If you've been surfing the web, in search for an affordable yet high-quality safari, chances are that you have become very frustrated in the process. In fact, we've got this image of you, sitting behind your computer, slightly red face, fumes coming from your ears, chewing on your keyboard…

OK OK maybe we're exaggerating a bit. But hey, we can assure you; we're not making fun of you! To be honest, we've been in the very same situation. In fact, it is out of our own frustration that Mad Mongoose was born. You see, a (long) while ago, we were the ones looking for a quality safari at an affordable price. And we too were struggling to find it.
Moreover, we made all the wrong choices. Going for lodges outside the reserves? Check. Choosing lodges whose traverse is too small? Check. Assembling safari itineraries that are too short, in order to keep it affordable? Check! And booking with a EU/UK-based travel agency that has no safari experience but merely adds a commission to an itinerary they got from a South-African agency? Yeah, we're guilty of that too.

But, as they say: "you only learn from your mistakes, not your successes". We eventually got it right. And our knowledge of safaris led to the creation of this very site. Yes, we've made a side-job out of it! Well, one of us actually made a full time job out of it.
















MAD MONGOOSE SPECIALISES IN SAFARI EXPERIENCES THAT WILL STAY WITH YOU FOR A LIFETIME, AT A PRICE YOU WILL HAVE FORGOTTEN THE MOMENT YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST CLOSE-UP ENCOUNTER WITH AN ANIMAL














So what does this site provide? Simple. It gives you an insight on what a top-quality safari at an affordable price should look like.

But please note that our sample trips are just that; sample trips. There's more fantastic lodges than the ones that ended up on our website. Our database has about 150 lodges in the Kruger area, an extra 100 lodges in other reserves all around South Africa, and about 500 more non-safari lodges outside these reserves.

The possibilities are endless. Any combination of safari lodges is possible. And any combination of a safari portion of your trip with other tourist drawcards in and around South Africa is possible as well. Our sample trips only raise a small corner of the veil, but hopefully enough to show you what we can do for you.

Because right now you may have this image that we once had as well; if you want to go on safari, you can either keep it affordable by self-driving and staying in very basic accommodation of the government restcamps, or you can dig a deep hole in your savings and then you can have a fully catered trip to lodges that provide a standard of accommodation that you are used to, and that provide guided game drives led by a knowledgeable guide and tracker duo. There seems to be no middle ground.
Rest assured, that image is wrong. A high-quality safari experience - providing close-up encounters with wild animals, away from the crowds, fully organised, fully guided, safe, and affordable - is very possible. It just looks like it doesn't exist, because in your Google search results the expensive and posh lodges always end up on top. But that's just because they have the biggest marketing budgets and because untrustworthy travel agents recommend them a lot. Posh lodges give up to 40% commission to these agents, so no wonder they push the most expensive box over the counter.

Instead of fishing in the same pond as most travel agents (you know; the pond with big shot lawyers and brain surgeons and the likes), we decided to give credit were credit is due. We go for small-scale lodges that provide an equal amount of fantastic animal sightings, but in perhaps less-known private reserves. Specific to the Kruger area; we choose reserves that have open borders with the National park.

These lodges are on the forefront of conservation. They put new reserves on the map and make these areas a safe haven for wildlife. They expand those reserves and drop fences in between them. They make eco-conservation a success. They deserve all the support they can get.













IF YOU THINK ACCOMMODATION LIKE THIS NEEDS TO COST AN ARM AND A LEG (OR POSSIBLY A KIDNEY); PLEASE LET US PROVE YOU WRONG!














So how do we work?

What makes us different from our "competitors" in UK/EU?

Why choose us?

We link your safari needs with the right South-African travel agency. We combine our knowledge with theirs, because they are true specialists in their area. The result is a proposal that simply cannot be beat in terms of price or quality. The proposals you get come from them, not from us.
In return for our services, we get a cut from their commission. We do not add any extra commission/cost to your safari proposal. All proposals are free of charge, no matter how many times we have to fine tune them to fully meet your requirements like travel dates, budget, etc.

Bottom line; there's no need to pay 500 £ and up, per person per night, to get an awesome safari experience. So if you were looking for an amazing safari at a much more affordable price, sit back and relax. Your search is over. You've found the website you need!





What Mad Mongoose is going for:


Lodges that provide an accommodation standard that is equal to what you have at home

Lodges with sufficient traverse (total area they are allowed to drive on) to keep it interesting even if you stay with them for half a week or longer
Lodges that - given the right weather and soil conditions - are allowed to go off road for big-5 animals and other predators, allowing for very close wildlife encounters

Lodges that are allowed to do night drives, allowing you to see nocturnal animals
Family-Owned and small-scale safari lodges, serving delicious "home-cooked" meals

Lodges that provide awesome wildlife encounters through game drives or game walks led by experienced guides and trackers













We also avoid the pitfalls that come with low-quality safaris. So we are not the cheapest either.

But we do not cut corners. We do not compromise. Because we don’t have to. We offer quality. We offer - by far! - the best bang for your buck.

Share your safari plans with us!
With Mad mongoose, you are sure to have a safari experience of a lifetime!









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