![]() Kruger National Park is a terrific place to get acquainted with Africa’s wildlife. Many of the safari offerings are also priced for the domestic market, which makes them some of the best value options on the continent. South Africa can be a good introduction to the African safari, not least because it allows you to combine watching wildlife with more sedate pleasures, such as wineries and Cape Town urban cool. Kruger National Park is almost 20,000 sq km in size and offers incredible Big Five encounters © Michael Heffernan / Lonely Planet South Africa Flying from one park to the next makes better use of your time, although it does cost more. And spend as little time as possible on Kenya’s roads, both because the combination of distance and traffic means you can take forever to arrive, and to minimise your risk of accidents. Stay long enough to visit Nairobi National Park – an extraordinarily well-stocked park on the cusp of one of Africa’s largest cities – and then move on. Most travellers pass through without difficulty, but the city is a robust introduction to the continent with endless traffic snarls and questionable security in some quarters. Extend your stay by a week and you could even scale Mt Kenya, Africa’s second-highest peak. ![]() Any combination of these parks should ensure ample sightings of big cats, plenty of elephants, a few rhinos, and all of the plains game, such as buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and all manner of gazelle and antelope species. The main safari circuit takes in the Masai Mara, Amboseli and Lake Nakuru, with Tsavo West, Tsavo East and Samburu popular add-ons. Kenya’s wildlife offering is also outstanding. Window.ta=window.The annual wildebeest migration is a huge draw for visitors to the Serengeti and Masai Mara © David Lazar / Getty Images The staff, like most Zimbabweans, were incredibly friendly, kind and full of fun. Speaking of feasts, our food was wonderful, especially when we dined fireside in the boma under the stars. We could hear them that night, as they called to the rest of the pride to join in their feast. One night, returning after a wonderful game drive (sighting leopard and all manner of creatures), we followed a pride of lions hunting in the camp itself, until they chased their quarry into dense bush nearby. They were followed hippos, water buck, zebras and more. On our three nights there, we encountered elephants grazing just outside our chalet (looking over the river) every night, so close we could touch them (of course we didn't). Then Mana Pools Safari Lodge takes the experience even further. The wildlife viewing begins as you leave the shore, and after an hour of great elephants sightings, hippos galore and wonderful birdlife, you already feel immersed in the wild. Taking a boat transfer from Chirundu is a must. Having visited Mana Pools before, I had a good sense of what to expect, but I'd never arrived by boat, or had such wonderful wildlife encounters. We can't wait to go again! Food for the soul.… The rooms, main area as well as campfire area are very spacious as well as built to blend in to the surroundings. It seems that elephants also love the forest, eating all the pods which have fallen from the trees, like biscuits! Our time at the lodge was very peaceful and we felt at one with nature. Mana Pools has beautiful and diverse landscapes, and we enjoyed exploring the different pans and albida forests. ![]() We sat on our chalet decks and watched a range of species pass by, a couch safari in real time! Even though we had incredible game in camp, we loved our morning and evening drives into the park with our guide, Shepherd. Such a wonderful welcoming party! Hideaways Mana Pools Safari Lodge is located right on the banks of the river and has animals coming down daily to drink. We arrived at the lodge by boat transfer - a two-hour ride along the banks of the Zambezi River, and a game cruise in itself! After having spent time observing a colony of bee-eaters along the way, we glided up to the lodge to a herd of elephants in front of the chalets. ![]() The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa.Hotels near Camping Sites at Mana Pools National Park.Popular Mana Pools National Park Categories.Things to Do in Mana Pools National Park. ![]()
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