Wild Encounters: Top 10 Destinations for African Safaris
Named after the Swahili word for journey, safaris have evolved over time. Where once they meant “roughing it” in the wilderness, today they’re about connection – with wildlife, landscapes and the people who bring them to life.
On Exodus safari holidays, that connection begins with your guide. Born to read the bush like a book, they’ll spot a leopard’s tail flick in the grass before you’ve even lifted your binoculars. With stories that move effortlessly between nature, culture and conservation, they turn every game drive into something far richer. This gives you a window into the wild that only a true local can reveal.
Wildlife safaris may now span the globe, but Africa remains the beating heart of the experience. Here are ten of the continent’s finest, from classic East African plains to quiet corners where conservation success stories are still being written.
1. Botswana
People often seem surprised when we tell them that Botswana is currently #1 on our African safari bucket list. But with its extraordinary mix of landscapes, from the Okavango Delta to the Kalahari Desert, it’s a country that offers a truly diverse mix of safari experiences.
Vast protected areas cover almost a third of the country, wildlife corridors are carefully managed, and local communities play an active role in protecting the ecosystems they depend on. The result is a destination where animals still roam in remarkable numbers and nature feels untamed yet deeply respected.
The Okavango Delta remains the jewel in Botswana’s crown – a shifting mosaic of channels and islands that floods each year, drawing elephants, hippos, and a dazzling array of birdlife. Glide silently through its mirrored waterways by mokoro (dugout canoe), or explore the dry floodplains of Moremi Game Reserve for the chance to see lions, leopards and wild dogs.
Further north, Chobe National Park is home to some of Africa’s largest elephant herds, while the Makgadikgadi Pans and Central Kalahari Game Reserve offer a wilderness experience that feels almost otherworldly.
Wildlife & Wilderness of Botswana
Safari through Botswana's best wildlife reserves and Victoria Falls
2. Kenya
As African safaris go, it’s difficult to beat a tour of Kenya’s national parks and conservancies. Even if you don’t visit during Africa’s Great Migration, when millions of wildebeests, zebras, and other herbivores follow the rain north from Tanzania’s Serengeti, Kenya’s stunning natural beauty and dizzying array of wildlife defy adequate description.
Kenya protects more than 20 national parks and nearly 30 national reserves, plus numerous community-run conservancies that extend vital wildlife corridors. Within them roam lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and giraffes, along with more than 1,100 bird species recorded across Kenya’s skies and savannahs.
Among the best-known parks is Amboseli National Park, famed for its vast elephant herds and its unbeatable backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. And of course, the Masai Mara National Reserve remains the country’s wildlife crown jewel. As part of the Greater Mara Ecosystem, which includes Maasai-owned conservancies, it supports around a quarter of Kenya’s wildlife – from cheetahs and lions to herds of wildebeest and topi spread across golden grasslands.
Kenya Safari Adventure
Enjoy the quintessential wildlife-watching adventure in Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara
3. Madagascar
Madagascar does safaris differently. Here, you trade open savannahs for rainforest trails, 4×4 game drives for guided forest walks, and the usual safari big game for the island’s captivating cast of endemic characters.
Around 80% of Madagascar’s wildlife exists nowhere else, from the wide-eyed lemurs of Andasibe and Ranomafana to chameleons that change colour with the light. Walk with your local guide through misty montane forests as Indri calls echo through the trees, or across the sandstone canyons of Isalo National Park where ring-tailed lemurs bask on sun-warmed rocks.
Every corner of the island reveals something completely unexpected: jewel-bright frogs, spiny desert plants that seem to defy logic, and baobabs standing guard over windswept plains. And when the day ends, there’s no better place to relax than on Madagascar’s Indian Ocean coast, where the rhythm slows, and the scent of Creole cooking drifts on the breeze.
Madagascar Wildlife Adventure
A wildlife adventure through Madagascar
4. Namibia
Namibia is utterly unlike any other nation in Africa. With around three million people living in an area of over 300,000 square miles, it’s one of the least populated countries on the planet.
Much of the country is shaped by desert. But don’t let the stark images of the ghost trees of the Deadvlei and the striking red dunes of Sossusvlei fool you: Namibia is positively teeming with wildlife-rich areas.
At the heart of northern Namibia lies Etosha National Park, defined by a salt pan so vast it can be seen from space! During the dry season, shimmering heat hazes rise above its white expanse while herds of zebra, springbok and elephant gather around scattered waterholes. When the rains arrive, the pan briefly transforms into a shallow lake, drawing thousands of flamingos and pelicans to its mirrored surface.
Further east, Bwabwata National Park’s riverine forests and floodplains provide a haven for elephants and more than 400 bird species. Venture deeper into Khaudum National Park, and you’ll find a remote expanse where lions, cheetahs and roan antelope roam freely. And along the Atlantic coast, the Cape Cross Seal Reserve hosts one of the world’s largest colonies of Cape fur seals, their calls carrying on the ocean wind.
Botswana & Namibia: Delta & Dunes
Wildlife and contrasting landscapes of Botswana and Namibia
5. Rwanda
Small in size but rich in experience, Rwanda delivers some of Africa’s most moving wildlife encounters. In Volcanoes National Park, expert trackers lead you through misty mountain forests to spend an unforgettable hour with endangered gorillas – a humbling highlight of any safari and a bucket list experience for any wildlife lover.
Head south to Nyungwe Forest, where chimpanzees swing through the canopy and golden monkeys dart between trees. Then journey east to Akagera National Park for classic savannah game drives, where lions, elephants and rhinos have returned thanks to successful rewilding efforts.
Rwanda’s adventures are compact, conservation-led and quietly extraordinary.
Keep an eye out for our Rwanda adventures!
6. South Africa
South Africa has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for African safaris. Most major cities offer direct or one-stop only flights to South Africa, while the well-developed infrastructure of its major cities (Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg) makes it easier for travellers to find the creature comforts they love.
Kruger National Park is the country’s biggest attraction for nature and wildlife lovers. Kruger is one of the few parks in Africa where self-drive safaris are genuinely viable, and where sightings are frequent. Elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and buffalo share the bush with endangered wild dogs and fast cheetahs. Thanks to good roads, comfortable camps and expert local guides, a few days here can deliver truly memorable wildlife encounters.
For a more exclusive experience, consider one of the private reserves on Kruger’s western and southern borders: luxury lodges, open-vehicle safaris and fewer crowds make for a very different rhythm. And if you move to KwaZulu-Natal you’ll find further safari gems – from the rolling hills of Hluhluwe–iMfolozi to the wetlands and coastal reserves of iSimangaliso – rounding out South Africa’s safari offering with variety and ease.
South Africa: Walking & Wildlife
Follow hiking trails, animal tracks and the best guides on a journey deep into South Africa’s untamed heart
7. Tanzania
Tanzania ranks alongside Kenya as one of Africa’s premier safari destinations, thanks to its astonishing diversity of wildlife and landscapes. The country’s network of more than twenty national parks and numerous game- and marine-reserves offers unrivalled safari experiences.
At the heart of that magic lies the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO site centred on the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Within its roughly 100 square-mile (260 km²) floor you’ll find upwards of 25,000 large animals, grazing antelopes, lions, elephants and rhino all sharing a dramatic, enclosed habitat.
The classic safari terrain of Serengeti National Park attracts millions of wildebeest each year and remains synonymous with African safari. But Tanzania’s lesser-known gems deserve equal attention: Gombe Stream (where famed chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall moved among chimps), Tarangire’s broad elephant herds and the forest-and-lake mosaic of Lake Manyara all provide rich alternatives.
Bird-lovers take note: more than 1,100 bird species have been recorded in Tanzania, including endemic and threatened species, making this one of Africa’s top destinations for both game drives and bird-watching alike.
Tanzania Safari Adventure
Witness the iconic safari animals of the Serengeti and more with our highly experienced guides
8. Uganda
Uganda rightly earns its nickname “Pearl of Africa”. From gorilla-trekking in mist-clad forests to open savannahs and river safaris, it’s emerged as a standout safari destination.
The country’s biodiversity is superb. Its landscapes stretch from the snow-tipped Rwenzori Mountains and the vast plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park to the banks of Lake Victoria, one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes, and the source-waters of the Nile.
In the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest you might walk with a local guide and spend an hour beside mountain gorillas in their wild habitat. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers classic safari drives, chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge and the famous tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector. At Murchison Falls National Park, you could enjoy a boat safari along the Nile, spotting hippos, crocodiles, elephants and myriad bird species.
Uganda gives you big-game safari, primate encounters and bird-watching all in one country, and all guided by true local experts.
Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda
Discover Uganda's emblematic wildlife
9. Zambia
Zambia’s most well-known attraction is the magnificent Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, which is named after the Lozi language phrase for the legendary Victoria Falls, “The Smoke Which Thunders.” The park borders the Zambezi River and is mirrored on the other side by Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls National Park. The wildlife section of the park is home to incredible wildlife such as African elephants, Angolan giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, Cape buffalo, crocodiles, hippos, impala, sable antelope, and much more.
But there are numerous other noteworthy national parks in Zambia too. In the Lower Zambezi National Park, canoe safaris offer a special, peaceful way to watch elephants, hippos and predators along the river’s edge. The South Luangwa National Park delivers world-class safaris, known for high leopard densities, large elephant herds and the endemic Thornicroft’s giraffe. And in the privately managed Kasanka National Park, more than 400 bird species can be found – along with the planet’s largest bat migration each November.
Zambezi Canoe Safari
Paddle the Zambezi, camping as you go, to spot Africa’s wildest locals – elephants, hippos, crocodiles and more
10. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s landscapes are pure drama, from the thunder of Victoria Falls to the broad floodplains of Mana Pools and the teak forests of Hwange. Together they create a safari experience that feels immersive, unhurried and full of character.
Hwange National Park, the largest in the country, is renowned for its vast elephant herds and impressive predator populations. During the dry season, its waterholes draw everything from giraffe and sable antelope to lions and wild dogs. Further north, Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers an entirely different rhythm, where hippos, buffalo and elephants wander between the Zambezi’s shimmering channels.
Zimbabwe’s guides are among some of the best in Africa, too. The country’s walking safaris are truly exceptional – the kind where you learn to read the ground for tracks, listen for alarm calls and move quietly through the wilderness. Standing on foot as elephants browse nearby offers a sense of connection few experiences can match.
Botswana & Zimbabwe Lodge Safari
Botswana and Zimbabwe greatest natural wonders and wildlife
With knowledgeable local guides, richly varied wildlife and a warm, genuine welcome, a safari in Africa is truly extraordinary.
