A travel writer’s picks for the best African safari trips | Things To Do

For most people, going on safari is a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience. And post-pandemic, demand for bucket-list travel remains very robust. So it’s not surprising that these trips are trending.

Crunching data for its end-of-2023 global report, the adventure-booking platform TourRadar noted that the “big growth story here is Africa, which is attracting North American and European visitors in record numbers,” adding that there’s been “a huge appetite for safaris” on the continent.

Intrigued but uncertain exactly where to go? As a travel writer, I’ve been to about 40 different safari camps (all on press trips). Here are six of my top recommendations in Africa, each offering a distinct experience. 

It is the biggest herd movement on Earth: Every year during the Great Migration, millions of animals — wildebeests, accompanied by zebras, and pursued by predators like leopards and lions — leave their calving grounds in the south. As they move northwest, in search of more water and grass, it is an almost indescribable spectacle, long lines of beasts, as far as the eye can see. And this camp? It moves with them, changing locations three times, to give guests the best chance to be right in the action. 

Going on a “walking safari” is a completely different experience than riding in a Land Rover or Jeep. On one hand, it’s slower and more placid — you can hear the winged bee-eaters singing and see dung beetles doing their thing. And on the other, it can be a thrill, too, especially if you encounter elephants, leopards or lions. (It happens, a lot.) This remote, eco-friendly tented camp in Hwange National Park specializes in walking safaris, whether you’re looking to take a simple nature stroll, or track the big cats on foot.

The name Kaya Mawa — meaning “maybe tomorrow” in the local Chichewa/Nyanja language — says it all. When you arrive at dreamy Likoma Island, your first instinct will be to just relax on its sandy beaches, leaving worries (and activities) for the next day. But the charms of Lake Malawi will eventually beckon. Canoe, kayak or paddle board on its warm waters. Or snorkel or SCUBA among 400 species of cichlids. Essentially colourful goldfish in the wild, they’ll sometimes surround you, a rainbow cloud of tiny little swimmers just enveloping you.

The natural wonders of Kenya’s Maasai Mara are myriad. Linked to Tanzania’s Serengeti and spread out at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, the area teems with wildlife. And this luxury lodge invites you deeper into the rich human culture here, too. With the lodge’s relationships to the local Maasai communities, they’ll take you to villages that remain, in many ways, traditional. Welcomed warmly, you’ll visit their homes, perhaps learn to dance or how to throw a spear like a warrior, and make cultural connections you’ll never forget.

For a chance to see a greatly endangered species: Wilderness Bisate Lodge, Rwanda

It’s estimated that only about 1,000 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, making an encounter with the species a truly unforgettable experience. And Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is the best place in the world to have it. Trekking up the mountainside with a guide in the morning, you’ll have the chance to observe these superintelligent animals — always staying a safe distance away, of course. At night, lay your head in luxury at the nearby Wilderness Bisate Lodge, where the forest villas are designed to emulate the homes of Rwandan royalty.

While it may sound counterintuitive, it’s true: Going on safari can be hard work. In most cases, you’ll be up before dawn to drive for hours in a jeep, in search of wildlife, and you’ll do it all again in the evening, bumping around on dirt paths. But this superluxury lodge in the private Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, next to the famed Kruger National Park, offers an exceptional place to relax. Each of their nine suites is bigger than most people’s homes, with outdoor sunken living rooms and big lap pools, all overlooking the Sand River. Recline, recharge and get ready to see more wild wonders tomorrow.