The whole lodge — and nobody else

A buyout is when you reserve the entire property for your group — every suite, the whole staff, the safari vehicles, and every common space (dining room, lounge, fire pit, pool, library). There are no other guests at the lodge for the duration of your stay. It is the most private form of safari travel available, and the only one where the property is genuinely configured around your group rather than the other way round.

Most buyouts work from 8 guests upward. Smaller four- to six-suite camps can be taken with 6 – 12 guests. Larger villas and camps comfortably host 12 – 24, and selected ultra-luxury properties accommodate 30+ guests with adjoining family suites. Below 8 guests, the per-person cost typically becomes higher than booking individual suites, so we'll usually suggest a different format for very small parties.

Whole-property buyout rates run from USD 8,500 per night for smaller four-suite properties up to USD 60,000+ per night for ultra-luxury 12-suite camps in peak season. As your DMC, we negotiate buyout rates directly with each property — what you pay is what the lodge accepts. Festive peak (15 December to 5 January) typically carries a 20 – 30% premium.

Most properties require a 3-night minimum for sole-use buyouts. Ultra-luxury flagship properties (Giraffe Manor, Singita-tier camps) often accept 2-night buyouts in shoulder seasons but require 4 – 5 nights in peak. During festive holiday peak, a 5 – 7 night minimum is common. We negotiate this individually with each property and confirm at proposal stage.

For peak season (June – October) buyouts, 12 – 18 months ahead is typical. Festive holiday peak (15 December – 5 January) often books 18 – 24 months ahead. Shoulder and green-season buyouts can frequently be arranged within 6 – 9 months. Wedding venues require the longest lead time — most clients confirm 18 – 30 months out, especially for September/October dates.

Yes — that is the entire point of a buyout. Bespoke menus designed with the chef, themed evening dinners, branded signage for milestone events, custom turn-down gifts, special celebration dinners with toasts, dedicated photographers, private dining configurations, surprise extras at our discretion, themed welcome moments — all of this is standard buyout planning. We will share a detailed planning template after confirmation.

Legally binding ceremonies in Tanzania, Kenya, and most safari destinations require government paperwork that takes 2 – 3 weeks on the ground before the wedding date — which doesn't suit most international weddings. We therefore typically arrange a symbolic ceremony at the lodge (legally binding on return home in the couple's home country) with a celebrant, officiant or pastor of your choice. Properly considered, this is the way 90% of safari weddings now happen.

Yes — and arguably a buyout is the best family-safari format available. With the lodge to yourselves, children's timetables, mealtimes, and game-drive rhythms can flex around your family. Most properties accept all ages on a buyout basis (even where their standard policy has age minimums), provided the group accepts the standard child-on-safari safety guidelines. Childminders, family vehicles, and tailored kids' activity programmes are part of the standard buyout package.

Absolutely — and this is how many of our buyout journeys work. A typical multi-property buyout circuit might combine: Aya Sophia (3 nights, Arusha arrival villa), Namiri Plains (4 nights, Serengeti), private Zanzibar villa (4 nights, beach finale). We coordinate every internal flight, every airstrip transfer, and ensure the camp managers communicate ahead of your arrival. Multi-property buyouts give larger groups variety without losing the privacy.