Top 10 Best Places To Visit In Africa In 2022-2023 : Africa may not always be on the radar for the typical visitor, but those that go have the chance to experience the ideal fusion of the East and the West, the wild and the urban, and the old and the modern. Focus East Africa Tours evaluated the top destinations in Africa based on accessibility, cost, and the diversity of available attractions—things to see—and activities—things to do—to assist you in beginning to organize your experience.
Africa is the ideal continent for wildlife safaris because it is home to about 54 countries, all of which have dozens of amazing and stunning national parks. You will get the opportunity to experience the allure of Africa through many activities throughout your African safari holiday, such as game drives, walking safaris, hot air balloon safaris, etc. Travelers can experience the great wildebeest migration, the chance to track gorillas or chimps, or more subdued delights like searching for rare birds or vibrant butterflies.
Every African country has something special and lovely to offer visitors. Yet for first-time travelers who are unsure of where to go, the highlights listed below stand out as maybe the top ten destinations in Africa.
1. The Serengeti national park, Tanzania
1. SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
The Serengeti, Tanzania’s oldest and largest national park, is at the top of many tourists’ lists of the greatest locations to visit in Africa. Its inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is partly attributable to the region’s hosting of the most dramatic yearly wildlife migration in the world, which can include up to two million wildebeest and tens of thousands of zebra.
The vast plains of Serengeti are also home to the largest lion population in Africa, which is thought to number 3,000. While leopards are frequently spotted in the center of Seronera Valley, it is likely the most reliable location in all of East Africa to see cheetahs. Elephants, buffalo, giraffes, spotted hyenas, bat-eared foxes, and other antelope species are among the additional common wildlife.
ü There is no wrong time to visit the Serengeti. Great opportunities for general animal viewing and to see the wildebeest migration are available from June to October. Wildebeest give birth in late January to early February. April and May are popular with return guests since they are the months with the lowest tourist numbers, the greenest countryside, and the lowest rack rates.
ü Where to stay: The Serengeti offers a wide variety of budget-friendly to upscale lodges, tented camps, and campsites.
2. MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE, KENYA
The smaller Masai Mara, which is essentially the Kenyan equivalent of the Serengeti, is just as rewarding for observing wildlife. The main inhabitants are big cats. Prides of up to 20 lions steal the show, but you can also find cheetah, leopard, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and, with a little more luck, black rhinos in this area. The most beautiful portion of the yearly migration, when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest arrive from the Serengeti to cross the Mara River, is when the Masai Mara National reserve comes into its own from late July to early October.
ü When to go to the Masai Mara: You can see animals there year-round. To have a decent chance of seeing the wildebeest migration, go there between late August and early October. If low tourist traffic is more important to you, any other period is ideal.
ü Places to stay: The Masai Mara is home to dozens of moderate- to upscale lodges and tented camps. A number of campgrounds are situated along its perimeter.
3. MANA POOLS NATIONAL PARK, ZIMBABWE
One of the best sites for daring travelers to visit in Africa is Mana Pools. If you’re seeking a safari location that doesn’t exclude both unguided and guided walking, this is unquestionably the place to go. Even better, it provides the thrilling chance to paddle down the Zambezi River and a network of related pools, one of Africa’s most pristine wilderness habitats. Expect to encounter plenty of elephants, hippos, buffalos, crocodiles, and water-related birds whether you paddle or stroll through the area, which also supports strong populations of lion and leopard.
ü Visit Mana Pools in the dry season, which runs from May through October.
ü The park is supplied by a number of tiny, exclusive campers.
4. ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK, NAMIBIA
Etosha, Namibia’s premier reserve, is dominated by the huge, salty, and typically dry pan that bears its name. A number of year-round waterholes, some of which are floodlit at night, line the pan, drawing vast herds of antelope, giraffe, and other grazers throughout the dry season. Black rhinos can be found here together with lions, leopards, and elephants, but not buffalo, making it one of the more trustworthy parks in Africa for these animals. Etosha is remarkably conducive to self-drive safaris.
ü When to travel to Etosha: Game watching is excellent from April to October, throughout the dry season, with a peak from July to September.
ü Accommodations: Many more upscale campgrounds and resorts are located right outside the park in addition to the accessible government-run rest sites that are located there.
5. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA
The unfathomably large Kruger National Park would take at least two weeks to tour completely, making it one of the best destinations to travel in Africa for a self-drive safari. Due to its proximity to Johannesburg, the south attracts the attention of most visitors, but if you want to venture off the beaten path, head to the more isolated north. The largest number of mammal species found in an African national park—147—are found in Kruger, including enormous populations of all five members of the Big Five, as well as cheetah, hippo, zebra, giraffe, warthog, baboon, and more than 20 different species of antelope. 517 different bird species call it home, Top 10 Best Places To Visit In Africa In 2022-2023
ü Anytime is a good time to visit Kruger, but the dry season, which lasts from May to September, offers the best opportunities for watching wildlife.
ü Places to stay: Camping and hutted lodging are available at an impressive network of reasonably priced and well-equipped rest sites. The several upscale private lodges located in the park’s various concessions and the exclusive private reserves that form its western border are more opulent.
6. AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK, KENYA
The two main draws of Amboseli National Park are the world’s tallest freestanding mountain and the heaviest terrestrial mammal. The most breathtaking vistas of East Africa’s animal-rich plains and snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro may be had from this location. One of the best spots to visit in Africa to observe elephant interaction is Amboseli, home to the longest-running elephant study in the world, which was founded in 1975. The elephants in this area are remarkably well acclimated and have beautiful tusks. Due to the area’s combination of seasonal wetlands and semi-arid acacia savannah, it is also a fantastic place to go bird watching.
ü Anytime is a good time to visit Amboseli, but the dry seasons (July to October and January to March) offer the best chances to see wildlife.
ü Where to stay: The national park is home to a number of high-end and upscale lodges and campers.
7. SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK, ZAMBIA
South Luangwa National Park, one of the best destinations in Africa for a somber walking safari, is also well-known for its superb night drives. The majority of the lodges in this area provide excellently led game walks, but the genuine experience is a multi-day trek between semi-permanent fly camps where you can really appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells of the bush without being distracted by an engine. This is a fantastic Big Five reserve despite the absence of rhinos, and there is a particularly high likelihood of seeing close-up leopard sightings there.
ü South Luangwa is best visited outside of the rainy season because it is the prototypical dry-season reserve (December to March). The months of July through September saw the gamest viewing.
ü Where to stay: The national park is bordered by a number of high-end and upscale lodges and campers. Also, many run fly camps there.
8. BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA
Mountain gorillas, to put it briefly. If you want to view these gentle giants, the largest primate in the world, who may weigh up to 200 kg, in their misty mountain homes, one of the greatest places to travel in Africa is this lushly forested national park in Uganda. Seeing a huge silverback and gazing into its liquid-brown eyes is unquestionably the most memorable part of practically every trip to Bwindi. Yet, it is also a fantastic location to watch forest animals like the lovely African green broadbill as well as the yellow-backed duiker, L’Hoest’s monkey, and 23 different bird species that are exclusively found in the Albertine Rift.
ü Visit Bwindi during the dry months of June through August and December through February for the finest gorilla tracking.
ü Where to stay: A variety of upscale and budget-friendly lodges are available at each of the four trailheads for gorilla tracking.
9. OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA
One of the best places to travel in Africa for up-close encounters with hippos, crocodiles, and other aquatic animals is the massive interior delta formed by the Kavango River as it falls into the sands of the Kalahari Desert. It is best explored in a professionally poled mokoro dugout boat. The delta is home to many elephants and fewer lions and leopards, but its primordial sense of place is what draws visitors in, Top 10 Best Places To Visit In Africa In 2022-2023
ü Anytime is a good time to explore the Okavango, but the best time to see animals is from July to October.
ü Where to stay: Dozens of upscale lodges encircle the delta, the majority of which run inside their own concessions.
10. MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
Mahale, one of East Africa’s most remote parks, guards a section of the Rift Valley escarpment that borders the breathtakingly gorgeous Lake Tanganyika. It is one of the greatest spots to visit in Africa if you want to get close to man’s closest living relative in the wild because it is home to 800 chimpanzees. The chimpanzees of Mahale were trained by Japanese researchers in the 1960s, and they are so mellow that it’s not uncommon to see an adult chimpanzee stroll past you nonchalantly while only a few inches away. The environment is incredibly beautiful, and other primates and birds are strongly represented.
ü When to go to the Mahale Mountains: From July to October, when the chimps prefer the lower slopes, is the best time to see them. At other times, you might have to travel much farther to locate them.
ü The park is served by two tiny, opulent tented camps and one basic national park rest camp.
OTHER BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES WORTH VISITING IN AFRICA BUT NOT INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE LIST INCLUDE:
ü Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania
ü Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
ü Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
ü Akagera National Park, Rwanda
ü Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
ü Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
ü Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING TO VISIT THESE AFRICAN PLACES
Are you making your first trip to Africa? Considering how big and diverse Africa is, it is better to concentrate on a single area or just visit one or two locations at once. Other excursions can always be made in the future.
The best way to travel throughout Africa is by air, although not all cities have good connections. From the US, there are a few direct flights. Yet, only a select few carriers, including Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways, provide numerous connections between different African locations (usually with a stopover in cities like Addis Ababa and Nairobi). Regional airlines exist as well, such as ASKY Airlines in West and Central Africa.
Some African cities lack adequate security. Johannesburg, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Lagos are a few examples. When navigating these cities, especially at night, use an Uber.
Find out whether areas are safe to visit by asking your travel agent, Airbnb host, or a local acquaintance, and avoid flashing your expensive items in public. Do not forget that there may be several languages spoken in a single nation or area.
While there are more than 70 different native languages spoken in Kenya, learning Swahili may help you communicate with the natives there. Above everything, have fun and have an open mind.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you still feel anxious about visiting Africa? Here are some of the most typical queries we receive from readers and their responses.
What are the top 10 suggested countries to visit in Africa? Giving a thorough list is challenging. Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Namibia, Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Senegal should be your first choices, nonetheless, Top 10 Best Places To Visit In Africa In 2022-2023
Where is the safest place in Africa? According to the World Peace Index, Mauritius is the safest country in Africa. Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Gambia, and Botswana are some other safe nations.
What is the cleanest country in Africa? Africa’s cleanest nation is Rwanda. Because of its past, the government places a strong emphasis on maintaining clean streets, mostly to improve public perception.
Which is the most stable country in Africa? Africa’s most stable nation is Botswana, while other nations like Kenya are equally stable. Ethiopia, like other nations, recently suffered from civil war or turmoil. The most unstable nation on the continent is Somalia, Top 10 Best Places To Visit In Africa In 2022-2023
Which African country is good to live and work in? Consider a place like Kenya and Tanzania if you intend to stay for a while. There is good infrastructure, and almost everyone speaks English in the big cities. Other excellent options are South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, and Gambia.
SO, WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN AFRICA?
Africa is home to several amazing places, including South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Namibia. But while organizing a trip to Africa, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. To make things easier, you can think about hiring a tour Company like Focus East Africa Tours to handle your lodging needs and arrange a safari excursion for you. Yet Africa has a lot more to offer than just safaris, so seize the chance to become immersed in the culture. Why not start planning your vacation to Africa right away?
