Why Safari?
A safari holiday is an unforgettable adventure that brings you face-to-face with nature in its rawest and most awe-inspiring form. It’s a chance to witness wildlife in their natural habitat, from the thrill of spotting the Big Five to the serenity of watching elephants drink at a waterhole. With expert guides, immersive game drives, and the opportunity to explore diverse landscapes, safaris offer a perfect mix of excitement, education, and connection to the wild. Whether you're seeking adrenaline or tranquillity, a safari promises memories that will last a lifetime.
Staying at a private safari lodge offers an unparalleled blend of luxury and wilderness. These lodges are designed to provide comfort and elegance in the heart of nature, with spacious, beautifully appointed suites featuring plush furnishings, private decks, and stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Whether you're relaxing in a plunge pool, enjoying a sunset drink, or unwinding in a luxurious tented suite, the combination of exceptional service and breathtaking surroundings makes for a truly unforgettable stay.
Many safari lodges cater specifically to families, with child-friendly activities like guided nature walks, interactive wildlife education, and even junior ranger programs. Game drives can be tailored to suit the pace and interests of children, allowing the whole family to enjoy sightings of iconic animals in a safe and exciting way.
Where to Safari?
South Africa
The Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape buffalo — are among the most coveted wildlife encounters on an African safari. While some of these animals are relatively common, others like the rhino are becoming rarer and often require local expertise (and a bit of luck) to spot. There are only a handful of places in Africa where you can potentially see all five in one trip and each destination offers a unique safari experience.
The Greater Kruger National Park is vast enough to support large populations of wildlife, where you could come across buffalo herds numbering in the hundreds or see lion prides lounging under the shade of mopane trees. The park’s long-standing reserves mean the animals are more habituated to vehicles, offering exceptional encounters.
This region of South Africa is carefully protected and has become a vital refuge for rhinos. On bush walks you may come across them, with your guide expertly tracking their footprints and identifying signs of their presence.
Game drives are usually the most effective way to track the Big Five. You'll be accompanied by a guide and a tracker, who stay in radio contact with other vehicles to share information about wildlife sightings, ensuring that no more than three vehicles gather at one spot, which helps minimize disruption to the animals.
The park is teeming with wildlife, zebra and antelope roam the plains, giraffes browse the trees, and over 500 bird species can be spotted. Wild dogs are also present though they can be more challenging to find.
South Africa is a fantastic destination for those travelling on their first safari trip. Spot prowling leopards against a picturesque backdrop of the lofty Lebombo Mountains, then spend a relaxing evening in a safari lodge with a traditional Boma dinner. The best time to visit is during the dry season from April to October when animals are drawn to the waterholes, making for some incredible wildlife sightings.
A huge thank you to Mandy for sharing her incredible photos of South Africa and Botswana :)
Botswana
The Okavango Delta in Botswana features abundant water and vibrant greenery throughout the year, making it a haven for a diverse range of wildlife including the Big Five. In this unspoiled wilderness you'll encounter very few other vehicles and the camps are designed to be cozy and intimate. You will enjoy the benefits of the tracking abilities and local insights of your guide to spot animals and among the Big Five, rhinos which are the hardest to find, typically residing in only a few areas and rarely seen. Chief’s Island in Moremi Wildlife Reserve is one potential location where your guide will accompany you, helping you to not only search for larger animals, by showing you fresh paw prints along the way, but also identify various birds, from lilac-breasted rollers to carmine bee-eaters.
The delta’s watery environment is perfect for elephants, buffalo, hippos, sitatunga, red lechwe, and an abundance of bird species. Taking a motorboat or mokoro (traditional canoe) ride along the reed-lined waterways allows you to get closer to the wildlife. You might spot buffalo coming to drink or elephants playing in the mud. Hippos can be seen with just their eyes above the water, while pied kingfishers hover nearby, fish eagles call from the branches of dead trees, and crocodiles sunbathe on the banks. The ideal time to visit is from June to November, when the delta is at its fullest, offering more water-based activities. By September the vegetation begins to thin, making it easier to spot animals.
Kenya
The Masai Mara's diverse landscapes provide the perfect environment for a wide range of animals. The open savannah is home to grazing buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and antelope, while acacia trees offer shade for predators like leopards, lions, and cheetahs. Waterholes are frequented by elephant herds, adding to the variety of wildlife.
While the Big Five can be spotted here, the Mara has one of the highest concentrations of lions in Africa. During game drives you will learn about the different prides, explaining their social structure and unique personalities.
Other notable wildlife experiences include the Great Migration between August and October, when millions of wildebeest and zebra flood the Masai Mara attracting big cats like cheetahs. The best time to visit is from July to October, when dry conditions and the Great Migration offer exceptional wildlife viewing.
Tanzania
A safari in the Serengeti is likely to check off a huge list of wildlife. The sheer abundance of animals across the park's vast plains is truly staggering.
During game drives, you'll encounter massive herds of wildebeest as the migration flows through the park for much of the year, drawing in the big cats that follow them. Elephants can be seen slowly making their way along ancient paths to the park's waterholes, which have been shaped by generations of animals. While buffalo can be trickier to find, often solitary males perched on rocky outcrops are keeping a watchful eye over the plains below.
Game drives are the best way to track the Big Five, but for a unique experience, you can also take an early-morning hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti. Not only does it offer a stunning bird’s-eye view of the wildlife, but it also gives you a true sense of the park's immense size.
Other Parts of the World
Safari holidays in Asia offer a unique and diverse wildlife experience, distinct from the classic African safari. India is an amazing destination, home to iconic species like Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, and one-horned rhinos, with renowned parks such as Ranthambhore and Kaziranga National Park. Sri Lanka also offers exceptional safaris, where you can spot leopards, elephants and a variety of bird species in its national parks like Yala. For a more off-the-beaten-path experience, Borneo’s rainforests and Malaysia’s Taman Negara are teeming with rare species, including orangutans and pygmy elephants. Whether you’re exploring lush jungles, dense forests, or sprawling grasslands, an Asian safari offers an unforgettable blend of adventure, nature and cultural richness.
Extend your Safari by adding on a few extra days and relaxing at a beach resort or go and explore the rest of the country that you are in to take full advantage of this magical part of the world.