Four unmissable safaris in 2024

Eleven nights, two countries, three of Wilderness’ newest camps and countless iconic African safari experiences – welcome to East Africa.

Your introduction to Rwanda begins In the vibrant capital, Kigali. Here, take the night to rest before travelling to Wilderness Magashi in Rwanda’s miraculous Akagera National Park. Overlooking vast savannah and the shimmering waters of Lake Rwanyakazinga, Wilderness Magashi offers the ideal stage for extraordinary safari adventures. Near camp, watch elephants submerge playfully into the lake’s silver-blue waters, spot rhino, giraffe and lions in miles of open savannah; listen for the chorus of birdsong.

After three nights at serene Magashi, travel to Rwanda’s iconic Volcanoes National Park, home to endangered mountain gorillas. Here, sink into tranquility at Wilderness Sabyinyo. The first community-owned lodge in Rwanda, Wilderness Sabyinyo is all about community, conservation and comfort. On separate days during your three night stay, trek to spend an hour with Rwanda’s precious primates: mountain gorillas and golden monkeys.

From the rainforest of the Virunga Mountains, head back to Kigali for a night before embarking on a classic three-night Tanzanian safari on the plains of the Serengeti. Launched in 2023, discover Wilderness Usawa, a mobile safari adventure in the heart of Africa’s most impressive spectacle: the Great Migration. Marvel at the sight of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle, as far as the eye can see, moving and grazing as one. Spot the predators that feast on these great herds; cheetah stalk the plains, crocodiles lurk in the rivers, prides of lions lie in wait. Just like the herds, Wilderness Usawa adapts. Flexible, luxurious and mobile, the camp is set up as close to the herds and as far from the crowds as possible. Whenever you choose to visit, you’ll be in the right place, at the right time.

This eight-night Namibian safari invites curious exploration of three Wilderness camps across Namibia’s most intriguing desert destinations.

Vast. Ancient. Otherworldly. Discover Namibia’s Sossusvlei, where ochre red sun-drenched dunes meet pale blue sky. At Wilderness Little Kulala, an exclusive-use gate provides direct access to the dunes of Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Challenge yourself to climb the enormous dunes, from where expansive views of the Namib Sand Sea World Heritage Site stretch to the horizon. In camp, turn your attention to the heavens as a sea of stars emerges, as impressive and vast as the desert below.

After two nights in Sossusvlei, travel to Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, in Namibia’s ancient Kaokoveld. Here, rust-coloured crags and arid plains provide a home to remarkable desert-adapted wildlife. During your three-night stay, hike the terrain’s rocky outcrops, explore the windswept Skeleton Coast, tumble down enormous sand dunes and dine under starry skies, all the while taking in the magnificent desert landscape.

From the Kaokoveld, fly over the vast desert landscape to Wilderness Serra Cafema, a land of extreme beauty, extreme contrast, and your home for the final three nights. One of Earth’s most secluded safari destinations, gaze over the life-giving Kunene River, and look out for astonishing desert-adapted wildlife. From Serra Cafema, meet the Himba, Namibia’s last remaining semi-nomads who call this remarkable desert landscape their home.

From the banks of the Zambezi to Zimbabwe’s famed national parks, this eight-night safari to three Wilderness camps promises wild adventure in style.

Your introduction to the mighty Zambezi River, and the region, begins with two nights at Wilderness Toka Leya on the Zambian side of the river. Here, take front row seats on a boat to watch the wildlife of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park: hippos cavorting in the river, sly crocodiles on the banks, herds of elephants ambling by. Just a short drive from one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World – the majestic Victoria Falls – this sublime camp is the ideal base from which to launch yourself into a Zambezi adventure.

After a short flight from Zambia’s adrenaline capital, Livingstone, your journey continues to Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, where an authentic three-night Southern African safari at Wilderness Little Makalolo beckons. Up-close encounters and thrilling sightings are the order of the day in this wild, exclusive region of Zimbabwe. You may arrive at Little Makalolo as strangers, but you’ll leave as friends.

From one iconic Zimbabwean destination to another, discover the Zimbabwean side of the Zambezi on a three night stay at Wilderness Ruckomechi in wild, pristine Mana Pools. Here, nutritious albida trees lure elephants in to camp. Make yourself at home, as they do, between the spacious en-suite rooms, the main area and the swimming pool. After thrilling mornings and afternoons spent on drives through this exceptionally game-rich region, days at Ruckomechi end around the fire, under the stars, just as warm days in Africa have ended for centuries.