Safari accommodation uses the same meal-plan terms as hotels, but the meaning shifts a little because you often spend the whole day inside national parks. The short version: most safari itineraries are Full Board, three meals a day, because there's rarely anywhere else to eat between parks.

This page explains the board-basis terms, what's included and what isn't, what the food is genuinely like, and how dietary needs are handled, so you can compare quotes confidently and arrive knowing exactly what to expect.

- Bed & Breakfast (BB): breakfast and accommodation; lunch, dinner and drinks paid separately. Common in Arusha city hotels before or after safari.

- Half Board (HB): breakfast, dinner and accommodation; lunch and most drinks not included. More common at beach hotels or where guests are away much of the day.

- Full Board (FB): breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation. The standard for most safari itineraries, since you spend long days in the parks with nowhere else to eat.

- All-Inclusive (AI): usually breakfast, lunch, dinner, selected drinks and accommodation, but "all-inclusive" doesn't mean the same everywhere. One lodge may include house wine, local beer and soft drinks; another may add selected spirits, laundry or some activities. Always check exactly what's included rather than assuming.

On a Tanzania safari, Full Board normally means three meals every day:

- Breakfast, usually served before the morning game drive.

- Lunch, depending on your plans, a hot lunch back at the lodge, a picnic lunch, or a packed lunch enjoyed inside the park.

- Dinner, served after the afternoon game drive, often a highlight of the day, with time to relax and share stories from the day's sightings.

On water: we include drinking water during game drives, and most lodges provide water with meals or have filtered water available. Policies vary slightly by property, so we'll explain what's included in your itinerary.

Even on Full Board, some extras are normally charged separately:

- Alcoholic drinks, premium wines and imported spirits

- Cocktails and speciality coffees

- Snacks bought outside meal times

- Minibar items

- Meals taken away from your booked property

Luxury camps may include more beverages, but it's always worth checking before you travel.

Many first-time visitors are pleasantly surprised, safari lodges take food seriously. Depending on the property, meals may be buffet-style, plated, or a mix.

- Breakfasts usually include fruit, cereals, eggs, pastries, and fresh coffee and tea.

- Lunches vary: a freshly prepared hot meal if you're back at the lodge, or on full-day drives a well-made picnic with sandwiches, salads, fruit, chicken, pastries and juice.

- Dinners often feature soup, salads, grilled meats or fish, vegetarian options and desserts.

Luxury properties may offer multi-course dining, while mid-range lodges typically provide generous buffets with a good variety of international and local dishes.

Some meals become memorable in their own right:

- Picnic lunch, the most common bush meal, served at designated sites inside the parks on full-day game drives.

- Bush breakfast, a special breakfast prepared in the wilderness after an early activity, usually a premium arrangement rather than part of a standard itinerary.

- Sundowners, an evening drink at a scenic spot at sunset, often included on luxury itineraries or arranged as a special experience, not automatically part of every safari.

Most safari lodges cater well for special diets when notified in advance, commonly vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free, lactose-free and food allergies. The earlier we know, the better, some remote camps have more limited supply chains than city hotels, so very specialised requests may need extra planning. We always recommend telling us when booking rather than on arrival.

Travelling with children? In our experience there's plenty for them to eat, most lodges happily prepare simpler meals like pasta, rice, grilled chicken, chips and fresh fruit, and meal times can often be adapted for younger children where practical. If your child has specific preferences or allergies, we'll inform each lodge before you arrive.

We recommend not drinking tap water during your safari. Instead use bottled water, filtered water provided by the lodge, or the drinking water supplied in your safari vehicle, our guide on whether tap water is safe in Tanzania explains why.

Most reputable lodges maintain excellent food-hygiene standards, and the vast majority of guests have no problems. Simple precautions, washing your hands before meals and staying hydrated, go a long way to keeping you comfortable throughout the trip.

Most of our itineraries are Full Board, so you don't need to worry about finding restaurants while travelling between parks. Before you arrive, we confirm any dietary requirements, allergies, special celebrations and children's meal preferences with the lodges. We also make sure guests on full-day game drives get suitable picnic lunches, so wildlife viewing isn't interrupted by unnecessary trips back to the lodge. Good food is part of a great safari, and we believe nobody should finish a game drive feeling hungry.

A real example: a family from Australia got in touch before their safari, one child was a very selective eater and another traveller was gluten-free. We shared both requirements with every lodge on the itinerary. Throughout the trip, the lodges prepared suitable alternatives alongside the standard meals and adapted the picnic lunches for the gluten-free traveller. Back home, they said they'd expected food to be one of the biggest challenges, but it became one of the pleasant surprises, especially lunch surrounded by the wildlife of the Serengeti.

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