Botswana does its gatekeeping by maintaining relatively high prices. In addition: Quotas to the game parks are strictly limited and enforced. You can go cheap

Botswana does its gatekeeping by maintaining relatively high prices. In addition: Quotas to the game parks are strictly limited and enforced. You can go cheaper (but never cheap) by joining an organized camping tour, which is actually a huge plus. Camping tour groups get assigned places in the middle of the game reserves (they must apply for permits 18 month in advance and leave the sites in pristine condition). You can visit the parks individually with a reservation, but are only allowed camping in the entrance area. The kicker is that if you stay in a very expensive lodge, which can be north of 1000$ a night you will never be sleeping in a park, since commercial exploation is illegal. It is an expensive country for tourists by design. They rather have a small, but well heeled number of visitors. And while people may moan that it's unfair it's probably the best way to drive "quotas". That, and limited supply of the main attractions.