When I sat down to write about my recent trip to Africa, I realized that the number one question I was asked was “where can I go to see animals?” It sounded vague and the task of answering thoroughly and accurately initially seemed daunting until I thought about all the research I had done prior to booking.

Safari, fittingly enough, is Swahili for “journey.” “Safaris” or “game drives,” are the long periods of time you spend driving around a national park or a private reserve searching for wild animals in their natural habitat.

While the continent of Africa has 54 diverse and beautiful countries with different foods, languages, cultures, and economies, arguably one of the main draws for foreigners is to see the incredible wildlife unique to this part of the world.

Now to answer the burning question that brought you here – where are the best places to go on safari in Africa? Begin reading the rest of this post in David Attenborough’s voice and prepare to make an African safari your next holiday.

***NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR***

I have not personally visited the Okavango Delta, Masai Mara, or these specific safari destinations in South Africa, but I included these spots because I thoroughly researched them before booking my trip and because they were recommended to me by individuals I know and publications that I trust.

KENYA

SOLIO PRIVATE GAME RESERVE

Located in Laikipia, Kenya, The Solio Private Game Reserve is a private wildlife sanctuary between Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains. The only accommodation on the property is the Solio Lodge, one of the acclaimed Safari Collection properties, but day passes to the reserve are also available.

This incredible 45,000-acre property includes over 16,000-acres of reserve created in the 1970s to aid rhino conservation in Kenya. Today, there are over 120 black and southern white rhinos on the property, an utter rarity when compared to other reserves and national parks.

Within two minutes of entering, we spotted a group of four adults and one baby southern white rhino bathing. We continued to see countless rhinos throughout our two days of game drives. Midway through the second day, we spotted the elusive black rhinos and ended up seeing about 6 in total!

The park is home to a plethora of other species, but the rhinos are the crowning jewel and a real sight to behold. Another advantage to game drives here is that the borders are fenced, so the only creatures within the reserve that leave are their big cat populations.

It still takes searching and perseverance, but your chances of seeing zebra, waterbucks, reticulated giraffes, and more are quite high here. Yet another incredible advantage of spotting them here is that guides are permitted to drive right up to the animals (within reason) so you can get a better look.

MASAI MARA

Masai Mara is Africa’s most popular safari destination for a reason. Picturesque acacia trees dot the skyline and beautiful grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see. Africa’s “Big Five” – lions, African elephants, Cape buffalos, leopards, and rhinoceros wander the plains.

If you’re visiting between July and October, you’re bound to catch the annual wildebeest migration and just might have the chance to catch them crossing crocodile-infested waters. Another popular activity in Masai Mara is hot air ballooning – wake up early to watch the sunrise over Kenya and spot animals from above.

TANZANIA

NGORONGORO CRATER

Ngorongoro Conservation Area or colloquially called “Ngorongoro Crater,” is Tanzania’s crowning jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This volcanic caldera (a crater inhabited by wildlife), is the largest unflooded caldera in the world with an area of roughly 300 square kilometers and it is truly an unparalleled site.

While ascending the rim of the caldera, our guide informed us that it is quite common to see leopards and buffalo crossing the road, as they’re some of the few animals that leave the crater. Once you reach the rim, you descend on a one-way path to its floor and as you do, you realize that all the tiny flecks on the horizon are animals and you have a nearly unrestricted view.

The floor of the caldera is crawling with wildebeest, zebras, prides of lions, dozens of bird species, hyenas, jackals, hippos, elephants and more. Once the shock of seeing such a vast number of animals slightly subsides, another wave sets in as you realize that all of these guys are living in harmony (until someone gets hungry). A resounding round of Lion King classics filled our car as we made our way through the conservation area.

Around midday, everyone heads to the “Hippo Pond” (yes, it’s a pond full of hippos!) for lunch and restrooms before continuing on to a thickly wooded section, where majestic families of elephants lounge, play and eat from the tall branches. Few experiences are more magical than seeing an African elephant for the first time.

We stared on, mouths agape with the only sound coming from the rhythmic hum of insects in the trees and leaves snapping off of branches in the elephants’ powerful trunks. Beyond the sheer number and variety of animals you are nearly guaranteed to see in the crater, the fact that you can drive the whole thing in a single day makes this a tough spot to top.

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Serengeti National Park is less than two hours by car from Ngorongoro Crater, but the two places feel worlds apart. The chilly air and tall trees on the periphery of the crater, give way to rolling grassland with sparse acacia trees. We were lucky enough to be driving directly through the wildebeest migration while visiting in December and quickly spotted cheetahs, zebras, and lions, following the millions of wildebeest around the plains.

Established as a national park in 1952, the area is quite large and encompasses over 14,000 square kilometers. For over half the year, the wildebeest migration remains within its borders, making it a prime spot for not only wildebeest but also for their predators.

While in the park, we spotted lions and Masai giraffes daily, cheetahs on several occasions, and a leopard that was living close to our lodging at the Serengeti Pioneer Camp. The lack of trees makes lions and leopards easier to spot and the sheer number of grazing animals increases your chances of seeing a lion hunt.

During the dry season, leopards and elephants are much easier to spot, but they can be a bit elusive after the rainy season, so we were lucky to see a single distant family of elephants and a lone leopard after two days of game drives. If you want a closer look, you can purchase National Geographic permits for a few hundred dollars per person per day to allow your vehicle to drive off the park’s trails and right up to animals.

BOTSWANA

OKAVANGO DELTA

Okavango Delta and the Savute region of Chobe National Park are known for their elephants. Elephants, Cape buffalo, and lions reside there year-round, but the Chobe River’s famous elephant traffic jams occur mostly between August and late October.

The delta is formed by a veritable maze of lagoons in the desert, making it an animal oasis. Beyond the excitement of seeing large families of elephants, you can also safari here in many ways that you cannot in other wildlife parks and reserves. In the delta, you can take a game drive, participate in adrenaline-inducing walking safaris, or see these magnificent creatures from the water via boat or dugout canoe.

Not that you needed another plus, but leopards and Cape buffalo are also quite common here.

SOUTH AFRICA

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s oldest parks and is renowned for being home to all of the “Big Five.” Its relatively close proximity to the major South African city of Johannesburg, makes travel a bit easier than some of the more central safari destinations.

It’s about 4.5 hours by car or you can fly into Ngala, a short jaunt from O R Tambo International (less than 2 hours). Aided by its borders, it’s no surprise that visitors easily spot all of the “Big Five” on a single game drive.

SABI SANDS GAME RESERVE

Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve shares a fenceless border with Kruger National Park, meaning there is ample opportunity to spot the “Big Five.” It is a private game reserve complete with several luxury lodge options for accommodation. Along with all the other safari heavy hitters, Sabi Sands has quite a high population of the elusive leopard, which makes it one of the most famous private game reserves in Africa.

If this list doesn’t have you itching to plan your own African safari, I don’t know what will! Stay tuned for more information, including packing guides and animal encounters beyond game drives. In the meantime, you can head over to my Instagram to catch more photos and videos from my time on safari.

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