The Absolute Safari

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• N

  Natalie

  Asked on March 22nd, 2026

  im seeing the price is only 5K for a 70+ day tour. this cant be correct, right? what are the other charges that are hidden?

  Price / Availability
  • 

    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written March 2026

    To give you some more information about our pricing, when costing out any overland tour, you will have several areas to consider with your budget alongside the main tour price. Please find a typical budget below to give you an idea of what travellers tend to spend overall on a trip such as the 77 day Absolute Safari:
    
    The price of the safari: £3,800 GBP
    
    and
    
    The Local Payment payable on Day One to your trip leader: 1,260 USD
    These costs together cover all the items listed under "What's Included"
    
    Gorilla Trekking Permit payable prior to departure if you wish to do gorilla trekking: from £705 GBP
    
    Zanzibar Island Stay payable prior to departure if you wish to do the excursion: from £295 GBP including 4 nights B&B accommodation (1 in Stone Town and 3 at Kendwa Beach), return ferry to and from the Island and transfers on the Island plus a Spice Tour.
    
    Spending money: 1,500 - 1,800 USD. This figure is an estimate based on past passengers. It covers lunches, drinks, souvenirs and other incidentals. This is a personal amount and will vary person to person but this is a good guide. We provide breakfast and dinner for the majority of the trip except for when the truck parks up at Jinja, Dar es Salaam, Victoria Falls, Swakopmund and Stellenbosch. We also provide camping throughout except if you choose not to participate in the overnight excursions: Zanzibar Island (4 nights), Lake Kariba Houseboats (2 nights) and the Okavango Delta (2 nights) where you would then be able to have a tent from the truck and just pay the camping cost direct to the campsite - usually around 10 USD per night.
    
    Optional Excursions: 1,000 - 1,700 USD. Again this figure can vary depending on the individual and what you would like to do. You can see popular excursions on the Tour details page.
    
    Visas: 80 - 380 USD depending on your passport.
    
    Estimated total: $9,750 - $12,800 USD
    
    Remember these are guides based on clients usual expenditure but should give you a good indication of price.
    
    Apart from the above costs remember you also then need to budget for the following:-
    
    • Airfares
    • Insurance
    • Vaccinations
    • Pre and Post Safari Costs (including any transfers, accommodation etc)
    • Personal equipment you will need to purchase such as a sleeping bag and small personal medical kit.
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  Audrey

  Asked on February 4th, 2026

  I'd like to do about two weeks of volunteer work in both Tanzania and Windhoek, and I wanted to ask if it would be possible to pause the trip for two weeks and then continue with the next group.

  Tour Details
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    It is possible to complete the first section of the Absolute Safari, pause for volunteering in Tanzania and then rejoin the next departure to continue the journey south. You would follow the same itinerary as the Absolute Safari initially but finish the first section either in Arusha or Dar es Salaam. You could then spend time volunteering in Tanzania before joining the following Absolute Safari departure from that point. If you booked the first section to start on the 29th June, you would then finish on the 27th July in Arusha or if you wanted to continue to Dar you could finish on the morning of the 30th July if you did not wish to go over to Zanzibar with the group, or on the 3rd August if you did want to do the optional 4 night Zanzibar stay with your tour group. You would then be able to rejoin the Absolute Safari departing Arusha on the 21st August (you would need to get back to the truck the night before) or meet in Dar es Salaam on the 23rd August if you wanted to join for the Zanzibar stay, or on the 27th August if you wanted to join the group after they return from Zanzibar. If you were also looking to volunteer in Namibia, it would then make your travels very extended to once again wait for the next truck so we would recommend either finishing the tour in Swakopmund and continuing onto your volunteer project from there (there is a shuttle to Windhoek which runs daily) or continuing through to Cape Town and returning to Namibia afterwards.
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    Audrey

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    I'm so glad it's possible to take a break in Tanzania, but did I understand correctly that if I want to go to Zanzibar, it's not included in the price, but "only" organized by you? I'd really love to go there, but I'm not sure if it's financially worthwhile.
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    Audrey

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    Are safaris in the Serengeti with the jeep included in the price, or do you have to book them separately, just like lunch—do I always have to buy/make my own?
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    Audrey

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    Do you know if flying is the best way to do that? Either way, I'd really love to do the trip, and I'm looking forward to planning it with you :)
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    We offer a 4 night optional Zanzibar stay where we can make bookings on your behalf with the group. This is £295 GBP per person and includes x4 nights B&B accommodation in a twin or triple room (3 nights at Kendwa Beach and 1 night in Stone Town), plus transfers on the island with the group, the return fast ferry, and a spice tour. Most people enjoy doing this as its a nice break to relax with the rest of the tour group but if you prefer to make your own individual arrangements on the island that also is totally fine and we can provide the relevant dates ahead of time so you can arrange this and ensure you are back with the group in time to continue travelling south from Dar. Also, if you wish we can just book you onto the ferry with the group to and from Zanzibar and you can then book your own accommodation if that helps. The ferry is £30 each way.
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    On the Absolute Safari the truck drives from the west side of the park to the east side of the park, camping in central Serengeti along the way and so we include game drives in the Serengeti in the truck, using its height to our advantage, giving us fantastic views across the savanna plains, and allowing more room to move around on board to take photos. By taking this route you will be visiting a more remote section of the park, through the Grumeti and Western Corridor, and the route we do is unique among the overlanding trips. There is also the option to do a morning game drive in the Serengeti in 4x4 vehicles replacing the morning truck game drive - this is 175 USD per person and please note a minimum of five people are required for this to go ahead. We then include game drives in 4x4 pop-up roof land cruisers in the Ngorongoro Crater. Lunches are not provided as we find our clients enjoy getting out to sample different options. The Tour Leader will let you know what the options are as you go along which can range from stopping in towns to try local food at markets or cafes, to stopping at shops to stock up for picnic lunches, and when we stay a few nights in a town there are options to try the local restaurants as well. On longer drive days or in National Parks, we will shop for lunches prior to this and you can store any cool items in the fridge on the truck.
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    For getting from Cape Town to Windhoek, flying is the best option and there are a number of direct flights which are reasonably priced. It is otherwise a long way if looking to go overland eg. by coach/bus.
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    Audrey

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    How exactly do I need to do that if I start the trip on June 29th? And what date would I arrive in Arusha and what date would I leave? And when would I arrive in Cape Town approximately?
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    Audrey

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    What additional activities do I need to book in advance (and by what date at the latest), and which ones can/must I book locally?
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    Audrey

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    How does the visa process work? Do you apply for them all, or do I need to do something myself?
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    Audrey

    Traveler•Written February 2026

    How long will we be on the bus each day, roughly? What about restroom breaks? Are there enough along the route? And I'm wondering about card and board games. Do you have any on the bus, or do we need to bring our own?
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    If you go ahead and book the 29th June departure of the Absolute Safari, upon receiving the booking we would ask you to then reconfirm that you will be splitting this into two sections and finishing and starting in Arusha and then we will manually amend this to reflect the break in Arusha. You would be able to then finish the first section of the tour on the morning of the 27th July in Arusha. You would then depart Arusha for the second part of your tour on the 21st August, but we would ask you to please arrive at the campsite by late afternoon on the 20th August and please budget 25 dollars for the accommodation and prepared BBQ that evening. You would then get to Cape Town on the 6th October with three nights in accommodation included in the price of the tour and the final night of the tour being the 8th October.
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    The majority of the optional excursions are paid for once out in Africa. The only optionals which would require prior payment are the Gorilla Trekking, Zanzibar excursion and Hot Air Ballooning in the Serengeti or Masai Mara.
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    Visas will need to be organised by you however we can assist in providing you with the information required for the applications. This does depend on which passport you hold but we are more than happy to advise. For most nationalities, you will need to apply for visas prior to departure for Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Namibia ahead of time.
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written February 2026

    I have attached the Pre-Departure pack to this message which includes the approximate distances and estimated drive times per day. Please note that these can vary as road and weather conditions which may change month to month/season to season which can affect the route taken and actual drive times, as well as border crossings can affect timings, so these are all approximations. For restroom breaks, the driver will make stops regularly on drives for these. You are able to also get in touch with the driver via a bell on the truck to indicate that you need to stop should this be necessary. We do have a library onboard and you may find that past passengers have left some packs of cards or games on the truck which you would then be able to use. I would however recommend it if you did particularly want some cards or board games to bring these along with you.
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  Gina

  Asked on September 2nd, 2025

  Just want to know we will be safe as you hear so many bad things about south Africa

  Travel Support
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written September 2025

    Safety is a major reason travelers choose to join group tours. You are with a guide and driver who are experts in the area as well as with a group. Traveler safety is number one while on tour and you would never be led into an area that we deemed dangerous or unsafe.
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  Adriana

  Asked on August 29th, 2025

  Is the trip possible with basic English skills?

  Tour Details

  Travel Support
  • 

    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written August 2025

    You do not need to be fluent in English, but all group meetings and safety briefings will be conducted in English. Clear communication is required among the group, as most passengers speak English. If you feel comfortable with your English level to understand and participate in group activities, there would be no problem joining our tours.
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  Mary

  Asked on August 28th, 2025

  How much is the single supplement? What does Additional Services mean (after the section on Meal)? Are they different from the optional tours? What are the 2 balloon rides. Are they for aerial view of the geography or for animal/bird migration? For the Zanibar trip, if I opt out this option, what is its replacement. I am not a beach person but I don't mind visit the town or a snorkeling day trip on different sites.

  Accommodation

  Other

  Single supplement

  Tour Details
  • 

    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written August 2025

    We do not have a single supplement and generally a solo traveller pairs up with another solo traveller of the same sex to share a tent and there is no extra cost as a solo. If you specifically want a tent to yourself we can usually accommodate this if we are notified at point of booking (and have enough notice before the departure date) and this is at no extra cost. The Additional Services section has a list of all the Inclusions in this trip, so all the parks and highlights that you will do as part of the trip price. There is a separate section for optional activities and this lists some of the more popular optional activities. The balloon safaris take the place of one of your game drives in the Serengeti or Masai Mara. It is an opportunity to see the parks and wildlife from a different perspective. Often clients will choose the park where the migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra are most likely to be in and this depends on the time of year. The truck stays back on the mainland so you can choose to stay here, have use of your tent, and explore the city of Dar es Salaam. If you choose to do the optional Zanzibar stay this includes 3 nights at the beach and 1 night in Stone Town, the traditional capital. We also include a spice tour which takes you to the plantations to give you some history of the island and to taste some fresh fruits and spices from the tree.
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  Juan

  Asked on June 30th, 2025

  We are very interested in the 77 day Absolute Africa tour because of what appears to be slightly more time spent in various locations, compared to other tours covering the same places but in a shorter time span, The added length of the tour appears to give a bit more opportunity for downtime or taking advantage of optional extras. From an overall tour length perspective however would there be ability for us to break the tour into 2 (e.g Nairobi to Harare) sections? We are exploring the possibility of splitting the tour into 2, joining up at a later date to complete the last section of the tour through Botswana/Namibia. Is this a viable option for us?

  Tour Details
  • 

    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written June 2025

    Many of our tours are designed as components of one another, with shorter trips making up sections of our longer overland safaris, such as the 77 day Absolute Safari. Given this, it is possible to split the Absolute Safari into two separate legs by booking two shorter tours which when combined make up the exact same itinerary, such as the 54-day Big Six Safari (Nairobi to Victoria Falls) and the 23-day Namibia Nomad (Victoria Falls to Cape Town). To help us advise you further, could you please let us know which departure dates you were considering? That way we can look into availability and recommend the best way to split the tour based on your plans.
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    Juan

    Traveler•Written July 2025

    We would be looking to do the 1st leg, Nairobi to Victoria Falls with a June July or August departure next year, 2026. At this stage, the second leg would be sometime following year 2026
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written July 2025

    It's great to hear you are looking to do Nairobi to Victoria Falls next year and Victoria Falls to Cape Town the following year. The easiest way to book this would be to initially book the Big Six (Nairobi to Victoria Falls) tour for whichever date suits in 2026. We have not yet released the tour dates for 2027, however when these have been released you would then be able to book the Namibia Nomad tour for whichever departure would suit you best. Note that if you book the second leg direct on our website once you have returned from the first tour you will then receive a 7% loyalty discount for that tour.
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  Luis

  Asked on May 30th, 2025

  Can you describe the camping. Do we set up tear down or is that done for us. How much room in tent. What is the bedding like. Etc. I'm 55 and definitely have stiffness so lying on the ground without padding would be a tough sell. Is this trip take some ibuprofen and your good or is it going to run you down?

  Accommodation

  Tour Details
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written May 2025

    Most nights you are sleeping on a mat on the ground in a tent, or occasionally in shared dorms. Tents need to be put up and down often on a daily basis, and camping conditions can be basic. We do provide three person dome tents (used for two people) and a sleep mat but we can be out in the bush with basic or no amenities on some nights. Passengers are required to bring their own sleeping bag and pillow. Campsites quite regularly where you can upgrade so do budget for this if you think this might help occasionally to make sure you get enough good rest on the trip.
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  Robyn

  Asked on May 10th, 2025

  Airports to where and arrive where to get to arrive for this destination 77 days Africa

  Flights / Transfers
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written May 2025

    The Absolute Safari begins in Nairobi, we recommend flying into the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). It is also important to note that we normally advise to arrive at least the day before the tour begins. We can then arrange Pre-Departure Accommodation in Nairobi for you, as well as a transfer from the airport.
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  Irene

  Asked on April 27th, 2025

  I would like to know if the Optional activities are at extra price or included in the price of the trip?

  Price / Availability

  Tour Details
  • 

    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written April 2025

    The optional activities are not included in the price of the trip and are charged at an additional cost. We do it this way in order to give people the choice of which activities they would be most interested in. The Absolute Safari does however have plenty of included activities including many National Parks for game drives amongst other activities.
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  Brenda

  Asked on April 9th, 2025

  I would like to know some more about the Absolute Safari tour. Is there an opening for a solo traveler? I would like to know exactly from what city I should be arriving at and departing back to the USA. I got my certificate for Yellow fever vaccine back in December 2020. How is the weather that time of the year from June 20 to September 4, 2025?

  Accommodation

  Tour Details

  Travel Support
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written April 2025

    We do have spaces available on the June departure and there is no issue at all with being a solo-traveller. We depart from Nairobi and end in Cape Town. We recommend arriving at least one day before the departure date. It's great that you've got your Yellow Fever Vaccine. Broadly on a June departure, it is generally a good time of year for the most consistently dry weather throughout both East and Southern Africa which is ideal for game viewing. We recommend a window between June - September for departures on the Absolute Safari for the best weather.
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    Brenda

    Traveler•Written April 2025

    I notice under the section for visas it's stated that for US citizens "probably no visas needed." I would like some clarity on that. In the past some tours allow visas bought upon entry while others needed visas ahead of time like when I went to Vietnam a visa was required ahead of time. But Laos a visa could be paid for on the spot.
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written April 2025

    As a US citizen the current advice is that you will need the following: Kenya - ETA applied for online ahead of time, Uganda - Single entry visa applied for online ahead of time, Rwanda - Single entry visa purchased at the border, Tanzania - Single entry visa purchased at the border, Malawi - Visa not required, Zambia - Visa not required, Zimbabwe - Single entry visa purchased at the border, Botswana - Visa not required, Namibia - "Visa on arrival" best to arrange online ahead of time, South Africa - Visa not required.
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    Brenda

    Traveler•Written April 2025

    Regarding the cash payment in US dollars: What are the local payment policies for tours? How safe is it carrying this amount of money? I usually never travel with too much cash. I carry a combination of cash, credit and debit cards. Any idea which tours accept credit cards to lessen the amount of cash that I need to be carried in person?
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    Brenda

    Traveler•Written April 2025

    I wanted to ask about the free SIM card. Any idea if that card can cover several countries or another would be needed later on?
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written April 2025

    The local payment is USD $1260, made in Africa at the start of your trip to the Tour Leader on the first day. The trip cost is divided into two payments: one prior to departure and one on the first day in USD cash. There's a safe on the truck where you can securely store your money. You only need to carry what you'll need for the day. For day-to-day spending, you can often withdraw local currency using your card, and the Tour Leader will advise when and where to do this.
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    Absolute AfricaOperator•Written April 2025

    We are unaware of any free SIM card being offered. Many passengers purchase SIM cards in each country to stay connected. Campsites we stay at also have Wi-Fi to keep in touch with friends and family.
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