Where should you go on safari? It depends on what you want to see and when you can travel. East Africa is the land of the Great Migration and the classic open savannah, while Southern Africa is water, walking and wilderness at lower density; the Indian Ocean islands finish a safari with barefoot luxury; North Africa adds culture, desert and the Nile. Every place below is somewhere we actually plan, with the parks and camps we would choose ourselves.
If you are weighing two regions, the simplest test is the month you can travel. For example, July to October favors the Maasai Mara and the northern Serengeti, while the Okavango Delta is at its fullest from June to August. Meanwhile, the Indian Ocean islands work almost all year, and North Africa is most comfortable from October to April. Then think about pace: one region and two or three camps suit a first safari of ten days, while a second region usually needs two weeks. Finally, each country page below sets out the parks, the best months and how we would combine them.
Written by NndeeAfrika. Reviewed and updated August 2026.
The Great Migration and the Big Five, as well as gorillas and chimpanzees. The best game-viewing is broadly June to October, calving in the south Serengeti runs January to March, while gorilla trekking is good year-round.
Best general periodJune to October, with calving in the south Serengeti January to March
Explore the regional guideOur home ground: the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and the migration river crossings, while Zanzibar is an hour away.
The Maasai Mara and its private conservancies, elephants beneath Kilimanjaro at Amboseli, as well as the wild north at Samburu.
Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, while Akagera’s Big Five savannah and Nyungwe’s chimpanzees follow close behind.
Gorillas in Bwindi’s ancient forest, chimpanzees in Kibale, as well as tree-climbing lions along the Kazinga Channel.
Water wilderness, walking safaris and vast private reserves, at their driest and best roughly May to October, while green-season value and birding run November to April.
Best general periodMay to October, with green-season value November to April
Explore the regional guideThe Okavango Delta by mokoro, Chobe’s elephants, and also the Kalahari. Above all, Africa’s benchmark for low-density luxury.
Sabi Sand’s leopards, malaria-free family reserves, Cape Town and the winelands: in other words, the easiest first safari to combine.
The home of the walking safari, with South Luangwa’s leopards, the Lower Zambezi by canoe, as well as Victoria Falls from Livingstone.
Superb guiding, Hwange’s elephant herds, canoeing at Mana Pools and above all the grandest face of Victoria Falls.
The red dunes of Sossusvlei, Etosha’s waterholes, and also the Skeleton Coast. In short, a photographer’s country of light and space.
The Indian Ocean’s quietest islands (Benguerra and the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos), made especially for the days after safari.
The classic way to end a safari: a short flight from the bush, then barefoot luxury. Best conditions broadly June to October; the islands differ, so we will match one to your dates.
Best general periodJune to October, with a second window December to February
Explore the regional guideAn hour from the Tanzanian bush: Stone Town, spice farms and private beach villas.
Granite islands and private-island resorts. The honeymoon finisher.
Polished resorts, family ease, as well as direct long-haul links.
Dhow sails and empty archipelagos, particularly for travelers who want no crowds at all.
Culture before or after the bush, best October to April, when the desert days are mild.
Best general periodOctober to April, when the desert days are mild
The pyramids and Luxor, then a private Nile cruise: antiquity done in comfort.
Marrakech riads and the Atlas Mountains, then Sahara desert camps under the stars.
See the whole continent at a glance, or instead let five quick questions point you to the right region.
Every region, park and island on one map, so you can see how the pieces of a journey fit together. Useful when you are weighing two regions, or want to see how a safari and an island connect.
Open the mapFive questions (when you can travel, what you want to feel) and we shortlist the destinations that fit. No account, no commitment; a good first step if the choice feels wide open.
Take the quizSome journeys begin with a moment rather than a map. Choose the experience, and then we will match the destination to it.
African safari destinations are easiest to choose by season first, then by country. Which country for a first safari? So tell us the month you can travel and what you most want to feel, and we will shortlist two or three destinations that fit, usually within a day.
Before you travel, check the latest CDC travel health advice and the entry rules published by the US State Department.
