Top 10 Ways to Experience Wildlife in Africa

There’s almost nothing more amazing than time spent in Africa experiencing the wonders the continent holds. The sheer scale of wildlife and biodiversity offers a glimpse into our planet's ecosystems thousands of years ago.

While everyone should experience an African safari at least once in their lives, riding in the back of a safari jeep across the bush in search of the Big Five, there are even more extraordinary ways you can appreciate and give back to the wildlife of this epic continent. From Kenya to Tanzania, here are our top ten wildlife experiences to add to your African adventures.

Our Top Places for Safari Game Drives in Africa

Africa Tanzania Serengeti Expert Lion Safari

Serengeti National Park in Tanzania

The endless and vast plains of the Serengeti provide an exquisite backdrop for 4x4 safari game drives. The Serengeti's reputation for wildlife viewing is second to none. Keep your eyes peeled for flashes of wildlife across the plains dotted with shady Acacia trees. Have your camera at hand in the bush and follow the tracks of lions, leopards, and cheetahs - sometimes difficult to spot because they love to laze in the shade of trees and in between the tall grass. You'll gain a true sense of the vastness of this national park and the diversity of its ecosystems and landscapes along the way.

Explore Serengeti National Park

Elephants and baby elephant playing in Kenya

Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

Venture across the Great Rift Valley to the savannah wilderness of Kenya's iconic Maasai Mara National Reserve, whose promise of some of the best game viewing in the world attracts safari enthusiasts the world over. Get close to the wildlife that find sanctuary in Maasai Mara's wilderness on a safari to seek out the Big 5.

Explore Solio Game Reserve

Kruger National Park in South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa's oldest and most iconic national park, offers an unparalleled wildlife experience, boasting a rich diversity of species against the backdrop of sweeping savannahs and dense bushveld. Here, visitors can encounter the legendary 'Big Five' – lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and rhinoceros – alongside a multitude of other fascinating animals, including giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, hyenas, and hippos. Birdwatchers are also in for a treat with over 500 avian species, making Kruger a haven for birdlife enthusiasts.

Safari in Kruger National Park

Solio Game Reserve in Kenya

Embark exploration of Solio Game Reserve, a privately-owned wildlife conservancy recognized internationally as Kenya's most successful rhino breeding reserve. Since its founding in the 1970s, the reserve has been a safe haven for black and white rhinos, the reserve being home to the world's largest population of the latter. The reserve is home to large numbers of rhino and other wildlife, such as buffalo, zebra, giraffe, leopard, and lion. Immerse yourself fully in your natural surroundings and enjoy the iconic savannah views against the backdrop of Mount Kenya.

Explore Solio Game Reserve

Etosha National Park in Namibia

For the best chance of spotting Etosha’s incredible wildlife, head out on a game drive in the early morning or late afternoon, when the animals are most active. You’ll be accompanied by an expert local guide who knows all the best waterholes and the animals that often visit them. Get the best seat in the house with the elevated seat of a game vehicle, then go on a thrilling search for the unique wildlife of Etosha including elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and so much more.

Explore Solio Game Reserve

Africa Safari Tours

There's no chance you'll miss out on the wildlife in Africa, especially the Big Five! Search for wildlife such as lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, antelope, and wildebeests.

Shop All Africa Safaris

save up to $1,120

African Safari Adventure

14

Days
From

$7,995

Operated By Trafalgar

VIEW TRIP REQUEST INFO

save up to $703

Namibia Adventure

Operated By Trafalgar

VIEW TRIP REQUEST INFO

save up to $640

Wonders of Kenya

9

Days
From

$4,850

Operated By Trafalgar

VIEW TRIP REQUEST INFO

save up to $504

Essence of South Africa

10

Days
From

$4,825

Operated By Trafalgar

VIEW TRIP REQUEST INFO

save up to $720

Best of South Africa

15

Days
From

$5,756

Operated By Trafalgar

VIEW TRIP REQUEST INFO

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

If you visit KwaZulu-Natal, you can't leave without visiting Big Five country in the oldest park in South Africa: Hluhluwe-Imfolozi. This is the legendary park where a dedicated team made worldwide conservation history with their successful efforts to bring the white rhino back from the brink of extinction. You won't simply be enthralled with this game-rich reserve and the extraordinary beauty of the terrain but also with the sense of history having been made here. Tours are all conducted in specially modified open safari vehicles to enhance your game viewing and give photographers the very best vantage point to capture that perfect image.

Explore Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

Tarangire National Park in Tanzinia

Encounter a natural landscape so entirely different from anything you've seen. Giant baobabs, flat-topped acacias, and termite mounds dot the unusual Tanzanian landscape. Tarangire is renowned as one of the best places to view elephants and guides work to scout for the vast herds that roam these plains so you can admire these gentle giants as they plod their way along in search of the juiciest vegetation.

Explore Tarangire National Park

Even More Incredible Wildlife Experiences in Africa

Africa Durban St Lucia Lake Hippo Hippopotomus Safari

St. Lucia Boat Cruise in Durban

All aboard the comfortable Santa Lucia, a spacious double-decker boat on St. Lucia Estuary, with ample room for everybody to have the best view possible. Take off on a two-hour relaxed interpretative cruise from the smartest vantage point - the water. Get up close to the sight and sounds of hippo, crocodiles, and other game species, and if you're lucky, you'll be serenaded by the haunting cry of the fish eagle...perhaps even watch one catch a fish! The boat has a coffee, snack, and full bar on board, so wildlife viewing and relaxation is the order of the day.

Cruise St. Lucia

Africa Namibia Weaver Bird Next Expert Wildlife

Lake Nakuru & Lake Naivasha Bird Spotting

Lake Nakuru is renowned as a bird watcher's paradise with more than 400 species recorded there. And Lake Naivasha's shore is home to spot pink flamingos, pelicans, and several other species of water birds. Keep your binoculars and cameras ready on expertly guided morning and afternoon drives of the area. Immerse yourself in the sounds and smells along the way – the damp scents of the surrounding savannah and cheery calls of birds provide a stirring backdrop for an unforgettable wildlife experience.

Visit the Lakes

Boulders Beach with penguins and gulls, South Africa

Boulders Beach Penguin Colony

Wind your way along one of the world's most magnificent coastal roads towards the outcrop that is Africa's most extreme southwestern tip to say a quiet hello to the shy penguins of Boulders Beach in False Bay. The sheltered inlet is home to the protected colony of African penguins which settled there in 1982. Visiting the waddling birds in their natural habitat is extremely rare, and Boulders Beach is the only place in the world where you can get this close to them.

Visit Boulders Beach

Africa White Rhino Extinct Wildlife Experience Ol Pejeta Conservatory Expert

Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya

The plight of Africa’s rhinos takes center stage on a poignant visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Ol Pejeta is home to two of the world’s last remaining Northern White Rhinos and a sanctuary for over 140 critically endangered Black Rhinos. You’ll hear their amazing story from the keepers that look after them 24/7 and about the continuing efforts to pull the species back from the verge of extinction. See if you’ve got what it takes to be a rhino bodyguard during this once-in-a-lifetime visit.

Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy