Safari Parks & Reserves

Mokolodi Nature Reserve is a privately run conservation and education centre located just 10 kilometres south of Gaborone. The reserve serves as an important wildlife sanctuary and education facility, housing rescued animals and running community conservation programs. Visitors can see white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and various antelope species. It is an excellent introduction to Botswana's wildlife for families and those with limited time.

Nxai Pan National Park is a fossil lakebed covered in grasslands that come alive during the wet season with enormous herds of zebra and springbok. The park is home to the famous Baines' Baobabs, a cluster of ancient baobab trees first painted by Thomas Baines in 1862 that remain virtually unchanged. The park links with Makgadikgadi to form part of a greater conservation area.

Mahale Mountains National Park is one of Africa's most exclusive and enchanting wilderness destinations, combining world-class chimpanzee tracking with a breathtaking setting on the remote eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika. The park covers 1,613 square kilometers of pristine forest-clad mountains that rise dramatically from the lake's crystal-clear waters to peaks over 2,460 meters high. Home to approximately 800 chimpanzees, including the well-habituated M-group studied by Japanese researchers since 1965, Mahale offers arguably the finest chimpanzee tracking experience in the world. The combination of lush tropical forest, white-sand beaches, turquoise lake waters, and the presence of our closest relatives creates a safari experience that is utterly unique. With no roads in the park, all exploration is done on foot, adding to the sense of pristine remoteness.

Schotia Safaris Private Game Reserve is the oldest private game reserve in the Eastern Cape, established in 1991 and pioneering the region's now-famous malaria-free safari industry. The reserve covers 2,500 hectares of dense valley bushveld in the Sundays River Valley, neighbouring Addo Elephant National Park. Named after the Spekboomveld (Schotia afra) trees that dominate the landscape, the reserve is home to lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippo, giraffe, zebra, and various antelope species. Schotia is particularly well-known for its overnight safari experiences that include a sunset game drive, traditional braai dinner in a lantern-lit boma, and a dawn drive — offering excellent value compared to the region's more exclusive reserves.

Golden Gate Highlands National Park is named for the brilliant shades of gold and ochre cast by the sun on its sandstone cliffs, creating one of South Africa's most visually stunning landscapes. Located in the rolling foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Free State, the park is a scenic wonderland quite unlike any other South African national park. Covering 340 square kilometres of highland grassland and sandstone formations at altitudes between 1,892 and 2,829 metres, Golden Gate supports rare species including the bearded vulture (lammergeier), bald ibis, grey rhebok, eland, and black wildebeest. The park contains important San rock art sites and serves as a base for hikers tackling the famous two-day Ribbok Trail.

Mara North Conservancy is a 300-square-kilometre private wildlife area on the northern boundary of the Masai Mara National Reserve, formed through a partnership between local Maasai landowners and a handful of exclusive safari camps. It is one of the key conservancies that buffer the Mara ecosystem and play a crucial role in the Great Migration. The conservancy's mix of rolling grasslands, acacia woodlands, and the Mara River corridor provides excellent habitat for all Big Five, plus cheetahs and wild dogs. With strict vehicle limits and no day visitors, Mara North delivers the classic Masai Mara safari experience without the crowds, particularly during the migration when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest cross through the conservancy.

NamibRand Nature Reserve is the largest private nature reserve in southern Africa, covering over 2,000 square kilometres of pristine Namib Desert landscape. It was Africa's first International Dark Sky Reserve, offering some of the clearest, most unpolluted night skies on the planet. The reserve encompasses a spectacular variety of desert scenery including red dune fields, gravel plains, granite inselbergs, and mountain ridges. Desert-adapted wildlife such as oryx, springbok, Hartmann's mountain zebra, and spotted hyena thrive here. With strict visitor limits (one guest per 1,000 hectares), NamibRand offers an exclusive and deeply immersive desert wilderness experience.

Lake Mburo National Park is a compact, acacia-studded gem in western Uganda, centred around the picturesque Lake Mburo and four smaller lakes. At just 370 square kilometres, it is one of Uganda's smallest savannah parks but offers a unique range of activities not available in the larger parks. The park is the only place in southern Uganda to see zebras, impala, and eland, and it supports Uganda's largest population of leopards. Lake Mburo is also one of the few Ugandan parks where horseback safaris, guided walking safaris, and night drives are permitted, providing a more intimate and varied safari experience. Its proximity to Kampala makes it an easy weekend getaway or a convenient stopover en route to Bwindi.

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a community-managed swamp and wetland on the southern boundary of Kibale National Park. This small but remarkably productive reserve is one of East Africa's finest examples of community-based ecotourism, managed entirely by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED). The 4-square-kilometre wetland supports an astonishing 138 bird species and 8 primate species including red colobus, L'Hoest's monkey, and grey-cheeked mangabey. The elevated boardwalk trail provides excellent access to the swamp ecosystem, and all tourism revenue flows directly to the local community for education and healthcare.

Known as the "Land of Giants" for its enormous elephants, towering baobab trees, and vast landscapes, Mashatu Game Reserve is the largest private game reserve in southern Africa. Located in the Tuli Block where the Limpopo and Shashe rivers converge, Mashatu offers dramatic rocky terrain, open grasslands, and exceptional wildlife photography opportunities. The reserve is malaria-free and easily accessible from Johannesburg.

Kakamega Forest is Kenya's last remaining fragment of the ancient Guineo-Congolian rainforest that once stretched unbroken from West Africa to the East African coast. This ecological island in western Kenya is the easternmost remnant of the great Congo basin rainforest, making it one of the most scientifically valuable forests in Africa. Covering approximately 240 square kilometres, Kakamega's dense canopy shelters a remarkable collection of species more typically found in Central and West Africa, including the de Brazza's monkey, giant flying squirrel, and over 330 bird species with numerous West African forest specialists. Butterflies are spectacular, with over 400 species recorded — the highest diversity in Kenya.

Spioenkop Nature Reserve combines Anglo-Boer War battlefield heritage with wildlife conservation in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. The reserve surrounds Spioenkop Dam on the Tugela River, with the famous Battle of Spioenkop (1900) hilltop forming its centrepiece — one of the most significant battlefields of the South African War where Winston Churchill served as a correspondent. Covering 4,500 hectares, the reserve protects white rhino, giraffe, zebra, various antelope species, and over 300 bird species against the dramatic backdrop of the Drakensberg foothills. The combination of history, birding, water sports on the dam, and game viewing makes Spioenkop a unique multi-interest destination that is often overlooked by international visitors.