Best Safari Tours in Africa

They say Africa is one of the few places in the world that is still capable of surprising. The African Continent is a true paradise for seeing wild animals. Among so many gems it is difficult to choose, that is why I wanted to recommend the best destinations in Africa for safari trips.

   

African Safari is the dream of the unknown, the return to the origins and the wildest nature. Believe me, traveling to Africa is to going back in time to a magical world where the lion is still a king and the gorillas dominate the top of the volcanoes where the snows of Kilimanjaro remains impassive over time.

   

  

There is nothing left for the long-awaited vacation, so you should not let the last-minute bull catch you. Why not discover the beauty of the continent that was the cradle of humanity and for this there is no better way than a safari through Africa that allows you to know how they live and what is the culture of the inhabitants of countries like, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, or South Africa. 

   

   

Tanzania is one of the best destinations in the Africa for safari trips. The Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Parks in the north or Ruaha and Selous in the south are perfect for wildlife viewing. Another very interesting proposal is the Gombe Stream National Park, the sanctuary of the last families of wild chimpanzees in the country and the research center established in 1965 by the primatologist Jane Goodall.

     

Serengeti National Park: Its main attraction is the wild animals: lions, rhinoceroses, leopards, monkeys, elephants and other species. In addition to its fauna, this World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO, presents landscapes that can be admired in a unique way: balloon safaris.

   

Tarangire National Park: Whether day or night, you can follow the trail of lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos, find animals as ostriches. Imagine hundreds of striped zebras reflected in the calm waters, the silhouette of the elephants burnt by the sunset and the ghostly vision of the baobabs (typical trees) scattered by the brilliant grasslands. All this exists here and can be seen easily.

    

This national park is approximately 2,576 square kilometers and is the fifth largest in Tanzania. Its name is the only source of permanent water in the area that becomes a magnet for wildlife during the dry season, when large concentrations of elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, and zebras congregate along its banks.

   

    

The Ngorongoro Crater is located on the northern tip of Tanzania, 90 kilometers west of Arusha, bordering the southeastern end of Serengeti National Park. One of the main attractions that forced me to leave the jeep was to walk freely, although not in the same crater and accompanied by a park guard. Here l met some wild friends from Africa including black rhinoceros, leopards, hyenas, elephants, and herds of zebras and other smaller mammals.

    

   

    

Kenya is one of the most spectacular destinations to see wild animals. The main cause is the great migration, a unique phenomenon in nature in which a million and a half of wildebeest and another half a million zebras move from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya. Besides the mentioned Masai Mara, there are other interesting places to see animals in Kenya. For example, Amboseli National Park or Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha or Samburu Reserve.

   

Can you imagine seeing how for more than 20 years a family of elephants crosses the reception of the same lodge? Or see the migration of the African Pita, a beautiful bird and even on the same safari see the world's largest bat migration.

    

Visit South Luangwa, one of the best parks in Africa where you can see leopards and of course elephants, lions, hippos, crocodiles, and wild dogs.  The experience of safari and accommodation in South Luangwa is unique and exclusive.

  

  

The Etosha National Park in Namibia is one of the largest in the world and is perfect for contemplating large mammals in their natural habitat or many species of birds.

The park is full of waterholes which make it much easier to see animals, very well defined paths and I haven’t seen too many people, a nice place to enjoy the animals.  You can admire various animals along the route which includes springboks, Kudus, rhinoceros, elephants, lions, giraffes, and zebras. You have to spend at least two days of safari there!

 

Few countries in the world can boast of the Botswana faunal variety. Baboons, jackals, hyenas, lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebras, white rhinoceros, hippopotamus or elephants are easy to see in the National Park of Botswana. An essential place for the observation of elephants and other animals in the African country is the Okavango Delta. This gigantic delta, adjoining the green dunes of the Kalahari Desert, is one of the largest wildlife reserves in the world.

   

       

The southern winter (from May to August) is a good time to visit Botswana national parks, as the days are usually mild and wild animals are never far from water sources. In any case, it should be considered that it also coincides with school holidays in Europe, North America, and South Africa, so there may be many visitors.

   

  

After breakfast, my trip to Uganda will start eastbound towards the town of Jinja on Lake Victoria where J. Speke discovered the true sources of the Nile Safari to Uganda. For sport and nature lovers, do not miss the chance to rafting in the white waters of the Nile, one of the most exciting and safe in the world. You can also choose other activities such as driving "quad", surfing the Nile, mountain biking or riding.

   

      

Uganda is one of those destinations that falls in love with the traveler, especially those looking to see exotic wildlife. The Bwindi Impenetrable Jungle National Park is definitely a must see. Its main attraction is the possibility of contemplating the famous and peculiar mountain gorillas. Also, highlights the magnificent Budongo forest. It is one of the most beautiful spots on the entire African continent and allows contact with animal species as interesting as the chimpanzee.

    

  

I stayed two nights in the Kruger National Park area. I saw four of the "big five" (lion, elephants, buffalos, rhinoceros, and leopard - I missed the leopard), walked alongside giraffes and saw the most breathtaking sunset.

    

  

The last block of the trip is the five days I dedicated to Cape Town and surroundings. To climb Table Mountain you can spend a whole day easily, but you also have to visit Robben Island, go to the Cape of Good Hope stopping to see penguins and seals, stroll through Green Market and Company Gardens. I already say that five days are enough but they fall short. My trip has been truly amazing and I would return tomorrow!

   

Much of the fauna that populates the African natural parks is eminently nocturnal. Large predators hunt at night and do not withstand the heat too well, reserving energy during the central hours of the day that they take advantage of for a championship nap. For this reason, the best moments to see animals being of safari are very early in the morning and in the afternoon surrounding the sunset.

    

  

The one who thinks that in the African natural parks are like a zoo better does not bother if he wants to buy his plane ticket. We should arm ourselves with patience and not bother to the ranger on duty if we have been half an hour and have seen only a herd of impalas. We may be having an unprofessional morning on animals and in two minutes witnessing a show just like in National Geographic documentaries.

  

  

Africa will always be imprinted in my memory as I visited this amazing continent that has astonished me the most. It is no coincidence that many people return to love and enthusiastic with the idea of realizing a new safari. It is the spell of Africa that causes you an indescribable sensation of a call to return.