In some African cultures, the mix of rain and sunshine signifies that a leopard and a lioness have given birth to a cub.
I used to be hoping that this was the case as we traversed Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve in a four-wheel drive jeep within the midst of a sunny downpour.
Within the seven years that I have been a travel journalist in Africa, the sport drive experience has all the time been one among my favorites. Wildlife is Africa’s treasure, and tourists enjoy watching the animals — particularly the cats — of their natural habitats.
Travel journalist Harriet Akinyi watches a herd of elephants in a game drive at Mugie Conservancy, Kenya.
Source: Harriet Akinyi
There are 10 countries in Africa which have a powerful wildlife focus: Kenya (my motherland), Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia and Rwanda.
Listed below are highlights that I like to recommend.
Kenya
For greater than 25 years, skilled safari guide Geoff Mayes has taken tourists to one of the best parks in Africa. He believes that many select Kenya — and specifically, Maasai Mara — for his or her first trip to Africa since it’s secure and fairly accessible.
Often known as one among the eight wonders of the world due to the wildebeest migration, Masaai Mara is one among Africa’s most famed parks, said travel journalist Harriet Akinyi.
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“It’s easier to catch flights to Kenya, making it high on peoples’ bucket list,” he said. “Also a game drive experience in Kenya will find a way to satisfy the travelers’ expectations when it comes to catching ‘the Big Five.'”
Lower than an hour flight from the capital city of Nairobi is Nairobi National Park, where there’s a very good likelihood of seeing lions and rhinos, he said.
And “in the event you come to the Maasai Mara, you will see the elephants and leopards and lions,” he explained as we drove through it.
In total, Kenya has 25 national parks and 16 national game reserves with countless private conservancies, that are smaller, private-owned wildlife reserves.
Amboseli National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is thought for its massive elephant population and spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Harriet Akinyi having a bush breakfast with a view of the rhinos after a game drive in Solio Conservancy in Kenya.
Source: Harriet Akinyi
Tsavo National Park, Kenya’s biggest park, is one among the world’s largest game sanctuaries. It was highlighted by President Barack Obama within the five-part Netflix docuseries “Our Great National Parks.”
South Africa
Kenya just isn’t the one country where I’ve gone on game drives.
South Africa is one other and is home to a few of the oldest and most iconic national parks in Africa. It is a year-round safari destination, but one of the best game-viewing conditions are within the cooler winter months from May to September.
A game drive at Kruger National Park, South Africa.
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There are 20 national parks, including the world–famous Kruger National Park — which has Africa’s “Big Five” game animals: lions, leopards, elephants, rhino and buffaloes.
There’s also Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, near the border of Botswana, and Pilanesberg National Park. The latter is about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Johannesburg. It’s smaller than Kruger, but wealthy in wildlife — and, fascinatingly, it’s contained in the crater of an ancient volcano believed to be some 1.2 billion years old.
One other highlight, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, has the “Big Five” in addition to a thriving population of African wild dogs.
I’ve also been to Addo — the most important park within the Eastern Cape and third-largest in South Africa — which is known for its elephants. Based on Ncediso Headman Nogaya, a game guard at Addo, October to April is one of the best time to go to.
“We usually tend to receive rains from May to September and while the season is great since it gives food to the wildlife … it may be a slippery drive and muddy,” he noted.
Uganda
Uganda is thought for its diverse wildlife and stunning landscapes in its 10 national parks and 12 game reserves. Of the national parks, seven are situated on savannahs and three in forests. In those three, one can track mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Around 1,000 mountain gorillas exist today, greater than half which live in Uganda, in accordance with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
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My favorite memories at Queen Elizabeth National Park are of tracking chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge, watching tree-climbing lions and a herd of elephants walking majestically on the plains, and observing buffaloes, warthogs, hippos and Nile crocodiles while cruising the Kazinga Channel.
One other park to think about is the Kidepo Valley National Park, with its sweeping plains and valleys overshadowed by the brooding Mount Morungole. The mountain is sacred to the Ik tribe, one among the smallest tribes in Uganda. The park ranks amongst one of the best birding safari destinations within the country too.
I loved my game drive experience at Lake Mburo National Park, although it’s one among the smallest national parks within the country.
It is the only park where travelers can enjoy boat cruises, walking safaris and horseback riding, tour operator Dennis Kahungu told CNBC Travel.
A bunch of massive horn Ankole Cattle in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda.
Christopher Kidd | Photodisc | Getty Images
Plus “it is the only national park in Uganda with the impalas,” he said. “It is also where you’ll discover the massive horned Ankole cows.”
Rwanda
Positioned in eastern Rwanda, Akagera National Park is a protected wetland and the last remaining refuge for savannah-adapted species in Rwanda. Park visitors can take boat safaris along Lake Ilhema, the second largest lake in Rwanda, for wildlife and birdwatching.
Weaver birds and nests over Lake Ihema, Rwanda.
Inti St. Clair | Photodisc | Getty Images
Travelers seeking mountain gorillas normally go to Volcanoes National Park within the northern a part of the country. It is also home to golden monkeys, and well regarded for mountain climbing and mountaineering.
Recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Nyungwe National Park is one other part to explore and is situated in southwest Rwanda and is thought for its chimpanzees and colobus monkeys. It is also popular for cover walks on a suspended bridge some 70 meters (230 feet) above the forest floor.
While the parks will be visited all yr round, it is best to avoid April, as that is when Rwanda typically receives heavy rains.
Botswana
Botswana is a fast-emerging ecotourism destination — visitors are drawn to the vast elephant herds of Chobe National Park and the canoe-based wildlife safaris within the Okavango Delta.
A herd of elephants at Chobe National Park, Botswana.
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One also can see the “Big Five” at Moremi Nature Reserve, Nxai Pan National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in addition to Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Tanzania
In Tanzania, I visited the long-lasting UNESCO-listed Serengeti National Park, which rivals Kenya for among the best wildlife experiences in Africa.
Tourists watch a herd of wildebeest from a land cruiser within the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
Patrick J. Endres | Corbis Documentary | Getty Images
My first time there was throughout the calving season when the wildebeests and the zebras give birth on their technique to Kenya throughout the Great Migration.
One other wonder is the Ngorongoro Crater, one among the most important calderas on the earth.
Some consider it among the best places to go on safari in Africa.
Zimbabwe
Other than the renowned Hwange National Park, I actually have also visited Matobo National Park, which has a large diversity of fauna and lots of white rhinos. The world around Matobo Hills is home to the stays of early settlements and the graves of historical figures like Cecil Rhodes.
The rock formation in Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe, Africa, which is home to the grave of Cecil Rhodes.
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The very best time to go to the parks is throughout the dry season, from June to October. That is when the bush is thinner — making wildlife easier to identify.
Mayes said one of the best time for safaris in Kenya and Tanzania is, after all, throughout the migration season. But he recommends visiting Zimbabwe and Zambia from July to October.
In other parts of the continent, months like February, June and September will be very rewarding too.
“The wildlife is unbelievable and there are fewer vehicles around,” he said. “And you possibly can often profit from a low season price structure which after all is all the time nice.”