Trying to search for information about safaris online can lead you down a deep rabbit hole, potentially costing you thousands of dollars per person. But going on Safari doesn’t have to cost the same as a house payment. We’re going to show you how you can shave thousands off of the cost of a safari by booking your flights, hotels and even potentially your safari game drives themselves using points and miles.
Safari Basics
If you start your travel investigations with a Google search of “African safari deals,” you’ll be bombarded with a myriad of paid ads offering everything from private game drives to game lodges and treehouse safaris to all-inclusive packages. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming.
Many people choose South Africa for their first safari as Kruger National Park has built up an infrastructure catering to tourists. And finding the “Big Five” there—leopards, elephants, water buffalo, rhinos and lions— can typically be achieved in just a few short days.
Many seasoned travelers will choose different types of safaris, like Kenya for the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Tanzania for the Zambezi River or the Serengeti, Chobe National Park in Botswana or Etosha National Park in Namibia. No matter where you choose, there are ways to help get you there affordably using miles and points.
What’s important to remember is that safaris have three components: flights, hotels and activities. We’ll cover what you can do to help offset or reduce your cost to take the trip of a lifetime.
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How To Fly to a Safari on Points
While dozens of airlines fly to all these destinations in Africa, there’s no way to track every single flight from every airline, so we’ll focus on the four major carriers in the United States and how your miles with them can help get you closer to a safari.
Alaska Airlines
As part of the Oneworld alliance, there are many Alaska Airlines partners that fly to Africa, including British Airways and Qatar Airways. But Alaska’s secret weapon to get to South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania lies in its partner Condor Airlines.
Flights from the U.S. to Africa are only 40,000 miles in coach and 60,000 miles in premium economy, each way. If you’re lucky enough to snag a flight in business class, a one-way ticket will set you back only 70,000 miles.
Prices are similar on British Airways, but expect to pay more in taxes and fees. The mileage cost runs 50,000 for economy, 60,000 for premium, and 80,000 in business class each way. You’ll notice the biggest difference in the taxes and fees. That same flight on Condor that might have only cost you $92 in taxes and fees will cost $268 for coach, $512 for premium economy, and $1,258 in business class with British Airways.
American Airlines
As part of the same Oneworld alliance as Alaska Airlines, American Airlines offers options to get to South Africa via British Airways and Qatar, but also via Etihad Airways. Flights from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg are a bargain at only 30,000 American Advantage miles in economy and 55,000 in Business Class.
One of the most accessible connections to make is via London and then off to Johannesburg. Coach flights from the U.S., if you manage to find the first leg of your trip on American Airlines and then connect to British Airways, can save you nearly $350 in taxes and fees. Flights start at 40,000 miles in economy and 75,000 miles one-way from the U.S. to Africa.
Windhoek, Namibia, is also an option for mileage flights as this route is serviced by its partner Qatar Airways, and flight options start at just 40,000 miles each way in economy.
Delta Air Lines
As part of the SkyTeam alliance, Delta shines with the availability of flights it offers to Africa. For starters, Delta has a nonstop flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg. While prices using its own currency, Delta SkyMiles, can be outrageously expensive, you will be able to use flexible currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards® or Citi ThankYou® points to offset the costs.
The little-known advantage with Delta is its partnership with Kenya Airways via the SkyTeam Alliance. While these awards are not bookable on the website, the Delta phone reps can check availability for its flagship New York to Nairobi route. Once in Kenya, you will be able to connect to any destination that Kenya Airways services, like Lusaka, Zambia; Johannesburg; Livingstone, Zambia; Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; Kisumu, Kenya and more.
United Airlines
United also partners with a myriad of airlines providing service across Africa. As part of the Star Alliance, United has access to African carriers like Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, and, most notably, South African Airways. Other Star Alliance carriers like Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines offer service to many points throughout Africa.
If you want a more direct route, United does offer its own flights directly to Cape Town and Johannesburg from both Washington D.C. (IAD) and Newark (EWR). Since prices for mileage flights vary wildly, the only way to know how much something will cost is to fill in your dates and search for options. The good news is that if United doesn’t have availability, its search engine will offer you other options that might cost fewer miles.
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How To Stay on Points in South Africa
The easiest way to use points to stay throughout South Africa is with Marriott Bonvoy points and their partnership with Protea Hotels. With dozens of hotels all over South Africa, chances are you’ll find a hotel near where you’d like to be. From Cape Town to Johannesburg, even in far-flung places like Mpumalanga Nelspruit Airport, there’s a Protea Hotel for you to take advantage of.
The Mpumalanga Nelspruit Protea hotel is a little over an hour and a half drive to the Kruger Gate entrance to the park. And since you can enter with your own vehicle, you can pick up a car and drive straight from the airport to the park.
A steal of a deal, rooms here start at only 6,000 points per night or only 3,000 points plus about $32 per night for a family room. It makes a great base of operations for your Kruger adventure.
Also, if you have some Expedia OneKeyCash sitting in your account, consider the Kruger Gate Hotel. This hotel is just a 15-minute walk from the entrance to the park. While this used to be part of the Marriott collection, they’ve gone independent. It’s a superb deal if you use OneKey cash to offset the cost since this hotel includes breakfast and dinner as part of the room rate.
Finally, if you’re considering spending time in Cape Town or Johannesburg, you’ll have plenty of hotels to choose from. The new Hyatt Regency in Cape Town is at the base of the Bo Kaap neighborhood, and in Johannesburg, the range of hotel options jumps from Hilton to Hyatt to even Radisson. Staying in the two major cities in South Africa has never been easier.
How To Stay on Points in Botswana and Namibia
Once again, Marriott Bonvoy, with its partner Protea Hotels, shines in these cities. The Protea Hotel Odangwa is located about 90 kilometers from the entrance to Etosha National Park and is an ideal place to crash before or after a long day’s safari.
While the cash rates are low, starting at around 1,000 Namibian Dollars (about $60 U.S. dollars), you can find a stay on points many days of the year for 6,500 points. At that price, if you’re doing a safari on a budget, this hotel can’t be beat.
In Botswana, Chobe National Park is located in the north of the country, far away from the capital of Gaborone. You’ll find many chain hotels in Gaborone, including Hilton and Marriott, but near the park, you’ll want to use other currencies you might have at your disposal.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) provides a $300 travel credit when booking hotels through its Capital One Travel portal. Even the Chase Sapphire Reserve® grants a $300 travel credit each year.
For something off the beaten path, Accor Hotels offers an all-inclusive option called the Feline Fields by Mantis near the Kalahari Desert. Onsite activities, food, beverages and even excursions with the local population are all included. Capital One and Citi both include ALL-Accor Live Limitless as a transfer partner.
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How To Stay on Points in Zambia and Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls and Livingstone reside on the Zambezi River, which offers a much more unique safari experience. While you can go out and see lions, rhinos and more, here along the river you’ll see more crocodiles, hippos and zebras. Animals flock to the water source for hydration and nourishment, so get your camera ready.
Accor operates two river cruise hotels where you can leisurely cruise down the Zambezi River and see an array of animals. It’s a unique experience that’s hard to beat when looking to redeem your Accor points. While technically in Namibia, the hotel is at the juncture of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, allowing you to experience the best of this unique geography.
Mantis Hotels, part of ALL-Accor Live Limitless, also operates a property in Victoria Falls, the Mbano Manor Hotel. Only 15 minutes away from Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, you’ll find this 5-star hotel with only 18 luxurious rooms and suites.
Lastly, Protea Hotels comes through again for Marriott Bonvoy members with its Protea Hotel Livingstone. Starting as low as 11,500 points per night, the property puts you mere minutes away from Victoria Falls and all the Zambezi River has to offer.
How To Stay on Points in Kenya
The newest addition to the points world in the area is the JW Marriott Masai Mara property, a true gem in the middle of the renowned Maasai Mara reserve. As the luxury safair lodge in the JW Marriott profile, this resort will take care of everything you need once you land in Kenya. Rates include all meals (breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner) on property and while out in the bush, beverages, game drives, airstrip transfers and much more.
You will pay a high price for access to these activities, as rooms start somewhere around 100,000 points per night. And rooms in high season, during the great wildebeest migration, can be hard to come by.
Make the best use of your points by using Marriott’s fifth-night free promotion, where you’ll only pay for four if you book five nights together. This will shave 20% off the cost of the rooms and stretch your points even further.
Heading back to the Accor Portfolio, you’ll find the Fairmont Mara Safari Club, which, among its more unique offerings, includes the option to take a hot air balloon safari over the bush, seeing the animals undisturbed in their natural habitat.
Lastly, if you’ve considered heading to Amboseli National Park to see the famed elephants and views of Mount Kilimanjaro, one option for points would be the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Arusha. This hotel, while located in Tanzania, allows you to drive down from Nairobi, check out the Amboseli National Park, and continue across the border into Arusha.
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Bottom Line
A safari can truly be an experience to remember for a lifetime, but it shouldn’t leave you paying the bill for half a lifetime as well. Using points, miles, and credit card perks to discount your travels allows you to spend more at your destination, helping out the local economy. Flights are available from many major cities to various destinations throughout Africa. And even hotels have started to offer game drives as part of their packages. Plan ahead and maximize your points and miles to create an extraordinary experience you may not otherwise be able to make.
