For many travelers, an African safari is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Planning the perfect trip can be a daunting task for first-timers to the region. With wide-ranging environments, varied climates, some 20 countries to choose from and more than a dozen national parks–not to mention a plethora of wildlife–the options are endless. Here’s an overview on how to select which African safari is best for you. Whichever region you chose, get ready for a trip that will far surpass your expectations!
A close look at the continent reveals huge differences between the national parks, from accessibility to accommodation options, the types of species you’ll see and the landscapes you’ll explore. Today there are more ways to go on a safari than ever before. As Africa continues to open itself up to and promote tourism and with more destinations than ever to visit, there are better infrastructures in place and plenty of alternative safari experiences beyond tracking the Big Five such as walking or water safaris.
Here’s a guide to help you narrow down which safari region is right for you.
First, there’s the iconic Kruger National Park in South Africa. Kruger has spectacular scenery, with abundant wildlife to match. After a few days in the park, you would be unlucky not to have spotted the Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffalo and black rhino. For first-time visitors to Africa, this a great entry region to visit. Kruger is the most famous gem in South Africa’s heavily populated tourism area, and rightfully so. The almost 20,000km² park includes a vast array of environments and more mammals than any other African game reserve.
As you make your way over to this region, stay at the most luxurious Singita Lebombo Lodge. Singita is the Shangaan word for “Place of Miracles” and this property is certainly derived from a worldly place up above. Singita Lebombo blends the finest luxury accommodations with the perfect amount of off-the-grid sweet seclusion. This modern, minimalist haven has 15 well-appointed glass-enclosed suites hanging above a cliff over the N’wanetsi River, allowing guests to look down from their private game-viewing decks into the region below.
Other exquisite lodging options in South Africa include Singita Boulders, Londolozi, Molori Safari Lodge, andBeyond Phinda Homestead and Melton Manor at Kwandwe.
Pair your South African safari with a stop in Cape Town. Stay at the One & Only Cape Town, a luxurious, centrally located property in the heart of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. As the first luxury hotel to open in Cape Town in nearly a decade, the resort is designed to celebrate the city’s wine, art, design and spirit, balancing contemporary glamour with an authentic South African style. When visiting the Cape, be sure to check out Boulder’s Beach, home to thousands of penguins, the wine-regions of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and don’t miss an opportunity to cage-dive with Great White Sharks in Hermanus. The city is on the forefront of a burgeoning art, culture and culinary scene: check it all out!
The Serengeti National Park needs almost no introduction. It’s the stuff that African legends are made of and where you might find yourself belting out Toto’s “Africa”. Wildlife viewing in Tanzania’s Serengeti is good all throughout the year but certain areas are better at specific times. The best time to witness the world’s greatest wildebeest migration is during the dry season which occurs in late June through September. This is when the region’s grasslands are traversed by millions of wildebeest all travelling at the same time. While the timing of the migration varies every year, the best chance of seeing this is during June and July as they make their way across the Grumenti River.
Book your travel plans early to this visit this region since this tends to be a bucket list trip. Staying at one of the luxurious Singita Grumenti properties is a must when travelling to this region. Within Singita Grumeti’s private 350,000-acre concession adjoining the Serengeti National Park, you might not see another vehicle for half a day and that’s the beauty of booking accommodations at one of these beautiful lodges. Singita Explore, the Faru Faru Lodge, Sabora Tented Camp and the Serengeti House, all part of the Singita Grumenti family, offer opportunities to catch the migration phenomenon.
To combine the migration with a chance to see chimpanzees, a trip to Greystoke Mahale is well worth the hours logged to get to this remote location. The property has a funky stylish design with incredible wood and thatch huts (or “bandas” as they’re called) sitting on the lake’s edge. Observing chimps in their natural habitat at this resort is an extraordinary experience.
After a few days observing these safari sensations, pair your Tanzania trip with a visit to a neighboring island for complete and utter relaxation, where the biggest decision you have to make is what type of massage you want from the spa menu or what tropical drink to order from the bar. Notable resorts include the newly renovated andBeyond Benguerra Island on Mozambique’s Bazaruto archipelago and The Residence in Zanzibar.
Another safari option? Traveling to the Maasai Mara National Reserve is synonymous with both another stop on the wildebeest and zebra’s great migration, as well as with the Maasai people and their fascinating culture. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic warrior tribe inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes and their very distinct customs and dress. A trip to this region should definitely include a village visit and even a warrior training lesson!
This region, around the Mara River, sees two million wildebeest and zebras crossing from July through October, that is, if they should survive the precarious Mara River Crossing. The Singita Mara River Tented Camp in the Lamai area (northern Tanzania) offers a very lavish lodging option to view the crossing at the Mara River. If you want to feel like you just stepped onto the set of the famed 1985 film with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford “Out of Africa”, then look no further than the Angama Mara.
The Angama Mara in Kenya is where this movie was shot and is a remarkable new owner-run safari inspired by the word angama which means “suspended in mid-air.” It is located high above Africa’s Great Rift Valley floor, overlooking the Maasai Mara. Each of the private 15 suites are decorated in vibrant chic textiles and each suite has large, wide open windows which open up to the world down below. The lodge will even arrange for an intimate picnic for two on the crest of the kopje that is featured on the film’s movie poster. Another notable, top-of-the-line Kenya safari options includes andBeyond Kichwa Tembo.
If you’ve seen the Big Five and crossed off the iconic Kruger National Park, Maasai Mara and Serengeti off your list, then it’s time for a more off-the-beaten-path safari experience.
Spending time in Zambia on the Zambezi River, where hippo and crocodile float, is a must-do experience. Set on a private stretch of the river, the Royal Chundu indulges both the seeker of respite and thrill. This is the only lodge along the Zambezi that does not share its waterways with other Zambian operators and its chic décor and impeccable Relais and Châteaux service and attention to detail make this property a standout in the region. From the Royal Chundu, book an excursion to visit Victoria Falls, where you can go micro-lighting (a form of tandem paragliding) and/or take a helicopter tour of the area. Access to Livingstone Island and the Devil’s Pool is a must-take photo opp, where a small pool of water is right at the top of the Falls. When planning a trip to the Falls, it’s important to note that the driest months of the year are between October through December and the Zambian side of the Falls face mostly bare rock downstream, so the preferred country to see the falls is on the Zimbabwean side.
After years of political turmoil, Zimbabwe has recently come onto the radar as one of Africa’s up-and-coming safari destinations. With all members of the Big Five and the iconic Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe offers all the elements of a wonderful safari and is a fraction of the cost compared to its counterparts. Sleep in style at Singita Pamushana Lodge, Zimbabwe’s most luxurious camp. Another option is Wilderness Safaris Linkwasha Camp in Hwange National Park. Be sure to experience Zimbabwe’s wildlife from the back of an elephant at The Elephant Camp.
A trip to the the most desolate part of the world’s second-least-populated country makes a visit to Nambia quite intriguing. Nambia is often referred to having a moon-like landscape (mountains, desert and dunes) and a visit to the remote Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp or Little Kulala Lodge will allow you to explore this incredible terrain. While at Hoanib, which is on the coast and 15 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, make sure you cross dune-surfing off of your must-do list. Stays should include a day visit up and down the coast (typically done by Jeep one way and a small airplane for the return). Highlights include driving up and down the dunes, seeing shipwrecks and viewing colonies of seals and flamingos. For another luxury lodging option, Little Kuala Lodge embraces its position in the center of the Namib Desert. This camp is a great jumping off point for a visit to Nambia and ensuring that you have a morning to hot-air balloon over this region is a must.
Botswana safaris are expensive and will definitely cost more than ones in South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, but those who splurge to visit this region will be rewarded with an incredibly diverse eco-system (delta, desert and plains) and best-in-class service. Botswana has a very stable government, the highest GDP on the continent and out of the 1.8 million living in this country, nearly half of the population has jobs in the hospitality or conversation sector. Safaris in this region are very up close and personal with the animals and typically take places on private reserves of land (or concessions as they’re called). These concessions are leased out to top-notch safari companies which give back to the local communities in exchange for having access to the land. Botswana is made up of three main regions: the Okavango Delta, the Linyanti and Chobe area and the Makgadikgadi Pans. Most of the interior of the country is made up of the Kalahari Desert. Sleep at a camp in the Okavango Delta, a giant wetland paradise, that offers land and water activities. Vumbura Plains, Abu Camp, Jao Camp, Mombo and Little Mombo are all great options. In the top north of the country (near the Namibia border), is where you’ll find the Linyanti/Chobe area. The movie Planet Earth was filmed around here and whatever the season you visit, the area has a huge concentration of animals due to its abundant rivers, marshes and swamps. Kings Pool, on the waterfront, and Duma Tau are the most well-known camps in this area. Other Botswana luxury options include andBeyond’s Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge and the Zarafa Camp, in the Selinda reserve.
Whichever safari adventure and luxury lodge you chose, you’re in for an unforgettable experience where you’ll be captivated by the culture, the people and the big game that roams some of the earth’s last wilderness.
