7 Places for the Best Big 5 Safari in Africa: Where to See the Big 5 African Animals

When planning a safari holiday, it is often a Big 5 Safari in Africa that people are keen to tick off their list.

‘Big 5’ refers to the five large animals that most people hope to see on their game drive - ones that have become iconic figures of an African safari. The Big Five of Africa are lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinoceroses.

Here are 7 of the best places to see the famous Big 5 in Africa, in one place…

#1 Kruger National Park, South Africa

Big 5 African Safari Buffalo

When it comes to Big 5 safaris in Africa, the Kruger National Park in South Africa is at the top of almost every list!

Not only is this one of Africa's largest game reserves, but it’s also one of the most iconic wildlife destinations worldwide - a famous Big 5 safari hotpot, offering some of the continent's best opportunities for spotting these famous African animals.

The park's diverse landscapes, ranging from dense woodlands to open savannahs, scrubland, and riverbanks, provide ideal habitats for a huge range of magnificent creatures.

Lions and elephants are easily found in southern Kruger and this is also one of the best spots in the park to see white rhinos.

Kruger’s African buffaloes, often seen in large herds, create quite a spectacle; while the elusive leopard provides a thrilling challenge for safari-goers hoping to catch a glimpse.

Make sure to be out and about at dawn and dusk to increase your chances of seeing this shy cat!

Another sought-after sighting in Kruger National Park is a glimpse of the rare black rhino, an endangered species facing severe threats from poaching.

Witnessing these magnificent creatures in the wild serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of conservation efforts to protect these iconic animals for future generations.

Beyond the Big Five, Kruger National Park is teeming with other incredible wildlife too, including giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles and a myriad of bird species.

Wildlife viewing in Kruger is best from May to September.

These are the dry winter months when animals congregate more densely around waterholes and rivers, making them easier to spot.

#2 Masai Mara National Park, Kenya

African Lion Big 5 Kenya Safari

Another safari park that you’ll find on every ‘Best Big 5 Safari’ list is the Masai Mara National Park in southwest Kenya.

This safari destination is world famous and for good reason - it’s thought to be home to one of the richest populations of wild animals anywhere in the world!

This enormous reserve is made up of sprawling golden grasslands, which stretch right to the Tanzanian border and beyond, where it becomes the Serengeti National Park.

These iconic grasslands are a pristine example of the African savannah and a perfect habitat for big cats, making it one of the best places on the continent to see them.

Lions are particularly plentiful, but sightings of cheetahs and even the elusive leopard are not uncommon.

In fact, you have pretty good odds of seeing all of the Big 5 African animals, thanks to their large numbers in the Mara, as it’s fondly known.

This makes the park not only one of a few places in Africa where seeing the Big 5 is highly likely, but also a place where you can spot up to 90 species of other mammals and hundreds of bird species.

Many people time their Big 5 safari here to coincide with the world-famous Masai Mara migration, which runs from July to October and sees humongous herds of animals make the epic journey from the Serengeti National Park into the Masai Mara National Park, crossing the treacherous croc-infested Mara River on the way.

As far as Big 5 Safaris in Africa go, this wonder of nature makes for pretty dramatic watching!

January through March are also a great time to visit the Masai Mara.

Known as the ‘lion season’, it’s one of the best times of year in this park to see these majestic cats.

#3 Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Tanzania Safari Big 5 lions

While many people head for the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania between July and October for the Wildebeest migration (when up to 2.5 million wildebeest cross the plains into the neighbouring Masai Mara), this park does offer world-class wildlife spotting all year round.

The Serengeti National Park has all Big 5 animals, though its vast open grasslands are favoured most by lions (and other big cats) who prowl after the grazing wildebeest and zebra.

The Serengeti has some of the largest numbers of lions anywhere in Africa.

Even the rare tree-climbing lions are common here!

This unusual behaviour is unique to certain lions in East Africa and can be seen most in central Serengeti.

Leopards are plentiful here too, but very shy and hard to spot, so one can never guarantee a sighting, but with some luck (and good binoculars!), you could!

Elephants are becoming more common in the Serengeti too, especially in certain seasons and swampy areas around the Seronera River, where herds of up to 20 can sometimes be seen.

But it’s buffalos that are the most common of the Big 5 African animals in the Serengeti, where vast herds of up to 100 are often sighted.

Many visitors to the Serengeti also wrap in a visit to the nearby Ngorongoro Crater, where the Big 5 can also be spotted.

Situated a short distance from the Serengeti, the Crater is a biodiversity conservation hotspot thanks to the sheer density of wildlife calling it home.

Once an active volcano, thought to be higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, when it erupted it formed the world’s largest caldera - a crater 610m deep, with a floor covering 260 sqkm.

That crater is now rich in biodiversity and packed with an unbelievable 30,000 animals!

But why do so many animals live here?

Although animals can move in and out of the crater, climbing the steep walls of the caldera is tricky and takes a lot of effort, so much of the resident wildlife remains inside.

The sheer concentration of wildlife here means this utterly unique safari destination offers incredible wildlife Big 5 safari viewing year round.

It's not uncommon to see the Big 5 in a single day!

The Crater is even home to a healthy population of Black Rhino and is one of the few places on earth where you can easily find these rare creatures.

The other four of the Big 5 African animals are plentiful as well, although, as always, leopard sightings are hit-and-miss.

There are bigger and wilder parks than the Ngorongoro Crater, but if you want some of the easiest and most rewarding game viewing in East Africa, it won't disappoint!

On top of this, the scenery is spectacular and utterly unique, with incredible views of the towering caldera as a backdrop.

#4 Chobe River National Park, Botswana

Big 5 Lions in Etosha

Chobe River National Park is famous for hosting what is said to be the world’s highest concentration of African elephants - thought to number over 130,000!

So if it’s the grey giants of the savannah you’re keen to see on a Big 5 safari, you should head to Chobe National Park!

With such huge numbers, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll enjoy some awe-inspiring elephant encounters, quite possibly in very large numbers!

And you’ll not just see them stomping through the savannah!

For what’s really special about Chobe is the river safaris you can enjoy here too.

These boat cruises allow you great sightings of these gentle, playful giants swimming, wallowing and washing themselves in the Chobe River.

Watching elephants is a particularly magical sight at sunset.

But elephants are not the only Big 5 African animals that call Chobe River National Park home.

Large herds of buffalo are also a common sight and lions, although not plentiful, are never far away - prowling the park in large prides and lazing around in the heat of the day.

Even the lesser-seen leopard lives here too.

While you might struggle to tick a rhino off your list in Chobe, with such plentiful numbers of elephants, buffalo and lions, as well as decent populations of leopards, you probably won't mind that much!

#5 Okavango Delta & Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana

Leopard Botswana Big 5 Safari

Moremi and the Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations.

This UNESCO World Heritage-listed site is a verdant oasis surrounded by the Kalahari Desert that provides crucial habitat for a huge range of plant and animal life.

As one of the world’s only inland deltas, it’s a truly unique ecosystem.

Its beautiful, breathtaking and important ecological habitats include flood plains, reed-lined waterways, oxbow lakes, flooded woodlands, palm-fringed islands and serene lagoons. 

And the Delta is home to all of the Big 5 African animals.

Buffalo and elephants thrive in the wetlands and, by taking a game drive in the drier areas of the Delta, you can see big cats as well.

But a Big 5 safari in the Okavango Delta is not just about game drives.

Some of the most magical activities here are guided nature walks on foot and exploring the Delta’s channels by mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe).

It’s by gliding peacefully through waterways, surrounded by birdlife, and getting up close with the local animals coming to drink from the waterside, that you’ll see the most enchanting side of the incredible Okavango. 

#6 Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

Rhino in Kruger, South Africa

Not many people think of Malawi as a Big 5 safari destination… and that’s because, until recently, it wasn’t!

But Majete Wildlife Reserve in southwestern Malawi is one of Africa’s recent conservation success stories.

Before 2003, the park was almost completely hunted out, with only a few antelope remaining.

But since then, under the management of African Parks, over 3,000 animals of 17 different species, including all of the Big 5, have been successfully reintroduced.

Now this place is a real Big 5 safari destination, with a thriving wildlife population that has put Malawi back on the Big 5 map.

Although sightings require a bit of patience, Majete offers a unspoilt experience, far away from the crowds.

This hidden treasure is perfect if you want a Big 5 safari without all the other tourists – this is a wildlife paradise without the masses!

#7 Murchison Falls National Park & Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda 

Big 5 Safari Buffalo

Uganda is not an obvious Big 5 safari destination!

Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest national park, famous for its spectacular scenery as well as its wildlife.

The Victoria Nile River cuts through the park and the Falls themselves make for a dramatic scene - as the river is squeezed at its narrowest point, it plunges over a 45m drop and creates what is thought to be the world’s most powerful waterfall.

A boat trip to the base of the waterfall and a hike up to the top of the Falls is not to be missed while on your safari here!

The river is also home to hundreds of hippos and crocodiles and you’re likely to see buffalo and elephants drinking and washing themselves on the shore too.

While Murchison Falls is not a complete Big 5 destination, because there are no rhinos, many visitors stop in at the nearby Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary en route to see these rare and beautiful creatures and tick them off their list.

This is the only place in Uganda where you can see White Rhinos and activities to enjoy include rhino tracking with an experienced guide, as well as taking part in birding tours, nature hikes and canoe rides.

And of course, the big bonus of going to Uganda for a Big 5 safari is that you can stop off to see the mythical mountain gorillas in the magical Bwindi Impenetrable Forest while you’re there too.

Leopard on Kruger Big 5 Safari

The above destinations are brilliant Big 5 safari destinations. Though not a Big 5 destination, it would be remiss not to mention Etosha National Park.

Etosha National Park, Namibia 

Etosha National Park is Namibia's premier game park and a wildlife enthusiast's paradise.

Its diverse landscapes and waterholes attract loads of animals, including four of the Big 5.

There are no buffalo, but elephants and lions are common in the park, while the elusive leopard hides out in the park’s more densely vegetated areas.

However, one of the best reasons to visit Etosha is its healthy population of Black Rhinoceros.

Namibia, and Etosha especially, has one of the largest populations of Black Rhinos left in the world and is one of the few countries that has both Black and White Rhinos, so it’s a good place to head if spotting one of these is on your list!

Those wanting to tick buffalo off their Big 5 safari checklist often combine their safari in Etosha with a trip to the nearby Waterberg Plateau, where these giant creatures can more easily be spotted.

The landscapes at Etosha also make it an interesting place to visit.

Located on and around the Etosha Pan - a huge, seasonally flooded salt pan - the scenery here is quite different from the lush savannah landscapes of many other Big 5 safari parks in Africa.

Game viewing in Etosha is best in the May to October dry season, as animals are concentrated around water sources at this time, making for an unforgettable Big 5 safari.

Big 5 Elephant in Chobe Botswana

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