Top 5 African safari destinations : The top 5 African safari destinations Tanzania’s Serengeti, Kenya’s Maasai Mara, Botswana’s Okavango delta, South Africa’s Kruger National Park, Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National park and among others represent the pinnacle of wildlife experiences, offering the perfect opportunities to witness the continent’s majestic animal species to incredible migrations, breathtaking natural landscapes that embody the essence of Africa’s wild beauty.
Serengeti National Park (Tanzania).
The Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s oldest and largest national park, is ranked as one of the top destinations in Africa by many safari travelers. It is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site primarily because it is the site of the most spectacular yearly wildlife migration in the world, which includes tens of thousands of zebras and up to two million wildebeest. With an estimated 3,000 lions, the vast plains are home to Africa’s greatest lion population. While leopards are frequently spotted in the central Seronera Valley, cheetahs are likely to be found there more consistently than anywhere else in East Africa. Elephants, buffalo, giraffes, spotted hyenas, bat-eared foxes, and a variety of antelope are among the other common fauna.
Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya).
Essentially the Kenyan counterpart to the Serengeti, the smaller Masai Mara National Reserve is equally rewarding when it comes to wildlife viewing. The main inhabitants are big cats. Although prides of up to 20 lions steal the show, you can also view cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, and, with a little more luck, black rhinos in the Mara Triangle. When hundreds of thousands of wildebeest cross the Mara River from the Serengeti, the most dramatic part of the yearly migration, the Masai Mara comes into its own from late July to early October.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda).
Mountain gorillas, in a nutshell. If you wish to witness these gentle giants, the largest primate in the world (weighing up to 200 kg), in their foggy mountain environment, this Ugandan national park is one of the best places to visit in Africa. Almost every trip to Bwindi National Park ends with the opportunity to gaze into the huge silverback’s liquid chocolate eyes. However, it’s also a great site to watch forest inhabitants like the yellow-backed duiker, L’Hoest’s monkey, and all 23 of the Albertine Rift’s native bird species, including the stunning African green broadbill.
Kruger National Park (South Africa).
It would take at least two weeks to fully explore the unfathomably large Kruger National Park, one of the greatest destinations in Africa for a self-drive safari. Because of its closeness to Johannesburg, most people concentrate on the south, but if you want to venture off the beaten path, head to the more isolated north. The highest number of mammal species found in any African national park, 147, may be found in Kruger. These include incredible numbers of all five of the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino), as well as cheetah, hippo, zebra, giraffe, warthog, baboon, and more than 20 antelope species. Additionally, 517 bird species have been identified there.
Okavango Delta (Botswana).
One of the greatest destinations in Africa for up-close views of elephants, big cats, hippos, crocodiles, and other aquatic animals is the expansive interior delta formed by the Okavango River as it plunges into the Kalahari Desert’s sands. The true allure of the Delta lies in its untamed sense of wilderness, which is best experienced in a professionally poled mokoro dugout canoe.
