The first thing on one of your safari holidays you hear is not a lion.
It is the low rumble of the safari vehicle, the crunch of tyres on a dusty track and birds calling somewhere beyond the long grass. Then the driver slows down. Everyone falls silent. A lioness appears beside the track, so close that you can see the marks on her coat.
That is often the moment a safari stops feeling like a holiday and becomes a story you will tell for years.
But choosing between safari holidays is not simply a question of where you might see the Big Five. Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and India offer completely different landscapes, wildlife and ways of travelling. One may place you beside the rivers of the Maasai Mara; another may take you through the Okavango Delta in a traditional mokoro canoe. In India, the search shifts from open savannah to forest tracks, where a single tiger sighting can make an entire morning unforgettable.
So, which safari is yours?
Choose Your Safari
Five destinations, five very different kinds of wildlife holiday.
Kenya: The Classic First Safari
Choose Kenya if you want: sweeping plains, big cats, the Great Migration and an easy safari-and-beach combination.
The Maasai Mara delivers many of the scenes people imagine when they first think about safari holidays. It is also one of the easiest places to combine with Amboseli, Lake Nakuru or a few relaxing days on the Kenyan coast.
Your safari moment: Watching a line of elephants move across the plains while Mount Kilimanjaro rises through the morning haze.
Botswana: The Quiet Wilderness Safari
Choose Botswana if you want: smaller camps, remote landscapes, mokoro rides and fewer vehicles around wildlife sightings.
Botswana’s safari holidays often cost more, but the experience feels wonderfully unhurried. Combine the waterways of the Okavango Delta with Moremi or Chobe for a mixture of wetlands, woodland and riverfront wildlife.
Your safari moment: Drifting silently through the reeds as a fish eagle calls overhead and an elephant feeds beside the water.
Zimbabwe: Safari and Victoria Falls
Choose Zimbabwe if you want: excellent elephant sightings, fewer crowds and one of Africa’s greatest natural landmarks.
Pair Hwange National Park with Victoria Falls for a safari holiday that moves naturally from game drives to waterfalls, Zambezi cruises and optional adventure activities.
Your safari moment: Returning from a Hwange game drive to watch the sun sink behind a waterhole filled with elephants.
South Africa: The Most Flexible Safari
Choose South Africa if you want: the Big Five, a choice of lodge styles and the option to add Cape Town, the Winelands or the Garden Route.
South Africa is particularly good for first-time visitors, families and couples who want their safari holidays to include more than wildlife. Kruger National Park and its surrounding private reserves offer everything from self-drive adventures to fully guided lodge stays.
Your safari moment: Following fresh leopard tracks at sunrise before returning to the lodge for breakfast.
India: The Tiger-Tracking Safari
Choose India if you want: tigers, atmospheric forests, historic cities and a wildlife holiday that feels completely different from Africa.
Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench are among the best-known reserves for tiger safaris. Sightings can never be promised, which makes the search even more exciting.
Your safari moment: Hearing a deer’s alarm call, waiting in complete silence and then seeing a Bengal tiger step out from between the trees.
Start With the Experience, Not the Country
When I help someone plan safari holidays, I rarely begin by asking which country they want to visit. I ask what they want the trip to feel like.
Do you picture long game drives across open plains? Are you happy to take small light-aircraft flights between remote camps? Would you like a safari that also includes a city, beach or major landmark? Is this your first wildlife holiday, or are you looking for somewhere less travelled?
Try this quick safari match:
- “I want the famous African safari experience.” Start with Kenya.
- “I want privacy, wilderness and time on the water.” Look at Botswana.
- “I want wildlife and Victoria Falls in one trip.” Choose Zimbabwe.
- “I want safari, Cape Town and perhaps a road trip.” South Africa fits beautifully.
- “I want to track tigers and explore palaces or historic cities.” Choose India.
If two answers appeal to you, that is useful rather than confusing. Some of the best safari holidays combine contrasting experiences.
Kenya Safari Holidays: Big Skies and Bigger Wildlife Stories
Kenya has a wonderful sense of theatre. The plains appear to stretch forever, giraffes move across the horizon and a quiet game drive can suddenly turn into a front-row view of a cheetah beginning to hunt.
The Maasai Mara is the headline act. Between roughly July and October, the Great Migration usually reaches the Mara, although river crossings are natural events and cannot be scheduled. Outside the migration period, the reserve still offers strong year-round wildlife viewing and excellent opportunities to see big cats.
For a more varied journey, combine the Mara with Amboseli, known for its elephants and views towards Kilimanjaro, or include Lake Nakuru and its birdlife. Kenya also works well for safari and beach holidays, with the Indian Ocean coast providing a softer ending after several early starts.
Allow around seven to ten nights for a well-paced trip, longer if you are adding the beach.
Botswana Safari Holidays: Let the Wilderness Set the Pace
Botswana does not reveal itself all at once.
You may arrive by light aircraft, looking down at channels threading through the land below. Later, your game drive might stop because elephants are crossing the track—or you may leave the vehicle altogether and explore the shallows of the Okavango Delta by mokoro.
This is what sets Botswana safari holidays apart. Wildlife viewing is not limited to a 4×4. Depending on the camp and water levels, days may include boat trips, walking safaris and canoe excursions as well as traditional drives.
The Okavango Delta is the natural centrepiece, while Moremi Game Reserve brings rich wildlife habitats and Chobe is particularly famous for elephants and river safaris. Botswana suits travellers who value remoteness and do not mind using smaller aircraft to move between camps.
For a first visit, seven to nine nights split across two or three areas usually works well.
Zimbabwe Safari Holidays: Wild Days and the Smoke That Thunders
At Hwange, the waterholes often become the story.
You may sit quietly as one elephant arrives, followed by another, and then an entire herd. During the drier months, animals gather around these vital water sources, creating some extraordinary sightings. Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park and a rewarding choice for travellers who want a less crowded safari experience.
Then there is Victoria Falls.
Combining Hwange and the Falls creates one of the most natural two-centre safari holidays in Africa. One day you are watching lions or elephants; the next, you are walking beside the spray of one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls. A Zambezi sunset cruise adds another pace entirely.
Six to eight nights can work well, although adding Mana Pools or crossing into neighbouring Botswana creates a longer and more adventurous itinerary.
South Africa Safari Holidays: Wildlife Without Giving Up Variety
South Africa is the destination I often suggest when someone says, “We want a safari, but not only a safari.”
A typical journey might begin with four nights in Cape Town, continue through the Winelands and finish with three or four nights near Kruger. Families may prefer a malaria-free reserve elsewhere in the country, while experienced safari-goers might choose a private reserve bordering Kruger for off-road tracking and guided bush walks.
Kruger itself covers an enormous area and supports remarkable wildlife diversity. The surrounding private reserves offer a different style of experience, usually with guided drives, smaller vehicles and lodge accommodation that includes meals and activities.
South Africa safari holidays can be comfortable, adventurous or a mixture of both. They can also be adjusted more easily around different budgets than many fly-in safari destinations.
India Safari Holidays: Every Track Tells a Story
An Indian safari begins with clues.
A paw print in the dust. Monkeys calling from the trees. A sambar deer staring into the forest. Your naturalist listens, watches and decides which track to follow.
Tiger sightings require patience, and that is part of the experience. Ranthambore brings together wildlife and the dramatic remains of a hilltop fort. Bandhavgarh is known for its tiger country, while Kanha has broad meadows, sal forests and a landscape that rewards visitors even when the tiger remains hidden.
India’s safari holidays also combine naturally with Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. You might track tigers in Ranthambore, see the Taj Mahal and walk through Jaipur’s old city in the same trip.
We generally recommend including several game drives rather than relying on one or two attempts. Four to six nights across one or two reserves gives the experience room to breathe.
When Should You Book Safari Holidays for 2026/27?
There is no single “best” month across all five destinations.
| Destination | Strong Travel Period | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | July–October | Great Migration season in the Maasai Mara; popular dates book early |
| Botswana | May–October | Drier weather, seasonal floodwaters and concentrated wildlife viewing |
| Zimbabwe | June–October | Strong dry-season game viewing; Victoria Falls can be added year-round |
| South Africa | May–September | Dry-season wildlife viewing around Kruger; Cape Town is cooler and wetter |
| India | October–June | Most tiger reserves operate through the drier months, with hotter conditions later in the season* |
*Opening dates vary by reserve and zone, and some parks close during the monsoon.
Peak season is not automatically the right season for everyone. Green-season travel can bring dramatic skies, younger animals, abundant birdlife and better-value lodge rates. The trade-off may be thicker vegetation, rain or less predictable wildlife concentrations.
For school holidays, migration dates, small camps and popular tiger safari zones, it is wise to plan well ahead.
Three Safari Holidays We Would Happily Build
The First Safari: Kenya and the Indian Ocean
Begin with the Maasai Mara, add Amboseli or Lake Nakuru and finish with a few slow days beside the sea. This gives first-time visitors famous wildlife, changing landscapes and time to rest before flying home.
The Southern Africa Story: Botswana and Zimbabwe
Combine the Okavango Delta or Chobe with Hwange and Victoria Falls. The journey may include mokoro rides, river cruises, light-aircraft transfers, game drives and one unforgettable waterfall.
The Tiger and Taj Journey: Ranthambore and the Golden Triangle
Travel through Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, then slow the pace for several tiger-tracking drives in Ranthambore. It is one of the most rewarding ways to combine Indian wildlife, food, architecture and history.
A Final Question: What Do You Want to Remember?
Will it be the moment a lion walks past your vehicle? The sound of elephants drinking after dark? The sudden flash of orange between the trees? Or simply that first quiet morning when the landscape wakes around you?
The best safari holidays are not built from a standard list of parks and hotels. They depend on the wildlife you hope to see, how much travelling feels comfortable and what you would like to experience beyond the game drives.
At FlightsPro, we can help you compare routes, seasons, safari camps, flight connections and extensions before creating one continuous journey. Whether you are considering Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, India or a combination, speak to our experienced travel agents about your safari holidays for 2026/27.
Call FlightsPro on 0208 396 7200 or email book@flightspro.co.uk to start planning your safari holiday.
