Which are The Best Places to Go on Safari in Africa?

The Best Places to Go on Safari in Africa – Best Safari Destinations in Africa

African Safaris and Adventures plunge you into untamed wilderness, offering tranquility, surprise, and unexpected luxury at the following seven best places to visit in Africa on safari.

So, where are the best places for safaris in Africa?

• Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya)
• Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)
• Amboseli National Park (Kenya)
• Bwindi National Park (Uganda)
• Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania)
• Okavango Delta (Botswana)
• South Luangwa National Park (Zambia)

That depends on the wildlife you want to see and the kind of safari experience you desire, from walking safaris to game drives, from camping to luxury.

The best places for an African safari are far and wide apart.

Africa is one of the best regions in the world for safari and wildlife sightings as the continent is home to the iconic “Big Five,” some of the largest and most dangerous wildlife in the world: elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos.

Well, it’s never guaranteed that you’ll see animals while on an African safari; it’s all by chance and luck.

With some of the most diverse wildlife on the planet and the best national parks and game reserves, Africa is the place to be for a safari.

The following information offers you a guide to the best places for an African safari to capture the authentic spirit of culture and celebrate the wonders of the wild.

Explore where to go on safari in Africa for the first time

The best places to visit for your first safari are:

• Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya) – Best for Wildebeest Migration Crossings and Big Cats Actions
• Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) – Best for Wildebeest Migration Calving and Big Cats Actions
• Amboseli National Park (Kenya) – Best for Elephants and Mount Kilimanjaro Views
• Bwindi National Park (Uganda) – Best for Gorilla Trekking
• Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania) – Best for the Big Fives
• Okavango Delta (Botswana) – Best for Zebra Migration, and Big Fives
• South Luangwa National Park (Zambia) – Best for walking safaris and big fives

1. Maasai Mara National Reserve – Kenya

The Masai Mara is Kenya’s top safari destination. It is located in the Southwestern region of Kenya, bordering Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

Popular for its alluring savannah landscape, the Mara is home to Africa’s largest concentration of wildlife.

Do you want to see the big cats, large mammals such as elephants, rhinos, and buffalo, you name it?

Maasai Mara National Reserve will treat you to all of it.

And oh, the dramatic Wildebeest Migration!

Which is the best time to visit the Masai Mara?

• July to October – The dry season is best for wildebeest migration and big cats
• January – March – Hot and dry season, perfect for a big cat safari

Masai Mara Safari: High vs Low Season

Tip: The Masai Mara is also great between January and the end of March. The weather is usually mild and dry, and most of the safari crowds are minimal.

How much is a Masai Mara Safari during the different Seasons of the year?

• A standard Masai Mara safari – From USD 700 per person sharing, and USD 1800 per person sharing per night.
• A Luxury Masai Mara safari – From USD 1,200 per person sharing, and USD 3,500 per person sharing per night.

2. Serengeti National Park – Tanzania

The word Serengeti is derived from the Maasai word Isiringit, which means: ‘Endless Plains’.

The park covers an area of approximately 15,000 km² and is one of the famous tourist attractions in Tanzania.

Adorning the Northern part of the country, Serengeti National Park is a major part of Tanzania’s tourism.

It is a stunning natural spectacle and also a popular UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its unique ecosystem that comprises extensive grasslands, distinct fauna, and attractions like the Grumeti River, Lobo Hills, and Mbalageti Serengeti.

Serengeti is also famous for a massive annual migration of two million wildebeests, and other animals like gazelles and zebras.

They migrate from the South of Serengeti to the North end entry to Maasai Mara, then later go back to South Serengeti in a circular manner.

Which is the best time to visit the Serengeti?

• July to October – The dry season is best for wildebeest migration and big cats
• January – March – Hot and dry season, perfect for a Wildebeest Calving and big cat safari

Serengeti Safari: High vs Low Season

Tip: The Serengeti is also great between January and the end of March.

The weather is usually mild and dry, and most of the safari crowds are minimal.

How much is a Serengeti Safari during the different Seasons of the year?

• A standard Serengeti safari – From USD 800 per person sharing and USD 1,500 per person sharing per night.
• A luxury Serengeti safari – From USD 1,500 per person and USD 4,500 per person per night.

3. Amboseli National Park – Kenya

Home to the gentle giants of Africa, the Elephants! Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya’s popular safari destinations.

Positioned in southern Kenya, the Park is famously known for two particular facts.

One, the Park hosts the largest herds of elephants, and two, Amboseli offers the most astonishing views of Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro on the horizon.

Amboseli National Park includes 5 diverse habitats that often thrill tourists while on safari.

These include: the drybed of Lake Amboseli, savannah, woodlands, and the wetlands with sulphur springs.

The Park also allows tourists to enjoy delightful cultural experiences with the Maasai People who reside on the outskirts of the Park.

The Best time to visit Amboseli National Park

• July to October – The dry season is best for wildebeest migration and big cats
• January – March – Hot and dry season, perfect for a big cat safari

Amboseli Safari: High vs Low Season

Tip: The Amboseli is also great between January and the end of March. The weather is usually mild and dry, and most of the safari crowds are minimal.

How much is an Amboseli Safari during the different Seasons of the year?

• A standard Amboseli safari – From USD 400 per person sharing and USD 1,200 per person sharing per night.
• A luxury Amboseli safari – From USD 1,200 per person and USD 2,500 per person per night.

4. Bwindi National Park – Uganda

Bwindi National Park is one of the most famous and popular parks in Uganda, known for trekking Silverback Gorillas.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda on the rim of the Rift Valley.

The hillsides, which are mist-covered are sheltered by one of the ancient and very biologically varied rainforests in Uganda that dates back to more than 25,000 years, comprising about 400 varied plant species.

This “impenetrable forest” protects approximately 320 mountain gorillas, nearly half the world’s population, including several habituated groups available for guests tracking.

Bwindi is home to more than half the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas.

Over 300 mountain gorillas live here.

Gorilla devotees for Uganda tour from different corners of the world come to Uganda to enjoy the Ultimate Safari in Uganda, Mountain Gorilla tours / tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

The word “Bwindi” means “darkness,” and taking a hike in this magnificent forest will certainly unveil to you the reason why the forest was named so.

You will also be in a position to tell why the forest is also regarded as Impenetrable.

One is required to be realistically physically fit to take part in this mountain gorilla tracking / trekking adventure because it may involve climbing steep terrain.

The best time to visit Bwindi National Park for Gorilla Trekking

• June to August: is the best time as it has Ideal dry trails and the easiest hiking conditions.
• December to February: Clear skies, warm weather, and excellent photography conditions.

Bwindi National Park Safari: High vs Low Season

Tip: Bwindi National Park is very wet during March, April, and May. It rains a lot during these months. Most challenging during the trek, the slopes are slippery.

How much is a Gorilla Trekking Safari in Bwindi during the different Seasons of the year?

• A standard Gorilla Trekking Safari – From USD 1,500 per person to USD 3,500 Per Person sharing per night inclusive of gorilla permits
• A luxury Gorilla Trekking Safari – From USD 3,500 per person to USD 5,500 Per Person Sharing per night inclusive of gorilla permits

5. Ngorongoro Crater – Tanzania

The Ngorongoro Crater in the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in Northern Tanzania, once a gigantic volcano, is the largest intact caldera in the world.

Some maintain that before it erupted, it would have been higher than Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

Today, long since having collapsed and eroded, it is an extensive highland area with the famous 600m deep Ngorongoro Crater as its focal point.

The ancient caldera shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens, nearly three million years old.

Ngorongoro Crater safari experiences have recently been given a five-star rating by thousands of visitors.

Visitors include expert photographers, business professionals, outdoor enthusiasts, and people from around the globe.

The safari experience is a community of people who want to enjoy the surrounding nature of one of Africa’s seven wonders.

Interact with a group of international visitors and experience the crater with them.

You get to see their reactions and enjoy the human experience together.

The best time to visit Ngorongoro Crater for the best safari experience

• July to October – The dry season is best for big cats sightings
• January – March – Hot and dry season, perfect for a big cat safari

Ngorongoro Crater Safari: High vs Low Season

Tip: The Ngorongoro Crater is also great between January and the end of March.

The weather is usually mild and dry, and most of the safari crowds are minimal.

How much is a Ngorongoro Crater Safari during the different Seasons of the year?

• A standard Ngorongoro Crater safari – From USD 700 and USD 1,500,  Per Person Sharing a night.
• A luxury Ngorongoro Crater safari – From USD 1,500 and USD 3,500,  Per Person Sharing a night.

6. Okavango Delta – Botswana

The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is one of Africa’s last remaining true wilderness areas and provides a refuge for huge concentrations of wildlife.

Deltas are created when rivers carry sediment into a slower-moving body of water (such as the sea).

The Okavango is technically an “alluvial fan” as the rivers that create it never reach the sea.

One of the largest Deltas in the world, covering a whopping size from 15,000 km² during drier periods to a staggering 22,000 km² (larger than Israel) during the annual flood.

It is important to note that the Okavango is composed of several small islands, which form when vegetation takes root on termite mounds.

However, you can also find larger islands in the delta. For example, Chief’s Island is the largest in the delta and is significant, since it was formed on a tectonic fault line.  

The Okavango Delta is most renowned for its exceptional wildlife experiences.

It is protected by both the Moremi Game Reserve and various wildlife concessions within Ngamiland.  

The best time to visit the Okavango Delta for a Safari

• July to August: It’s a good season to visit the Okavango Delta.
• September to October: Is the perfect time for a safari in the Okavango Delta.

Okavango Delta Safari: High vs Low Season

Tip: The Okavango Delta is also great between January and the end of March.

The weather is usually mild and dry, and most of the safari crowds are minimal.

How much is an Okavango Delta Safari during the different Seasons of the year?

• A Standard luxury safari in the Okavango Delta – From USD 1,500 to USD 5,000 per person sharing a night.
• A High-end Luxury safari in the Okavango Delta – From USD 5,000 to USD 7,000 per person sharing a night.

7. South Luangwa National Park – Zambia

Experts have dubbed South Luangwa one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The concentration of animals around the Luangwa River, and its oxbow lagoons, is among the most intense in Africa.

South Luangwa National Park is one of the great remaining unspoiled national parks of Africa.

As Zambia’s reputation grows, it retains the essence of a true wilderness.

South Luangwa National Park feels relatively untouched, providing an unpredictable and exhilarating safari experience.

The Luangwa River is the most intact in Africa, and its tributaries and lagoons are the lifeblood of this region.

And the changing seasons, from the ‘dry’ season in the winter to the ‘emerald’ season in the summer months, make this a vibrant and charismatic part of the world that you don’t want to miss.

The best time to visit South Luangwa National Park for Safaris

• July to August: is the best time to visit South Luangwa, its perfect time for walking safaris.
• September to October: Falls under the best time to visit South Luangwa; it’s perfect for big cat safaris.

South Luangwa National Park Safari: High vs Low Season

Tip: The South Luangwa National Park is also great between January and the end of March. The weather is usually mild and dry, and most of the safari crowds are minimal.

How much is a South Luangwa Safari?

• A standard South Luangwa Safari – From USD 800 to USD 2,000 per person sharing a night.
• A luxury South Luangwa Safari – From USD 2,000 per person sharing to USD 4,000 Per person sharing a night.