On one of my safaris, I was in a vehicle with 6 people as part of a group. On another, it was private. Just my own group, 4 of us.
I'll take private every single time.
Here's why. When your guide says there's a cheetah a bit away, you get to decide if you want to go. We did exactly that. In a shared vehicle, that call becomes a group vote, and you go wherever the consensus goes.
"Can we have it to ourselves?" is now one of the first questions new safari clients ask me. After 31 years as a travel advisor, I think it's the right question to start with. Here's what I tell them.
How many people are in a safari vehicle?
It depends on the camp. At the camps I've stayed at, a shared vehicle had 6 guests and my private vehicle had 4.
Some camps cap it at 6. Some at 4. And a few overfill, which means someone's in the middle seat, someone's shooting photos over a stranger's shoulder, and everyone's twisting around to see.
So if a client isn't booking private, this is the first thing I ask the camp: how many guests go in a game drive vehicle? You spend a LOT of hours in that seat, morning and evening drives, day after day. Seats matter.
Why I book private for most of my clients
I typically book a private vehicle for my clients. My own parents only booked private. Once you've done it, it's hard to go back.
With your own vehicle and guide, you decide:
Where to go next (yes to the cheetah, or stay with the elephants a while longer)
How long to sit with a sighting
When to stop for coffee, a bathroom break, or a sundowner
What to focus on, whether that's photography, birds, or chasing the big cats
This matters most for families. Multi-gen is our jam, and a private vehicle is how a grandparent, a teenager, and a 9-year-old all get the safari they came for. If the little one is done, you head back to camp. Nobody else's morning gets cut short.
Having the whole camp to yourselves
Some families want more than the vehicle. They want the whole camp, or an exclusive-use villa with its own guide, vehicle, chef, and staff.
That used to be a rare request. Now it comes up all the time, and the operators I work with are seeing it too. One Kenyan operator reported that private safaris in East Africa grew 31% in the first quarter of 2026, and that new clients now ask about private vehicles before they ask about price.
The catch? Everyone else wants them too. Exclusive-use villas and buyouts are getting snapped up months earlier than they used to be. If you have a big birthday, an anniversary, or the whole family in mind, start the conversation early.
I also love Botswana for this. The camps tend to be much smaller to begin with, so even when you're not buying out the camp, it can feel like it's yours. I usually pair Botswana with South Africa, where you get the safari and Cape Town. (It has Europe with Cape Town.)
Private is only as good as your guide
A private vehicle with an average guide is still an average safari. Camp prices are based on the GUIDES' expertise, and the guide is what you're really paying for.
My first day ever in Africa, at MalaMala in 2010, our guide spotted a male lion who walked within a few feet of our vehicle. Then a female roared at him, and we saw why: 3 cubs, only a few weeks old, tumbling over each other like puppies. We watched that family for more than an hour. It felt like minutes.
That hour happened because our guide knew where to be and when to wait.
Timing matters just as much. The biggest mistakes I see are going at the wrong time of year and picking the wrong camp. In South Africa, I steer clients away from the super hot or wet months because the animals are harder to see. Kenya has a milder climate and a longer season, so you can go almost any time.
Private safari questions I get all the time
Can we have a safari vehicle to ourselves? Yes. Most luxury camps offer a private vehicle and guide. Ask early, because camps only have so many vehicles and guides to go around.
How many people are in a shared game drive vehicle? Usually 4 to 6 guests at the camps I recommend. Some camps overfill, so always ask for the number before you commit.
Is a private safari worth it? For families, photographers, and anyone who wants to set their own pace, I think so. You choose where to go and how long to stay at every sighting.
What's an exclusive-use villa or camp buyout? You book the whole villa or camp for your group, usually with your own guide, vehicle, and staff. These now book up months earlier than they used to.
Is a private safari good for multi-generational families? It's my favorite way to do it. Everyone gets their own version of the trip, and you can head back to camp whenever someone needs a break.
Botswana or Kenya for a private safari? I love both, and they're very different. Kenya works on its own, with a nonstop flight from JFK and a long season. Botswana has smaller camps, wide open, no fences, and I usually pair it with South Africa.
Who's in your vehicle?
You don't need to know which camp, which country, or how many seats before you reach out. That's my job. We'll start with what's important to you, then I'll match you with the right camp, the right guide, and a vehicle that's yours.
We're based here in Scottsdale and plan safaris for families all over the country.
So tell me: if you had the vehicle to yourselves, who would be sitting next to you?