Best African Safari Holiday Vacation Trips Destinations

 With over 40 national parks and reserves as well as numerous game conservancies, Kenya offers some of the best unique wildlife viewing opportunities in the world.

The best known game park in Kenya is, the Maasai Mara Game Reserve – a seventh wonder of the world and the subject of many wildlife documentaries and movies, with its wide open rolling savannah and majestic big cats. People flock here every year between June and September to witness what is hailed as the ‘greatest show on earth’; the annual wildebeest migration. The Annual Great Wildebeest Migration is the largest mass movement of land mammals on earth, over one million stampeding wildebeest, zebras  and other grazing herbivores journey the 300 miles from the Serengeti in Tanzania to Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve. A rough pattern occurs each year as the herds follow the rains to secure a good water supply and fertile grass.

But there is far more to Kenya than the Great Migration and the Mara, with just as much on offer for experienced wildlife enthusiasts as first-time safari goers and every visit is a new experience with new found memories. Venture to the giants of Tsavo East and Tsavo West for wonderfully varied landscapes.

Visit beautiful Amboseli National Park, home to great herds of elephants dwarfed by magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro that is best seen from here, or seek out the unique and dramatic wildlife and landscapes of Samburu National Park and Shaba Game Reserve, such as the long-necked gerenuk or reticulated giraffe.

Bird lovers will delight in The Great Rift Valley’s Lakes – Lake Naivasha attracts over 400 species of bird, whilst Lake Nakuru can see flamingo numbers rise to over one million.

For the ultimate private VIP exclusive luxury bespoke safari experience away from the touristic crowds head out to the private conservancies and game ranches in Kenya to Ol Jogi Game Ranch Wildlife Conservancy, Boran Ranch, Ol Lentille Private Wildlife Conservancy, Chyulu Hills, Loisaba Wilderness and Maasai Mara.

There are many ways to discover Kenya. Travel around by minibus, 4x4 custom luxury land cruiser jeeps, by light aircraft or by helicopter; choose a scheduled safari or tailor-make your own; join a group or opt for a private vehicle.

You can stay in national parks or neighboring conservancies; and choose from rustic camping safaris to the ultimate in luxury lodges. For something extra special, opt for a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise, drifting over the vast plains as the first signs of life appear below or even a walking or horse riding safari or even better opt for an exclusive use wildlife conservancy or beach house all for yourself friends and family.

 Tanzania offers a wide range of National parks as well as little visited game reserves and Private wildlife conservancies and concessions and not forgetting the sandy beaches and the remote Islands of Zanzibar Island, Pemba Island, Mnemba Private Island and Mafia Island in the Indian Ocean and Rhubondo Island in Lake Victoria.

The incredible endless plains of the Serengeti  always attract many visitors, eager to see its prides of lions lazing in the shade and catch a glimpse of the elusive leopard, or to witness the herds of thundering wildebeest during the Great Migration. The breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater is rarely left out of a first-time itinerary. As the home of Africa’s largest concentration of wildlife, that not only offers sightings of black rhino, hippos and lions, but far-reaching views and wonderful sunsets.

Tanzania is also popular with experienced and private safari-goers thanks to its more remote southerly parks, which remain largely untamed and lesser-visited. Selous is Africa’s largest game reserve and offers a true wilderness adventure, with game viewing from vehicles, on foot or by boat along the mighty Rufiji River. Ruaha also offers a safari experience away from the crowds and is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Saadani is a coastal wildlife sanctuary, whilst Katavi sees few visitors to its wide-open plains.

Tanzania safaris also include visits to a Maasai village, and Olduvai Gorge is one of the world’s most significant archaeological sites. And for the more active, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro provides extensive views over the Kenyan plains.

 Zanzibar beach holiday options are many, but broadly, the island can be divided into six holiday destinations: Stone Town Main capital City, Nungwi in the north, The East Coast, The South-east, The West Coast, and a few offshore islands.

Two or three hours’ drive from Stone Town, the village of Nungwi marks the northernmost tip of Zanzibar. Surrounded on three sides by turquoise-blue ocean, Nungwi has long been a magnet for visitors seeking paradise. Some come for some good diving and beaches, and proximity to a lively village where there's always a lot going on.

Zanzibar’s East Coast is lined with long, powder-white beaches. To the north, numerous small resorts boast similar beaches, yet all are quite different. Offshore you're find the magical exclusive Mnemba Island – the ultimate island lodge for those who can afford it!

Continuing along Zanzibar’s South-East Coast, the beaches remain stunning: powder-white sand with a barrier reef, lots of palm trees and a significant tidal range. The villages become a little sleepier and more relaxed as you head south, and Jambiani, in particular, is very relaxed indeed: for an authentic visit to a friendly village, you can't beat it.

In south-west Zanzibar, the Fumba Peninsula is a very laid-back and friendly corner of the island, with two good lodges, while offshore is the award-winning eco-resort on Chumbe Island.

A 30-minute flight north-east of Zanzibar Island, Pemba Island is comparable in size, but far more traditional in outlook, and tourist numbers here are tiny. Apart from a handful of honeymooners, most come for the diving, which can be excellent – although it’s really best suited to advanced divers.

Equally magical, although not part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, is the Mafia Archipelago. More remote, and quieter, than many places on Zanzibar, Mafia Island offers some superb diving and snorkeling in its own marine park, served by just a few small lodges.

 Nicknamed the “Pearl of Africa” Uganda is renowned for its stunning greenery, deep lakes, soaring mountains and perhaps half of the world's last remaining mountain gorilla population.

Uganda gorilla safaris, travel deep into the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park enabling viewing these incredible, endangered creatures from closer than you ever thought possible.

A visit to the Kibale Forest National Park is worthwhile known for having the highest primate density on earth.

In Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will spot plains game, including the rare Ugandan kob, buffalo and lion.

Climb the snow capped equatorial peaks fabled and renowned as ‘The Mountains of the Moon’ The Ruwenzori Mountain Ranges.

 Rwanda has been indelibly associated with the horrific genocidal events of 1994. Now undoubtaby one of the safest places in Africa, this tiny nation is now attracting growing more visitors. Rwanda is small and easy to get around despite the hilly terrain. Good tar roads wind through fertile hillsides terraced with tea and coffee plantations making it is known as ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills!' Most places are within three hours drive from Kigali, the capital.

Most travelers come to enjoy a Rwanda gorilla safari in the Volcanoes National Park with the rare chance to see some of the last wild population of mountain gorillas. The natural habitat for the gorillas is the high altitude rainforest of the Volcanoes massif which is home to roughly half the world's estimated population of 700 mountain gorillas. There are 8 habituated mountain gorilla groups in the Volcanoes National Park so this is one of the best places for a clear sighting. Other highlights of a Rwanda gorilla safari include visiting the research centre of the late Dian Fossey (the renowned primatologist featured in Gorillas in the Mist) and also tracking the rare Golden monkeys.

Other ‘must sees’ include the ancient high-altitude forest of Nyungwe National Park in the southwest which is a paradise for primate fans. Ruwenzori colobus monkeys and chimpanzees are among the 13 different primates to be glimpsed on forest walks. The largest protected mountain forest in Africa, Nyungwe is home to 310 bird species (26 of which are endemic) including the great blue turaco, and a startling array of orchids and butterflies.

If you need to stay a night in the pleasant and safe capital of Kigali, the immensely moving Kigali Genocide Museum is well worth a visit as well as the King’s Palace once home to Rwanda’s last king. A good place to relax between chimpanzee and gorilla trekking is the beautiful freshwater Lake Kivu in Western Rwanda.