Since I don't have a stake in trying to sell you something, and since I was in the same position in 2003 as you are now, here's some input from a very experienced but a then rookie-in-Africa hunter.
I booked a 10-day package hunt for the East Cape of SA with John X Safaris who supposedly has access to about 3,000,000 acres of private land. We hunted in at least five different locations, some of which were based at other lodges from one to 4 hours from the main lodge.
None of the ranches were the put-&-take variety either. Yes, they were all fenced properties, but the only time I actually saw the fences was going through the gates to enter or leave the ranches. Most of them were huge. The game species were populuous and included males (both trophy and non-trophy), females and young ones, i.e. naturally reproducing herds.
The cost was $4,995 ALL INCUSIVE for the daily rate, licenses, 1x1 PH and tracker, ground transportation, lodging, alcohol, food, laundry, trophy preparation (not dip/pack!). The food and accomodations were all first rate.
The package included up to 5 or 6 critters, depending on the ones chosen from the basic list. My choices were kudu, gemsbok, impala, blesbok and springbok. I could have chose two of the smaller deer in place of either the springbok, impala or blesbok.
I then added blue and black wildebeests, zebra, bushbuck, warthog and nyala. Total for the additional trophy fees: $5,000! The PH threw in a second springbok at no charge because I wanted a full hide for a rug. I don't concern myself with record books like some do, but each animal I killed was a good representative trophy for the species (see links at end).
So, right there you've got $10,000 at 2003 prices. Adding on airfare of about $2,200 for ONE person from AZ (probably higher now), tips for guide & staff, dip & pack, shipping of trophies to the US and you're easily up to $15,000 BEFORE any taxidermist gets his hands on you. And...that doesn't include any shopping for trinkets.
The taxidermy for those 12 animals cost me WELL over $5,000, though I stretched it out over 4 years.
Obviously, the fewer animals you take above the package price will reduce your total.
The point: LOOK at ALL the costs involved, not just the daily rate and trophy fees you get quoted here. The devil is in the details, and the "incidentals" add up quickly.
These are links where you can see the quality of game I hunted. -TONY
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1411043/m/219107931?r=219107931#219107931
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1411043/m/619108931?r=121109931#121109931