Africa's Top Ten Wildlife Experiences for 2022

Africa's Top Ten Wildlife Experiences for 2022

Africa offers unrivalled travel opportunities - it provides the chance for deep & meaningful, once-in-a-lifetime adventures that we’ll remember forever. In our latest blog, our Sales Director Chris Wain highlights the continent’s top 10 wildlife experiences.

Witness the Great Migration – Serengeti, Tanzania 

Billed as the greatest wildlife show on earth, this should be at the very top of every wildlife lover’s wish list. Tens of thousands of migrating wildebeest move en-masse in an extraordinary show of unity, crossing vast plains and rivers as they attempt to evade predators and seek fresh pastures. Watch the action unfurl from the Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp.

Watch wonderful Whales – Walker Bay, South Africa

Enjoy some of the world’s finest whale-watching just an hour outside Cape Town, staying at our top tip, the magnificent Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. Southern Right Whales come to these waters each year between July and December to calve and rear their young, with extraordinary sightings almost guaranteed from both land & water.

Greet the Gorillas - Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Definitely one to tick off nature’s bucket list – the critically endangered Mountain Gorilla is the jewel in Rwanda’s tourism crown, and can be observed at close quarters whilst staying at the uber-luxurious Bisate Lodge. Whilst the viewing itself may only last sixty minutes, the memories of your encounter will last a lifetime.

Make friends with Meerkats – Tswalu Reserve, South Africa  

These endearing creatures have huge novelty value and those staying on the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve have the unique opportunity to get up close and observe these fascinating fellows as they go about their daily business – frolicking and preening themselves in the early morning sun, whilst one of the gang is on tiptoe alert keeping a beady eye on the surroundings.

Get giddy with Giraffes - Giraffe Manor, Kenya

Time for a real one-off at Giraffe Manor – having breakfast in the company of a lanky interloper; feeding giraffes by hand as they poke their long necks and tongues through the windows of this exquisite safari manor house. Home to a resident herd of inquisitive Rothschild’s giraffe, this historic house gets booked up many months in advance so don’t delay in reserving your spot.

Enjoy the Elephants -  Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

The size of Belgium, the Hwange National Park is an elephant stronghold which is home to 45,000 of these precious pachyderms. Watch as these huge creatures amble through the African bush and gather in large numbers around the waterhole, or stay at The Hide and view them from either the lodge’s incredible underground hide or treetop sleep out.   .

Wait at the Zebra crossing - Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Botswana

Many may have heard of the Great Migration, but far fewer will be familiar with the annual Zebra Migration, which sees up to 35,000 of these striped beauties traverse Botswana from north to south in search of grazing land before reversing their dusty footprints and heading back home. One of the most spectacular spots from which to view this little-known phenomenon is Jack’s Camp, a luxuriously-eccentric safari camp set literally in the middle of nowhere.

Look for Leopards - Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

Often the hardest of the famed Big Five to spot, the majestic leopard leads a secretive life but enjoys a healthy population within South Africa’s Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Enhance your chances of spotting these elusive stunners by staying at the Singita Boulders Lodge and letting their guides show you the way.

Spot surfing Hippos – Loango National Park, Gabon

Safari one-upmanship is definitely the order of the day in Gabon, where the lucky visitor may be able to witness one of nature’s freak shows – hippos splashing around in the waves. The wonderful Loango National Park, and its flagship Loango Lodge, may be best known for its population of lowland gorillas, but its coastal location means that forest elephants strolling on the beach and hippos surfing in the sea are not uncommon sights.

Listen to lemurs - Andasibe Nature Reserve, Madagascar

Immortalised on screen by Hollywood, the lemurs of Madagascar are wonderfully entertaining company and are another one to put into the cute category. There are over 110 species to be found on the island, with the largest, the Indri lemur, found in good numbers in the Andasibe Nature Reserve. Put your head down nearby at the Andasibe Lemurs Lodge.