How to balance your budget when travelling to a wildlife destination?
Pocket-friendly travel to Wildlife Destination in India
Take your first wildlife trip on a pocket-friendly budget, tailoring your experience and money into a fun-loving journey through suggestions.
Exploring wildlife is like treading into a never-ending experience, where escape is not an option. The more you immerse yourself into the canopies of dense forest, the distant gurgling sound of the brook, echoes of birds chirping, the swift touch of leaves or rubbing of a breeze against your face, everything holds you forever into the most tranquil moments of your life.
The problem today is that whenever we plan a trip into the wild, we are restricted by the capacity of expense and budget because wildlife itineraries are expensive, so we tend to ignore the possibility of travelling altogether.
Though the interesting thing is that there is a way in which you can plan your trip on a budget and that is what we are going to cover in this blog today. We will discuss all the major parameters, which are responsible for making your budget pocket friendly.
Pre-plan the Safari
We agree that the most successful trips are those which are random and have a surprise element but, in this case, the very first thing we need to do is book your safari tickets in advance. The reason is that when we will book tickets in advance, for approximately 3 weeks, the fees for tickets will be very affordable compared to the last-minute booking. Also, do keep in mind that maximum times people make mistakes while booking safari tickets because the website interface is difficult to understand, so either go with your travel agent or your hotel partner.
Accommodation near entrance
The second important thing that affects our budget the most is accommodation. There exist multiple stay options such as lodges, jungle camps & hotels depending on what one is seeking. If your budget allocation is done in a way where luxury is a priority then an experience of a luxury wildlife resort is incomparable. Similarly, other accommodation options can be explored matching one’s needs first.
Also, find a hotel that is in proximity to the entrance gate of the sanctuary, so you would not miss the safari timings.
(Image credits: Pench Jungle Camp)
Share the Safari
Share your safari vehicle with other parties so that your expense will be distributed among each other equally. Personal safaris can be expensive until and unless you are in a group of 6 people. Though the thing to remember is that you may not find group safari options at every Wildlife Park.
Eat at the accommodation
The other very important factor in reducing the price is food. It is recommended that you should take your complete meals at the hotel or nearby restaurants, this will forbid you to eat at Safari lodges, which are rather expensive.
(Image credits: Tadoba Jungle Camp)
Choice of Transportation
The mode of transportation that you take must cost you less because every National Park is now almost connected through either railways or roadways. Air transportation will cost you a fortune and personal vehicle is also unnecessary, because of petrol and diesel price hikes.
Shop at Traditional Local Shops
Instead of buying expensive handicraft items from the museums and copyright vendors, buy something from local shops in the nearby villages because they will give you value in cost, and you will promote their business as well.
(Image credits: Ranthambore National Park)
All the above factors are very much responsible for making your trip exceptionally budgeted and applicable to all the Wildlife parks as it is impossible to limit your budget to a fixed amount as the Safari prices at all the National Parks are very dynamic and keep on changing every time.
Also read: Summer trips in India in 2022