Discover Off-the-Beaten-Path African Safari Destinations That Will Take Your Breath Away
When you think of going on an African safari, there are probably a few national parks and game reserves that immediately spring to mind, such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and the Maasai Mara. But there are more than 200 wildlife-viewing destinations on the continent, many of which offer spellbinding experiences without the crowds.
If your idea of going on safari is just as much about exploring spectacular wilderness areas as ticking off the “Big Five”, then these off-the-beaten-path destinations might be for you. They offer intimate wildlife encounters backed by jaw-dropping scenery to create an experience that you will remember for a lifetime.
Famed for its stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli National Park lies in Kajiado County near Kenya’s border with Tanzania. It sprawls across 400 square kilometers and includes five major swamps that attract around 400 different species of birds. But it is Amboseli’s free-ranging elephants that are its biggest allure, with many visitors hoping to photograph them against the snow-capped summit of Africa’s highest peak.
Amboseli is also home to healthy populations of giraffes, zebras and cheetahs, as well as buffalos, antelopes and leopards, with the park’s sparse vegetation allowing for fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities. You can spot a huge diversity of water birds and raptors along the shores of Lake Amboseli before hiking to the top of Observation Hill to enjoy sweeping views across the wildlife-filled plains below.
Previously known as the Selous Game Reserve, this 50,000-square-kilometre national park forms part of Tanzania’s lesser-known Southern Circuit (together with Mikumi, Saadani, Ruaha and Udzungwa Mountains national parks). Originally established as a protected area in 1896, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 for its exceptional wildlife diversity and natural scenery. It also supports Africa’s largest population of African wild dogs, making it one of the best places to see these creatures in their natural habitat.
Nyerere National Park encompasses grasslands, wetlands and Miombo woodlands on the banks of the Rufiji River where hippos and Nile crocodiles wallow. In addition to African bush elephants, buffaloes and Masai giraffes, around 3,000 lions inhabit the park. While the density of wildlife isn’t comparable to the parks on Tanzania’s Northern Circuit, the breathtaking landscapes and crowd-free viewing experiences make it well worth the visit.
Established back in 1938, South Luangwa National Park is the jewel in Zambia’s crown when it comes to wildlife viewing destinations. Despite its staggering natural beauty and abundance of species, it doesn’t receive the huge visitor numbers seen at some of East Africa’s more famous parks. Africa Safari enthusiasts who venture here will be rewarded with crowd-free viewing experiences and up-close encounters like nowhere else.
South Luangwa is the self-declared “birthplace of the walking safari” and this remains one of the most memorable ways of coming face-to-face with its enchanting wildlife. Boat safaris are another popular way of exploring the park, with elephants and Thornicroft’s giraffes among the many species that refuel along the river banks. South Luangwa is also one of the best places in Africa to see leopards in the wild and provides habitat for near-endemic species such as Cookson’s wildebeest and Crawshay’s zebra that you are unlikely to see elsewhere.
With its vast elephant herds and diverse landscapes, Hwange National Park is the largest natural reserve in Zimbabwe. It lies between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls in the country’s far west, with sprawling grasslands and mopane woodlands within its bounds. Hwange is home to more than 100 different mammal species, including lions, cheetahs and Cape wild dogs, as well as being one of the best places in Zimbabwe to spot gemsboks and brown hyenas.
Twitchers will be treated to incredible sightings at Mandavu and Masuma dams in Hwange’s northwest where southern ground hornbills, martial eagles and kori bustards come to refuel. The national park is also home to one of Zimbabwe’s most important archaeological sites, the Bumbusi National Monument, which preserves immense stone walls and ruined dwellings that date back to the 18th century.
Zambia’s oldest and largest national park is Kafue, which encompasses more than 22,000 square kilometres in the country’s west. It was established in the 1920s to preserve the area’s untouched wilderness and despite its close proximity to Livingstone, it remains largely unexplored. Those who do venture to this remote corner of Zambia will have the opportunity to spot lions, zebras and a diverse array of ungulates, including blue and yellow-backed duikers, sitatungas and lechwes.
Kafue National Park is considered one of the best places in Africa to spot leopards, with night drives and boat cruises along the Kafue River offering the most reliable sightings. Unlike South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi, Kafue is also home to cheetahs, which can be found not only on the plains but also in the park’s woodlands and riverine areas. It’s also worth mentioning that Kafue is a paradise for birdwatchers, with more than 500 species recorded within its bounds.
Nestled in the far north of Namibia, Etosha National Park remains well off East Africa’s main safari circuit. But this hidden gem is not only worth visiting for its abundance of wildlife but the opportunity to see some of Namibia’s unique desert-adapted species. It’s famed for its watering holes where animals reliably come to refuel, offering almost guaranteed sightings of elephants, giraffes and zebras. Etosha also provides a habitat for black rhinos, which are now classified as “critically endangered” and difficult to spot elsewhere.
Etosha’s otherworldly landscapes can be explored on guided or self-drive safaris, with its immense salt pan surrounded by grasslands where lions, cheetahs and leopards roam. In the rainy season, birdwatchers flock to the Etosha Pan as it fills with water, attracting flamingos, hornbills and birds of prey. Kori bustards (the world’s heaviest flying bird) are regularly spotted within the park’s bounds, as is the world’s largest bird, the iconic ostrich.
Named after the Great Ruaha River that flows through its territory, Ruaha National Park is one of Tanzania’s best-kept secrets. Despite being the largest national park in the country and wildly beautiful, it remains well off the beaten tourist track due to its remote setting. Ruaha was established by the German colonial authorities in 1910 and has been expanded in recent years to include the mountains and valleys of the Usangu Game Reserve and several surrounding wetlands.
Ruaha includes dramatic escarpments, rolling hills and baobab-dotted plains that provide a habitat for giraffes, buffalos and sable antelopes. It also boasts one of East Africa’s densest concentrations of elephants, not to mention cheetahs, leopards and lions. More than 550 bird species have been recorded with the park, with red-billed hornbills indigenous to the area.
Located in the very heart of Botswana, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve sprawls across more than 52,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest wildlife reserves in the world. Its harsh and arid landscapes have been home to the San people for thousands of years, who have lived alongside desert-adapted giraffes, elephants and white rhinos.
There’s a mystical beauty to the Central Kalahari, with its golden grasslands connecting to fossilised river valleys that nestle between wooded dunes. It’s a great place for spotting cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs, as well as sable antelopes, aardvarks and cape porcupines. Following the rains, gemsboks and springboks come to feast on the fresh grass that shoots in Piper’s Pan while predators try their luck on the grazing pastures of Deception Valley.
While Africa’s most popular reserves deliver reliable animal sightings and some magnificent wildlife spectacles, the crowds that congregate can detract from the experience. By venturing off the beaten track, there’s no chance of ending up in a queue of jeeps on your game drive safari, only to discover all the action is over by the time it’s your turn.
Remote and little-visited safari destinations may be more difficult to reach but the rewards are more than worth it. There’s nothing quite like stumbling upon a herd of elephants bathing at a watering hole, with not another jeep in sight or having a front-row seat in hot pursuit of a lion kill. It’s extraordinary experiences like these that make a safari so compelling and allow for a much deeper connection with the natural world.
From the untamed beauty of Tanzania’s Southern Circuit to the wildlife-filled wetlands of Zambia, the African continent is filled with hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.
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