Top Five African Safari Destinations

Any trip to Africa would be incomplete without a safari to see the wild animals and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the bushveld.

However, there are literally hundreds of national parks and wildlife reserves in Africa to visit. And some are unquestionably superior to others in terms of providing the potential for a fantastic safari vacation.

Here are the top five safari vacations in Africa, based on my experience and the general consensus of the wildlife tour industry and other sources such as first-hand accounts of safari trips in travel diaries at African Safari Journals:

1. Serengeti National Park in Tanzania

The Serengeti is an amazing place to be during the annual migration, when the wildebeest and zebra pack up and leave their grazing areas in search of fresher ones.

It's a great safari vacations in Africa destination any time of year, but the migration is widely regarded as one of nature's wonders. In terms of safari, it's difficult to beat.

Masai Mara, Kenya

This wildlife park is hard to beat if you want to see big cats. Lion, leopard, and cheetah are abundant and relatively easy to spot due to the grassland vegetation, which allows for unrestricted views for miles around.

Another significant advantage is that off-roading is permitted as long as you do not create new trails. The fact that this is still permitted makes this one of the few parks in Africa where you can still take a vacation because the animals are much less likely to comply and stay close to the main roads.

The only drawback is that there are a lot of people there due to its popularity, so this is not the place to go if you want to spend some time alone in nature.

3. Kruger National Park in South Africa

No other place in Africa comes close to the Kruger Park in terms of species diversity. And, because it is so large (larger than Wales), it has a variety of ecosystems through which you can travel in search of animals and birds.

The infrastructure and accommodations are excellent, and it is one of the best managed parks in Africa.

Selinda Reserve, Botswana

The extremely high concentration of wildlife, the high standard of lodging, the excellent service, and the exclusivity of this reserve in north Botswana are what draw seasoned safari travellers, who rate it highly and keep coming back.

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

The destination of South Luangwa is a gem in the making that is just waiting for the right amount of publicity to elevate it to the top of the list of vacation spots in Africa with wildlife.

However, part of its rustic charm currently comes from its relative seclusion as one of Africa's best kept secrets.

It is the birthplace of the walking safari and is regarded as one of the best locations in Africa to see the elusive leopard.