The Best 12 Destinations for a Wildlife Safari

Going on safari with so much amazement can be a very memorable part of overseas travel. Most countries, especially ones in Africa, are home to a large number of world-famous natural parks that are inhabited by colorful varieties of wildlife and contain beautiful natural wonders and rewarding activities. Following are the best 12 countries around the world for wildlife safaris in many reserves. Each destination is full of adventures and charms that are well worth a visit. Be ready for your shock and choose one with your greatest expectations.

Tanzania: Legendary Migration in Summer Season

Tanzania, a must-mentioned country located in East Africa, has everything about wildness and beauty that lives up to most safari-goers' expectations where home to over 4 million wild animals in great diversity.

The Northern Circuit is the most popular route to experience the country, which contains the best-known Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, and Kilimanjaro. Plain traversing gives you great chances to spot an annually impressive display of great migration of more than 1.5 million wildebeest and several hundred thousand zebra and gazelle that run across the Serengeti into the Mara plains of Kenya roughly from June to September. You can get classic pictures of lions and cheetahs preying on onrushing wildebeest and zebra, peaceful lake scenery, and the holy snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania. You can head into Tarangire National Park to spot iconic baobabs, leopards, and African elephants, as well as multiple varieties of birds and antelope. While in Mahale, the chimpanzees in dense jungles, white sand beaches, and emerald green waters offer different inspiring scenery.

Great Migration, Tanzania

Kenya: Memorable Encounter with Big Five Game

Kenya is always reputed as the place where wildlife safaris originated. It is an amazing land for wildlife viewing on an original safari in a special sightseeing bus.

You'll be impressed by the Big Five Game: lions, elephants, black rhinoceros, cheetahs, buffalo, and other animals that are rarely seen in other areas. Every year from May to September, there will be a spectacular display of a huge herd of wildebeests, zebra, and gazelle crossing over the Mara River. It gives you a rare opportunity to spot fierce Nile crocodiles. Outside of the Masai Mara, Kenya is also home to Amboseli National Park, Lake Naivasha, Lake Boglia, Lake Nakuru, and other worth-exploring reserves.

There are very many ways to go on a wildlife safari in Kenya, such as walking, biking, horseback riding, and yachting. Among them, a day-long hot air balloon safari is extremely attractive to have a full view of boundless grasslands, herbs of mammals, and a moment of glorious sunset. A safari around Lake Naivasha and Lake Boglia gives you an incredible sight of over 500 species of birds, including a pink flock of dancing flamingos, eye-catching cormorants, and mighty fish eagles.

Flamingos in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

South Africa: Colorful Ways for Wildlife Safari

South Africa is one of the must-visit destinations when it comes to wildlife safaris. The vastness of savanna vegetation makes South Africa a hot safari destination around the world.

South Africa has a great number of reserves, with Kruger National Park, Marakele National Park, and Addo Elephant National Park being famous. There are hundreds of kinds of mammals, like giraffes, impalas, and rhinos, just in Kruger National Park. Needless to say, in the Big Five, you can spend plenty of time spotting a rich diversity of wildlife in a single day. Different reserves offer different landscapes and animal species, and they allow you to visit the wildlife and scenery in many ways, like walking, driving canoeing, and hot-air balloon riding. You can encounter gorgeous fauna, from species of reptiles like the Black Mamba to insect individuals to some rare bird species like the Osprey, Knot, Sanderling, and more, in different parks.

Recommended Tour Itinerary

South Africa and Zimbabwe 10 DAYS Explore This Tour

From South Africa to Mozambique: Coast & Safari Hideaway 12 DAYS Explore This Tour

Uganda: Hard-winning Sight of Gorillas

Uganda is definitely an ideal destination for gorilla observation. Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a large area of pristine rainforests, is home to many groups of native gorillas, where you can also find chimpanzees, crocodiles, hippopotamus, and more than two hundred species of butterflies. It would be a memorable experience trekking into the forests to encounter this variety of the endangered primate family.

Plus Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda has many famous World Heritage Sites like Kibale Forest National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park, all of which are rich in over 1000 bird species, including bellbirds, shoebills, grey-crowned cranes, sunbirds, and many more. This makes Uganda a perfect spot for birding. You have great chances to take some beautiful photos of some endangered varieties while trekking in forests and around lakes.

Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Brazil: Deep Exploration within the Amazon Rainforest

Speaking of Brazil, most people can't help mentioning its signatures of football and samba. In addition, Brazil is certainly one of the most popular safari destinations in Latin America. The country occupies more than 60% of the Amazon Rainforest and has six terrestrial biomes that are amazingly biodiverse. The rich tropical ecosystem makes Brazil tough to beat for wildlife and bird viewing on the planet.

You can explore magnificent tropical forests like the Amazon Rainforest and the Atlantic Rainforest to find the three-toed sloth, spider monkey, and other typical endemic mammals hidden in dense forests. For a wide visual field, Pantanal is likewise an unmissable safari place. The wetlands are full of diverse Latin American species that are never seen in Africa. You're treated to endemic animals like the giant jaguar, the giant anteater, the caiman, and the boa constrictor. Also, the area is home to about 650 species of gorgeous birds, with hyacinth macaws and giant toucans being especially attractive. Cerrodo will give you the familiar feel of African Savanna grasslands, but this Brazilian Savanna features scenic gallery forests where you may be lucky to watch and photograph the characteristic animal, the maned wolf.

Giant Toucan, Amazon Rainforest

Costa Rica: Wildlife Spotting from Forests to Coastlines

Costa Rican wildlife deserves a thrilling safari, whether for its abundant biodiversity or its beautiful natural habitat. The country boasts more than 500 varieties. The liveliest destinations belong to Corcovado and Tortuguero, which are covered with a large tapestry of rainforests and cloud forests.

The reserves are a paradise for hundreds of species of fauna to flourish. Wildlife lovers can find it easy to spot exotic inhabitants of animals, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and diverse bird kinds: monkeys, two- or three-toed sloths, dart frogs, green iguanas, and black-mandibled toucans, for example. If, luckily, you can catch sight of the elusive pumas, Apart from the pristine forest, Costa Rica has brilliant coastlines with seductive beaches and turtle groups at Manuel Antonio. Beaching, roaming, or swimming in the turquoise waters gives you the chance to encounter a big shoal of leatherbacks. In Costa Rica, night safaris are likewise popular. A wonderful night walk offers a distinctive experience to observe some mysterious nocturnal varieties.

Monkeys in Forest, Costa Rica

Peru: Spectacle of Andes and Paracas

Located in the western corner of South America, Peru is well known for its long-standing history and thriving cultural heritage. But in terms of natural wealth, Peru also deserves first place.

A safari along the breathtaking Andes offers the best wildlife viewing. The humid forest and lush highland against the Andes Mountains are important natural habitats for many rare endemic animals, such as jaguars, Andean condors, bald eagles, alpacas, and the spectacled bear, a distinctive species only found in all of South America. The Peruvian Amazon basin, which the Amazon River flows through, is an excellent safari location to spot pink dolphins on a cruise. Other highlights can be reached on the Ballestas Islands, on the south coast of Peru. It is home to the Deserts of Paracas, inclining to the waters, a superb land teeming with marine creatures and bird species. You may be lucky to see Humboldt penguins, sea lions, and fine birds like Guanay cormorants and seagulls during a boat ride.

Humboldt penguins, Ballestas Island

India: Majestic Image of the Bengal Tiger

If you're planning a unique safari in Asia, India should be at the top of your list. Filled with cultural experiences, the country is equally rich in abundant natural highlights.

The vast expanses of dry forest and jungle cover the central area of India. It is home to many different national parks. Bandhavgarh National Park, the world's largest reserve of Bengal tigers, is a superb destination to sight India's tigers and leopards. It would be unforgettable to shoot these majestic species with great luck and follow their prominent figures in the Jeep. You can also observe a glut of India's unique one-horned rhinoceros, sloth bears, barking deer, hoolock, and more than 1,300 bird species in other wildlife sanctuaries like Kanha National Park. Boating, elephant-back riding, or camel-back riding are incredible additions to pristine landscapes and vibrant biodiversity.

Malaysia: Glimpse of Rare Primates and Malay Big Cat

The large area of rainforest in Malaysia provides breathtaking safari experiences for nature adventurers.

A great number of wildlife sanctuaries are established along Kinabatangan, Borneo (Malaysian areas), and Sabah, including Taman Negara National Park, Bako National Park, and Danum Valley Conservation Area, which are well-known to foreign safari enthusiasts. Jeep safaris or trekking are a fabulous way to discover abundant varieties of animals in the jungle, where you can spot many rare species of primates (like orangutans, probosci's monkeys, silver-leaf monkeys, and tiny tarsiers with enormous eyes), Malay tapirs, pygmy elephants, and other endangered wildlife unique to Malaysia. If lucky enough, you may capture the enigmatical Malayan tiger, the Sunda clouded leopard, and other endangered species. Safari in wild Malaysia also provides a rewarding experience for travelers because it involves the restoration of wildlife habitat and close interaction with diminishing animals with local villagers and students.

Indonesia: Amazing Safari for Komodo Dragons

A journey in Indonesia wouldn't be complete if you just went after the island scenery. To be honest, this tropical land is abundant with a breathtaking variety of wild animals, from fascinating mammals to brilliant marine creatures.

Indonesia has the largest portion (about 73%) of the area of Borneo (Kalimantan Island in Indonesia), a vast expanse of rainforest. The jungle island offers impressive highlights for wildlife seekers. You can take a guided tour to explore the jungle, with the chance to capture iconic species such as Bornean orangutans, Siomang gibbons, probosci's monkeys, sun bears, and so on. The forest safari also includes exciting parts of searching for crocodiles and dolphins by cruising. There are several elephant sanctuaries in Indonesia, like Tangkahan Elephant Sanctuary, which is so hot. It's a nice place to see Asian elephants and allows you to engage in elephant bathing. What's more, you can feast your eyes on Komodo dragons in Komodo National Park, learning about the living habits of this world's largest lizard. The wonderful islands of Indonesia provide lots of quality snorkeling spots for underwater safaris. The unspoiled coral reefs are great places to explore colorfully diverse marine life such as manta rays, sunfish, clownfish, and sea turtles.

Thailand: Incredible Meet with Bryde's Whales

Thailand has been one of the most visited destinations for travelers worldwide. In addition to familiar Buddhist temples, remarkable islands, and arresting beaches, Thailand is a marvelous treasure trove filled with colorful species of wildlife.

The territory contains a tapestry of rainforests and is home to over 147 national parks and 58 wildlife sanctuaries. The parks of Khao Sok, Khao Yai, Thap Lan, Erawan, and many more are popularly loved by explorers. For perfect birdwatching, Khao Sok National Park has a wealth of unique bird life, with hornbills and Indian rollers standing out. Many renowned parks are inhabited by certain populations of elephants, tigers, Malayan tapirs, buffaloes, and black bears, along with roughly a dozen species of primates like white-handed gibbons, langurs, and macaques, and an amazing variety of birds. There is a system of organized trails and ziplines in the jungles for you to enjoy the rich biodiversity by walking or driving. The Gulf of Thailand brings you the sole highlight of whale watching. About 55 Bryde's whales are living in the gulf. They are solitary and hard to see so it may take you great luck to meet one of these distinctive aborigines while boating.

Khao Sok National Park

Sri Lanka: Bird Viewing on Lagoons

Sri Lanka has a high reputation for awe-inspiring beach scenery and Sri Lankan hospitality. Moreover, the gem-like island located off South Asia is listed as one of the fascinating wildlife safari paradises across Asia.

With a range of landscapes from grassland, scrubs, and rainforests to a network of rivers and lagoons, Sri Lanka is generous with thriving animals. Popular wildlife spotting sites include Yala, Uda Walawe, and Wilpattu. You can ride a private jeep traversing the jungles and grasslands and get the closest view of impressive Asian elephants, small sun bears, endangered purple-faced langurs, and slow monkeys. If you're lucky enough, you may run into the solitary leopard, which can be found once in a blue moon. Most natural habitats on the island are dotted with dozens of lakes, which become the ultimate location to watch many species like elephants, sambar deer, or buffalo getting a drink or soaking in the water. Every year in September, many lakes in the parks turn into transit areas for many migratory birds. If you plan a safari during the winter, you can enjoy a compulsive lake view alive with colorful birds, flamingos, painted storks, spoonbills, and egrets, too numerous to mention.

Jeep Safari, Yala National Park

Warm Up

No matter what you expect, every destination for an exciting safari provides ample opportunities to have a close view of various animals and wildness in different regions of the world. It's wonderful to see the incredible vitality of nature and be fascinated by its magnificence. Exploring one of these impressive destinations is a must-do once in a lifetime. If you would like to know more information about Safari, please contact us. We're very nice to answer your questions. Sincerely, you can travel with Odynovo, and thus you can enjoy a customized safari itinerary during the journey. We will ensure you have a nice trip full of constant highlights.