What is the Best Place in Africa for Wildlife Photography?

It's difficult to explain at times just how diverse the continent of Africa is. In much of the western world, we envision it to be almost like a single entity, where even hearing the word brings visions of the Lion King movie to our heads. Once you actually begin to research and learn about Africa however, you realize just how very different some of these regions are to each other. And if you are interested in wildlife photography, those differences are even more important when considering planning a trip. Travelling to Africa can be an expensive, once in a lifetime type of experience for some photographers, so I'm going to help with my personal take on where the best place in Africa is for wildlife photography!

5. Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Almost everyone has heard of the iconic Mt. Kilimanjaro, and even though it is located in Tanzania, the best views of it are from Kenya in Amboseli National Park. In wildlife photography we often want to place our subjects in their environments in order to give our photos a sense of scale and place. Having any subject, from a lion to a gazelle, standing in front of Kilimanjaro can be a fantastic photograph opportunity. But Amboseli is best known for its population of elephants, some of which have the largest tusks on earth. You can regularly see large herds crossing between the dry lake beds to the swamps of the park on a daily basis. If you can find a group of elephants on a day when Kilimanjaro is clearly in view, then you will have a truly once in a lifetime type of photo!

4. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe

Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Mana Pools (yet), but I can at least share my secondhand knowledge of this amazing park. Located on the floodplains of the Zambezi River, you can find some of outstanding wildlife encounters here. Mana Pools is best known for fantastic golden light that shines through its forests, where you can often find giant elephants bathed below it. Some of the elephants have even learned how to stand on their back legs to reach the heights of the tree canopies for food, which is a unique behavior not often seen elsewhere. There are also opportunities for walking safaris in Mana Pools, where an armed guide accompanies you on foot as you can get amazing low angle shots of wildlife that are simply impossible from a vehicle. While it may seem nerve wracking, the wildlife here are habituated to people in a way that makes it possible. If you can find a pack of wild dogs or one of those giant bull elephants, you can get some of those quintessential Mana Pools shots.

3. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Once again, another park that I have yet to visit, but one that should be on every wildlife photographer's list. South Luangwa represents one of the last truly "wild" places in Africa, where an abundance of wildlife can be found with less visitors than some other parks. Luangwa is known for having some of the best predator sightings in the world, where healthy populations of lions, leopards, and wild dogs can all be found here. When the park begins to enter its dry season between June-October, much of the prey animals in the park have to congregate around the limited water sources like the Luangwa River. This can lead to some amazing predator action, which means fantastic photos if you have gear fast enough to capture these dramatic moments.

2. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

The Maasai Mara is what most people think of when they think of Africa. Wide open savanna, acacia trees dotting the landscapes, and more wildlife around you than you can count. The photographic opportunities here are endless, both in terms of wildlife and landscapes. The Mara is also the best place to photograph big cats, and there have been times when I've found lions, leopards, and cheetahs all in a single game drive. Not to mention that all of the Big 5 can be found here, including the critically endangered black rhino. Most famous of all however is the Great Migration, where millions of wildebeest, zebra, and other antelopes travel all the way from the southern Serengeti into the Maasai Mara. Here they must cross the crocodile infested waters of the Mara River in search of greener pastures within the reserve. Many documentaries have been made of this spectacular natural phenomenon, and if you are patient you can come away with some excellent photos of a river crossing. The Mara never disappoints photographically, and it is by far my personal favorite park in all of Africa.

1. Okavango Delta, Botswana

Even if the Mara may be my favorite park, I simply cannot deny that the best place in Africa for wildlife photography is the Okavango Delta. As the world's largest inland delta, every year between June and August flood waters from the Angolan Highlands reach the Okavango Delta and create an amazing watery paradise for the wildlife there. The sheer concentration of wildlife there is one of a kind, with hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and fish in abundance. The best part of the Okavango Delta though is just how exclusive it is compared to other parks. There can be far fewer tourists here compared to the other places on this list, and if you can afford to stay at one of the private concessions in the Delta you can have exclusivity that is simple unmatched. That means less vehicles, as well as the ability to off-road. In my experience, those freedoms can be crucial to get the best photographs of wildlife, and some of my best work has come from the Okavango Delta.

Even though I believe that the Okavango Delta is the "best" place for wildlife photography, the reality is that you really can't go wrong with any single place listed here. There are so many amazing parks and reserves across Africa, that the only way to really judge them is to visit as many as possible. I know that I have many more to explore, and hopefully in the future I can update this list with even more fantastic photographic locations.!