Safaris

Tsavo West is separated from Tsavo East by the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, but has a very different character to its twin. The landscape is arguably more attractive here, with plenty of woodland, rolling hills and rocky outcrops (although it is no less hot, dry or dusty). There is a spring, where visitors can walk around and look at hippos and crocodiles. There are also lava fields and a rhino sanctuary in the park, which is easily accessed from Mombasa due to its position right along the highway. The southern half of the park, towards Tanzania, is very remote and sees few visitors. Like its eastern counterpart Tsavo West has a large elephant population, and it is here that the famed man-eating lions of Tsavo - immortalised in "The Ghost and the Darkness" - harassed railway workers a century or so ago. While their population has dwindled, there are still plenty of lions and leopards in the park.

The Nyika Plateau is without a doubt one of the highlights of any visit to Malawi. Nyika is Malawi's largest national park. It consists mainly of rolling green hills, interspaced with woodlands, streams and rocky outcrops. Getting here is not easy unless you can fly in - over 100 km of sometimes very rough dirt roads, an endeavour not to be taken lightly (or attempted without a 4x4) in the wet season. Zebras, elands, bushbuck, reedbuck and roan antelopes abound, and the odds of seeing a leopard are better here than anywhere else in Malawi. At the time of writing, there is only one tourist operator in the park, but there is a choice of camping, self-catering cottages and all-inclusive chalet stays. Nyika abounds with wildflowers, including orchids. In addition to game drives, it is possible to hike, mountain bike and fish in the park, and there are plans to bring back horseback riding in the future. Beware that nights can be very cold, particularly between May and September, so bring lots of blankets or thick sleeping-bags if camping.

Gorongosa National Park is a true wilderness - only about one quarter of the park is accessible by road, so much of it is largely unexplored. The park has so much to offer, and its recovery from the heavy poaching of the civil war has been spectacular. There are mountains (the highest of which is the 1863 m Mt Gorongosa), rivers, floodplains, savannahs, acacias, baobabs, rainforests, palm trees, montane forests and limestone gorges. The park lost 95% of its large mammals during the civil war, but these animals are making a come-back thanks to an incredible international conservation effort. There are huge numbers of waterbuck, reedbuck and warthogs, and plenty of buffalo, wildebeest, crocodiles, lions, elephants, sable antelope and much more. There are also more than 500 species of birds present in the park. It has been called the "Serengeti of the South", and while that may not be entirely accurate, it is certainly an astonishingly beautiful place and a highlight of any trip to southern Africa.

Damaraland has the largest population of free-ranging black rhinos in Africa, and the vast and striking ochre-coloured scenery of north-western Namibia is a wonderful place to see these increasingly rare giants. Tracking rhinos is no game - great care must be taken both to protect the visitors and to keep the rhinos undisturbed. Tracking is done on foot, although cars are used to bring guest to within walking distance; trackers from Save the Rhino Trust will have been out since before dawn to locate the animals. Provided that the rhinos do not detect the presence of people there is no limit to how long can be spent with them. The open landscape and many hills means that you can get a much better view of the rhinos than in most other parts of the continent, since black rhinos normally prefer woodland and thick bush. Not so here in the desert, so get ready for a unique experience in one of the most beautiful places in Africa.

Etosha National Park is huge - over 22,000 square kilometres, not much smaller than Belgium. The habitat varies greatly, from thick shrub and woodland to open grassland and the massive Etosha saltpan. Too big to drive around during a normal visit, the waterholes are the big drawcards: park yourself by one and watch oryx, wildebeest, ostrich, springbok, elephant, giraffe, zebra and perhaps rhinos or lions come for a drink. The roads are mostly excellent, so getting around is easy, and the photographic opportunities are endless. Winter and spring are the best times to see wildlife congregate around the waterholes, whilst visiting in late autumn (April to June) will mean that the much greener park is virtually yours alone, as few other visitors make their way here at this time of the year. As always, early mornings and late afternoons provide the best light and the best chances of seeing cats, although waterholes are frequented anytime as soon as the heat has begun to build up, from late morning onwards.

Named after a w-shaped bend in the Niger River and extends into large parts of Burkina Faso and Benin. The 2,200-square kilometre Nigerien part of the park is home to elephants, hippos, buffaloes, baboons, warthogs and numerous types of antelope. Here's also lions and leopards roaming the park, but they stay well hidden from visitors' eyes. In general, it's one of the better parks in West Africa and well worth a visit. While you'll need your own wheels to visit, the Nigerien part of Parc du W is easier accessed than its Burkina or Benin counterparts. The park can be reached on a day-trip from Niamey, but it's much more worthwhile to visit overnight as animal sightings are likelier during dusk and dawn when the scoring sun has retreated, and the animals leave their shady hideouts.

Just shy of 500 giraffes live in a large area south-east of Niamey. While all these are considered part of the same herd, they roam around on the dry savanna in smaller groups. These are the last giraffes left in West Africa, luckily, they now live in quiet harmony with the semi-nomadic human population in the area. In fact, the harmonious conditions between humans and giraffes have made it possible to approach the majestic animals on foot. While it's not feasible to get into clapping distance, the giraffes are easily let curious visitors observe them from up close. Rangers based in the village of Kouré are happy to take tourists to see the giraffes.

Akagera National Park is far from being the top safari place in Africa, but it is the only one in Rwanda. The park was cut in half several years ago to make place for returning Rwandan refugees after the genocide. As a result of this human invasion, the remaining animals fled to Tanzania, giving Akagera the reputation of being a 'vegetarian safari' park. The situation has improved since then, but don't expect to check all of your Big Five list here. Animals that are most likely to be seen are buffaloes, hippos, zebras, giraffes, baboons, topis, impalas, warthogs, elephants, crocodiles and several species of monkeys and birds. The most abundant species, however, might be the tsetse fly, especially in the southern part of the park. Be prepared for a fierce battle with this nasty insect.

Sierra Leone's only ecotourism project is well worth a visit. Set up in Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in the middle of the Moa River, the site was initially built by Peace Corps volunteers before being raided and destroyed during the civil war. Now rebuild, it is again possible to enjoy the island's wildlife. Eleven different kinds of primates live her, including chimpanzees, Diana monkeys and endangered red howlers. This is also one of the best spots to hunt the elusive and endangered pygmy hippopotamus, though glimpses of these animals are only for the lucky few. The facilities offer tended accommodation, food (sometimes even beers), guided walks and boat tours, all very reasonably priced.

For all the talk about the Big Five, here is a park that contains the Big Seven - the usual suspects (elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo) plus southern right whales and great white sharks. Whilst Addo is no Kruger or Serengeti, it is one of the best places in the Eastern Cape to see at least four of the big five (the dense shrub that covers much of the park makes leopard sightings fairly hard to come by). Kudu, ostriches, zebras and springbok are also common. Like many of South Africa's parks and reserves it does not feel particularly wild - the paved roads and lack of minor tracks contribute greatly to this, as do the adjacent farmlands - but the chance to see a herd of elephants or a pride of lions with a backdrop of white sand dunes and an azure Indian Ocean is pretty incredible. The parts of the park that contain open grassland rather than dense bush, such as the Vukani and Gorah Loops, are best for spotting wildlife, although the waterholes attract a lot of animals when it is dry. Separated from the rest of the park by the N2, the coastal section is also beautiful, and whales are frequently spotted here during winter and spring.