As a wildlife photographer (or animal enthusiast), chances are you’ve thought about taking a safari before. Safaris offer journeys through nature, with a high probability of seeing the world’s most elusive, largest, beautiful, and breathtaking animals – the ones you likely wouldn’t stumble across in your hometown or city! So, which one should you go on? To get inspired, here are five of the best safari destinations to visit this summer.
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1: Kruger National Park
Located in South Africa, just over 200 miles from Johannesburg, is Kruger National Park – a beautiful, expansive piece of natural African landscape home to rhinos, zebra, giraffes, leopards, and cheetahs. So it’s no wonder such a natural beauty spot has plenty of safaris on offer! A Big Five Safari in Kruger will give you the opportunity to view African wildlife in its natural habitat. With their expert tour guides, you have a high chance of spotting a half-sleeping lion or a hornbill showing off all its bright and beautiful colors. No matter where you go in Kruger National Park, you are sure to leave with some incredible snapshots.
2: Amazon Rainforest
The original concept of the safari originated in Africa, but it spread across the world. It’s a good job, too, as it means tour guides can take you on a jungle safari through the Amazon rainforest! Thanks to its tropical climate, the animal rainforest is home to endless species of wildlife, including jaguars, snakes, crocodiles, and even pink dolphins. The entire rainforest is colorful, rich, and dense with nature, and expert tour guides can show you the best of it. You can even get animal-specific tour guides, such as a crocodile or dolphin safari.
3: Yala National Park
Yala National Park in Sri Lanka started as a wildlife sanctuary and has significantly impacted wildlife conversation over the years. Particularly, Yala is famous for its high density of leopards, which is higher than anywhere else in the world! Perfect if you’ve always dreamt of catching a wild leopard on camera. Plus, there are many more species to discover, and you can hire a jeep and a driver to soak up the best of it.
4: Serengeti National Park
In Tanzania, you’ll find 5,700 square miles of endless plains in which around 4000 lions and 50 cheetahs live, known as Serengeti. This enormous space is home to many species, including beautiful birds such as the little bee-eater, Kori bustard, and ground hornbills, perfect for bird watchers and photographers! Plus, if you take a Serengeti safari at the right time, you will see the spectacular herds of migration, which see lions, elephants, zebra, and more walking across the plains to follow the seasonal rain.
5: Kakadu National Park
Finally, as a wildlife photographer or enthusiast, consider venturing into Australia’s outback for the most exciting animal sightings. Kakadu National Park has so much to offer. It’s a mix of forest, plains, woodlands, and coast, which, of course, means you’ll find a whole range of animals. While taking a safari there, you are likely to meet animals such as crocs, wallaroos, wallabies, giant bats, koalas, wombats, and more. With so much to take in, you’ll have thousands of exciting photos to sift through when you arrive home.