African Safaris from India
Expertly planned safaris to Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa — designed with you in India, delivered on the ground in Africa by specialists who know both sides of the journey.
Photo · Angama Mara, Masai Mara
The Chalo View
An African safari is the trip of a lifetime — and from India, it is far closer and far more doable than most people imagine. A direct flight from Mumbai puts you in Nairobi in about seven hours; a single hop through the Gulf or Ethiopia connects Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad to the Serengeti, the Masai Mara and beyond.
Chalo Africa was founded by Indians who fell in love with Africa and built a company to share it with travellers back home. We plan every journey ourselves — no call-centre, no off-the-shelf package — matching the right camp, the right season and the right pace to how you like to travel, whether that is a honeymoon under canvas, a multi-generational family holiday, or a first safari you have dreamed about for years.
Chalo Africa is Asilia Africa‘s preferred partner in Asia — a relationship that gives our travellers priority access and specially negotiated rates at some of East Africa’s finest camps, from the cheetah plains of the Serengeti to the private conservancies bordering the Masai Mara. It is a level of access the big online booking sites simply cannot offer.
Why Plan Your Safari With Chalo
Africa & India, equally understood
We have been planning African safaris for Indian travellers for almost a decade and a half. We know the conditions on the ground — the weather windows, the wildlife patterns, which camp is right in which month — and we know exactly how travellers from India like to travel.
Partner with Hundreds of Camps across Africa
From the Masai Mara to the Okavango Delta, we work directly with hundreds of camps and lodges across the continent — securing priority space and preferential rates for our travellers.
Specialists, Not Algorithms
Booking engines and AI tools do not understand Africa, even when they pretend to — they generalise, and Africa punishes generalisation. Every itinerary here is hand-built by a specialist who has been there, on WhatsApp with you before, during and after the trip.
Getting to Africa from India
Reaching East Africa from India is quicker than most long-haul holidays. Kenya Airways flies direct from Mumbai to Nairobi in roughly seven hours — often the fastest way into safari country. From every other major Indian city, a single convenient stop does it.
To Kenya
Direct Mumbai–Nairobi on Kenya Airways (~7 hrs), or one stop from Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad via Dubai (Emirates), Doha (Qatar Airways), Abu Dhabi (Etihad) or Addis Ababa (Ethiopian).
To Tanzania
One convenient stop to Kilimanjaro (JRO) or Zanzibar (ZNZ) via the Gulf hubs, Addis Ababa or Nairobi. Total journey time is typically 10–13 hours from most Indian cities.
Southern Africa
For Botswana and South Africa, connect through Johannesburg (via the Gulf or Ethiopian) — an easy add-on to a beach finish in the Seychelles, Mauritius or Zanzibar.
Best Time to Go — Planned Around Indian Holidays
The great advantage of travelling from India is that our main holidays line up beautifully with Africa’s best game-viewing. Here is how the safari calendar maps to the Indian travel year.
| Indian travel window | Months | What’s happening in Africa | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer holidays | Apr–May | The green season: lush landscapes after the rains, superb birding, few vehicles and excellent value — and it lines up with the April–May school holidays in many parts of India. | Value; families; photographers |
| Summer holidays | Jun | A wonderful shoulder month: the Great Migration pushes through the Western Serengeti, the weather is dry and pleasant — and it is not peak pricing. | The migration without peak prices |
| Summer / Dussehra break | Jul–Oct | Dry season and the Great Migration in the north; the Mara River crossings run roughly August to October — East Africa at its most spectacular. | The crossings; peak wildlife |
| New Year & winter break | Dec–Feb | The wildebeest calving peaks in the southern Serengeti (Ndutu) in February — a great time to visit. Unfortunately, the Christmas and New Year weeks are very expensive across Africa. If value matters to you, avoid this break. | Calving season — avoid the holiday weeks |
What an African Safari Costs
Safari rates are all-inclusive: your daily rate covers accommodation, all meals, game drives with expert guides, and park and conservancy fees. That makes a safari far better value than the headline price suggests.
Group Tours
Around US$500–750 per person per day on scheduled small-group departures — a great-value way to experience a first safari.
Customised Tours
Around US$1,100–1,400 per person per day for a private, tailor-made itinerary — a little less in low season.
Luxury
US$1,500+ per person per day for the most celebrated camps and lodges in Africa, for travellers who want the very best.
Budgeting from India
As a rule of thumb, budget on average at least US$750–US$1,000 per person per day — so around US$4,500 to US$6,000 for a one-week safari, before international flights. Remember that this covers everything on the ground: your camp, meals, game drives and park fees.
Where Indian Travellers Love to Safari
We plan tailor-made journeys across the whole continent. These are the destinations Indian families and honeymooners return to most — each with a dedicated guide written for travellers from India.
A Few Camps We Love
A taste of East Africa across every budget — several from the Asilia Africa collection, where our preferred-partner status secures priority space and better rates. Prices are per person per night, fully inclusive.
Encounter Mara
An intimate Asilia camp in a private conservancy bordering the Masai Mara — walking, night drives and superb big-cat country, away from the crowds.
Kitela Lodge
A gracious lodge on a coffee farm near the Ngorongoro Crater — wonderful value and a family favourite on the northern Tanzania circuit.
Namiri Plains
Asilia’s cheetah-country camp in a remote corner of the Serengeti — open plains, exceptional predator sightings and true wilderness.
Sayari Camp
Asilia’s flagship in the north, right by the Mara River — a front-row seat for the migration’s dramatic river crossings.
Olakira Migration Camp
A mobile Asilia camp that follows the Great Migration through the year — star beds and canvas that put you exactly where the herds are.
Angama Mara
Suspended above the Great Rift Valley with one of the most celebrated views in Africa — the honeymoon icon of the Masai Mara.
Jao Camp
One of the Okavango Delta’s most celebrated camps — water and land safaris across the Botswana wetlands, with breathtaking design and service.
Mombo Camp
The legendary “Place of Plenty” on Chief’s Island — among Africa’s finest big-game camps, with extraordinary predator sightings.
Hoanib Skeleton Coast
A remote camp between the Skeleton Coast and Damaraland — desert-adapted elephants and lions amid vast, cinematic Namibian wilderness.
andBeyond Ngala
A classic lodge in a private concession bordering Kruger — Big Five country with andBeyond’s signature guiding and warm hospitality.
Visas & Practicalities for Indian Passport Holders
Kenya — Indian citizens need an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), applied for online before departure.
Tanzania — an eVisa via the official immigration portal, or a visa on arrival at major airports.
South Africa & Botswana — South Africa has recently introduced eVisas for Indian travellers; Botswana also offers an eVisa.
Health — a yellow-fever certificate is required when travelling between Kenya and Tanzania and for some entries; consult a travel clinic well before departure.
Please note we are not able to arrange visas or vaccinations — requirements change, so always check the official government portals. Our India-specific guides below have the current detail.
Questions Indian Travellers Ask
How long is the flight from India to an African safari?
Kenya Airways flies direct from Mumbai to Nairobi in about seven hours. From Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad — and to Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar — you take one convenient stop via Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Muscat or Addis Ababa, for a total journey of roughly 10 to 13 hours.
Do Indian citizens need a visa for a safari?
Yes. Kenya requires an online eTA (Electronic Travel Authorisation); Tanzania an eVisa or visa on arrival; South Africa has recently introduced eVisas for Indian travellers; and Botswana offers an eVisa. Requirements change, so always check the official government portals before you travel.
When is the best time to go from India?
July to October is prime time for the Great Migration and the Mara River crossings. April–May is the green season — lush, quiet and excellent value, and it lines up with summer school holidays in parts of India. June is a lovely shoulder month, with the migration moving through the Western Serengeti at below-peak prices. December to February brings the Serengeti calving season, though the Christmas and New Year weeks are very expensive.
How much does an African safari from India cost?
Budget on average at least US$750 per person per day — around US$4,500 for a one-week safari, before international flights. Small-group tours run around US$500–750 per person per day, customised private itineraries around US$1,100–1,400 (a little less in low season), and the luxury icons US$1,500 and up. Rates are all-inclusive: accommodation, all meals, game drives and park fees.
Is it suitable for families and honeymooners?
Absolutely — it is one of the great family and honeymoon trips. We choose family-friendly camps with the right rooms and pacing for children, and romantic, private lodges for couples. Vegetarian meals are available at almost every camp in Africa.
Why book through Chalo Africa rather than online?
Because we understand Africa and India equally well — and we have been doing this for almost a decade and a half. Planning a safari means understanding conditions on the ground: the weather, the wildlife patterns, which camp is right in which month. Booking engines and AI tools do not understand Africa, even when they pretend to — they generalise, and Africa punishes generalisation.
Let’s Plan Your African Safari
Tell us how you like to travel and we’ll design a journey to match — the right camps, the right season, and the best value from India. No obligation, just expert advice from people who know Africa and India equally well.