The best African safaris

That feeling, that experience, is in essence the very foundation of what we do at Wilderness. Our belief is that the very best safaris take place in pristine natural environments, habitats that are rich in wildlife and truly wild. That degree of wild is in part how we rate the quality of a safari, and it is certainly how we rate the quality of a game-viewing environment. How pristine is the environment and the ecosystem you’re exploring? It’s such an important question to answer; very few places can stake their claim to be genuinely wild. 

What we offer at Wilderness is unique to the safari industry. Our safaris take place virtually entirely in our own private reserves. These reserves are truly wild, big game areas that guarantee incredible natural beauty and exceptional wildlife. There are several private reserves in Africa, but ours are vast. The sheer acreage of land we protect is unrivalled, and ultimately significantly more exclusive than any other safari company.

Inside those private areas, we are incredibly proud to run a collection of award-winning authentic safari camps.

And so, our focus is unrivalled hospitality; to help you explore the very best parts of Africa safely. However, at our core we are a conservation company; a conservation company that helps protect Africa’s great wildlife sanctuaries and the way of life for the people and ancient cultures within them. 

When choosing where to go on safari, the decision can be overwhelming. The famous national parks consistently appear—Botswana’s Moremi in the Okavango Delta, Tanzania’s Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, Kenya’s Masai Mara, and South Africa’s Kruger National Park. It doesn’t help that every location claims to be the best!

'Safari Africa' is often divided into two: the open plains of East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda) and the rich habitats of Southern Africa, (including Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa). Trying to get a handle on the actual differences between these destinations and the safaris they offer is very difficult. For over 40 years however, we have looked to protect a specific part of the continent, a part of Safari Africa that is truly wild. 

Running through the heart of Safari Africa is a strip of land where animals migrate vast unfenced areas, following ancient migratory routes seemingly embedded in their genes. These areas are where you’ll find animals living in habitats and ecosystems, in pristine form. We’ve worked to protect this specific part of Africa's wilderness for more than 40 years, and have developed a collection of amazing private reserves and camps that are well respected as the finest game viewing environments on the continent.

That strip of land stretches from the desert landscapes of Namibia, up through the wetlands of Botswana's Okavango Delta, and into the wild heartlands of Zimbabwe and Zambia. It then continues into East Africa, where we have camps in the open plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara, as well as the montane rainforests of Rwanda. It's in these genuinely wild places, across Africa’s greatest wilderness areas, that you'll find something truly special: four specific areas, and four specific safaris, that showcase Africa’s finest game viewing environments.

The first safari destination to consider is Botswana, our company’s birthplace and a destination well respected as the purest, most beautiful safari destination on the continent. We manage a vast amount of private land here; habitats that are well respected as Botswana’s best wildlife areas. The sheer beauty and quality of the safari here is astonishing.

The Okavango Delta, Linyanti, and Mababe are where our camps and private reserves are located. The Okavango is rightly one of Africa’s most famous protected areas, a wetland paradise filled with palm-fringed islands, channels, and lagoons... and an impressively high density of wildlife. Meanwhile, the Linyanti and Mababe are two of Africa's most intense game viewing areas, and most exclusive private concessions.

Prices are high across Botswana as standard – this is Africa's most expensive destination. However, focus on the private reserves here (parts of the wilderness areas are public) and you'll understand why. Botswana is home to our flagship camps and finest private reserves.

We have designed two Botswana safaris to show you the best of what we offer.

Zambia and Zimbabwe are the home of the ‘off the beaten track’ safari, the adventure destinations where fewer visitors travel yet the quality of the experience is seriously high. Small camps and quiet parks are the norm here; this is authenticity on safari in its purest form.

The parks themselves are truly wild and utterly stunning; elephant and buffalo herds are absolutely huge, and predator densities are intense. Massive rivers provide dramatic backdrops to game drives, and the Zambezi Valley itself is home to the best boating trips on the continent. This is also an area, a small microcosm of the safari industry, where some of Africa’s finest guides have set up base. 

Walking safaris and canoe safaris are hugely popular whilst the value on offer is also undeniable in both destinations. Our properties in Zimbabwe and Zambia are the most affordable camps we own.

An example of two of our most popular Zimbabwe safaris can be found here.

Our third safari destination takes you to the open plains of East Africa – the vast savannahs of 'The Lion King', and many famous wildlife documentaries. The Great Migration and open plains of Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara are major attractions; the sheer volume of wildlife, especially the predators, is phenomenal. 

It's worth noting that safaris are noticeably busier in these ‘marquee’ parks, and off-road driving is often simply not possible. It's especially important to take care when designing trips here, to make the most of a busy area. One of our most adventurous products – our mobile luxury Serengeti property Wilderness Usawa – makes the most of the Great Migration and the Serengeti's immense cat concentrations, away from the crowds.

East Africa also has stunning beaches, especially on the Zanzibar Archipelago. However, it’s the mountain gorillas and Rwanda’s lesser-known Akagera National Park that we are most passionate about. Combining the gorillas with Akagera and the open plains of the Serengeti showcases the best parts of East Africa away from the crowds.

An example of a safari that makes the most of the best parts of East Africa can be found here.

Our fourth and final safari destination is Namibia. Truly unique, Namibia is a country that offers an experience that’s totally different from anywhere else we operate safaris. 

Known for the towering sand dunes and dune fields of Sossusvlei and the wild Skeleton Coast, Namibia is all about extraordinary scenery. Our wildest and most remote camps are found here.

Desert-adapted wildlife can be found hidden away in specific areas, known only to the best guides. Black rhinos find solitude here while lions patrol the coastline and desert elephants find water in ancient riverbeds. The diversity of wildlife in such arid landscapes is astonishing.

Travel to the far north, and you will find the Himba people living semi-nomadically between Angola and northern Namibia. Visiting one of the last remaining itinerant tribes is a special addition to our safaris here. Namibia is an astonishing destination, a real favourite at Wilderness for offering something different from the classic game viewing
countries. It is a genuine bucket list destination.

Have a look at a safari that showcases the best parts of Namibia.

And finally, South Africa. ’Why doesn’t Wilderness have camps in South Africa?’ is a common question we are asked. Many of our staff are South African, and our main company offices are based in Johannesburg. We also have a team of superb guides and our own touring department looking after guests in and around Cape Town...so ‘what’s missing’ in South Africa needs to be addressed.

Ultimately, it’s that degree of 'wild' that we feel South Africa doesn’t quite deliver on. The safari reserves, often surrounded by large communities and fences, are simply a little too built up and often too busy. South African camps are some of the most luxurious anywhere in Africa, and the game viewing – of cats in particular – is undeniably great. However, we believe the experience itself is slightly compromised when considering the authenticity of safari on offer here. 

There is an argument that if you only travel to Africa once in your life, and that destination is South Africa, you are missing the very point of Africa. You are missing that ‘degree of wild’ that makes the very best safaris, and ultimately that degree of wild that we like to represent as a brand.