“AFRICA” is Safari, Muddy drives, Free Roaming wildlife, Massive Golden savannah on grand African backdrops that will blow you away, right?
Visitors even think the moment they land at the airport they’ll be welcomed by some Lion family dragging a gazelle trying to catch it’s last breath to a flat-topped acacia tree shade and rip its inner flesh out. Well, I can confirm your fears, because if you happen to land in Nairobi J.K.I.A, then take a turn left, you end up at the only National park within a capital city, ‘Nairobi National park’ and there you have your wishes true on your lens.
🙂 I would call any African Safari, ‘A Big 5 Safari’ , whether it’s chasing cats at the Maasai Mara plains or riding through the deep bushes at the Northern side of Kruger National Park, there’s so much to offer yet this depends on what adventure makes your adrenaline tick and each of these parks has something outstanding to show off for. Trying not to have a million dollar post I came up with a minimal list to give you a rough idea on what to expect.
1. SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK {ZAMBIA}
How apprehensive can you get, knowing you are on foot with no sight of a getaway car just in case the fastest wild animal decides to unleash its speed after you, or a 1 week hungry lion moans at the smell of your fresh blood, or the most dangerous Wild black Rhino is surprised at your appearance or the largest of them all starts trumping its feet and blowing up its trunk cause you are invading its territory. How much more adrenaline can you handle?
Zambia offers first class walking safaris and is the Best destination for foot safaris of up to 8 Kms with short stops for a good animal view, photo and a small discussion from a very high standards and best walking safari guide. To top up icing on the sugar, can you drive around the wild in the night and get into a face to face night vision contest with the leopard?
2. MAASAI MARA NATIONAL PARK
A magnificent black maned lion jumps on the bumper of your cruiser, An eye to eye challenge with a cheetah on your lens, A Leopard whisks away an antelope, an elephant mud bathing at the Mara river, The greatest wildlife show-off where millions of Wildebeest swim across the Mara to Serengeti and a crocodile grasp a Wildebeest neck and disappear into the water in a second , Or a red head Maasai warrior spear a fat bull, cup its blood and drink it, there’s nothing less than this type of adventure at the Massive open terrains of the Mara.
Ever wondered why, the name ‘SAFARI’ originated from Kenya? I like to say the best of them all tells tales for itself but still, Maasai Mara is a pure show off. It delivers to the point, whether it’s camping at Kicheche or Porini and waking up to the sun rise over rolling plains, or sipping wine watching the sunset and birds colour the blue skies in between May and October.
3. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK {SOUTH AFRICA}
Lions roaring over the camp at dawn, emerging from the long tuft golden grass at noon, Extensive savannahs, rugged hills transitioning into woodlands and riverine forests. Night hunting with your camera to daylight safari trails not mentioning well thriving big five. Africa’s Premier National Park offers everything you need in a safari completely packaged with an exclusive Luxury camp and tar roads, to small bush tent camps near a fire and back roads for a real African safari experience. For whatever reason you’re in South Africa while thinking about the wine on the Tables, “Table Mountains” and the sunset over Cape Town, think about Kruger’s first.
4. CHOBE NATIONAL PARK {BOTSWANA}
Exclusive wildlife Safari experiences spiced up with boat cruises are perfectly defined in Botswana, with Large herds of elephants playing with water under the hot sun at the Chobe river, What is believed to be the World’s Greatest Lion prides at Duba, Wild dogs speed hunting a baby gazelle, Colorful birds ‘beaking’ on insects, Large herds of Buffaloes dipping their bodies into muddy holes or all of it combined at the Lush green hidden waterways of Okavango Delta at the southern side.
Okavango is the world’s biggest inland delta and with the ironical Botswana being a dry land the massive crocodiles and hippos swimming underneath your canoes and hitting it at some point offer a nerve wrecking experience and another side of Botswana.
5. ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK {NAMIBIA}
In for ‘Big Game Hunting’? Etosha is the place. In Swahili “TOSHA” means “ENOUGH” and I believe Etosha is enough for any Wild African safari experience. Locally it means “Great white place” due to the massive white salt pan once a lake bed. It boasts of the highest cheetah population, a large number of the endangered Black rhinos, huge herds of Lions, elephants, and more than enough herbivore families with quite a number of Leopards endorsing the deal. You can head over to “The Desert Rhino Camp” and go tracking desert rhinos and elephants on foot in the semi-arid extensive terrains and maybe add some saltpans to your day.
6. VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK {RWANDA}
They stare at you, like they know you from somewhere they’re trying really hard to remember by gazing directly into your eyes. Half of the Last remaining population of Huge Silverback mountain gorillas (Around 200kg i.e. thrice the weight of an average man) is on about their usual business feeding from branches of the dense Volcanoes National Park vegetation. The playful babies are fighting over the mother’s attention and might even move so close to you for yours. This is not a driving around kind of safari, But a rather engaging trek with a backpack, zip lock and boots trying to figure out your way around the dense wet vegetation and playing around with the endangered most intelligent primates. Gorilla trekking is a life changing experience. Just remember to organize for your Gorilla trek Permit ahead of time.
7. SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK {TANZANIA}
Doubling up the endless terrains and habitat and being the southern extension of the Mara, it offers a greater and better experience to the Maasai Mara with a lesser human interference and a chance for more up-close clicks at the predators speeding out on the largest spectacle of millions of Wildebeest and zebras colonizing the plain savannahs in between June to October.
Also home to the World’s largest unbroken un-flooded volcanic caldera, “NGORONGORO CRATER” on the eastern side, which provides a natural enclosure that is home to Elephants, rhinos, Lions, Buffaloes and Leopards, perfect for a day safari, is just a click away at a Birds view from the top.
8. HWANGE NATIONAL PARK {ZIMBAMBWE}
Predominant Rugged acacia vegetation on plains transitioning into the sandy rugged hills of Kalahari and a variety of wildlife species trying to get the best out of the salt pans, Hwange is one of Africa’s premier conservation areas and Zimbabwe’s best Park dominated by mopane woodland on the northern side with the Largest wild dog population in Africa and large herds of elephants.
9. BWINDI IMPNETRABLE NATIONAL PARK {UGANDA}
Mountainous with deep valleys and misty thundering waterfalls, Famed for Mountain gorilla trekking like the Volcanoes national park, with high elevations, dense vegetation and a major source of 5 rivers flowing into Lake Edward there’s a reason it’s called impenetrable. Bwindi is home to African forest elephants, over 120 mammal species, thousands of primates and an outstanding bird and insect haven.
Attached to lush green vegetation, dense tropical forests, Overflowing Rivers and countless numerous hills making it perfect to sustain the 2nd Largest River in the world “River Nile”, it’s all in the name of Uganda.
But there’s another side of Uganda, “KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK” on the Northern side not so much explored. A Spectacular massive savannah on a picture perfect landscape lays a herd of healthy buffaloes that could get you at robot speed in its rage. It’s quite an exclusive and quiet park quite rewarding with its variety of wildlife species.
10. GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK {MOZAMBIQUE}
“Place of war,” as the Gorongosa name locally suggests, mention the Rift Valley and you know you have grandiose landscapes transitioning from Mt. Gorongosa waterfalls down gorges, forests, plains to lakes to show off. Located at the southern end of the Great Rift Valley Gorongosa once a home to the most dense wildlife population reduced by war is now in recovery and home to Herds of Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions and a variety of other wildlife species. This is one of Africa’s greatest restoration project and a foot safari gives you time to take in the wilderness and connect with a sad story turned into a victorious story.
And Yes since this was a top 10 list with only one mention of each country how about dessert as I Love my country twice and would not leave out Amboseli. This is why the name Safari originated from Kenya; we are the icing of your Safari.
AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK {KENYA}
Large herds of elephants strolling on flat terrains and expansive savannahs with a backdrop of pure glittering white ice slowly melting from the clear blue skies over a curvaceous glorious mountain I wouldn’t call it a perfect Safari but I’d say this is the most breathtaking view you can get from any Safari . To ice up your safari you can plan for a climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro to compare the view from up to the amazing one from below if Standing in between two countries at the peak is not sufficiently rewarding. Complete with Amazing campsites to watch the sunrise or set over the mountain and lazy evening drives while a baby elephant tries to outsmart the speed of your Land rover or a Maasai giraffe scampers away as you drive closer is the Premier of any African Safari.
There’s nothing that beats an
African Safari experience.
🙂
