THE NETHERLANDS - SafariBookings.com, an online marketplace for African safaris, published a definitive ranking of the 50 best Safari parks of Africa based on more than 3,000 reviews. A total of 2,234 reviews were contributed by safari tourists from 63 countries. Another 774 park reviews were written by renowned experts, including guidebook authors from Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Frommer’s, Bradt and Footprint. These results include both first time and experienced safari-goers.
Tanzania’s Serengeti swept first place with an impressive rating of 4.89 out of 5, followed by South Africa’s MalaMala Game Reserve, and Okavango Delta in Botswana. South Africa held four of the top ten spots, more than any other country; however, its Kruger National Park only ranked 20th, which was a great surprise, as Kruger is highly regarded in the safari industry.
Serengeti was rated best for its variety of wildlife, abundance of predators, and spectacular wildebeest migration. Legendary MalaMala Game Reserve offers some of the best wildlife viewing of Africa, and its luxury lodges cater the rich and famous.
Okavango Delta is regarded for its scenic beauty. Its annual flooding transforms this otherwise desert area into a wildlife paradise of tranquil waterways. Kenya has almost 17% of the top 50 parks, but only the Masai Mara National Reserve is in the top 10. Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools was ranked 4th, which is significant when looking at all 138 parks that were considered for this top list.
