The Best African Safari Experiences

The Duba lions in Botswana are well known for the drama that they provide to tourists. Most lion prides tend to hunt by night, but these large and fearsome beasts hunt by day. The Skimmer and Tsaro prides roam here, and for many long years a pair of fierce patriarchs ran the show. Now younger lions have taken over, so for the next few years at least there are sure to be challenges and awesome displays of leadership and strength. Duba is located in the Okavango Delta, and for most of the year is inaccessible by road, which makes this a really unique experience. There has also been a lot of wildlife documentaries filmed here thanks to the close access to the lions and their hunting habits. Make sure you check them out before visiting so you can see just what you could experience.

The yearly wildebeest migration is an awe-inspiring sight, with literally millions of animals making the journey from Tanzania’s Serengeti into Kenya’s Masai Mara. The Kenya safari leg can be the most thrilling part, as you witness the wildebeest making the dangerous crossing over the swollen brown rivers. Teeming with crocodiles and with strong currents, it’s a thrilling, but also tragic part of the cycle of life here in Africa. There’s nothing more exhilarating than coming along for the ride and watching it all play out – from a safe distance. Once the annual crossings are over, you can still enjoy watching the wildebeest graze on the plains, even when they break down into smaller family groups to enjoy the feasts that this area provides for them.

The unspoiled Zambezi Valley is a beautiful place to visit, but also ethereal and haunting as a place to stay. Nothing in life will ever compare to the sensation of sleeping in a tent in the valley while lions pace around outside, roaring into the night. You will see all manner of exotic animals here include leopards, elephants, and crocodiles. There are camps scattered throughout the park, offering varying levels of luxury, and you can enjoy plenty of bush-based activities. These may include fishing and canoeing, walking around in the early morning with armed guards, watching out for nocturnal animals by torchlight, or settling down for dinner while hyenas whoop in the hills behind you. It’s the kind of African safari experience that will make camping at home seem like the dullest holiday possible.

Though we may hold negative connotations with Rwanda, the years of unrest are over, and the relatively stable country now needs help from tourist income to grow peacefully. One of the best tours that you can buy is a hiking trail alongside gorillas. Your guide will take you into the forest, using machetes to hack through the denser parts of the undergrowth, until you come upon the massive gorillas. Silverbacks will sit and watch you just as much as you watch them, making this utterly unforgettable.

There are plenty of different African safari experiences available across Africa, with different animals and sights to look out for. You are sure to find one which will capture your imagination.