Referring to Africa, we cannot help but mention safaris with incredible native animals. For the most memorable trip on the continent, read on for the best safaris we’ve compiled.
1. Okavango Delta, Botswana
One of the most picturesque and wildlife-rich regions in Africa is this inland delta. It is a floodplain in northern Botswana that receives water between May and October from neighboring Angola. This is the period when tourists can enjoy a unique experience by traveling across the reed-lined canals in a traditional canoe called a mokoro.
The delta is the most costly region to go on safari and feels wild and secluded due to the several reserves there and the controlled tourism there. The wildlife viewing, though, is outstanding. Consider lions hunting buffalo, wild dogs running through the bush, hippos relaxing in the lake, and elephants grazing acacias. And it’s a fantastic place to go bird watching.
2. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Southwest Kenya’s Masai Mara is renowned for its wildlife population density, the splendor of its undulating savanna grasslands, and the massive herds of wildebeest that roar through the Mara River from July to October. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards are some of the most common big cats.
Wildlife is widespread and easy to locate. Avoiding the crowds is essential to making the most of your time in the Mara; to do this, either hire a fantastic guide or spend a little more money to stay in one of the exclusive, privately maintained conservancies along the borders of the national park.
3. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
One of the most stunning environments in the world for watching wildlife is this dormant, ancient caldera, which is 100 square miles in size and 2,000 feet deep. There are lions, black rhinos, which are in grave danger of extinction, flamingo flocks, and elephants.
You can go on treks and see local Masai villages in addition to going on safaris in and around the crater. It is true that the crater gets crowded, particularly at the height of the dry season from June to September. Although conditions are not as favorable, less traffic and better rates result from wetter weather during the off-peak season.
4. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
With savanna, woodlands, and lakes, Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the southwest of Uganda and is home to a wide variety of animals, including elephants and chimpanzees.
However, it’s also an excellent area for boat cruises and birding. It’s perhaps most known for its lions, which have an odd preference for climbing trees. It’s a great safari companion to mountain gorilla trekking because of its proximity to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
5. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
The grasslands and woodlands of Hwange National Park are home to a variety of species, making it one of Zimbabwe’s best and most well-liked safari destinations. You may see lions, wild dogs, leopards, and cheetahs, and Hwange is home to one of Africa’s greatest populations of elephants.
You can go on walking safaris in private concessions in addition to wildlife drives. Zimbabwe is known for producing top-notch tour guides, and the park benefits from this (thanks to a strict qualification regime). Victoria Falls is about a three-hour drive from Hwange and can easily be coupled with it.
6. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
Particularly for big cats and elephants, South Luangwa offers some of the best wildlife viewings in all of Africa. Thornicroft’s giraffes, for example, are a rare local subspecies that you can see. Walking safaris are well-known throughout the park and throughout Zambia.
So, whether it’s only for the day or as part of a long fly-camping expedition if you’re eager to explore the bush on foot, this is the spot for you. The dry season, which is the busiest travel time, draws a lot of animals to the Luangwa River. During the rainy months, between December and March, many lodges close.
7. Nyerere National Park, Tanzania
Nyerere is Tanzania’s biggest and newest national park, and it is located in southern Tanzania. Up until 2019, when the region was made a national park, it was a part of the vast Selous Game Reserve.
The Rufiji River offers the best wildlife viewing, and the park is home to populations of lions, elephants, hippos, critically endangered black rhinoceroses, and wild dogs. Leisurely boat safaris are a highlight. As an added benefit, Nyerere and the southern region of Tanzania as a whole only see a small portion of the visitors who come to the northern parks.
8. Kruger National Park, South Africa
The Kruger is by far the most popular safari location in South Africa’s far northeast. It has excellent tourism infrastructure, including decent roads for self-driving safaris, in addition to excellent wildlife watching, particularly for leopards, which frequently act in a rather casual manner around automobiles.
In the private reserves of the Kruger National Park, there are affordable self-catering accommodations as well as ultra-luxurious resorts. Although it can be very crowded, going during the shoulder or off-peak seasons will help, as will exploring the less-traveled north of the park, where there are wonderful walking paths, large baobabs, and fever tree woods.
9. Etosha National Park, Namibia
Namibia makes up for its lesser wildlife density compared to other regions of Africa with stunning desert scenery. Etosha National Park is the most well-liked safari location in the north of the nation. There are many elephants, giraffes, and lions, and it’s possible to observe black rhinos during the dry months when animals congregate around water sources.
A salt flat known as the Etosha Pan serves as the park’s main point and attracts a variety of animals and birds, including flamingos. Driving up from Namibia’s capital Windhoek or taking a beautiful light aircraft flight both offer views of some of the country’s vast, open landscapes.
10. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
There’s a reason why scores of wildlife documentaries highlight the huge Serengeti plains in northern Tanzania. It has amazing wildlife, most of which is well accustomed to people, in addition to having a beautiful landscape. Park close by a leopard eating its meal in a tree or watch cheetahs search for prey from atop a termite mound.
From November to February, the southern portion of the park is where the Great Migration wildebeest herds stop to graze and give birth to their young; starting in June, you may see them cross the river as they travel between the Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara on their cyclical migration.
