Kenya
Kenya is the top choice for a safari holiday. The abundance of wildlife makes it a fantastic choice for animal lovers and those wanting to see the famous Big Five animals won’t be disappointed. In Kenya you have a great opportunity to see all of them, from elephants, rhinos and leopards to buffalo and lions. Kenya is also a popular destination to experience traditional African cultures. The Masai are a tribal culture native to Kenya who are identified by their unique red robes and beaded jewellery.
Celeb Fans: Prince William famously proposed to Kate Middleton on holiday in Kenya. Other celebrities who love a Kenyan safari include Lisa Snowdon who visited during Christmas time last year, a great time to enjoy the drier weather around the coastal areas.
South Africa
Famed for the diversity of its landscapes, the most popular safari destination in South Africa is the Kruger National Park which spans nearly 2 million hectares and is excellent for spotting both prey and hunting animals. Leopards are an elusive animal to spot on safari but the Sabi Sand Game Reserve within Kruger has frequent sightings of them as well as zebras, lions, giraffes, antelope and wildebeest. There are also many different species of fish, reptiles and amphibians to see too. From August to October the Kruger Park has drier weather and better visibility, making it easier to see where animals have conjugated.
Celeb Fans: Queen of pop Lady Gaga took time out from her tour to go on safari in South Africa, sharing pictures of the lions with her fans on Twitter. Paris Hilton is another fan of South African safaris, visiting a couple of times in 2008 and 2010.
Tanzania
It’s no surprise that Tanzania is a popular choice for a safari holiday as it is home to Africa’s famous Serengeti plains. On this savannah visitors will spot many of the Big Five animals such as elephants, lions and cape buffalo but there’s also the chance to spot Nile crocodiles and African slender-snouted crocodiles here too. Tanzania is also a fantastic choice for monkey-lovers, with national parks providing a protected habitat for chimpanzees. The Gombe Stream National Park has about 150 chimpanzees living within it, as well as other primates such as baboons, vervet monkeys and red-tailed coloubus.
Celeb Fans: Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel chose Tanzania for a tropical honeymoon destination, a great destination choice for a first-time safari due to its safe routes and friendly people. Discover celeb-worthy accommodation in Africa with luxury operators Natural World Safaris.
Namibia
Namibia has some of the most dramatic landscapes in Africa with large mountain ranges, deserts, and dunes providing a sharp contrast to the savannah and rainforest habitats of other African countries. Shimmering in the hot heat, Namibia’s large saltpan in Etosha almost looks like it’s from another world. The best way to spot animals in this dry environment is to watch the permanent water holes, which attract a wide range of species. You’ll often find different types of species sharing the same water hole, including zebras, wildebeest and impala.
Celeb Fans: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt escaped to Namibia for some solitude and rest when Angie was pregnant with the couple’s first child Shiloh.
Madagascar
Try visiting a different side of Africa with a safari holiday to Madagascar. The fertile land is rife with wildlife and one of its most famous inhabitants is the lemur, who doesn’t live anywhere else in the world! There are many different types of lemur to spot here from the tiny nocturnal mouse lemur through to the larger, fluffier Indri lemurs. Safaris in Madagascar are done on foot rather than in a 4×4 and give visitors a chance to appreciate the smaller things in life – so look out for lizards, snakes and giant centipedes rather than lions and elephants.
Celeb Fans: Richard Branson is a big fan of Madagascar’s lemurs, so much so that he wanted to transport the ring-tailed species to a tropical hideaway in the British Virgin Islands. Richard isn’t the only Branson who loves Africa, his son Sam Branson married Isabella Calthorpe in a safari inspired wedding in South Africa.
Also See: The Lure of Cornwall as a holiday Destination – The Fowey estuary on Cornwall’s South Coast
