Best African safari destinations.
Either it’s your first time visiting the continent for an African safari, or one of many trips (lucky you!), we’ve listed the best parks, reserves and wilderness areas to suit your level of safari experience, and your budget. ‘Safari’ is a Swahili word meaning ‘overland journey to hunt or view wild animals, especially in east or southern Africa’. Naturally, lengthy trips across the nation are no longer required; modern travel allows one to reach any location in Africa in a day or so. With such a large, diverse and breathtakingly beautiful continent at your disposal, it can be difficult to decide where to even start planning a trip to Africa.
Let’s start with a few questions. What do you hope to find during your vacation in Africa? Are we seeing the Big Five? For safari novices, that means elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, and rhino. Do you have aspirations of walking across meadows in hopes of catching a glimpse of a big cat, or are you more excited by the sight of wildebeest migrating across the wide plains of the Serengeti? Are you a leisure traveler who enjoys relaxing drives and sundowners at beautiful locations, or the more active type who likes camping, bush walks and outdoor activities?
While the big five are a common sight in many parks, other regions are home to equally magnificent animals like giraffes, zebras, hippos, and various antelope. A whole host of parks are also great for birding enthusiasts. Each location has its own unique beauty and combination of game, magnificent scenery, fascinating plant life, and activities on offer, so no matter where you choose to go, you will be in for a treat.
We have divided the parks into three groups: the top destinations for novice, experienced, and second-time safari visitors. We’ve also emphasized the budget level, the optimum time of year to visit each park, the game that’s available inside the area, and the vegetation within the area. So go ahead, and start planning your holiday with this easy and comprehensive safari guide.
1. Kruger National Park, South Africa
The iconic Kruger National Park is a must-visit for any first-time safari-goer. One of Africa’s biggest game reserves, Kruger Park spans the South African provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. In addition to breathtaking, expansive open landscapes that will leave you speechless, visitors can witness the big five in all their splendor here. Some safari purists feel that the Kruger is too crowded and carefully managed, however, there’s no denying that Kruger offers incredible wildlife viewing opportunities.
The benefit of Kruger’s development is that there are many different types of camps and tours available within the park, ranging from affordable campsites and self-catering options to opulent private camps and lodges. A traveller can find the perfect tour and camp to suit all of their unique needs. Among the activities available to visitors in the Kruger are bird watching, biking trails, camping, and bush walks.
Best time of year to visit: Year round, the rainy season is November to March
All budget levels
Wildlife: Big 5, cheetah, wild dog, various huge herbivores and 500-plus bird species
Vegetation: Mopane veld, red bush willow veld, knob-thorn veld, marula veld
2. Masai Mara, Kenya
In Narok, Kenya, there is a sizable national wildlife reserve called Masai Mara National Park, or simply “The Mara.” The name of the park honours the local Maasai people, who are the ancestral inhabitants of the area. Masai Mara is any safari-goers’ dream come true, famous for its Great Wildebeest Migration. Each year, 1.3 million wildebeest and antelope move between Kenya and Tanzania, in search of greener pastures. This area is known to have the highest concentration of wildlife in the world.
Savor game drives across endless savannah plains peppered with recognizable acacias, teeming with zebra and wildebeest, and where you can see hungry cats drooling in the grasses while they wait for their opportunity to attack. As the park is so popular, it’s worth noting that it might get packed with travelers at peak times. To avoid massive buses of people, head to the more upscale sites in the west of the park. In Masai Mara, guests can go on game drives, nature walks, balloon safaris, cultural tours and even horseback safaris.
The rainy season, which runs from November to March, is the best time of year to go.
All budget levels
Wildlife: Big 5, cheetah, hippo, zebra, busbaby, vervet monkey, spotted hyena, over 500 bird species
Vegetation: Grassland, Acacia woodland, riverine forest, Tarchonanthus and Croton scrub
3. Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Perhaps the greatest location in Africa to see the Great Migration is the Serengeti National Park. This annual event is touted as the ‘greatest wildlife spectacle on the planet’. It goes without saying that this park should be top of the list for any first-time safari goer. The Serengeti offers everything that the Masai Mara does, and more. For starters, it is ten times as large, covering around 15,000 square kilometers, creating an incredibly enchanting feeling of boundless space. Due to its sheer size, you won’t be bumping into other guests as frequently, giving you more privacy and exclusivity.
With more than 2 million hoofed mammals, 4,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 550 cheetahs, and about 500 bird species, the Serengeti is teeming with wildlife. Do you need one more excuse to go to the Serengeti? The magnificent
Ngorongoro Crater is just a short drive to the east, still within the Serengeti Conservation Area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is called after Ngorongoro Crater, a massive volcanic caldera inside the area. With stunning plains, lakes, and forests as a backdrop, visitors can see lions, elephants, and black rhinos in Ngorongoro.
