Stunning national parks and wilderness areas in Africa
Stunning national parks and wilderness areas in Africa
Lists by region
National Park in South Africa
Table Mountain National Park
Epic views and wild landscapes
The Portuguese sailor Antonio de Saldanha climbed the mountain in 1503. The cableway opened in 1929 and now rides in a cabin with a turning floor. Hikers take Platteklip Gorge, a steep path of about 2 to 3 hours. The park also protects rare fynbos plants.
National Park in South Africa
Kruger National Park
Where Africa's Big Five Roam Free
About the size of Wales, this park has all of the Big Five and more than 140 mammal species. Paved and gravel roads suit self drive trips. Rest camps on the Sabie River look onto hippos and crocodiles. Guided night drives reveal leopards and hyenas.
Nature Reserve in Tanzania
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Nature's Untamed Sanctuary
Cool mist drifts over the rim of a crater 600 metres deep and 19 kilometres wide. Cloud clears to show about 25,000 large animals on the grassy floor. Black rhinos, lions and flamingos share the crater. Maasai herders still graze cattle in the wider conservation area.
National Park in Namibia
Sossusvlei
Towering red dunes meet white clay
At sunrise the red dunes glow like embers. Big Daddy rises about 325 metres and takes an hour or more to climb. Nearby Deadvlei is a white clay pan with black dead camelthorn trees that are around 900 years old. Dune 45, beside the road, is a popular sunrise climb.
Nature Reserve in South Africa
Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park
Barrier of spears touching sky
A wall of basalt cliffs rising to more than 3,000 metres marks the border with Lesotho. Tugela Falls drops 948 metres in five leaps. San people painted thousands of rock art images in caves and shelters here. Hikers walk to the huge cliff arc called the Amphitheatre.
National Park in Tanzania
Serengeti National Park
The Ultimate Safari Adventure
Around 1.5 million wildebeest follow the rains in a loop through Tanzania and Kenya every year. Calving season on the southern plains runs from January to March. River crossings in the north come from July to October. Lions rest on granite outcrops called kopjes. Balloons float over the plains at dawn.
National Park in Namibia
Namib-Naukluft National Park
Endless Dunes and Desert Drama
The Namib has been dry for tens of millions of years, so fog from the Atlantic matters a great deal. Beetles, geckos and welwitschia plants drink from it. The park covers about 50,000 square kilometres. The Naukluft Mountains have a rugged 8 day hiking trail.
National Park in Kenya
Amboseli National Park
Elephants Against Kilimanjaro's Backdrop
Amboseli became a game reserve in 1948 and a national park in 1974. Swamps fed by snowmelt from Kilimanjaro draw large elephant herds. The mountain rises across the border in Tanzania. On clear mornings it fills the sky behind the herds. Researchers have followed these elephants since 1972.
Nature Reserve in Kenya
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Witness the Great Migration
At the Mara River crossing points, wildebeest and zebra jump into water full of crocodiles. The herds arrive from the Serengeti around July and stay until October. Balloon flights at dawn drift over the plains. Maasai guides from nearby villages lead walks and cultural visits.
National Park in South Africa
Addo Elephant National Park
Big Five Safari in Malaria-Free Wilds
Hapoor Dam is a waterhole where herds of elephants drink and splash within sight of a viewing area. The park has more than 600 elephants. It also protects lions, rhinos and buffalo. Addo is one of the few parks with the Big Seven, which adds whales and great white sharks offshore.
National Park in Tanzania
Tarangire National Park
Elephant Paradise with Baobab Backdrops
The dry air smells of dust and the ground shakes as elephant herds cross the riverbed. Huge baobab trees stand across the park, some thought to be over 1,000 years old. From June to October animals crowd along the Tarangire River. Wildebeest and zebra arrive for the water too.
National Park in Namibia
Etosha National Park
Namibia's Wildlife Sanctuary
From May to October the dry season pulls elephants, lions and rhinos to Etosha's waterholes. Okaukuejo camp has a floodlit waterhole where black rhinos often come to drink after dark. The white Etosha Pan is so big that it shows in satellite photos. The name Etosha means great white place.
National Park in Botswana
Chobe National Park
Elephant Haven in Botswana
The Chobe River marks the northern edge of the park, where Botswana meets Namibia. Its floodplain draws one of the largest elephant herds in Africa. Boat cruises at sunset float close to elephants as they drink and swim. Buffalo, hippos and crocodiles line the banks.
National Park in Zimbabwe
Hwange National Park
Elephant Herds and Wild Horizons
In the dry months from July to October, rangers pump water into pans so animals have a place to drink. Hwange is the largest park in Zimbabwe and has more than 45,000 elephants. Wild dogs, lions and sable antelope also live here. Camps look over the pans from platforms.
Nature Reserve in Botswana
Okavango Delta
Africa’s Uncharted Water Wilderness
The Okavango River flows from Angola into the Kalahari Desert. It spreads into an inland delta instead of reaching the sea. Floodwater peaks from June to August, during the dry season. Visitors glide through reed channels in dugout canoes called mokoro, past hippos and elephants.
National Park in Zambia
South Luangwa National Park
Walking Safaris and Wild Encounters
The Luangwa River bends through oxbow lagoons that fill with hippos and crocodiles. Walking safaris began here in the 1950s and still run with armed guides. The park is known for leopard sightings on night drives. The dry season from May to October brings animals to the shrinking river.
National Park in Tanzania
Kilimanjaro National Park
Africa's Rooftop Adventure
Guides keep saying pole pole, Swahili for slowly slowly, because going slowly helps the body adjust to altitude. Uhuru Peak is 5,895 metres high. Hikers pass five climate zones, from rainforest to glaciers. Most routes take 6 to 8 days. Porters carry the gear and cook the meals.
National Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Where predators rule the Kalahari
Gates open at sunrise and close at sunset, so days here follow the light. Gravel tracks follow the dry Nossob and Auob riverbeds between red dunes. Black maned lions rest under camelthorn trees. Cheetahs and gemsbok cross the open sand. Two countries share this park.
National Park in Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla Encounters in Ancient Forest
Mist clings to steep ridges of dense forest where the air smells of wet leaves. Around half of the world's mountain gorillas live here. Trackers lead small groups on guided treks. A permit allows one hour with a gorilla family. Bwindi has been a World Heritage Site since 1994.
National Park in Ethiopia
Simien National Park
Jagged peaks of ancient wilderness
Trekkers here hire a local scout who walks beside them on every route. Trails follow cliff edges above deep valleys. Gelada monkeys, which have bright red chests, graze in large troops on the grass. Ras Dejen, at 4,550 metres, is the highest peak in Ethiopia.
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