Wildlife is undoubtedly Africa's biggest attraction for visitors and is of prime importance in many of our safaris and trips – so trying to pick just a few of the best here is almost impossible. Ask us about what you'll see in the various countries; one of our team can always talk to you from personal experience – and be much more specific than we have space to write here.

Visitors on their first safari to Africa often head for areas with plenty of classic big game. We'd particularly recommend Etosha in Namibia; almost any of the reserves in northern Botswana; the South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi National Park and Kafue National Park in Zambia; the Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park in southern Tanzania; and all four main safari areas in northern Tanzania. Old Africa hands often have much more specific interests, on which we're always happy to advise, usually in considerable detail.

Many well-known species occur across the continent. Here we'll try to highlight areas where a few favourites are most likely to be seen.

Lions are relatively common in most reserves that specialise in safaris; it's rare for any of our travellers to return from a week's safari having not seen at least one pride! Quite often, in the more remote camps and private reserves, guests will have a number of lion sightings and perhaps the chance to watch them hunting or feeding. The exclusivity of many of these areas means that your viewing will rarely be interrupted by other people or vehicles.

Leopard are very common throughout Africa, but often remain hidden. To maximise your chances of seeing them night drives are essential. So consider Kafue National Park, South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi in Zambia, and the private reserves in northern Botswana.

Cheetah can be equally elusive unless you're visiting a refuge for animals, like Okonjima. In the wild, the best cheetah sightings are probably in the Cape's Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Zambia's Busanga Plains, or in Tanzania's Ruaha or the Serengeti.

For your best chances of seeing Wild Dogs, you need vast open areas with no fences – and preferably open ground across which you can drive to follow these far-ranging predators. (Forget any reserve where you have to stick to the roads!) Top of your list should be some of the private safari reserves in northern Botswana, or possibly visit Tanzania's Selous. The Busanga Plains in Zambia's Kafue are also a possibility and, in recent years, dogs have been seen more and more frequently in South Luangwa, especially between about March and June.

Search for one of the region's rarer large carnivores, brown hyena, on Namibia's Skeleton Coast, or possibly in the Kalahari, at Jack's Camp, where researchers have habituated a local clan.

Rhino are much less common than they used to be, but do seem to have recovered from the brink of extinction in recent decades. The larger, relatively peaceful white rhino are plains grazers and best sought in Namibia's Etosha National Park, often towards the east of the park. The slightly smaller and much more aggressive black rhino are also easily seen in the evenings at the Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha, in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater page – and in Namibia's Damaraland where Palmwag Rhino Camp runs superb rhino-tracking safaris on foot.

Meerkat enthusiasts should seek out these entertaining creatures in the Kalahari. The Kgalagadi remains a great best place to see them, although Jack's and San camps have an habituated troop of these also, and they do sometimes appear at Bagatelle Game Ranch.

Watching a herd of elephants has a very special magic and you'll see these in virtually all of our safari destinations, except the Kgalagadi and Central Kalahari reserves. There's nowhere better than Botswana – especially beside the waterways towards the end of the dry season – and, to get a lot closer, consider the elephant experiences at Stanley's, Baines' or Abu camps. To see 'big tuskers' – old bull elephants with spectacular tusks – there's probably nowhere better than Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater.

In some ways, primates offer the most engaging wildlife viewing in Africa. For chimpanzees, Tanzania's remote Mahale Mountains is certainly the destination of choice (page 99), whilst those seeking gorillas need to venture to the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

For some of our favourite ideas - use the search box on the right. Better still, call our experts now on +44(0)20 8232 9777 and ask us!


Wildlife in Africa | Wildlife in Botswana | Wildlife in Malawi | Wildlife in Namibia | Wildlife in Rwanda | Wildlife in Tanzania | Wildlife in The Cape | Wildlife in Zambia


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