Best Africa Safari Country
Question
I’m planning a trip to Africa and I’m looking for a country with the best compromise between good safaris and authenticity (not-too-touristy) where you get to feel the African culture and traditions.
Best safaris are apparently Kenya and Tanzania. The latter’s itinerary for example sounds amazing to me: Safari + Kilimanjaro + Zanzibar. Though, based on some videos I saw online, I’m afraid they could be pretty touristy.
Another one I liked, mainly because of the Gorillas, is Uganda but then I’d probably get to see less ‘savana big fives’ wildlife.
Any experiences, thoughts, advices?
Answers ( 3 )
If you want to see masses of animals — and perhaps all of the Big Five — there’s no better place than the Serengeti. For that reason you’ll see lots of tourists. It’s unavoidable.
For mountain gorillas, the best places are Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The permits for Rwanda are the most expensive, followed by Uganda and the DRC. Visits are strictly limited in all three, so while you will be with other tourists, they will be few in number.
If you want the fewest numbers, suggest you explore visiting Virunga National Park in the DRC. Know, however, that many governments advise their citizens to reconsider travel to the DRC. The U.S. State Department, for example, has a “Do Not Travel” advisory for North Kivu, where Virunga is located, because of ebola and terrorism.
Why not do the Serengeti and mountain gorillas on the same trip? if interested, inquire about the East Africa Tourist Visa that will get you into Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
If you really want to avoid tourists suggest you see lowland gorillas in Central Africa. They are in Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, the DRC and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). I’ve been to all except the latter three. Getting to the gorillas takes effort.
In Gabon, for example, one either has to fly or take a lengthy road trip to Tchibanga, where you continue by road and boat to hike through rain forest and savanna to Moukalaba-Doudou National Park. You camp there, since their are no hotels, no conveniences and no other tourists except those with you plus your guide and porters.
Africa is diverse, so you’ll get excellent cultural experiences wherever you go.
Kenya is the best safari country as per my past tour experience.
List of best safari country
Masai Mara National Park – Kenya
Serengeti National Park – Tanzania
Mana Pools National Park – Zimbabwe
Mala Mala Game Reserve – South Africa
Okavango Delta – Botswana
Lower Zambezi National Park – Zambia
Moremi Game Reserve – Botswana
South Luangwa National Park – Zambia
Ngorongoro Crater – Tanzania
I have one question regarding the Namibia desert safari. Which is the best place to ask a question.