What Is a Full-Board Safari? Meals and Inclusions Explained

Tanzania safari quotes use several board basis terms interchangeably — full board, all-inclusive, game package, fully inclusive — and they do not all mean the same thing. Misreading a quote can lead to unexpected costs. This guide explains what each term typically covers and how to compare quotes accurately.

Board Basis Definitions

Bed and Breakfast (B&B)

Accommodation and breakfast only. Lunch and dinner are additional charges at the lodge restaurant or packed lunch rate. Rarely offered for safari camps — more common for hotel stays in Arusha or Zanzibar.

Half Board (HB)

Accommodation, breakfast, and dinner. Lunch is additional, typically charged as a packed lunch fee (usually $16-25 per person) if you are on a game drive at midday. Half board is uncommon for full safari circuits but appears in some mid-range lodge packages.

Full Board (FB)

Accommodation, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All meals at the camp are covered. Drinks are typically not included — a separate bar bill is settled at checkout. Game drives are usually not included in full board; they are added as a separate cost or part of a "game package."

Full Board Plus Game Package

The most common structure for Tanzania safari camps. Includes accommodation, all meals, and a set number of game drives (typically two per day — morning and afternoon). Drinks, laundry, and tips are excluded. Some packages add specific activities: a bush walk, a sundowner, a cultural visit.

All-Inclusive

In the luxury safari context, all-inclusive typically means accommodation, all meals, all drinks (including alcohol), all game activities, and sometimes laundry. This is the standard at high-end camps charging $728-1,500 per person per night. The definition is not legally standardised — always confirm what is and is not included in writing.

What Safaris Tanzania Quotes Include

Safaris Tanzania quotes are all-inclusive of the following:

• Accommodation at the specified camp or lodge for each night
• All meals (breakfast, lunch/packed lunch, dinner)
• Game drives as per the itinerary — morning and afternoon in parks
• Park entrance fees and conservation levies
• Private Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and professional guide
• Airport transfers to/from Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Bottled water in the vehicle throughout

Safaris Tanzania quotes explicitly exclude:

• International flights to Tanzania
• Tanzania visa fees (currently $52 for most nationalities)
• Travel insurance
• Alcoholic beverages at camps (unless specified)
• Gratuities for guides and camp staff (discretionary)
• Optional activities not in the itinerary (balloon safaris, cultural visits at additional cost)

How to Compare Quotes Accurately

Two quotes for the "same" safari can differ by 40% depending on what each operator includes. When comparing, verify:

• Are park fees included? Some operators quote accommodation-only and add park fees separately. Tanzania national park fees for a 7-day northern circuit run $832-1,200 per person. A quote that excludes them looks artificially cheap.
• Is it private or shared? A private Land Cruiser costs more than a shared group vehicle. The experience is incomparably better. Confirm vehicle type before assuming.
• How many game drives are included? Some full-board packages include one drive per day; others include two. This significantly affects what you see.
• Are drinks included? At high-end camps, a bar bill for two people over 7 nights can add $312-600 if drinks are not included.

The Transparent Quote Standard

A well-structured safari quote should itemise all inclusions and exclusions clearly. If a quote is vague about what the per-person price covers, ask for a breakdown before paying a deposit. Reputable operators provide this without hesitation.

The Broker Margin Problem in Package Pricing

International booking platforms sell Tanzania safari packages at prices that include a broker margin of 20–35% on top of the actual ground operator cost. When you compare a broker-quoted "all-inclusive" package against a Safaris Tanzania direct quote, you are not comparing like with like. The broker package that appears cheaper may actually be the more expensive product — with a worse guide, a lower-tier camp, or a shared vehicle — because the broker margin is embedded in the price before you see it.

Safaris Tanzania quotes are transparent: you see exactly what the actual ground operation costs, exactly what the park fees are, exactly what the guide earns, and exactly what the vehicle and accommodation contribute. There is no hidden margin. When you book direct, the quality of what you pay for is visible — not obscured by a distribution chain that extracts value without adding service.

The practical implication for comparing quotes: always ask for the ground operator's name. If the quote comes from a broker's name — a foreign travel agent, an online booking platform — ask what ground operator they use. Then contact that ground operator directly and compare. The difference in transparency and directness is itself informative about how your safari will be run.

What Full Board Actually Costs at Different Camp Tiers

The per-person cost of full board at Tanzania safari camps varies enormously by accommodation tier:

Budget camps ($83–150 per person per night): Basic tents, shared facilities, reliable food, no-frills service. The guiding is variable — some budget camps use excellent freelance guides, others use whoever is available. Full board at this tier covers meals and accommodation only; game drives are added separately at $52–100 per person per day.

Mid-range camps ($208–400 per person per night): Private tents or rooms with en-suite facilities, good food, professional service. Game drives are typically included in the package. This is where Safaris Tanzania operates — the tier where the guiding is consistently excellent, the camps are genuinely comfortable, and the value equation is strongest.

Luxury camps ($624–1,500 per person per night): Tented suites with full facilities, exceptional food, premium service, included drinks and activities. The experience is genuinely different from mid-range. Whether it is three times better is a matter of personal prioritisation.

Understanding which tier a quote falls in — and whether it includes park fees, private vehicles, and two drives per day — tells you more than the headline price alone.

Hidden Costs That Appear After Booking

Several costs are routinely omitted from vague quotes and appear as surprise charges after you have paid a deposit:

Park fees: Tanzania National Park fees are not always included in quoted prices. The fee for a 7-day northern circuit (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara) totals approximately $832–1,200 per person. A quote that excludes park fees can appear 30% cheaper than a quote that includes them — a significant gap that only becomes apparent after you have committed.

Crater rim fees: Ngorongoro Crater specifically charges a separate rim entry fee in addition to the crater floor fee. Some operators include this; others quote it separately. Always confirm whether your Ngorongoro itinerary includes the rim fee.

Airport transfer rates: A transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha should cost approximately $52–80 by road. Some operators quote this separately from the main itinerary price. Safaris Tanzania includes airport transfers in all safari quotes as standard.

Visa and international flights: Obvious exclusions, but sometimes missed by first-time Tanzania travellers who assume these are covered in a "full package" quote.

Travel insurance: Not included in any operator quote. Always required for Tanzania safari travel.

Tips: Not included. Tipping for guides and camp staff is customary and not optional — budget approximately $26–40 per person per day in tips for a 7-day safari. This is a real cost that should appear in any honest budget planning.

What Full Board Looks Like Day by Day

A typical full-board safari day in Tanzania: breakfast at camp at 5:30–6am (packed breakfast if you depart before the dining room opens), game drive from approximately 6am to 11am, return to camp for lunch and rest from 12pm to 3pm, afternoon game drive from 3pm to 6:30pm, dinner at camp from 7:30pm. The exact timing varies by season and by the camp's proximity to the morning game drive area.

At mid-range camps, dinner is typically a served three-course meal: soup or salad, a protein with starch and vegetables, and dessert. At luxury camps, the dinner may be a five-course experience. At budget camps, dinner is a substantial plated meal. The quality of camp food in Tanzania's mid-range tier is consistently higher than most travellers expect.

Lunch is either a hot meal at camp or a packed lunch eaten at a picnic spot in the park — both are included in the full-board rate. Safaris Tanzania always confirms the lunch format with camps in advance so you know what to expect.

Drinks: The Most Commonly Misunderstood Inclusion

At mid-range Tanzania safari camps, drinks are almost never included in the full-board rate. This means you pay for your beer, your wine, your soft drinks, and your water separately at the bar. Over a 7-night safari, a couple can spend $208–400 on drinks at mid-range camps. At luxury camps, drinks may be included — confirm this specifically before booking.

Bottled water in the vehicle during game drives is always included and does not appear on your bar bill. The water provided in your room is also included. What is not included is the bar drinks — wines by the glass, spirits, and mixers.

Safaris Tanzania quotes specify whether drinks are included or excluded for each property in your itinerary. If you are comparing quotes from different operators, confirm the drinks policy for each camp — this is a detail that can add $208–400 to your final bill if not clarified in advance.

Safaris Tanzania quotes are itemised — you see exactly what is included per day and per property. To request a quote for your dates, WhatsApp Kassim at +255 786 110 786.