Top Ten African Safaris

Kenya is possibly the best and most well-known safari destination to get your fill of the "big five." We're not talking about the Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi, where tourists flock to gastronomically indulge in the game meats of the African plains. We're talking, real life, up close and personal confrontation with lions, elephants, rhino, hippo, cape buffalo . . .

Kenya's game parks are perhaps the quintessential safari experience and as a result are the best known destination for anyone seeking a safari. As a result some would say that the plains have gotten overrun with tourists, and viewing animals can begin to feel like New York City at rush hour. But despite this, the variety of parks—from Amboseli, where Kilimanjaro serves as the backdrop, to lesser known Aberdares in the forested north—Kenya is sure to satisfy.

The lodges and tent camps are more refined here than other safari destinations, and with the exception of Tanzania, this is the only one that can offer the chance of a lifetime—to see the annual wildebeest migration. On anyone's safari agenda when visiting Kenya is a stay at Masai Mara National Reserve, an extension of the Serengeti. The Mara offers the greatest quantity and diversity of wildlife in Kenya and it is the best place to witness the ungulates as they migrate to the Serengeti.

Just the Facts

Best Season: Year-round, except April and May when the rains come.

Highlights: Wildebeest migration; Hot air balloon safari in Masai Mara; Eating at the Carnivore restaurant