10-Best Places to Visit in Africa for a Safari
Top 10-best places to visit in Africa – Africa is home to fascinating national parks, safari destinations, and game reserves. Each has something unique to offer and experience on your safari to Africa. These range from the large mammals, great primates like gorillas and chimpanzees to all the African big five. Also, the safari experience includes seeing rare bird species, intriguing landscapes, and colorful butterflies among others. However, for first-time travelers, you can use this article to know the 10 best places to visit on Safari in Africa.
1. Serengeti Natioanl Park, Tanzania
The park is the oldest and largest national park in Tanzania. Also, it is a world heritage site that is famous for hosting the great wildebeest migration event. The event takes place every year where millions of wildebeests move from the south of the park to the north of Maasai Mara National Park. The wildebeests migrate looking for water and fresh pastures, and thousands of zebra herds accompany them. The vast endless plains dominate Serengeti National Park where you will spot the largest number of lions about 3000 individuals. The park is an ideal destination where you will see the impressive numbers of cheetahs. Often, you can spot leopards in the central Seronera Valley. The other wildlife that you will also spot in impressive populations. These include the African Elephants, bat–eared foxes, herds of antelopes, hyenas herds of buffaloes, and Thomas gazelles among others.
When to visit Serengeti
The park is open to travelers throughout the year. However, the best time to visit is between June to October which is a dry season. During this period, you will enjoy the overall wildlife viewing and also have a chance to experience the wildebeest migration. In April and May the park experiences the wet season. This comes with heavy rains and hence, the number of tourists visiting the park is reduced. Also, the roads leading to the Serengeti are wet, muddy, and slippery.
Where to stay? There is a wide range of accommodation options such as tented camps, and safari lodges that range from budget accommodation to mid-range and luxury options.
2. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Mana Pools National Park is in Zimbabwe and it is one of the best places to visit in Africa. You will enjoy activities such as nature walks with guides. Also, you can go for a fascinating canoe experience in the pristine wilderness wetlands along River Zambezi among other activities. In this park, you will have a chance to observe a diversity of wildlife. This includes elephants, herds of buffaloes, hippos, and crocodiles which gather at the shores of the Zambezi River. You will also spot healthy numbers of predators like lions, and leopards among others.
When to visit Mana Pools? – The dry season is the recommended time to visit the park from May to October. Meanwhile, the park is open to visitors throughout the year.
3. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
South Luangwa National Park is one of the Zambia national parks and a great place to travel in Africa. While here, you will enjoy activities such as guided walking safari and night drive experience. Also, you get to enjoy the multiday trekking at your semi-permanent tented camps among other activities. Also, the park is home to outstanding wildlife such as elephants, lions, buffaloes, and leopards. However, the rhinos are absent to make the number of the African big five wild animals.
When to visit South Luangwa? – The dry season is a great time to visit the park when there is little rain. This is from December to March together with July to September.
4. Etosha National Park
The national park is a flagship reserve for Namibia. It is brimmed with sweeping, Saline as well and dry pans which its name is derived. A sequence of perennial water holes fringes the pan which attracts huge populations of wildlife. These include the giraffes, antelopes, as well as other grazers, especially during the dry season. It is a good place to spot the African Big Five animals. These are the lions, leopards, elephants, black Rhinos, and buffaloes alongside other wildlife.
When to visit Etosha? – Wild viewing is best during the dry season in April to October. Also, the peak season is from July to September.
5. Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Okavango Delta is among the best places to travel in Africa. The delta is formed by the sands of the Kalahari Desert Ranks. The park hosts majestic wildlife such as hippos, aquatic wildlife, and crocodiles. You can explore the Okavango delta using a canoe boat which will offer a chance to see other wildlife. These include elephants, leopards, and lions among others. The main attraction here is the delta.
When to visit Okavango? – The Okavango Delta is open to visitors throughout the year but the best time to go is during the dry season. This is from July to October which is a great time to enjoy wildlife viewing.
6. The Kruger National Park, South Africa
This is one of the 10 best places to visit in Africa on a safari. You surely can not explore the park in one day. You will need several days to completely explore it. The park receives several visitors and it allows you to explore the off-beaten tracks. It is one of the best places in Africa to spot the African big five. The Big Five survive together with other wildlife. These include cheetahs, hippos, giraffes, baboons, warthogs, herds of zebras, and antelopes among others. It is one of the birders’ havens in South Africa with over 517 bird species.
Best time to visit Kruger National Park – The Park offers a good experience any time of the year. However, the best time for game viewing is during the dry season from May to September.
Accommodation- The choice of where to stay can be made from a variety of luxury, mid-range, and budget-affordable lodges around the park. There are rest camps and lodges in the surrounding.
7. Maasai Mara National Reserve
Maasai Mara National Reserve is in the southern part of Kenya. It is a Transboundary of Serengeti National Park of Tanzania. This is where the wildebeests in the great migration make their U-turn. It is around July to October to head back to Serengeti National Park. Therefore, consider visiting the area during that period. Maasai Mara is popular worldwide as one of the African safari destinations with a large population of lions. Thus, it is a place you should think of if you want to see large prides on game drives. Other animals in the reserve include leopard, cheetah, buffalo, and elephant. On a lucky day, you could spot the black rhino and have all the big five sighted on your safari.
Best time to visit Maasai Mara- If you have an interest in watching the wildebeest migration, plan to be there from late August to early October. this is the period when large herds of wildebeests are already in Kenya. Tourists get the best experience of game viewing at any time of the year.
8. Amboseli National Park
A visit to the park offers an opportunity to see as many elephants as possible. Meanwhile, this is in addition to the spectacular view of the tallest freestanding mountain Kilimanjaro. It is at Amboseli that you can watch the best encounter of elephants. Reasonably, the interaction is because some of them have been habituated. Since 1975, the park has hosted a study about elephants. Thus, many consider it the oldest study center of these large mammals in the entire world. Amboseli National Park offers clear stunning views of Kilimanjaro Mountain and a good background for photos. We also recommend Amboseli National Park for tourists who love bird watching.
Best time to visit -The park offers a good experience all year throughout. However, the best time for game viewing is during the dry season from July to October.
9. Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania
The forests on the low slopes of Mahale Mountains are habitats for over 800 chimps. It is in the eastern part of Lake Tanganyika in Southwestern Tanzania. This is the best area to visit if you want to see some of these gentle primates. Several groups were habituated by the Japanese and are available for visits to the park. While trekking for the chimps, you’ll come across other primates residing in the forest. Also, you’ll see several beautiful birds. Visiting Mahale Mountains National Park also offers an opportunity to watch the spectacular Rift Valley escarpment.
The best time to visit the park- is from July to October. You can commonly see chimpanzees on the lower slopes of the mountain. This is better compared to other times of the year where you’ll have to move longer treks before finding them.
10. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
There is no other place in the world that you can compare to Bwindi’s impenetrable forest. This is so when it comes to finding the largest population of endangered mountain gorillas. The park has four different sectors where trekkers experience unique and memorable experiences of searching for mountain gorillas. When you finally come across these gentle giants, you will forget about the hectic hikes and you may not believe that you found these forest-dwelling relatives of human beings. More primates will be seen in the forest as you trek including monkeys and many birds.
The best time to visit can trek for the mountain gorillas in Bwindi at any time of the year but the best time for this is in the dry season from June to August and December to February when the trails are dry and can be easily hiked.
Accommodation- There are budget, midrange, and luxury lodges in each of the sectors in Bwindi. Ones that you can consider among luxury include Clouds Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, and others. Midrange Lodges include Four Gorillas Lodge, Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, and Others. Budget tourists can stay at Buhoma Community Rest Camp and Rushaga Havens Gorilla Lodge.
Plan your trip
You now know the 10-best places to visit in Africa. Book with us for the best gorilla experiences and wildlife safaris. We make itineraries and quotations depending on your budget and time.
