Flagstone Travel covers all manner of safaris in Africa; you can visit the world famous Kruger National Park, self-drive through the Etosha National Park, trek with gorillas in Rwanda or see the Big Five at the Ngorongoro Crater. The tricky thing is working out which safari is best suited for to you. Hopefully this guide will help you work it out…

Firstly, we understand the choice is massive, which here means numerous countries and activities to pick and if it is your first safari there is a lot of research to do. The initial question would be what time of year you would like to travel. If it is between June to October then Southern Africa would be good in terms of game viewing. If another time of year, some of the eastern countries could be better suited.

Secondly, what you would like to see? This could be the Big Five, elephant herds, black rhinos, hippopotamuses or the wildebeest migration, all of this would have an impact on the country or national park recommended. Landscape wise, are you looking for large grass plains, desert sand dunes or jungle?

Working these out will quickly narrow down your options and leave you with some great ideas. The third most important thing is your budget as this will dictate what is available to you. Whilst there are different types of accommodation, safari holidays are not the cheapest holiday so it is good to have a realistic budget.

Here are a few ideas and some information about each country we cover:

Botswana, generally has a more luxurious feel, the quality of accommodation is superb, it is likely to have a higher expense attached to the lodges but it’s definitely worth it. The most famous attraction here is the Okavango Delta, which offers safari to the Moremi National Park. Here you can see a wide variety of animal life including the Big Five as well as the Big Five. Chobe National Park is close by or the Kalahari Game reserve slightly further afield.

Tanzania is perfect if you are looking for a combination holiday. Many guests choose to go on safari in Tanzania followed by a beach trip to Zanzibar. One of the most popular sites in Tanzania is the Ngorongoro Crater for safari. If you time your holiday right you might be lucky enough to witness the wildebeest migration through the Serengeti. Mount Kilimanjaro is in the northeast of the country, an incredible mountain and if you are feeling energetic we can organise an excursion for you to climb it.

Rwanda is not as well known as many safari options, however it is famous for its gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes National Park, a once in a lifetime opportunity to track them on foot, you can also see the golden monkeys if you are lucky. The Nyungwe Forest National Park offers chimpanzee trekking and if you are looking for a more traditional safari, the Akagera National Park offers lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes and numerous bird species.

Namibia, is one of the largest African countries and you could spend two weeks or even six weeks travelling around. As well as organised safaris, if you are keen to explore the country you can also partake in a self-drive safari in the Etosha National Park. Here you have a chance to see lions, leopards and cheetahs as well as many other animals. Go on game drives in the Kalahari, or go horseback riding in the Namib Desert and climb the sand dunes. Try rhino and elephant desert trekking in Damaraland, or try the local oysters on the Skeleton Coast.

South Africa, is again easy to travel to, there are direct flights to Johannesburg or Cape Town from London. It has one of the most famous safari parks in the world, the Kruger National Park. South Africa is not only for a safari, you can also visit The Winelands, Cape Town and climb Table Mountain. There is also the Garden Route tour, this can pair perfectly with a trip to the Kruger for a two week holiday.

Zambia is home to the mighty Victoria Falls which is easily added on to a tour of the highlights of Botswana’s safari offerings, however Zambia is home to it’s fair share of impressive safari viewing opportunities. Luangwa National Park is abundant in wildlife, home to hundreds of bird species, Thornicroft’s giraffes and leopards. Kafue National Park is Zambia’s largest park and one of the greatest across all of Africa with hippopotamuses, crocodiles and elephants to find.

In short each African country offers an incredible experience, with a number of different attributes and the aim is to find which country and holiday best matches with what you are looking for. If you are still unsure or would like some more advice please speak to one of our experts and we can help you plan the trip of a lifetime.