Glatt Safaris Shows Families How to Plan a Kosher Safari Within Budget

For many Torah observant families, the dream of seeing lions in the wild has long come with a worrying price tag. Glatt Kosher food, minyanim and Shabbat arrangements in remote places all add cost, and generic tour operators rarely cater for them at all. Glatt Safaris, the Johannesburg based operator of Glatt Kosher gourmet safari and holiday tours in South Africa and East Africa, is using November, when many households sit down to set next year's travel budget, to explain how a trip can be planned to suit different price points without compromising on kashrut.

The company was founded in 2013 by Chanan Green, a frum Israeli-South African, after he organised a safari for relatives from Israel and saw the challenges religious holidaymakers face. Generic tours offered no Kosher food option, while the Glatt Kosher tours available did not always specialise in gourmet food and could be very expensive. Glatt Safaris was built to close that gap, and keeping costs within reach of ordinary frum families remains part of its stated mission.

Two group tracks with clear inclusions

The most predictable way to budget for a Kosher Safari is to join one of the company's public group tours, which host between 20 and 40 people. There are two tracks. The Silver Track stays within South Africa and takes in Kruger National Park, the Cape Winelands, whale watching at Hermanus, Table Mountain, African penguins and the Cape of Good Hope. The Gold Track adds East Africa, including Victoria Falls on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia and Chobe National Park in Botswana, over an 11-day itinerary with five-star hotels.

Both tracks are priced to include the main costs that usually catch travellers out. The price covers three Kosher LeMehadrin meals a day supervised by the Cape Town Beth Din, two domestic flights within South Africa, accommodation in luxury hotels, air-conditioned tour buses, mineral water on the buses and entrance fees to all the reserves. Families can therefore see most of the trip's cost in a single figure before they commit.

What is not included is just as clearly set out: international flights to Johannesburg and home again, medical and luggage insurance, optional extras outside the itinerary such as Robben Island, and personal spending such as laundry, souvenirs and extra drinks. On the Gold Track, an entry visa is payable on arrival in Zimbabwe and Zambia. The company recommends taking out insurance at registration in case a trip has to be cancelled for medical reasons.

Published dates for 2027 fall in February and August, giving families time to plan. The Silver Track runs from 15 to 22 February 2027 or from 16 to 23 August 2027, and the Gold Track from 15 to 25 February 2027 or from 16 to 26 August 2027.

Private tours shaped around a budget

Families who prefer their own pace, or who are planning a honeymoon, anniversary or multi-generational trip, can choose a private tour instead. Glatt Safaris builds these from the budget up. Travellers set what they want to spend, choose an accommodation level, and share the foods and interests that matter to them, and the company designs a route around those choices.

That flexibility is where real savings can be made. A family can spend less on accommodation and order Kosher pre-packaged meals, freeing up money for more destinations, sightseeing and attractions. Alternatively, they can stay in a private reserve or VIP retreat with a personal chef cooking their favourite dishes, and visit fewer places. Accommodation ranges from three, four and five-star hotels to private reserves and VIP retreats, so each Kosher Tour can be pitched at a level that suits the household.

Private routes can take in Cape Town and Table Mountain, the Garden Route, Kruger National Park, a private Big Five reserve, Victoria Falls and Chobe. Madikwe is also offered and is described by the company as a malaria-free reserve, which some families with young children prefer.

Where the value comes from

Glatt Safaris describes itself as a boutique, lean company with strong supplier relationships, and says this is what allows it to keep prices low without cutting corners on kashrut or quality. In remote areas, the company flies in its own food, chefs and mashgichim and sets up temporary Kosher kitchens using imported Kosher ingredients that travellers can inspect for themselves. In Cape Town and Johannesburg, Kosher restaurants can also be used.

Religious needs are covered as part of the service. The company arranges minyanim, a Sefer Torah, access to a mikveh, places for netilat yadayim, Kiddush wine and Shabbat candles, so that travellers do not need to source these themselves along the way. The head chef has 25 years of experience in Kosher restaurants and kitchens in Johannesburg, and the kitchen team caters for vegan, vegetarian and other special diets.

Planning ahead pays off

Because both group tracks and private tours involve flights, reserves and hotels, booking well in advance gives families the widest choice. Travellers who know their preferred dates can secure a place on a group track, while those considering a private tour can start a conversation about budget and priorities early. Glatt Safaris lists phone numbers in New York, London, Jerusalem and South Africa, so families can reach the team from wherever they are.

For families who have put off Kosher Safaris because of cost, the message from the company is that there is more than one way to make the trip work, from an all-inclusive group track to a tailored private route built around what matters most to them.

Full itineraries, dates and contact details are available at https://www.glattsafaris.com/.

About Glatt Safaris

Glatt Safaris (PTY) LTD is a Johannesburg based tour operator founded in 2013 by Chanan Green. It offers Glatt Kosher gourmet safari and holiday tours across South Africa and East Africa, including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, through Silver and Gold group tracks and fully customised private tours. Meals are Kosher LeMehadrin and supervised by the Cape Town Beth Din, and the company arranges minyanim and Shabbat requirements on every trip.

Media Contact
Glatt Safaris
Email: info@glattsafaris.com
Phone: +27 21 300 1844
Website: https://www.glattsafaris.com/