Eastern & Southern Africa is home to some of the best national parks in the world, and also the best wildlife viewing opportunities. I'm lucky enough to have been on 30+ game drives, cruises and walks across Africa in the past 9 years.
There are so many reserves to choose from so many more I would like to visit! But whether you are looking to see the Big Five or just to get up close and personal with endangered wildlife, here are my top 12!
Read Next: Who are the Big Five?
1. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Derived from the Maasai word for "endless plains", the world-famous Serengeti is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. Covering more than 14,750 square kilometres, the park is best known for being home to the Great Migration and the Big Five.
It holds a special place in my heart as the first time I saw both leopards and cheetahs, and is renowned as being one of the best places to view lions - often guarding their kills from other predators like hyenas and jackals.
2. Chobe National Park, Botswana
Situated in Northeastern Botswana, Chobe is well known amongst elephant lovers for their abundant populations. Chobe has some of the highest wildlife density in the whole of Africa, and also some of the best diversity in Botswana.
You are pretty much guaranteed an up close encounter with elephants, with both lions and buffalo are pretty common here too. There are also more than 450 species of bird, enough to fascinate even the most unlikely birdwatcher.
It is possible to see leopards, cheetah and wild dogs, though these are less common. White rhinos were reintroduced to Botswana in 2001 so it is possible, though incredibly rare, to see one if you're very lucky!
3. Ngorogoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
The Ngorogoro Crater was created when a volcano exploded and collapsed in on itself more than 2 million years ago, and at 260 square kilometres is now the largest unbroken and unfilled caldera in the world. The steep, 600m walls the enclose the crater make the crater floor feel like a paradise for wildlife, and many refer to it as Africa's Garden of Eden.
The crater is home to Africa's highest density of lions and predators, as well as the rest of the Big Five, flamingos and plenty of grazers. The Conservation Area is also home to around 40,000 Maasai people who breed cattle around the crater rim.
4. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Another world-famous game reserve, the Maasai Mara is located on the southern border of Kenya. Despite being one of the smaller game reserves (just 7.5% the size of Etosha), it is home to the big five, hippo, cheetah, giraffe, and of course the Great Migration which passes through the Serengeti to the the Maasai Mara each year.
It is also home to the Maasai people and we were lucky enough to have our campsite guarded by a Maasai warrior at night. This National Reserve epitomises the image of Kenya most of us carry in our heads and hearts.
5. Etosha National Park, Namibia
The largest park on this list at more than 22,000 square kilometres, Etosha is like no other. Home to Africa's largest salt pan (visible from space) and some of the biggest African elephants, it is also one of the very best places to spot black rhinos. During the dry season, Etosha's watering holes will bring all of the wildlife straight to you and there are great opportunities at night by campsite water holes, particularly at Okaukuejo and Halali.
6. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Needing little introduction, Bwindi is the ultimate destination for primate lovers. Home to half of the world's mountain gorilla population, there are also bush elephants, chimpanzees, and many other primates who live in the Forest.
They have an excellent conservation programme that includes donating 20% of your permit cost to the local community. For $600 USD you can spend several hours trekking through stunning rainforest and at least one hour with your chosen gorilla family, with the assistance of world class trackers and rangers who will even give you a certificate at the end of the day.
7. The Okavango Delta, Botswana
There a few places like the Okavango Delta, where the Okavango river meets the Kalahari Desert and a huge inland delta is created. In the peak of the dry season more than 200,000 animals migrate to this giant oasis and it is home to more than 160 species of mammal, 150 species of reptiles and more than 540 species of bird.
One of the most magical experiences is drifting through the papyrus reeds and lilies in a traditional dug-out mokoro canoe. It is possible to wild camp in the heart of the Delta and take game walks or cruises, or conversely to stay at luxury lodges and go out on game drives. You can also take a safari flight from Maun to see elephants grazing from the sky.
8. Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
Located in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya's Lake Nakuru is one of the finest parks in East Africa. Lions, leopards, buffalo, both black and white rhino, flamingos, endangered Rothschild's giraffe, hippos and 450+ species of bird are packed into just 188 square kilometres! I was lucky enough to see tree-climbing lions whilst there, which is very unusual behaviour for these beautiful big cats.
Lake Nakuru used to be famed for its flamingo population but rising water levels in 2014 and increasing pollution levels have meant their numbers have diminished from the millions to the hundreds of thousands. The waterside trees have been drowned in the rising waters creating an eerie but fascinating view!
9. Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe
For rhino lovers, there can be no other park more special than Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe! Here, you can get up close and personal with white rhinos courtesy of African Wanderer Safaris. I was lucky enough to do a tour with Ian Harmer in 2017 and it was absolutely brilliant! Ian's knowledge of the bush is second to none, from flora and fauna to geology and history. (Disclaimer: I was not paid to say this!)
Matobo National Park is known as the spiritual home of Zimbabwe. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is where Cecil John Rhodes (British explorer and founder of Rhodesia) is buried, and San cave paintings are common in 3,000 sites across the Matobo Hills. These paintings are thought to be up to 10,000 years old!
10. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
Sitting on the border with the DRC, Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most visited game reserve. With an incredibly diverse ecosystem, the park is home to primates, big cats, elephants, buffalo, 600+ species of bird (!) and a staggering 5,000 hippos!
Take an afternoon game cruise down the Kazinga channel to see the huge numbers of hippos, birds and crocodiles. You can also watch the local fisherman heading off into Lake Edward to catch dinner!
11. Hells Gate National Park, Kenya
One of the few parks in Africa where you can actually get out of the 4x4, Hell's Gate in Kenya's Great Rift Valley is geographically stunning. There are no big predators in the park, making it safe for hiking, cycling and rock climbing, although beware of getting too close to the park's buffalo!
The spectacular scenery is rumoured to have inspired the setting for Disney's The Lion King after animators visited the park to get an understanding of African wildlife. You can hike down the deep gorge (without the antelope) and even hike out to see the apparent 'Pride Rock', although it doesn't look anything like the film...
12. Kruger National Park, South Africa
What list would be complete without the world-renowned, legendary Kruger. One of the biggest National Parks in Africa, it stretches out for almost 20,000 square kilometres and is home to all of Southern Africa's iconic species from Big Five to big cats.
Kruger is home to about half of South Africa's rhino population, huge elephant families, big cats and more than 140 other mammals! Excellent for self drive safaris and easily accessible from Jo'burg, it's no wonder it is one of Southern Africa's most visited places.
Have you been to any of these parks?
What was your experience?
I would love to hear your opinion about other parks to visit!
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