimbabwe. Established in 1904, royalty, celebrities and statesmen have visited the hotel to enjoy its tranquillity, elegance and privacy. More than a century old, the hotel combines its historical, Edwardian charm with modern comfort and convenience. It has its own private path leading to the beautiful Victoria Falls (15-minute walk) and offers a variety of activities to provide its guests with an unforgettable African experience.

Elephant Guests Umlani Bushcamp, Kruger
Umlani Bushcamp

Umlani Bushcamp provides a rustic bush experience that will give you a unique safari in the Timbavati Private Reserve. It offers simplistic luxury and 'getting away from it all’. The camp operates without electricity, wifi and air conditioning: allowing you to simply soak up the sounds, scents and sights of the surrounding bush.

Feature Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu
Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu

Child-friendly Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu has eight spacious luxury tented suites with wraparound decks, a large swimming pool, a waterhole, a photographic hide and a walking trail. It's the perfect tented safari lodge for families wanting to combine game-viewing activities and cultural experiences in a private game reserve in Botswana.

Unforgettable Sunsets At Thonga Beach Lodge
Thonga Beach Lodge

Thonga Beach Lodge is a luxurious lodge set on the pristine shores of the Maputuland coast in northern KwaZulu-Natal, on South Africa's east coast. Private, exclusive and remote, with only 12 spacious thatched suites, the lodge is metres from the unspoilt wilderness beaches of Mabibi, with easy access to some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving in southern Africa.

Twelve Apostles Hotel Spa Feature
The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa

The 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape Town is an award-winning, 5-star, luxury boutique hotel located against the dramatic backdrop of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range which forms the back of Table Mountain and offers sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel offers a tranquil respite located an easy 20-minute drive away from Cape Town's vibrant and colourful city centre.

00 feature north west province madikwe thakadu river camp
Thakadu River Camp

Thakadu River Camp has 12 luxurious safari tents on the banks of the Marico River in the malaria-free, Big 5 Madikwe Game Reserve. Thakadu is a wholly-owned, community-based project and an ecotourism success story. This exclusive, tented safari bushcamp is situated in the far eastern part of Madikwe, in a good area for game viewing.

Tarangire Safari Lodge - Tanzania
Tarangire Safari Lodge

Overlooking the Tarangire River which never dries up Tarangire Safari Lodge offers visitors breathtaking views of beautiful landscapes and a wide array of animals from its deck, thatched tents and bungalows. Sit on the veranda at sunset and watch elephants come down to drink, their babies splashing and playing. Pure, African bliss.

Feature Tafika Camp South Luangwa Zambia
Tafika Camp

Family-run Tafika Camp on the east bank of the Luangwa River in South Luangwa Reserve in Zambia offers the perfect bush escape for safari-goers and wildlife enthusiasts looking for an intimate, authentic safari experience and exceptional game-viewing opportunities. Activities include day and night game drives, mountain bike safaris, guided bush walks, visits to the local Mkasanga Village and micro-lighting (only offered in May).

Stanley Livingstone Game Rich Plains
Stanley & Livingstone Hotel

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.

Open Vehicle Game Drives 002
Shishangeni Private Game Lodge

Shishangeni Private Game Lodge is situated deep in the heart of the famous Kruger National Park, South Africa - a wildlife reserve that offers some of the greatest game viewing experiences in Africa. Surrounded by the unspoilt beauty of the African bushveld, the lodge provides guests with luxury accommodation, as well as excellent open vehicle game drives with expert guides.

Suite 6 at Shepards Tree Game Lodge
Shepherd's Tree Game Lodge

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.

Ruaha River Lodge - Tanzania
Ruaha River Lodge

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.

Rhino Post Lodge 05
Rhino Walking Safaris

Rhino Walking Safaris incorporates the luxurious Rhino Post Lodge and the beautiful tented Plains Camp, offering a unique safari experience within the Kruger National Park, tracking the Big 5 by foot and sleeping out under the stars. Any combination of multi-day walks, game drives and sleep-outs on raised wooden platforms can be arranged (weather permitting).

Rhino Post Deck
Rhino Post Safari Lodge

Rhino Post is a luxury safari lodge set in the 12 000 ha Mutlumuvi Concession Area within the Kruger National Park. This elegant 8-suite lodge was built using only natural materials such as wood, stone, thatch and canvas. It's the main accommodation base for Rhino Walking Safaris.

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Pondoro Game Lodge

Pondoro Game Lodge is a small, owner-managed, luxury game lodge situated on the banks of the Olifants River in the 40 000 ha exclusive Balule Game Reserve, a big 5 game reserve which forms part of the greater Kruger National Park. Pondoro offers luxury chalets and suites and is excellent value for money.

Plains Camp, Tent580X3871
Plains Camp

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.

00 Feature Olmara Camp Serengeti Tanzania
Olmara Camp

Located in the remote, untouched eastern plains of the Serengeti, Olmara Camp (formerly known as Ehlane Plains Camp) is a beautifully designed, eco-friendly, tented safari camp that offers sweeping views of Tanzania's vast savannahs and provides top-quality, year-round game viewing.

00 feature Ol Pejeta Bush Camp Laikipia Kenya
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp

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.

Feature Nottens Bush Camp Sabi Sand
Notten's Bush Camp

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.

Nogatsaa Pans Lodge Elephant Visitors
Nogatsaa Pans Lodge

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.

Feature accommodation south africa sabi sand nkorho bush lodge
Nkorho Bush Lodge

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.

Garden Cottage Nicol Street Heritage Cottages in Cape Town
Nicol Street Heritage Cottages

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.

Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge - Ngorongoro Crater - Tanzania
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

Situated on the eastern side of the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge offers comfortable accommodation with breathtaking views. Watching the sun set over the crater from your private balcony or the welcoming central lodge area is an experience not to be missed. With easy access to the road down to the crater floor and its concentration of wildlife, including the Big Five, this lodge is a great base at Ngorongoro Crater.

Musango Kariba View Over Lake
Musango Safari Camp

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.