For the quintessential African experience, it doesn’t get much better than a Tanzania safari. The broad sweeping savannah, ancient heritage sites, incredible beaches, and coral reefs dominate this landscape. Indeed, Tanzania is an exciting destination featuring remote reserves and off-the-beaten-track encounters.

Arusha, the gateway to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro ecosystem, is for many the starting point to a Tanzania safari. Daily, small airplanes soar off into the wilderness, the purveyors of wildlife experiences unmatched anywhere else in the world. One of the highlights of a Tanzania safari is undoubtedly witnessing the Great Migration. This is when millions of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle make their way northwards into the Masai Mara to graze.

Your Tanzania safari doesn’t end with the Serengeti. The vast Ngorongoro Crater is a worthy addition to your itinerary. This ancient caldera, filled to the brim with a diverse array of wildlife, is also home to Tarangire, which boasts the largest elephant population in Tanzania. Many choose to include a beach holiday on exotic Zanzibar island, or delve into a more remote experience with chimp trekking in Gombe or fly camping in the Selous Game Reserve.

A trip to Tanzania is not measured in the miles covered, but in the moments enjoyed. A quiet morning in a private concession watching birds flutter above a pool; the sudden appearance of a manatee on an underwater dive; the flurried movements of a group of zebras as a tawny streak upsets their waterhole visit, the lion left empty-jawed as the black and white herd disperses into the sunset.

From north to south and east to west, a Tanzania safari never disappoints.

Best Time to Visit Tanzania:

The best time to visit Tanzania for a safari is typically within the dry season (June through October). It is during this period that the Great Migration reaches the Grumeti River. However, game viewing is generally superb throughout the year, with calving season just after the summer rains between December and February. If you’re interested in a beach trip or diving off the coasts of Zanzibar, then the clearer waters between February and March or between July and August are recommended.

The original safari destination in Africa, Kenya is a classic. There’s a nostalgia here that recalls luxury camps, canvas tents, and gin and tonic sundowners. On a Kenya safari, it’s easy to believe you’re in a scene straight from “Out of Africa.”

A Kenya safari promises the thrill of the wild against a backdrop of savannah plains, acacia forests, and the snow-capped peak of Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro. Then there’s the Masai Mara and its annual showstopping wildlife spectacle, the Great Migration. Add on the Great Rift Valley and Indian Ocean coastline, and Kenya is a country that indeed has it all.

Kenya’s legendary national parks and game reserves, from the Masai Mara National Reserve to the Lake Nakuru National Park, boast almost guaranteed sightings of Africa’s Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant). Expect generous sightings of large herds of antelope and hundreds of colourful birds. Don’t be surprised, however, if the tall and dignified red-robed Maasai steal the show. These semi-nomadic people are one of the world’s last great warrior cultures and an enduring symbol of traditional Kenyan culture.

And when you’ve had your fill of the wild, there are miles of white sandy beaches inviting you to go diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, or just to put your feet up, kick back and adjust your body clock to Kenya time.

When to Go:

Game viewing is at its best during the dry seasons (May to September, and January through February). The safari high season runs from July through November, when the annual wildebeest migration is in full swing. If you’re a birder, visit Kenya between October and April when the migrant species have arrived.

On a Botswana safari, bigger really is better. The elephants are super-sized, the landscapes vast, and the magnitude of the experiences beyond measure. Home to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, Botswana truly is one of the greatest safari destinations in Africa. 

The Okavango Delta defines the country’s landscape, cutting through the stark red hues of the Kalahari Desert in a flood of emerald green. During the seasonal rains, the Delta becomes a lush animal habitat. Here, you can explore meandering channels and papyrus-fringed islands by mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe). However, horseback rides, speedboat trips, and guided island walks are available too, and no less exciting! Expect to see an abundance of birdlife, hippos, and crocodiles. And don’t miss the sunsets. Bookend your days with sunset cocktails and marvel at the colours of the Delta as it turns molten gold.

On dry land, Chobe National Park is famous for its herds of elephant and buffalo. During the winter months, the animals converge on the Chobe River. As a result, wildlife sightings are particularly rewarding at this time. Furthermore, on a Botswana safari, you can enjoy almost guaranteed encounters with Africa’s star players: the Big Five.

With its wealth of world-class accommodation, Botswana is renowned as one of Africa’s top luxury travel destinations. Sumptuous safari lodges and intimate tented camps give you a front-row seat to the fabulous wildlife spectacles. With unlimited elbow room and the wildlife pretty much all to yourself, you can expect an utterly exclusive safari experience, unmatched anywhere else in Africa.

Best Time to Visit Botswana:

In Botswana as in most African safari destinations, animals will converge at water sources during the dry season to slake their thirst. As a result, Botswana game viewing at the Okavango Delta and in the reserves of Chobe and Moremi is at its peak between May and October.

South Africa is a world in one country. Beaches, bushveld, mountains, semi-deserts, high rise cities, and sprawling neighbourhoods… Mzansi (as the locals call it) has something for everyone. You can go from a Big Five safari to seaside cocktails within just a few hours; from a traditional meal at a local shebeen to shopping on the high street in only a matter of minutes.

Consistently voted as one of the top destinations around the world, South Africa is home to three tourism juggernauts: Cape Town, the country’s Mother City melting pot and wine capital nestled in the shadow of Table Mountain; the Garden Route, a road-trip stretch of forested coastline; and the Kruger National Park, the gem in South Africa’s wildlife crown.

In between these popular destinations is a patchwork of lesser-known treasures. Explore the unspoiled Whale Coast, experience the wild Eastern Cape and discover the quirky heart of the country in the semi-desert flatlands of the Karoo.

And then there are the people. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was spot on when he nicknamed South Africa “the Rainbow Nation.” Indeed, it is a colourful country of diversity and contrast – in its cultures, landscapes, and languages. A visit here would not be complete without delving into South Africa’s history. Whether it’s a private tour of Robben Island or a Cape Malay food safari, you’ll discover that despite its heart-wrenching past, South Africa’s pride and positivity are forces of nature.

Best Time to Visit South Africa:

Most visitors arrive during summer (November to March) when the weather ranges from warm to hot. The ideal season for wildlife viewing is between May and September when the weather is dry, and there’s a higher likelihood of seeing big game.

“No one can return from the Serengeti unchanged, for tawny lions will forever prowl our memory and great herds throng our imagination.”- George Schaller

Like a great grass sea formed out of the imagination of a fantasy writer, the Serengeti rolls: expansive, raw, wild. Predators slip in and out of the tawny grasses, drop down from trees and stand atop ant hills scanning the landscape for prey. A Serengeti safari lets you see Tanzania in its most natural state. This national reserve, which extends across thousands of kilometres, is home to the famous wildebeest migration. It’s a spectacle of nature, a definitive African safari experience. You can expect to see an abundance and diversity of animals and the nomadic pastoralist Maasai tribe.

It’s difficult to take it all in. There is plenty of scope for unique experiences on a Serengeti safari. View the Green Season calving between January and April in the southern part of the reserve. Or, witness the thrilling Grumeti River crossings in the western Serengeti. One of the prime spots for safari goers has traditionally been the far north. Here, tens of thousands of desperate wildebeest take the plunge into the crocodile-thronged Mara River as their migration moves into Kenya’s Masai Mara for fresh grazing.

There are quieter, less dramatic scenes too. A delightful safari breakfast under an acacia tree, accompanied only by your Maasai guide, dressed in his traditional red garments. A guided walk through the woodlands looking for Fischer’s lovebird, a rufous-tailed weaver or a lone, stately kori bustard. Or even waking at dawn and peeping out of your canvas tent to watch the mist rise in unhurried tendrils over the dew-drenched grass.

This is the Serengeti. Wild, untamed and transient.

Best Time to Visit the Serengeti:

The Serengeti’s main attraction is the annual wildebeest migration. Notwithstanding the drama and thrills of the Great Migration, however game viewing in the Serengeti is exceptional all year round. Typically, the Green Season (December through March) sees newborn calving across the southern plains. The herds move into the western Serengeti between May and July and assemble at the Grumeti River to cross over into the northern part of the reserve. If you’re wanting to visit during the dramatic Mara River crossings, then August through October is the best time to go.