Top 10 Safari Destinations

Tim B    Top 10 Adventure Sports Travel Lists     kruger, masai mara, mount sinai, okavango delta, safari, tanzania, tigers, top 10

A safari features on most people’s bucket lists. Watching a pride of lions saunter a few metres away from you, a tiger cross the road in front of your 4X4, or a herd of elephants gently filling up your telephoto lens – a safari promises extraordinary experiences. There is something truly magical about seeing the moon shining through the skeletal branches of a lonely tree on a stretch of grassland, or viewing a hippopotamus baking in the sun with egrets perched on its back. The word safari comes from ‘Ar safar’, Swahili for journey. Let the urban jungle take a backseat as you embark on a journey of a lifetime through grasslands, forests and deserts.

1. Tanzania

A 2000-feet deep crater brimming over with wildlife, one of the world’s most diverse eco-systems and ancient baobab trees – every aspect of Tanzania presents a traveller with photo opportunities worthy of a National Geographic magazine cover. It’s renowned for three spectacular game parks: the baobab tree spread of Tarangire, the Lake Manyara national park (famous for its tree-climbing lions) and the Ngorongoro Crater – one of the easiest places in Africa to spot ‘The Big Five’ (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino). Wind up with dinner at sunset at the rim of the crater, as the plains of the Serengeti lull you into a calm communion with nature.

2. Masai Mara

The northern extension of the Serengeti, called the Mara, stretches out in tall grassland, occasionally interrupted by the odd acacia. The Kruger and Chobe national parks offer sights of numerous animals: grazing wildebeest, zebra and giraffe, and their predatory counterparts: lions, leopards and cheetahs. It is without doubt one of the most spectacular places on the planet, with red cliffs, grassy plains and rock towers made of hardened lava. Although the parks are open all-year-round, it’s best to visit between mid-August and November to see one of the ten natural wonders of the world – the migration of animals from the north to the freshly rained plains of south Serengeti.

3. Botswana

Who’d have guessed that a swamp would turn out to be one of nature’s biggest wonders? The swamps of the Okavango delta in Botswana, located right in the middle of the Kalahari desert, are a network of waterways that are best explored on the mokoro (a dug-out canoe). Highlights include slow rides through the reed-filled channels and the Khama rhino sanctuary.

4. India

Spotting a tiger’s wheat and black stripes from the surrounding plains of tall fawn-coloured dry grass is part of the thrill of an Indian safari. Ranthambore national park in Rajasthan is known for its safaris on elephant back and of course the regal tiger. You can spot monkey, leopard, deer, elephant, antelope, bear, squirrel, crocodile and countless species of birds at nearby park Bharatpur and the Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary. Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks are thick, green and lush forests where spotting tigers is as commonplace as finding a McDonald’s back home – they are around every corner.

5. Sri Lanka

The eerie landscape of the Udawalawe national forest begs for ghost stories around camp fires. Bleached skeletal branches and trunks of dead trees emerge from water bodies spread across the reserve, lending it its haunted air. It’s a favourite spot for elephants where entire herds gather to drink, bathe and play and the 30,821-hectare dry zone game park is also home to water buffalo, monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard.

6. Egypt

Egypt offers more than just the enigmatic sphinx and majestic pyramids. Sand dunes and canyons also have stories and histories etched on them, and the best way to experience it: on camel back. Most safaris start at the Wadi Arada, where you can spend the night under the stars at the El Guna plateau and watch the sun rise over Mount Sinai. Sitting in tents drinking Bedouin tea is one of the simpler pleasures of the journey, and you come back home knowing you have experienced a slice of history still very much alive today centuries on.

7. Namibia

For one of the rarest experiences life could ever offer you, we would recommend a trip to Namibia between April and August. A safari here isn’t in a 4X4, on camel or elephant back; in Namibia the safari is conducted on foot. As part of the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) initiative, teams of local trackers lead expeditions through the oldest desert in the world, Namib, to catch a glimpse of the rare desert-adapted rhino. It isn’t just a one-off sighting and a photograph that you come back with; thanks to the work of the employed trackers you will have helped with the research and monitoring of the animal as well.

8. Cape town

The southern tip of Africa is so richly packed with flora, fauna and exciting options of experiencing nature in its finest and most beautiful form, it seems to puzzle visitors why anyone would opt to go anywhere else. Besides trekking on Table Mountain and drinking through the wine estate of Stellenbosch, between May and December you can also watch humpback whales on their annual migration around the Cape. There is also the chance to spy on a penguin colony at Boulders Beach, spend an afternoon at an ostrich farm at Karoo, or glide by silently sunning crocodiles at St Lucia’s estuary. The Hluhluwe Imfolozi is South Africa’s oldest reserve and offers a rare opportunity to spot white rhinos. The Garden Route also takes you to Blourkans Bridge for the world’s highest bungee jump.

9. Zambia

Safaris in Zambia tend to be overshadowed by the magnificence of the Victoria Falls. However it is Africa and wildlife does not stay in the shadows for long. The South Luangwa park is home to the giraffe, bushbuck, lion and hyena, and cranes and storks have found perfect hunting grounds at the Kakumbi salt pans. The famous falls offer something exceptional for adrenaline junkies – white water rafting – as well as canoe safaris for the tamer tourists.

10. Mexico

Between July and September the dense jungles of Mexico invite intrepid travellers by the busload. The Mayan forests offer culture and wildlife in equal measure, with several archaeological sites to explore and numerous safaris to embark on. We recommend a trip to the Sian ka’an biosphere reserve, snorkelling in the Gran Cenote cavern – with its striking stalagmites and stalactites – and especially, a night hike and cruise by the Coba lagoon to look for crocodiles. And if that proves too tame a pastime for you, why not try snorkelling with whale sharks at Holbox?

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Tim Brickle wrote 29 articles on this blog.

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