About SafariPlnr

    SafariPlnr is an independent safari planning resource covering 45 countries, 13,000+ national parks and reserves, 35,000+ safari lodges, and 7,000+ wildlife species - all free, with no tour operator affiliation.

    Our Mission

    We believe safari planning should be data-driven, transparent, and accessible. Our park, wildlife, and climate data comes from authoritative open sources - GBIF, IUCN, eBird, Open-Meteo, WDPA - not from operators paying for placement. Some descriptive content is AI-assisted, grounded in that data and reviewed for accuracy. No lodge can pay for a higher PlnrScore.

    What Makes Us Different

    • Comprehensive coverage - From Kenya's Masai Mara to Madagascar's rainforests, we cover 45 countries, including destinations most safari directories miss.
    • Real data - Wildlife from GBIF/eBird, conservation status from IUCN, weather from Open-Meteo, fees from official sources.
    • Independent - Not owned by a tour operator. PlnrScore rates lodges algorithmically.
    • Always free - All data and planning tools are free to use. We cover costs through affiliate commission on bookings via our partners, disclosed on every relevant page.

    Our Data Sources

    • Wildlife: GBIF, eBird, iNaturalist, IUCN Red List
    • Weather: Open-Meteo (5-year archives + 7-day forecasts)
    • Parks: Protected Planet (WDPA), OpenStreetMap, national park authorities
    • Entry fees: KWS eCitizen (Kenya), official park websites
    • Lodges: Aggregated from public sources, Google Places ratings
    • Health: WHO, government travel advisories

    How PlnrScore Works

    Every lodge receives a PlnrScore (0-100) calculated from: Google ratings, Expert Africa ratings, review volume, nearby wildlife density, elevation, and climate data. No lodge can pay for a higher score.

    Read our full methodology