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; 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.
Written by Evance & Jenny, NndeeAfrika’s founders — Tanzanian-born, California-based. Reviewed and updated August 2026.
The Great Migration, the Big Five, gorillas and chimpanzees — with the best game-viewing broadly June to October, calving in the south Serengeti January to March, and gorilla trekking 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, with Zanzibar an hour away.
The Maasai Mara and its private conservancies, elephants beneath Kilimanjaro at Amboseli, and the wild north at Samburu.
Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, with Akagera’s Big Five savannah and Nyungwe’s chimpanzees close behind.
Gorillas in Bwindi’s ancient forest, chimpanzees in Kibale, and tree-climbing lions along the Kazinga Channel.
Water wilderness, walking safaris and vast private reserves — at their driest and best roughly May to October, with green-season value and birding 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 the Kalahari — Africa’s benchmark for low-density luxury.
Sabi Sand’s leopards, malaria-free family reserves, Cape Town and the winelands — the easiest first safari to combine.
The home of the walking safari — South Luangwa’s leopards, the Lower Zambezi by canoe, and Victoria Falls from Livingstone.
Superb guiding, Hwange’s elephant herds, canoeing at Mana Pools and the grandest face of Victoria Falls.
The red dunes of Sossusvlei, Etosha’s waterholes and the Skeleton Coast — a photographer’s country of light and space.
The Indian Ocean’s quietest islands — Benguerra and the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos — made for the days after safari.
The classic way to end a safari — a short flight from the bush to barefoot luxury. Best conditions broadly June to October; the islands differ, and 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 and direct long-haul links.
Dhow sails and empty archipelagos 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, Luxor and a private Nile cruise — antiquity done in comfort.
Marrakech riads, the Atlas Mountains and Sahara desert camps under the stars.
See the whole continent at a glance, or let five quick questions point you to the right region.
Every region, park and island on one map — 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 we will match the destination to it.
African safari destinations are easiest to choose by season first, and by country second. Tell us the month you can travel and what you most want to feel, and we will shortlist two or three destinations that genuinely fit — usually within a day.
