Best safari experiences : A safari would be amazing even if it was limited to seeing Africa’s wildlife. But there’s so much more to enjoy, like drinking a cup of tea in the early hours of the morning before going on a morning game drive or catching up with friends and family by a roaring open fire after a fantastic dinner. Subsequently, there exist exceptional encounters that elevate every journey to an entirely new plane. We’ve selected a few of our favorites to motivate you on your upcoming journey. Continue reading this article to discover more about the best safari experiences.

Best safari experiences

Sleep out under the stars.

Nothing compares to spending a night in a cosy bed that just so happens to be in the middle of the bush it’s both romantic and exhilarating. Whether it’s a four-poster by a popular waterhole in South Africa’s Greater Kruger area or a cosy double in the Okavango Delta, where you can fall asleep to the sounds of the wild, you can choose a sleeping deck elevated above the scenery. Maybe you’d rather enjoy the unparalleled tranquilly of the enormous Makgadikgadi Salt Pan, one of Botswana’s most remarkable landscapes, where you may marvel at a starry night sky from the comfort of your bedroll. Or perhaps the idea of a luxurious treehouse for two appeals to you. From your open-air bedroom, you might be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of one of the Big Five. Regardless of your selection, it will be a memorable safari experience for years to come.

Best safari experiences : Take a bath in the open-air.

To feel the enchantment of an African night, you don’t have to spend the entire time outside. You may recline in your bath and look up at the starry sky in several of our best campgrounds and lodges. Adventure seekers may enjoy a romantic outdoor bath for two hidden away in the lush grounds of their resort. It’s completely filled with bubbles and surrounded by flickering candles. If your ideal bath is meant for introspection, you’ll definitely want to gaze out at the breathtaking scenery from the comfort of an open-concept space that may even include a spacious slipper bath. Alternatively, you may choose to combine the two by placing a tub on your outside terrace, which would allow you to enjoy the breathtaking environment while simultaneously identifying constellations. If you’re not a bather, don’t worry—many resorts offer both indoor and outdoor showers.

Fly high on a hot-air balloon safari.

A hot-air balloon ride has a unique quality, from the 360-degree views that seem to go on forever to the amazing sense of tranquilly that is only occasionally disturbed by the roar of the burners and sounds from the ground. It becomes an experience of a lifetime when the landscapes you’re drifting over are as abundant with animals as those of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, and the Serengeti National Park, three major players in East Africa’s safari scene. Although the flights take place in the early morning hours when the winds are at their most cooperative, getting an early start is well worth it. You might experience the landscape from an entirely new angle as you soar above herds of wildebeest, elephants, and various antelopes that have been given a rosy pink hue by the rising sun. A magnificent breakfast served in the bush, replete with a congratulatory glass of champagne, is the crowning touch after landing.

Best safari experiences
Hot air Balloon ride in Masai Mara

Best safari experiences : See nature’s smaller details on a walking safari.

If you get the chance, a walking safari is a great addition to standard game drives. You may find them in private reserves and conservancies all around Africa. You’ll pay closer attention to the little things, such as tiny creatures, plants, and insects, as well as the paw prints, markings, and droppings of much larger game, when you’re with an experienced guide. Seeking out the underground lairs of predatory antlions insects that set traps for their prey could entail travelling to Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, or it might entail keeping an ear out for the sorrowful whistle of a crowned hornbill in South Africa’s Kariega Game Reserve. There may also be a cultural component, such as when a Maasai or Samburu guide describes how the indigenous people make medicine out of various plants. In some locations, the experience may involve getting up close and personal with one or more of the Big Five; this is a major draw of the three-day walking safari at Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, for example.

Enjoy a spa with a difference.

Even while you most likely wouldn’t travel on safari just to visit a spa, you will still be happy to learn if your lodge or tented camp has one. Nothing is quite as decadent and calming as a midday massage prior to an evening game drive, particularly if it takes place in a stylish open-fronted tent or a rustic cabana with a view of a waterhole, salt lick, or unusually lovely swath of foliage. You’ll be able to concur with all those studies on the therapeutic effects of being in nature as you lay there with the warm breeze caressing your skin and the sound of songbirds enveloping you. In addition to the benefits, many of the spas have environmentally friendly African items created from local flowers, roots, and seeds. Mara Bushtops, an opulent tented camp with an award-winning spa located in a conservancy next to the Maasai Mara National Park, is one such location.

Best safari experiences : Eat al fresco from dawn to dusk.

It’s evident that many of us find eating outside to be appealing, given how quickly urban cafés set up outdoor tables as soon as the sun appears. However, that enjoyment is elevated to a completely new level when the scene is one of the breathtaking landscapes of Africa, which are plenty. For example, you may spend time enjoying a decadent breakfast for two on a Kenyan escarpment overlooking the breathtaking Serengeti National Park or in a secluded area of the Maasai Mara National Reserve that is especially lovely at dawn. Snacking on a sumptuous barbecue lunch on the Ngorongoro Crater floor while taking in the sounds of the birds singing in the acacia trees is an option. In addition, you may end the day in style with a bush dinner in a secluded area of the Serengeti where the stars are brightest or with a tranquil, candlelit dinner on a floating deck in the middle of the Okavango Delta.

Spot wildlife from the water.

A boat excursion across Africa’s lakes, lagoons, and rivers gives a safari vacation an entirely different experience. For example, a voyage on a traditional wooden canoe through the small waterways between the reeds is a must-do experience when visiting the Okavango Delta; you’ll see everything from fish eagles to elephants, and it’s so quiet you can practically hear your own breath. Riverboat safaris are used in place of or in addition to morning and evening game excursions in other locations. Chobe, this is sailing along the river named after it on small boats, maybe powered by solar or electricity, while keeping an eye out for hippos, crocodiles, and some of the 300 kinds of birds that call the area home. It also means having the opportunity to cap off the day with sundowners on a skimmer boat. Other large rivers, including the Rufiji, provide boat tours for game viewing, while a sunset cruise on the powerful Zambezi is practically a must-do when visiting Victoria Falls.

Best safari experiences : Go behind the scenes and meet the locals.

Learning about the effort that goes into managing and maintaining Africa’s national parks, reserves, and conservancies, as well as the communities who call them home, adds an intriguing element to every safari. These places are not isolated entities. There are eco-tours where you may witness your lodge’s sustainable practices in action, visits to anti-poaching units, and a variety of other behind-the-scenes experiences. Together with this, there are chances to visit nearby villages, which offer immersive cultural experiences that teach you about the local way of life and demonstrate how green tourism is benefiting communities all over the world, from Tarangire to Matabeleland and the Maasai Mara.

Take to the skies in a flying machine.

Whether you choose the popular Flight of Angels over Victoria Falls or somewhere more off the beaten path, it’s well worth shelling out on a soul-stirring helicopter flight for a bird’s-eye perspective of some of Africa’s most stunning scenery. Since it’s the only way to reach a lot of the Okavango Delta, you might find yourself landing on an island where no one else has ever set foot or flying low over the surface with the doors open to take in the breathtaking views of the Moremi Game Reserve and the Delta’s incredible wildlife. Riding high in the skies over Nyungwe National Park’s ancient rainforest, you can truly understand how it fits into the overall panorama of the “land of a thousand hills”; it’s also an excellent alternative in Rwanda. An even more intimate experience would be to fly in a microlight, a tiny aircraft that can fit just the pilot and one passenger.

Best safari experiences : View big game from your private plunge pool.

Choose the right accommodation and you could find yourself seeing elephants, giraffes and more without stirring an inch from your private heated plunge pool. It’s the ultimate sybaritic safari experience you won’t even need to set down your drink unless you wish to snap a picture. In South Africa, from Shamwari to the Kruger, you can discover lodges and campers with private pools. However, for an incredibly opulent option that’s ideal for a honeymoon or special occasion, Kenya’s opulent Mara Bushtops tents offer hot tubs and round-the-clock butler service for the ultimate sundowner experience that doesn’t require lifting a finger.

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