If it’s wild animal spotting you’re after, you’re not going to get much better than the wildlife spotting in Africa. Lions, zebra, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, even gorillas, to name but a few, and all in their natural habitat. London Zoo, this ain’t.
If you can only visit Africa for a short time, no problem: choose a region and head to its wildlife hotspot! If you’re doing a bit of an epic trip, lucky you: wild animal spotting opportunities are around every corner.
So raise your hand and get ready to give the impetus and knowledge to see Africa’s wildlife with your own eyes!
Before we start, remember that you can fly to Africa from a bargain price at the moment, another incentive. Right, let’s start the countdown to our top rated National Parks and safari destinations in Africa!
1. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Lions and zebra and wildebeest, oh my! The world famous Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is world famous for a reason.
Firstly, it’s home to the biggest population of lions in Africa. Secondly, between July – October each year, over 1.7 million wildebeest and a quarter of a million zebra migrate from Serengeti down to the Masai Mara in Kenya.
“Incredibly awesome” would be an understatement. Find Tanzania gap year programs.
2. Masai Mara, Kenya
You want lions? You want elephants? You want leopards? Throw in some rhinos and buffalo, and you’ve got the Big Five – and you’ll find them all in Kenya’s Masai Mara.
You can also catch the Great Migration as the wildebeest and zebras make their way down from the Serengeti. See options for taking a gap year in Kenya.
3. Etohsa National Park in Namibia
Southwestern Africa is a wildlife hub. Take a gap year to Namibia and visit the Etohsa National Park, it’s home to 114 species of mammals, 240 types of bird, 110 different species of reptiles… and 1 species of fish (weird).
Then mosey on over to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where you can expect to spot lions, elephants and and crocodiles, to name just a few, in this labyrinth of lagoons, lakes and islets.
4. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Taking a gap year in Uganda isn’t usually top of most peoples bucket lists, but if you do you will get a magical experience.
Highlights include meeting the kings of the swingers at the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, this is a sanctuary for chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, and half the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking is a serious once in a lifetime experience; whether you’re an animal lover or not, we challenge you not to be moved when you see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.
5. Kruger National Park
If big furry things are your thing, then head to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. It’s got more species of large mammal than anywhere else in Africa.
Plan a gap year to South Africa today to see majestic African wildlife up close. For a really special experience there are lots of animal volunteer programs here where you can help elephants and other species.
You might spot the African wild dog – there’s only around 400 left in South Africa, and Kruger is home to packs of them.
Plan a Wildlife Break to Africa
There are hundreds of places you can see animals up close and personal in Africa, and the places featured on our list are amongst the best. Discover the highlights of Africa for yourself and browse our destination guides for inspiration.