The top safari holiday destinations are Kenya’s Masai Mara, Tanzania’s Serengeti, South Africa’s Kruger, Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Namibia’s Etosha. Kenya and Tanzania host the Great Migration, South Africa offers the best value and easiest logistics, and Botswana delivers the most exclusive wilderness in Africa.
A safari is the most spectacular holiday most people ever take. Here is how the big five destinations compare, and how to pick the right one for your first time.
1. Kenya — the classic safari
Kenya is where the safari was invented, and the Masai Mara remains its beating heart. Between July and October the Great Migration crosses up from the Serengeti, and the Mara River crossings are the most dramatic wildlife spectacle on Earth.
Beyond the Mara, Amboseli serves up elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, and Lake Nakuru turns pink with flamingos. Kenya also pairs perfectly with an Indian Ocean beach week in Mombasa or Diani.
First-timers are well served: flights are direct from London, and the lodge-and-minibus circuit is polished after decades of practice.
2. Tanzania — the Serengeti and the crater
Tanzania owns the southern half of the migration story. The Serengeti’s endless plains host the wildebeest calving season around February, when half a million calves are born in weeks and predators gather accordingly.
The Ngorongoro Crater next door is a collapsed volcano holding some 25,000 animals inside its walls, including the best chance in Africa of seeing black rhino in the wild. Few single days on safari anywhere beat a crater morning.
Finish on Zanzibar’s beaches, thirty minutes’ flight away, for the classic bush-and-beach combination.
3. South Africa — best value, easiest logistics
South Africa is the most accessible safari destination of all. Kruger National Park offers Big Five game viewing on a self-drive budget or in world-class private reserves like Sabi Sands, where leopard sightings are almost routine.
The rand makes lodges, food and wine remarkable value compared with East Africa. Malaria-free reserves such as Madikwe and the Eastern Cape parks are the top choice for families with young children.
Combine the bush with Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route for the most varied two weeks on this list.
4. Botswana — the connoisseur’s choice
Botswana runs a deliberate high-value, low-volume model: fewer visitors, vast private concessions and a wilderness that feels genuinely untouched. The Okavango Delta floods each dry season, creating a water-world safari explored by mokoro canoe as well as 4×4.
Chobe holds the largest elephant population on the planet, with herds in their hundreds lining the river at sunset. Prices are the highest in Africa, but so is the experience.
Fly-in camps of eight or ten tents mean you may not see another vehicle all day, an experience the busier parks cannot promise.
5. Namibia — the otherworldly one
Namibia is the wildcard: desert-adapted elephants and lions, the towering red dunes of Sossusvlei, and Etosha’s floodlit waterholes where the wildlife comes to you after dark. It is also Africa’s greatest self-drive country, with empty roads and epic landscapes.
Game densities are lower than East Africa’s, but the scenery is unmatched. Photographers, in particular, come back raving.
When should you go on safari?
The dry season, roughly June to October, is prime almost everywhere: grass is low, waterholes busy and mosquitoes fewer. For the Mara river crossings, aim for August and September.
The green season has real rewards too, with newborn animals, dramatic skies and prices up to 40% lower. February in the southern Serengeti for the calving is the connoisseur’s pick.
What does a safari holiday cost?
Realistic starting prices for a week including international flights: around £2,000 per person for South Africa self-drive, £2,500–£3,500 for a mid-range Kenya or Tanzania lodge circuit, and £5,000 upwards for Botswana’s fly-in camps.
Most lodges are effectively all-inclusive, covering game drives, meals and often drinks, so the headline price is closer to the final price than a normal holiday.
First-timer tips
Pack soft bags not hard cases for light aircraft, neutral colours not white or black, and binoculars per person rather than per couple. Your phone camera will disappoint at distance, so consider a zoom camera or renting a lens.
Book eight to twelve months ahead for the migration season, and see your GP about malaria tablets and jabs at least six weeks before travelling.
Safari styles explained
Lodge safaris are the comfortable default: permanent camps, pools and game drives on the doorstep. Mobile tented safaris follow the wildlife and trade a little comfort for a lot of atmosphere, with lions sometimes audible through the canvas.
Self-drive works brilliantly in South Africa and Namibia, where roads and signage are excellent, but leave Botswana’s deep sand and East Africa’s distances to professional guides.
What a safari day actually looks like
Days start before dawn with coffee and a game drive from roughly 6am to 10am, when animals are most active. The midday heat belongs to brunch, the pool and a siesta, exactly as the wildlife intends.
A second drive runs from late afternoon into sunset, often ending with a gin and tonic parked beside a waterhole. Dinner is under the stars, and the bush provides the soundtrack all night.
Bush and beach — the classic combination
Most safari-goers finish on the coast, and the pairings are well oiled: Kenya with Diani Beach, Tanzania with Zanzibar, and South Africa with Cape Town or an onward hop to Mauritius.
A week of dawn game drives followed by a week of doing absolutely nothing beside the Indian Ocean is, by common consent, one of the world’s great holiday formulas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is best for a first safari?
Kenya and South Africa are the easiest first safaris. Kenya offers the classic Masai Mara experience with direct flights, while South Africa adds malaria-free options, easier self-driving and the best value.
When is the Great Migration river crossing?
The dramatic Mara River crossings usually happen between late July and September as the herds move into Kenya’s Masai Mara, before they head south again into the Serengeti around October.
How much does a safari holiday cost per person?
Budget from around £2,000 per person for a week in South Africa, £2,500–£3,500 for Kenya or Tanzania mid-range lodges, and £5,000-plus for Botswana. Lodge rates typically include game drives and meals.
Is a safari safe for children?
Yes, with the right choices. Many South African reserves are malaria-free and run dedicated family programmes, and most lodges accept children from age six, with private vehicles available for flexibility.
