I’ve spent a lot of time in the world of responsible animal tourism, thanks to working under a world-renowned elephant conservationist in Thailand. While there, I got a front row view at how animals are used in tourism, and an expert understanding of the sharp eye you need to have to know the difference between operators of animal experiences doing the ethical thing and ones borrowing the language of conservation (AKA greenwashing) to sell experiences.
The same skill applies to safari planning.
And, I’ve been on both good and bad (and will mention both in this, so keep reading).
Just because a safari camp markets itself as sustainable doesn’t mean it is. A lodge that says it can accommodate vegans doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be eating the same caliber of what others are eating. And, one that touts conservation may not always put their money where their mouth is.
When planning an ethical safari vacation, there are a lot of things to keep in mind. And, I’m breaking it all down for you.
What an ethical vegan safari includes
Obviously, as a vegan, you’re going to want the food options to include plant-based and not basic. Especially at a more luxurious price point. But, a lodge can serve a gorgeous vegan dinner while also running a walk with lions program on the side. Which, friends, is an automatic red flag.
It’s definitely not operating as an ethical safari outfit, and no amount of vegan food options, locally-grown produce, or employing locals can remedy that.
An ethical vegan safari experience encompasses more than food. It includes:
- the wildlife experience
- conservation and sustainability efforts
- local employment and community support
- fair wages and proper treatment of staff
To choose where to go, you’ve got to scrutinize all of these factors.
The sustainable safari and greencrowding
Sustainable safari interest has grown by more than 1,000 percent over the last four years, according to B Corp-certified travel advisor Go2Africa. That growth has brought serious operators to the forefront … and a wave of greenwashing alongside it. Now, there’s another term to contend with, too.
Greencrowding.
It’s a greenwashing tactic where brands glom on to group initiatives, industrial alliances or certification programs lacking in-depth checks to avoid taking responsibility for their own environmental impact.
The goal of brands who are greencrowding is to attract and capture eco-conscious travelers who aren’t going beyond face-value, regardless of what the brands are actually doing. They’re the people who want to do better, but aren’t going the extra step necessary — the vetting — to make sure they actually are.
If you want a real life example of it, look no further than Airbnb. Medium broke down the many instances of their tacking themselves on to sustainable language and recognition. Basically, the company was doing everything that is considered unethical, but was participating in initiatives and labels to mislead the public. In fact, they contributed to problems including urban sprawl, waste generation, the displacement of local residents, an increase in housing prices and disrupting communities.
The green flags to look for when planning your vegan safari
There are plant-based options on lodge menus
There is a difference between a lodge that can make you a plate of vegetables when asked and one that has structured vegan menus.
Take Emboo River Camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara, for example. It built its culinary program around actively limiting animal-based products because of their environmental footprint. The camp uses ingredients from an on-site vertical and hydroponic gardens. You can also tour the camp’s garden and select fresh ingredients directly from there. (And another green flag we’ll get into later – the camp runs on solar power and uses electric safari vehicles.)
Singita Sabora Tented Camp in Tanzania’s Grumeti Reserve takes a similar approach. Here, vegetables are central to the dishes while also using farm-to-table ingredients that highlight traditional African ingredients and influences. An added bonus: the brand’s philosophy of sustainability touches its community through their Community Culinary School which provides education for aspiring chefs to develop and nurture their interest and proficiency in culinary careers.
It operates within a community conservancy model
The lodges doing this right don’t just pay park fees. They operate within structures where local communities hold a direct financial stake in the land staying wild. Conservation revenue goes directly to indigenous landowners like the Maasai, the Samburu, and specific communities in Rwanda. This gives them a concrete economic reason to protect ecosystems instead of converting them. Look for language about specific conservancy partnerships and community ownership, not vague “giving back” phrasing.
It tells you exactly where conservation money goes
A credible operator can name the specific programs they fund, how much goes to each, and who benefits on the ground. For example, there is Lewa Safari Camp which is owned by Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Visitors pay to fund the conservancy, which protects and breeds rhinos on its land, as well as having a dedicated anti-poaching team.
You want to make sure where your money goes is transparent. If it’s not, don’t book there.
It holds verifiable sustainability credentials
Certified B Corp status, Vegan Hospitality certification, Travelife, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and Rainforest Alliance certifications all require independent, on-site audits to earn. Kings Camp in Timbavati, South Africa, holds the first Vegan Hospitality certification on the continent. There’s also membership in The Long Run, a network of nature-based tourism businesses committed to the 4Cs framework (conservation, community, culture, and commerce). Singita and Segera in Kenya are both members.
When it comes to carbon claims, be cautious.
Many lodges market themselves as carbon neutral but exclude Scope 3 emissions from their calculations, which cover supply chains, imported goods, and guest travel. In remote Africa, where everything from food to staff must travel significant distances to a private concession, that omission adds up fast. The carbon offset market also has a scam problem. If carbon neutrality is a key factor in your decision, check with Credible Carbon, an independent third-party verifier, before accepting a claim at face value. Camps that claim to be carbon neutral should use solar power, battery banks, solar water heaters, and also have electric safari vehicles or very fuel-efficient 4x4s. When it comes to the supply chain, look for food and supplies that are local to lower transportation emissions.
The safari vehicles
More and more camps are integrating electric vehicles into their programming. Emboo River Camp runs a full fleet of electric vehicles. That being said, the last time I was on safari at Shamwari in South Africa, we had a pretty fascinating conversation about the use of these vehicles. On one side, the wildlife have become accustomed to the noise of the engine on vehicles, which means they aren’t bothered by these vehicles. Because of this, there is hesitation regarding more of an industry-wide adaption to electric. The fear is that animals will become startled by the silent vehicles and can result in altering the animals behaviors, placing both them and humans in danger.
In addition, there should be a limit on the number of vehicles allowed at a viewing at any given time. You don’t want a crowd of 4x4s to impede on any animal’s natural behavior. Two vehicles, max.
Red flags: what to never book
Any experience that lets you pet, walk with, or ride a wild animal
Lion cub petting, walking with cheetahs, and elephant rides all exist because operators conditioned those animals through training methods that cause harm. Unfortunately, sophisticated marketing and promotion on social media surrounds all of them. A lodge that offers or promotes these experiences is not an ethical operator, regardless of what appears elsewhere on its sustainability page. When animals engage in any way with humans, it alters their natural behavior and also puts everyone in danger. In addition, some of the programs like walking with lions and petting them feeds into the canned hunting pipeline.
Guaranteed wildlife sightings
If an operator promises you will see a specific animal, delivering on that promise requires controlling where that animal is. When this is the case, it means either baiting or creating conditions that compromise natural behavior is taking place.
A conservation-focused operator will never promise you’ll see anything. While it can be disappointing, I promise, the animals and nature you do see will quickly make up for it. There is always a chance for exceptional sightings. Part of the beauty of safari is the anticipation and the uncertainty. Some of the coolest moments I’ve had haven’t been watching the Big Five, but the guide being able to share how the ecosystem works and pointing out the way all the animals and birds talk to each other.
“Sanctuaries” built around close animal contact
Safari operators borrow the word sanctuary constantly. A rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary does not generate revenue by letting guests hold, photograph closely, or interact with the animals in its care. If the business model depends on that contact, it is not a sanctuary.
Staged cultural experiences
Some operators run village tours that function as performances built for tourists rather than community engagement and having little benefit for the community beyond exploitation. Ethical cultural access involves communities that opt in, lead the experience, and receive fair compensation. Ask specifically how the local community participates and what percentage of revenue reaches them directly.
Ethical safari lodges I recommend
Shamwari Private Game Reserve | Eastern Cape, South Africa
Shamwari spans over 25,000 hectares of malaria-free wilderness in the Eastern Cape. The area is one of the most biodiverse regions in Africa, restored from degraded farmland into a thriving Big Five reserve. It pioneered private Big Five conservation in the Eastern Cape and has spent decades demonstrating that large-scale wildlife restoration is possible outside of national parks. A greenhouse and herb garden supply the lodges on-site.
Six lodges sit within the reserve, from the Edwardian flagship Long Lee Manor to the adult-only Eagles Crag. Vegan dining options are available.
Shamwari is also the reserve I partner with for my South African vegan tours. It’s got a special place in my heart and has been a part of so many magical experiences for me and those who have joined me on my award-winning South African vegan tours.
Conservation and community: The Shamwari Foundation focuses on wildlife rehabilitation (including a dedicated rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned animals), protection of endangered species, and active anti-poaching operations. In 2024, Shamwari partnered with the NGO VulPro to relocate 163 vultures — both Cape and African white-backed — in what was documented as the largest vulture relocation in African history. It is also home to Born Free’s sanctuary, the first big cat sanctuary in South Africa to receive accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). It operates two separate sanctuaries on the reserve, the Julie Ward Centre and the Jean Byrd Centre, caring for lions and leopards rescued from zoos and circuses.
Certifications: It is Fair Trade Tourism certified, which is one of the most established ethical tourism standards in South Africa, covering fair wages, working conditions, community investment, and environmental responsibility.
Emboo River Camp | Masai Mara, Kenya
Emboo River Camp is Certified B Corp and the first carbon-neutral camp in the Masai Mara. The vehicle fleet runs entirely on electricity. Every vehicle in the fleet has been converted to electric and charged via solar, which also powers the camp 24/7 (no generators, no noise). A closed-loop water recycling system processes grey and black water through an all-natural filtration process, and food waste is converted into energy. The kitchen sources from on-site vertical and hydroponic gardens and deliberately limits animal-based products across menus. For vegan travelers who want a lodge where the food values and the conservation values are the same conversation, this is the standout in Kenya.
Conservation and community: Emboo partners with the Mara Elephant Project to protect elephant populations and their habitat corridors across the Mara. In 2025, CEO Valery Super won the Gold Award at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards.
Certifications: Certified B Corporation. First carbon-neutral camp in the Masai Mara.
Segera Retreat | Laikipia, Kenya
Segera started as a cattle ranch and has been transformed into one of East Africa’s most ambitious private conservancies. It runs on the 4Cs framework and is fully solar-powered. The ZEITZ Foundation manages the operation, running community programs covering employment, education, and medical care for neighboring villages. Black rhino reintroduction is central to its rewilding work: in June 2025, Segera and Kenya Wildlife Service completed a landmark Black Rhino translocation. The conservancy also houses Africa’s first female rangers academy, which trains and employs women from surrounding communities in conservation roles.
The kitchen works from an organic garden and accommodates plant-based guests with advance notice.
Conservation and community: Segera has numerous programs like its rhino reintroduction and translocation, cheetah and wild dog monitoring, wildlife corridors, the first female rangers academy on the continent, and community programs spanning education, healthcare, and local employment.
Certifications: Long Run Destination with Global Ecosphere Retreat (GER®) certification (one of the most rigorous third-party sustainability audits in the travel industry, endorsed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.)
Nimali Tarangire | Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
The camp runs entirely on solar power with no single-use plastics anywhere on site. In addition, filtered water is used throughout. Even the waste is creative, empty wine bottles are collected and sent to Arusha, where local artisans cut and polish the glass by hand. The camp helped build the local community school and funded a clean-water borehole for the surrounding area. The menus are plant-forward and change daily.
Conservation and community: Nimali partners with the Randlein Wildlife Management Area, Honeyguide, and The Nature Conservancy to fund anti-poaching patrols and address human-wildlife conflict. Community investment includes school infrastructure and water access.
Certifications: No single formal third-party certification confirmed at time of publishing, but it does have operational sustainability practices including using full solar, zero single-use plastics, community investment, multi-NGO conservation partnerships.
Singita Sabora Tented Camp | Grumeti Reserve, Tanzania
Singita partners with the non-profit Grumeti Fund to protect 350,000 acres of the Serengeti ecosystem from poaching and invasive species. When Singita took over management in 2003, the land was severely depleted. It had uncontrolled hunting, wildfires, and invasive vegetation. Today, it is a thriving wildlife corridor. The camp runs on solar power, and Grumeti Air — the reserve’s aviation arm — holds a Carbon Smart certification through Plan Vivo, a third-party body that verifies carbon offsets are real, measurable, permanent, and community-benefiting. A carbon-neutral levy has been automatically included in every guest booking since 2021.
Conservation and community: The Grumeti Fund is fiscally independent of the lodge operation, funded by guest donations, NGOs, and philanthropists. It runs wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching, invasive species management, and community development programs year-round.
Certifications: Long Run Fellow (all Singita properties joined in 2025), Carbon Smart certification for Grumeti Air (Plan Vivo verified), and carbon-neutral guest stays since 2021.
Sashwa River of Stars | Greater Kruger, South Africa
Sashwa River of Stars is the first plant-forward safari lodge on the continent. It’s a former hunting concession that has been transformed into a wildlife sanctuary on the banks of the Olifants River. Now, 100 percent of profits fund conservation education, Koru Camp. The camp brings disadvantaged youth into the wilderness for immersive conservation experiences and environmental education. The lodge also partners with the Black Mambas, an all-women anti-poaching unit that protects wildlife from illegal hunting in the Greater Kruger.
For vegan food, it draw from Ayurvedic and garden-to-table principles and has a plant-based kitchen with an organic permaculture garden on site.
Conservation and community: Black Mambas anti-poaching partnership, lodge profits directed to Koru Camp conservation education.
Certifications: Certified by Ubuntu Vegan Hospitality Solutions as a plant-based haven.
Kings Camp | Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, South Africa
Kings Camp holds the first Vegan Hospitality certification in Africa. At the camp, there are vegan menus for every meal. In addition, guests can take part in anti-poaching flights, wildlife rehabilitation tours, and rhino notching programs (a conservation technique used to track and identify individual rhinos). The lodge sits within the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, one of the most significant big cat research and protection areas on the continent. It’s unfenced and contiguous with Kruger.
Every stay contributes directly to the Timbavati Conservation Fund, which funds reserve management, perimeter fencing, firebreak maintenance, ecological monitoring, and erosion mitigation.
Conservation and community: It has the Timbavati Conservation Fund anti-poaching team, runs daily patrols across reserve boundaries, big cat monitoring, and rhino conservation. It also has the guest program.
Certifications: First Vegan Hospitality certified property in Africa.
Wilderness Bisate | Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Wilderness Bisate is the base for gorilla trekking in Rwanda, positioned at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes on the edge of Volcanoes National Park. The lodge has planted more than 70,000 indigenous trees in a 42-hectare reforestation corridor. Guests can join guided reforestation walks and plant a native tree during their stay.
Since opening in 2017, Wilderness Bisate has accumulated 34 international awards. It was nominated in the Travel + Leisure 2026 World’s Best Awards alongside 27 other Wilderness camps across six countries.
Conservation and community: In addition to tree planting, it also has a community revenue sharing, employs locals, and runs educational programs.
Certifications: Wilderness operates under rigorous internal sustainability standards across all destinations.
Matetsi Victoria Falls | Matetsi Private Game Reserve, Zimbabwe
The Matetsi Private Game Reserve covers 136,000 acres of wildlife habitat in northwestern Zimbabwe. A Natura water bottling plant supplies the camp with still and sparkling water in recycled glass bottles, eliminating single-use plastic.
It offers seasonal menus that change daily and include plenty of vegan options.
Conservation and community: In addition to the boreholes and radio networks, it also operates GRACE Foundation that drives community empowerment programs in the surrounding area, and it runs Pack for a Purpose, which allows guests to bring supplies for local schools and healthcare projects.
Certifications: No specific third-party conservation certification was confirmed at the time of publishing, though the reserve’s 136,000-acre footprint and infrastructure investment represent substantial long-term commitment.
Questions to ask before you deposit
Before you book, make sure you have the following information:
- What percentage of guides and camp staff come from the local community?
- Which specific conservation programs does the lodge fund, and how much goes to each?
- Has a third party independently verified sustainability claims? When was the last on-site audit, and where is the published report?
- What has the lodge done specifically for the local community since it opened?
- Does the lodge offer or promote any direct wildlife interaction experiences?
- Does the kitchen design plant-based menus proactively, or does it accommodate vegan requests when they come in?
An operator who answers all of these clearly and specifically is demonstrating they know their product and their values.
The bottom line
The best vegan safari lodges are out there. They are not always the ones with the biggest advertising budgets. The operators doing important work on food, wildlife ethics, conservation, and community tend to let the work and certifications do the talking instead.
To properly vet a safari for ethics, you’ve got to know what questions to ask and not rely on pretty brochures and inflated claims with no proof.
Choosing the right lodge and region for your specific trip, and making sure the vetting is done before you land, is what I do. Ready to start planning your dream ethical safari experience? Start here.
Or, want to join me March 7 – 16, 2027 on my award-winning vegan safari and Cape Town tour? Check out the itinerary and sign up here.
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