While we have not been to all the national parks for safaris around the continent of Africa, we have been to several…
- Maasai Mara in Kenya
- Murchison National Park in Uganda
- Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda
- Kidepo National Park in Uganda
- Lake Mburo in Uganda
- Kruger National Park in South Africa
- Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe
- Chobe in Botswana
Our family loves safaris, and we can’t get enough of seeing the majestic wildlife in their natural habitat. We have not yet been to Serengeti National Park or Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, which we have heard great things about. They are both on our list of safaris to experience. The Serengeti National Park boasts a variety of wildlife including the famous ‘Big Five’ – lions, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and cape buffalo. There are over 500 species of birds and carnivores like cheetah, hyena, honey badger, and African wild dogs. It is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for hosting the world’s largest, most unaltered annual animal migration.
Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania are said to have the most concentration and variety of animals in Africa. Both parks are also known for the migration of the wildebeest, which is absolutely worth seeing. I would highly recommend planning your trip around the migration. From our many safari experiences, and from what we have heard from other safari enthusiasts, we would recommend Maasai Mara National Reserve over all the parks. Maasai Mara offers an unmatched combination of wildlife density and dramatic African landscape. Visitors have an excellent chance of seeing the “Big Five” — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo—often in a single trip. In regards to Maasai Mara, there are so many places to stay and safari companies to use in Kenya, but we’ve had excellent experiences with Phoenix Safaris. They have a variety of camps/lodges to stay, based on your budget.
Okavango Delta in Botswana is a UNESCO World Heritage property and is supposed to be wonderful too. BUT the prices are absolutely insane, so it’s not within our budget. A couple other less known options that have been said to a good concentration of animals is Etosha National Park in Namibia and Luangwa National Park in Zambia, but we’ve never been to these parks so we can’t say for sure about the experience.
If you are coming to Africa for a “once in a lifetime” safari experience, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania would be a great collection of safari options. Plus, they offer other adventures such as gorilla or chimpanzee trekking, rafting the Nile River, hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, beautiful beaches on the Indian Ocean, and experiencing the culture of East Africa. More about what to do while in Uganda in another post soon.
Many people have enjoyed Kruger National Park in South Africa and it is an UNESCO biosphere reserve. It is the largest wildlife sanctuary (just under 5 million acres). Since the land mass is so huge, and the park is divided among so many reserves or concessions, it doesn’t feel like you see much. South Africa is also known for their hunting safaris, so if that’s what you are interested in, that’s where you should go. We prefer to view the animals, not hunt them, so our recommendation is for East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania).
Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe was okay. It’s near Victoria Falls, so it would be worth experience, if you are already traveling to Victoria Falls. Hwange National Park is known for having one of the largest population of African elephants. The park with the largest African elephant population is Chobe National Park in Botswana. I’m not sure if it was our tour company or our guide, but Chobe National Park was a disappointment. You can read about our experience here. Hwange National Park has several options of accommodations. We loved our stay at Ivory Lodge – the staff, food, and family-owned feel was perfect, but the game concession felt a bit small so our animal viewings weren’t as good compared to other parks we’ve been to.
We love Uganda, but their national parks are far away from each other, so it’s not convenient to see them all. Out of all the parks in Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park is worth the visit. It is the oldest and largest conservation area, and hosts the most concentrated area of animals around the delta where the Victoria Nile River flows into Lake Albert. While we don’t go on safaris for birds, Murchison Falls National Park is a must-visit destination for bird enthusiasts with over 556 recorded bird species. You should note that there are not rhinos or zebra in the park because they were killed or poached during the 1970s & 1980s.
Murchison Falls is also one of world’s most powerful waterfalls. Here, the mighty Victoria Nile River is forced through a narrow 8-meter-wide gorge resulting in immense pressure and a 45-meter drop. It’s definitely worth taking a trip to the falls to see it’s power.
Kidepo Valley National Park is massive, so the concentration of animals isn’t amazing. You can drive for 30 minutes without seeing any sign of animal life. It’s also in the far northeastern part of Uganda, so it’s far away from everything and not easy to get to. The scenery is beautiful though! Queen Elizabeth National Park is in far western Uganda, and while it is known for it’s tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha area, it is also a very large park with not a large concentration of animals. The benefit of Queen Elizabeth National Park is that there is also gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park. You can create a plan to do safari and trekking.
I will admit, we have been spoiled to go on many different safaris, so we want to see a lot of animals. If you are looking for a good safari with a beautiful scenery, a good concentration of animals, and a taste of African culture, Maasai Mara is the way to go.
Traveling Tribe 