The Best Destinations For A Wildlife Safari

The chance to see a lion on its own turf or to watch hundreds of elephants amble past you with majestic indifference; these are some overwhelming sights indeed. Such experiences will leave you with goose bumps at the incredibility of what you just witnessed. A wildlife safari is worth every penny spent. Phenomenal wildlife, an amazing variety of mammals and birds and close encounters with leopards, buffaloes and gazelles is what's on our list today for the best wildlife safaris in the world.

Masai Mara (Kenya)

The most famous of all wildlife safaris, behold the Masai Mara!

Kenya is the place where the concept of a wildlife safari was born. Kenya’s best known game reserve is a vast expanse of beautiful landscape comprising a Savannah ecosystem, harboring a wide variety of wildlife. It is also a land of glorious sunsets and vibrant cultures, especially the extremely hospitable Masai tribe. The most popular animal species spotted here are lions, leopards and cheetahs. Other animals found here are African Buffalo, Thomson’s Gazelle, Zebra, Hartebeest and the Klipspringer Antelope, among others. Birding is also popular here due to a good population of vultures, eagles, buzzards and swifts. If you are on a leisure holiday, go camping in Masai Mara for the best chance of viewing the Big Five of Kenya. Get out and about on the plains with your Masai guide to experience first-hand, a place known as “the cradle of human civilization”. Night safaris can also be arranged at Masai Mara. There is a day-long hot air balloon safari too, which offers splendid photographic opportunities and a unique perspective. Masai Mara has some excellent accommodation facilities offering great hospitality.

Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)

Masai Mara is contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, which is well known for its spectacular yearly migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra. This magnificent display of mass movement of animals has found its way into the official records as the “seventh greatest wonder in the world”. The animals cross over the territory into the Mara plains in search of greener pastures during summer months, braving dangerous rivers and crouching carnivores. The abundance of herbivores during this time attracts the big cats. Even the giant Nile crocodiles lie and wait in the water. Serengeti has the largest concentration of large mammals anywhere on earth and is especially famous for its 2,500 lions. The resident population of cheetah, giraffe, zebra and thousands of avian species is also impressive. The landscape is stunningly beautiful and Serengeti offers top class wildlife viewing throughout the year.

Kruger National Park (South Africa)

Kruger National Park, South Africa offers great wildlife viewing. Apart from the Big Four, there are a lot of other animals that are interesting to observe in their natural habitat. The park is also conducive for bird watching in the wet season. The Savanna vegetation here is dense and supports more large animals than any other biome in the world. Kruger National Park is arguably the best game reserve in Africa and a wildlife safari here gives you the chance to see the Big Five - lion, leopard, African elephant, rhinoceros and Cape buffalo. Kruger Park is also home to over a 100 species of reptiles, the deadly Black Mamba being one of them. At Kruger, there are plenty of safari packages available for exciting game viewing and amazing wildlife drives through diverse landscapes.

Nairobi National Park (Kenya)

Nairobi National Park is located seven kilometres from the capital city and is unique for being so close to dense civilization. Here, one can spot lions, cheetahs, black rhinos, leopards, buffaloes, hippos, zebras, giraffes, gazelles and more. The Nairobi National Park is also home to over 400 species of birds. The main attraction, however, is the black rhinoceros, which is endangered. If you happen to visit the Nairobi National Park between 11 AM to noon on any day, you might witness keepers taking cute hippo babies and baby elephants for their daily mud-bath. Nairobi National Park is also part of the historic wildebeest and zebra migration.

Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh, India)

Our own wildlife safaris at Bandhavgarh and Kanha are no less adventurous. Spread across the Vindhya Hills of Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh National Park is home to more than 50 tigers, the highest density of tigers in India. The vegetation of Bandhavgarh ranges from thick forests to tall grasslands, making it perfect for the habitation of a great variety of animals and birds. The terrain is rocky with steep ridges, dense vegetation and open meadows. Bandhavgarh is reputed to be the first place in India where the majestic white tigers were found. Historically, Bandhavgarh National Park was formerly the hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa.

Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh, India)

The Kanha National Park, also in Madhya Pradesh, was made famous by Rudyard Kipling’s phenomenally successful novel Jungle Book. Kanha is one of the most well preserved National Parks in Asia, famous for its Tiger Reserve and the conservation of the rare Barasingha. The park sports a diverse wildlife and bird population. The highlight of a wildlife safari at Kanha is the sunset at Bamni Dadar. Set against a lush landscape dotted with grazing sambhars, gaurs and herds of elephants, the sunset here is truly magnificent.

There is something magical about being on a wildlife safari, away from the distractions of city life. The chance to be adventurous, riding on a horseback amongst a herd of zebras or walking out on the plains with a Masai guide, a night spent camping by the river or taking a hot air balloon ride over thousands of migrating animals, that is the true meaning of travel and adventure. The best part of a safari is the chance it gives you to slow down and move with the rhythm of the true world, the world of nature and its prized occupants.