Several of you have commented on taking trips that leave you with special memories, and several have commented that it is still more expensive than going on an elk hunt if you're hunting multiple animals. I've done quite a few guided hunts here in North America, as well as a few in Africa. In my opinion, there is a difference.
I can remember vivid details of some of my North American hunts, particularly a couple of Alaskan hunts, but I have to say that I've taken a number of forgetable hunts here, including some long and expensive trips. Think 21 days Stone Sheep hunting and coming home without firing a shot forgettable, or 15 days Bighorn hunting and missing the only legal ram you saw. I've been on a pile of elk hunts, mostly DIY, but also some guided and most of the guided elk hunts haven't been that memorable, though a few were excellent and I still think of them.
I can't say the same thing about African hunting. The absolute best hunt I've ever been on was in May of 1983, in Zimbabwe. Yeah, it was a longer and more expensive hunt than most would ever go on, 24 days and I hunted elephant, buffalo, leopard in addition to plains game, but that hunt was the greatest value I've ever enjoyed in hunting, for anything or anywhere. It's been nearly 26 years, but I can still remember kneeling 13 yards from a big cape buffalo bull as he stood broadside, staring at me with a tree blocking his vitals. Or how he didn't even flinch when I hit him in the shoulder with a 500 grain bullet as he bolted to depart. When my PH said "you missed!", I was incredulous and assured him I did not miss. Fortunately, we found the buff dying less than 150 yards away. The other five cape buffalo I've shot have all been memorable, but that remains the only one I've taken with a single shot.
I'll never forget the strange calm that I experienced when time seemed to stand still as an enraged bull elephant came for us, and we stopped him at 10 yards; and how my .458 felt like a BB gun at the time when facing that giant. I could go on and on, but don't want to bore everyone. The bottom line is, I've enjoyed more great experiences and built more long time memories on African hunts than I have over here, whether DIY or guided over here. I'll take those great memories to the grave, they'll never leave me so I guess some would say I got my monies worth on those hunts. I probably could have used the money I spent on those hunts for more worthwhile things, but we have a house, our kids are through high school and onto college, we have cars to drive and clothes to wear, and I've got incredible memories that, in hindsight, I would have paid far more to obtain if I'd have known how special they'd be.
I guess it's all a matter of what matters to you, which is why I'm taking my family over to South Africa this coming summer.