Tour Guide, Nairobi, Kenya
| 6 mins read
Here are some of the best safaris in 2016 from India to Africa. Maasai Mara is one of the top choices in East Africa and July is the best time to visit when thousands of wildebeest migrate across the crocodile-infested Mara River. Kruger National Park is the most visited park in South Africa and hosts an amazing diversity of wildlife across a number of environments. To get off the beaten track consider Maasai mara National Park, Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe or Okavango Delta.
1. Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya
Maasai Mara National Reserve is located in the southwest of Kenya and west of the capital Nairobi. The Maasai Mara National Reserve is each year visited by thousands of tourists, who come here to watch the many different wildlife and birdlife species in the reserve. The reserve is especially famous for the high amount of predators, such as lions and cheetah, and the 1.5 million wildebeest which migrate through the Mara and cross the crocodile infested Mara river.
2. Kafue National Park, Zambia
Kafue National Park is in the Kafue River Basin of Zambia. It is approx. 22,400 square km and is one of the largest parks in the country and the world. Kafue is extremely rich in animal life. Hippo abounds in the rivers with good sightings of huge crocodiles. Many species of birds, large and small are abundant. Elephant too is on the come-back after extensive poaching and are frequently seen along the river banks and even venture into the camps and lodges.
3. Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Moremi Game Reserve is a Game Reserve in Botswana. It rests on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta. The Moremi Game Reserve, although not one of the largest parks, presents insights and views even for the most experienced of travelers. It is home to nearly 500 species of bird (from water birds to forest dwellers), and a vast array of other species of wildlife, including buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyaena, jackal, impala, and red lechwe.
4. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Serengeti National Park is a large conservation area located in the north of Tanzania. The park flows over into neighbouring Kenya where it is known as the Masai Mara. The park is one of several conservation areas within the Serengeti region of East Africa. Though a vitaly important one, as well as conserving wildlife, flora and iconic landscapes, Serengeti National Park has emerged as a major traveler and tourist destination, many making the journey there to engage in safari.
5. Chobe National Park, Botswana
The Chobe National Park is located in the northwest of Botswana, near the borders of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia and is famous for its vast variety of wildlife. It attracts thousands of visitors every year due to its fame as one of the largest game concentrations in the country. Not only this, but this wildlife sanctuary also boasts the largest elephant population in Africa both in number and size.
6. Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a park in the Northwest Tanzania. It contains an old volcano that has collapsed and formed a crater (caldera). The steep sides of the crater have become a natural enclosure for a wide variety of wildlife. Lions are in the highest density in the world in the crater, so there is a good chance of seeing them. There are herds of wildebeest, zebra, and a lot of buffalo and Grants’ gazelles too.
7. Kruger National Park, South Africa
The Kruger National Park lies in the north-east of South Africa and runs along the border of Mozambique in the east, Zimbabwe in the north, and the southern border is the Crocodile River. The park covers 20,000 square kilometers and is divided into 14 different ecozones, each supporting different wildlife. It is one of the main attractions of South Africa and it is considered the flagship of South African National Parks.
8. Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Okavango Delta is a region in Botswana. It is both a permanent and seasonal home to a wide variety of wildlife which is now a popular tourist attraction. Species include African Bush Elephant, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Lechwe, Tsessebe, Sitatunga, Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe, Nile crocodile, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, springbok, Greater Kudu, Sable Antelope, Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Plains Zebra, Warthog and Chacma Baboon.
9. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Hwange National Park is the largest game reserve in Zimbabwe. The park lies in the west, on the main road between Bulawayo and the widely noted Victoria Falls. The Park hosts 105 mammal species, including 19 large herbivores and eight large carnivores. All Zimbabwe’s specially protected animals are to be found in Hwange and it is the only protected area where gemsbok and brown hyena occur in reasonable numbers. The population of African wild dogs to be found in Hwange is thought to be of one of the largest surviving groups in Africa today.
10. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
South Luangwa National Park is in eastern Zambia, as is counted among the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world; South Luangwa is one of Zambia’s main draws. The park is centered around the Luangwa River and is home to one of Africa’s largest concentrations of wildlife. Thanks to its inaccessible location, South Luangwa manages to combine immense density of wildlife with limited visitor numbers, and it is also one of the few national parks that allow night safaris.
11. Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Amboseli National Park lies in Kajiado District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The local people are mainly Maasai, but people from other parts of the country have settled there and are attracted by the successful tourist-driven economy and intensive agriculture along the system of swamps. All this makes this low-rainfall area one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world with 400 species of birds including water birds, pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hammerkops and 47 types of raptor.
12. Etosha National Park, Namibia
Etosha National Park is the 2nd largest of Namibia’s game reserves. It spans 20,000km² in Northern Namibia. The park surrounds the Etosha salt pan, which attracts animals, particularly in the drier winter months, because it is a source of water in a very dry land. Wildlife that can be seen here include Rhinos, Lions, Zebra, Giraffes, Gemsbok, Springbok, Wildebeest, Elephants, and Jackals.
13. Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Tarangire National Park is a national park in Tanzania. It lies at a little distance to the south east of Lake Manyara and covers an area of approximately 2,850 square kilometers. The park is famous for its huge number of elephants, baobab trees, and tree climbing lions. Visitors to the park can expect to see any number of resident zebra and wildebeest in addition to the less common animals. Other common animals include waterbuck, giraffe, and olive baboons.