One of the most rewarding travel experiences is seeing some of the world's most fascinating creatures in their natural environment. Get to know the Big Five (lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros). Discover Africa's Best National Parks to help you decide where to go on your wildlife safari.
Stretches over 14,763 km2 of grassland plains, riverine forests, savanna, and woodlands, the Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania. The name "Serengeti" means "the place where the land runs on forever" is an approximation of the word "siringet" used by the Maasai people for the area.
Over 1,300,000 gnus, 150,000 gazelles, 60,000 zebras, 3,000 lions, and many spotted hyenas, leopards, rhinos, hippopotamuses, giraffes, baboons, and cheetahs, roam the park. The marshes along the Mara River are home to crocodiles. More than 350 bird species have been identified, including vultures, ostriches, and flamingos.
Joining a safari is the most popular activity in Serengeti National Park. You may also walk along an educational trail or visit a Maasai village at the Serengeti Visitor Center. The park is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as a World Heritage Site.
Kruger National Park is a 20,000-square-kilometer national park, home to over 160 mammals and 500 bird species, and large populations of the Big Five. The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, designated by UNESCO as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve.
All the Big Five animals are found at Kruger National Park, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve. Kruger National Park is home to more than half of the world's remaining white rhinos and large numbers of buffaloes, elephants, black rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, and giraffes. It is also one of southern Africa's few sustainable lion populations. At Kruger National Park, other wildlife includes baboons, warthogs, hyenas, many small predators, and around a dozen antelope species.
Meet the Big Five Animals with the unique off-road game drives and thrilling bush walks at the best times of the day.
The Masai Mara National Reserve, located in southwest Kenya and measuring 1,510 square kilometers (583 square miles), is a beautiful landscape with plentiful wildlife and unending plains. Maasai Mara National Reserve was established in 1961 and is a popular safari destination, according to a 2019 study about the park published in the journal Land Use Policy. The reserve stretches south to Serengeti National Park, between 4,875 and 7,052 feet.
The Maasai Mara is Kenya's only protected area with an indigenous black rhino population unaffected by translocations. It has one of Africa's largest populations due to its size. It is home to wildlife, including Africa's Big Five (the African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, African lion, and African black rhino). Cheetahs, wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, and more than 500 bird species are among the reserve's occupants.
It is one of Africa's best game-viewing destinations. The Mara Eco-system provides an opportunity to see Africa's famous species, offering excellent photographic and film.
