East Africa vs Southern Africa

30th August 2018

From an East Africa safari we think guests get that quintessential safari experience; the dramatic sweeping open plains and the huge annual Wildebeest Migration, which are some of the sites people think of when someone utters Africa. East Africa was where it all began, so really knows its stuff. Also, an East Africa safari is easier and more cost effective to combine with the beach with its huge Indian Ocean Coastline and surrounding islands.

However, some may opt for a Southern Africa itinerary; a more intense and concentrated safari experience, where you mostly fly into private concession areas. Some may love this, and some may not. This means that to get around it can get quite a bit more costly, but then again, the private concessions also mean you have much fewer tourists to distract you from your sense of wilderness.  Southern Africa is also further away from good beaches, which can cost you more flight money and precious safari time.

That being said, every single country and park in Africa is completely unique in its own right. It would not be fair to fully categorise the East as this and the South as that, as much of what was just said can vary from country to country! For example, although not private concession, Ruaha in Tanzania is one of the quietest parks in terms of visitors, much like what you see in the private concessions of Botswana… Similarly, Namibia is not as animal concentrated as say Zambia, but offers some utterly mesmerising scenery and a completely unique, indescribable atmosphere.