The Best Safaris To Experience In Africa

The Best Safaris To Experience In Africa

Africa is home to so many incredible safari destinations that it can be hard to decide which one is just right for you. To help make this task easier, our experts have chosen their best safaris to experience in Africa.

1. The Serengeti, Tanzania

The Serengeti famous for its wide open plains, hosts the second largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world. The migration is the continuous movement though-out the year of wildebeest who are searching for new grass.  Thousands of wildebeest accompanied by large herds of zebra together with many antelope species and predators move from the southern Serengeti to the northern Serengeti. The peak of the migration is the treacherous crossing of the Mara River into the Masai Mara.  The herds return into the Serengeti in October heading to the southern plains where they calve in February.

Safaris in the Serengeti include:  Game Drives and Hot Air Balloon Safaris.

Safaris in the Serengeti are normally combined with Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ngorongoro Crater is renowned for its geological splendour, as well as for being a natural reserve which is home to some of the densest large mammal populations found anywhere in Africa.

Safaris in the Ngorongoro Crater include: Game Drives, Hikes on the rim of the crater and cultural visits to Masai villages.

2. Masai Mara, Kenya

Maasai Mara (Masai Mara) is situated in southwest Kenya and is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife reserves. It’s one of Africa’s most diverse, incredible and most spectacular eco-systems and is possibly one of the world’s top safari big game viewing areas covering 1500 square kilometers with surrounding conservations areas double this area.

Game is abundant in every area of the Mara and is globally famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetah.

Safaris in the Masai Mara include: Game Drives, Hot Air Ballooning and in the conservancy areas walking safaris and night drives are conducted.

3. Okavango Delta, Botswana

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a very large, swampy inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough in the central part of the Kalahari Desert.  All the water reaching the delta is ultimately evaporated and transpired, and does not flow into any sea or ocean. Each year, rainfall from the Angolan Highlands surges in to the Delta between March and June flooding the delta.  From September to November the water drains and dries out.  The Delta is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa and became the 1000th site to be officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Moremi Game Reserve, a National Park, is on the eastern side of the Delta.

The majority of the estimated 200,000 large mammals in and around the delta are not year-round residents. Large herds of buffalo and elephant total about 30,000 beasts. Since 2005, the protected area is considered a Lion Conservation Unit.

Safaris in the Okavango include: Game Drives, mokoro activities, motorized boat safaris, bush walks, and in conservancy areas, night drives are permitted.

4. Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa.  Private game reserves lie along the western border of the Kruger National Park and much of the fencing that once separated these reserves from Kruger have come down, allowing the animals to roam freely between the reserves and Kruger.

Although the game in both the Kruger Park and the bordering reserves is essentially the same, there is a tremendous difference in the variety and quality of experience between visiting the Kruger Park and visiting the adjacent reserves. In Kruger, which has over 500,000 visitors annually, only closed vehicles are permitted and off-road driving is forbidden. Night drives in Kruger may only be conducted by park rangers in large park vehicles. Facilities in Kruger are fair.

In the private reserves, day and night game drives are conducted in open vehicles and the accommodation, food and services are excellent. The biggest advantage of the open-air safari vehicles is that you get a better view as well as a much better feel for the bush than in a closed vehicle. The driver and tracker who accompany you on game drives into the bush are expert rangers and they are in contact with the other vehicles on game drive, which greatly increasing your chances of finding the animals that guests most want to see. Vehicles in the private reserves may also leave the roads to follow animals into the bush and provide much better opportunities to witness animal behavior and interactions. Night drives are also exceptionally good opportunities to spot game rarely seen during the day.

All the big five game animals are found in the Kruger National Park and private reserves, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve.

5. Hwange, Zimbabwe

Hwange National Park (formerly Wankie Game Reserve) is the largest natural reserve in Zimbabwe

Its sheer size means that its scenery, vegetation and game vary hugely, ranging from the semi desert scrub on the edge of the Kalahari in the south, to forests, granite hills and valleys of mopane woodlands in the north.

This game park is very accessible and all the safari camps here offer day and night game drives and most also offer walking safaris. The highest numbers of animals are spotted in the dry season (August to October) when the wildlife congregates around the shrunken water holes.

6. South Luangwa, Zambia

South Luangwa National Park is in the Luangwa Valley with wide alluvial plains and riverine area. Often referred to as Valley of the Leopards by locals, by combining fantastic wildlife with extremely high-quality guiding, Luangwa comes out near the top of the list of Africa's most famous parks.

South Luangwa boasts several world-class safari camps which all offer exciting safari walks and drives with first-class guides. Some also offer excellent mobile and fly-camp options and photographic safaris.