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Destinations for your next African safari

Serengeti, Masai Mara, Kruger: names that are synonymous with African safaris. And, they receive the lion’s share of visitors—pun intended. Fortunately, the average safari tourist is well-educated and environmentally-conscious. They actively choose to spend money with companies who are working to make a positive difference in the areas in which they operate. African Parks recognizes this and knows that without the wildlife there is no safari. Formed in 2000, in response to the dramatic decline of protected areas due to poor management and lack of funding, African Parks currently manages 11 parks and protected areas and aims to have 20 under their management by 2020. Both destinations in our spotlight are under management of African Parks. Akagera National Park, Rwanda Located in eastern Rwanda, about a two-hour drive from Kigali International Airport, Akagera is the largest park in Rwanda. This park has had its share of tragedy. It was established in 1934 but poor management and civil unrest resulted in the loss of lions, rhinos and much of the wildlife, as well as over half of the land. In 2010, African Parks partnered with Rwanda Development Board to establish a company to jointly manage Akagera. In 2015, seven lions were reintroduced and, as of now, are doing very well. The population is presently at 19 and growing. In May of this year, 18 black rhinos were reintroduced from South Africa. With the reintroduction of rhinos and lions, Akagera is once again home to the big five. According to African Parks, tourism revenue has increased more than 300% over the past six years, and the number of visitors is steadily increasing year over year. Now is the time to visit this impressive park and to support the efforts of African Parks and the Rwandan government. Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Malawi Located in central Malawi, again about a two-hour drive from Lilongwe International Airport, Nkhotakota sites only a few kilometers from Lake Malawi. Like Akagera, Nkhotakota has had it rough. It was once home to over 1500 elephants, but poaching brought these numbers down to a mere 100. Once again, African Parks stepped up and began working with local communities to help reverse the devastation. In the past year, over 520 elephants were translocated from nearby Liwonde and Majete NP. The amount resources, both fiscal and human, needed for this project was astounding, but they made it happen. They are working on a perimeter fence which they hope to complete by 2018. Now is a great time to visit this destination, especially if you’re an elephant-lover. While it does not feature the big five or large predators, in addition to elephant, Nkhotakota has sable, antelope, buffalo, hippos, kudu, zebra and warthogs. Akagera and Nkhotakota are inspirational success stories. By visiting them, not only will you be privy to some incredible animal sightings, you’ll also be supporting efforts to protect animal populations and educate local communities. Javier Luque is a Co-Founder and Director of Your African Safari. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

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9 Comments

  1. Thanks for this great article. I just want to add a few lines.

    I would highly recommend Serengeti and Maasai Mara for wildlife lovers. These two parks are a true pride of Wast Africa. Serengeti and Maasai Mara border each other only the boundaries between Kenya Tanzania separate them. They therefore have the same ecosystem. They are both famous for millions of wildebeest who migrate annually from Serengeti to Maasai Mara a spectacle that has now become a world wonder.

  2. I’m so glad to hear that African Parks are working with communities for conservation and ecology. Elephants are absolutely my favourite animal and I would love to see some in the wild. Nkhotakota sounds perfect for me – I would love to learn more about accommodation and tours in this area.

  3. Great post. If we are to enjoy these magical creatures and sustain them in their natural environments it is so important to be ethically responsible. Tourism can be a good thing if it is contributing towards saving these animals and ensuring their safety.

  4. My ‘next’ African safari?! I haven’t even been to one yet lol! My father goes to Africa for golf every year and has vowed not to go to the safari’s until I can come with him – it would feel so surreal for me. I love that these parks are protected areas, these animals need protecting from awful people. I’d definitely love to visit Malawi, it’s so sad that the elephant numbers have declined so significantly. I would love to donate some money to these reserves.

  5. My grandparents went to Nkhotakota and they rave about how amazing it is. I have seen so many pictures and have promised them that we will go out there together soon. I would love being this close to animals and seeing wildlife conserved is so important.

  6. I’ve always wanted to go on Safari, I’ve bookmarked this page for when I book a trip! I’d love to see elephants and giraffes roaming free in the wild. I like that these areas are now protected, it’s important that the animals are kept safe from poaching.

  7. I’ve done safaris in Kenya and South Africa. I’ve loved all of them. I’m definitely becoming something of a safari addict which is not a cheap addiction as my husband frequently says. I feel that I ought to try some other venues so interesting to read about Malawi and Rwanda. Time for some more research.

  8. Two years on from this article and I wonder how many parks this African Parks company has been able to add to its list? Hopefully they’ll hit the 20 target by next year because it sounds like they do wonderful work in protection and conservation efforts while managing these places. I think every little helps and it’s reassuring to think that we can be part of the success story as tourists contributing to these efforts rather than hindering them.

  9. I know that this post is now over 3 years old but as we head into the 2020s, yet another significant decade for African wildlife, it’s a read that is more important than ever.

    We haven’t been on a safari since our honeymoon and it’s definitely time that we headed to Africa again, for a sort of second honeymoon.

    This time we’ll be choosing our destination very carefully. We don’t want to contribute to over tourism and we also want to go to a safari camp that really makes a positive contribution to conservation work too.

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