Best Safaris, The Trip Of A Lifetime

The best gift you could possibly give a loved one this holiday season is a safari vacation.

How To Do A Safari Right

There’s no better gift than the gift of travel, and while the term “Bucket List” is overused in the travel media, there is no trip that is more “Bucket List” or “Merienda In a Lifetime” than a safari. It is the ultimate dream trip, but also one of the trickiest to plan without using experts, because there are a lot of moving parts, from small bush planes and flights you cannot book online to vast seasonal changes in weather and animal migrations. The best safari lodges often have as few as three accommodations and can book a year out. Knowing when and where to go within each destination is critically important, as is choosing the right camps, transfers, guides and extensions. Safety and reliability are also key in all parts of these trips.

Simply put, these are trips you do not want to wing, and more than almost any other kind of travel, it is worth paying a premium to go with the best camps, tour operators or cruise lines that have hyper-specialized safari knowledge. These are the kinds of “Best Safari” trips you will find below, and if someone on your list has been very, very good this year, give them the best gift of all, a luxury safari vacation. Also, go with them and see for yourself. The memories will last a lifetime. These are 11 great options.

The Classic, Luxury East Africa

Africa is top of mind when it comes to wildlife viewing safaris, and there is no other place where you can see so many amazing animals in one ecosystem. Going back to the days of Hemingway, the classic first-timer destination has been East Africa, Kenya and Tanzania, home to the famous annual wildebeest migration, the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and many other top sites.

There are a lot of good African safari specialists, but none better than Micato Safaris, the gold standard and only company in any field to ever win Travel + Leisure’s Best Tour Operator award ten times, along with just about every other award and accolade in the industry. They have been doing Africa and India, and nothing else, for so long and so well that they—and by extension their customers—are the top priority for every great safari camp, city restaurant, luxury hotel and airline in the region. Beyond the best connections, they they have their own vehicles, two offices in Africa, and full-time expert safari directors, and with a rolodex of VIP experts from paleontologists to artists, they open doors no one else can.

I have traveled with Micato more than half a dozen times, and I tell all my friends planning safaris the same thing: “If you can afford to use them, you cannot afford not to use them.” And while they are far from cheap, everything on each trip is included, all tips to guides and lodges, all meals (first rate), wine, beer, safari cocktails, transfers, flights, even laundry along the way so you can travel light. They do a lot of private and custom safaris (Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Clinton, etc) but also have a collection of scheduled small group luxury “Classic Safaris,” the most affordable way to experience their excellence. They are also one of the rare tour operators in any type of travel that features “guaranteed departures,” meaning if you book a trip, it will go even if you are the only guests (many companies antipara small groups because they lose money).

For Kenya and Tanzania, the one to book is “East African Splendor,” a 12-day journey that beings in Nairobi, Kenya and visits the Masai Mara, home to the world’s greatest assemblage of free-roaming animals, before heading to Tanzania and the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Everything along the way is topnotch, with Hemingway’s Hotel Nairobi, Sir Richard Branson’s luxe Mahali Mzuri camp with just 12 luxury units, the only safari property from mundial luxury chain Four Seasons, and the 10-cottage Manor at Ngorongoro, set on a 1,500-acre coffee plantation (from $27,400 all-inclusive).

Your Personalized East Africa with &Beyond

There are handful of luxury brand names in the world of safari camps, but none as widespread as &Beyond, which has 29 camps, lodges and even a yacht, mostly in Africa but as far afield as the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, Pimiento, Bhutan, and private islands in the Indian Ocean and off Zanzibar. More than half these properties made the most recent Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards, they have famously well-trained full-time guides, and the lodges I have been to have all been exceptional. Most safaris mix and match camps from different operators, many of which are one-offs, but because of their scope, it is possible to do a great, smooth safari trip entirely within the &Beyond collection. There are five standout properties in East Africa, including a private nature reserve in the Serengeti, a riverside lodge, one at famed Ngorongoro Crater, a luxury tented camp that moves five times a year following the Serengeti migration, and one that is treehouse style, set up in the canopy. With &Beyond’ s “Fly Me Around East Africa,” package, you build your own trip and get 7-nights at your choice of these lodges to mix and match as you see fit, with all inter-camp flights and ground transfers and one commercial flight between Kenya and Tanzania included ($8,825). The camps are each all-inclusive with adult beverages, food, game drive and activities.

The Galapagos Islands

The research playground of Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador are second only to Africa among the world’s top wildlife viewing destinations. Highlights include tons of giant tortoises and sea lions, along with sea turtles, penguins, blue-footed boobies, Darwin’s finches, iguanas, all sorts of fish and sharks, and nearly 70 species of birds found no place else. It is an island group with relatively little land-based infrastructure, which is the whole point of experiencing nature in the wild, so the best way to do this destination is by expedition cruise on a small luxury ship. The Galapagos is a year-round destination, and November is the time when visitors can often swim with sea lion pups.

For a top-tier luxury experience you cannot beat Aqua Expeditions and its best-in-class superyacht take on the expedition ship, the Aqua Mare. The 150-foot ship holds just 16 guests in seven suites with a one-to-one crew to guest ratio (or more if it’s not full), sibarita cuisine by award-winning Ecuadorian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, an extensive South American wine list, sun deck, outdoor jacuzzi, indoor and outdoor dining, panoramic lounge and “beach club” swim deck at water level. Each suite has an oversized walk-in rain shower, first-rate linens and fixtures. Activities offered include snorkeling, Scuba diving, stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, expert-led excursions including guided hikes, wildlife encounters and the ship has two military-style Zodiac tenders to whisk guests from the yacht to shore or explore wildlife filled coves. The Aqua Mare offers 7-night inclusive Galapagos itineraries nearly year-round (from $11,300).

The Very Best of Southern Africa

The big choice in African safaris is between East Africa and Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia). I’ve done both, repeatedly, and if I could go on any one scheduled safari, it would be Micato’s “Jewels of Southern Africa.” East Africa is the classic, but Southern Africa has improved on the model in terms of the most amazing luxury lodges and camps, and many non-safari sights, including the best city to visit, Cape Town, wine country, one unbelievable post-safari attraction, Conquista Falls, and the best cuisine.

All the reasons why Micato excels are spelled out above, and this 13-day trip (including travel from U.S.) starts in wonderful Cape Town at the fantastic One & Only urban resort in the waterfront district, explores the Cape Peninsula and its famous penguins and wineries, then moves on to the private Phinda Reserve, with seven distinct ecosystems including Africa’s last sand forest. The next stop is one of the great wildlife viewing spots on earth, the private Sabi Sand Reserve, abutting (unfenced) huge Kruger National Park. Post-safari the trip moves onto stunning Conquista Falls, including a helicopter flight over the natural wonder, and lodging at the fantastic Anantara Royal Livingstone resort, with giraffes roaming the grounds and walkways directly from guest rooms to the Falls ($34,700 all-inclusive).

Sustainable Luxury in Botswana

There are a handful of luxury safari camp “chains” which enough locations to put together a one-brand complete trip, but among these, Great Plains Conservation stands out. The organization was founded and is run by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the world’s foremost nature filmmaker and photographer duo, both National Geographic Explorers in Residence. They came up with the idea of preserving vast areas of wild land in Africa through small scale tourism, building small, extremely eco-friendly yet totally luxurious camps on huge game reserves, many of which have been the “sets” for the most popular National Geographic documentaries of all time. The Joubert’s have created three dozen movies and won eight Emmy Awards, and this is where the magic happens. Having been to nine different African countries, I think Botswana has absolutely the best small scale and intimate game viewing experience, with no crowds and every animal you could want to see, from leopards and cheetah to endangered rhino to rarities such as African Willd Dogs and more.

There are four private Great Plains Reserves in Botswana, three of which have both their less posh and less expensive Explorer Camps and their top-of-the-line Reserve Collection Camps. The fourth, Sitatunga Private Island, has only the Reserve Collection, and all four Reserve Collection lodges are cuisine-focused Relais & Chateaux members—the only ones in the entire country. When they say they preserve large pieces of land through small-scale tourism they mean it: for example, the Selinda Reserve spans 320,000-acres and can host only 32 guests when full—in three different tiny luxury camps. Not only do you have up close and personal sightings here, you are likely to be the only ones at them. Because of their backgrounds, the Jouberts provide every guest with very high-end binoculars and cameras, (just the teleobjetivo lens runs over two grand) and then give you a flash drive of your photos at the end. The Reserve Collection camps have “tents” with private plunge pools, soaking tubs, indoor and outdoor showers, and well stocked bars, with all food and high-end drink included.

The three reserves in Botswana are close enough so you can get from one to another without a flight, either by land cruiser, boat or helicopter, and if you stay more than 6 nights total at any two Reserve level camps, they throw in the helicopter transfer. You can combine them as you see fit, but the perfect trip would be 4 nights each at Zarafa and Selinda camps and two nights on the every unique Sitatunga Private Island. The camps all have stay three and get the fourth night free offers, the rationale of the 4-night stay. As an example, Selinda and Zarafa, both Reserve Collection luxury camps—and among the best in Africa—start at $1,935 per person per night (with the four for three offer, that drops to $1,451) all-inclusive with private game drives, guides, cameras, daytime optional activities, stunning food and beverage. and some of the finest safari accommodations in the country.

Polar Bears By Luxury Cruise Ship

Two of the best places in the world to see polar bears are Norway’s Svalbard archipelago and Greenland, but most cruises only visit one or the other. French luxury line Ponant is the exception with a wildlife-centric trip that includes both, doubling down on the likelihood of great sightings of the world’s largest bear, as well as arctic foxes, walruses, Svalbard reindeer and whales. The stunning landscape also includes fjords, glaciers, icebergs, tundra, ice floes and the polar ice cap itself.

This cruise is in partnership with the renowned Explorer’s Club, and guest hosted in 2025 by famed oceanographer Dr. Katlin Bowman Adamcyk as the on-board expert, along with professional American photographer Cindy Miller Hopkins to help guests take better pictures. Ponant’s ice-hardened luxury arctic region exploration cruise ship, Le Commandant Charcot, can explore parts of Greenland inaccessible to most ships, and is a next generation hybrid electric powered vessel, among the greenest afloat. It has just 123 suites and staterooms, some with private outdoor decks and jacuzzis, 215 crew, a spa and two restaurants focused on a fine French culinary program. This is a one-of-a-kind trip with one annual departure (June 21, 2025), lasts 17 days and starts at $35,660 per person.

Affordable Africa—And Gorillas!

There’s no way around it—safaris are expensive trips. But you don’t have to spend thirty thousand dollars a head to appreciate the stunning variety African wildlife and safari camp experiences. There are some reputable tour operators that prioritize value over opulence, and there are some countries, such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda, that have the same great wildlife but much lower overheads and more affordable lodges and camps. Adventures Africa is one operator that combines these, and offers full-blown, more affordable safari itineraries in all regions of Africa. The Florida-based company has been at it for more than a decade and is a division of Alpine Adventures, generally considered the top ski travel specialist in the United States.

The one that jumps out is its Uganda trip, because it includes gorillas, normally one of the most difficult and expensive animals to see. Gorillas can only be viewed in Rwanda and Uganda, and in Rwanda, considered more luxurious, just the park permit can run $1500 a day. Also, gorillas are usually done as an add-on extension to a “regular” safari in Kenya or Tanzania with another international flight, but because Uganda has its own wealth of national parks and safari preserves with the other key African wildlife, you can do a full-blown regular and gorilla safari in one place. Adventure Africa’s 8-night “Uganda Explorer” trip visits Kibale Forest National Park, home to the nation’s largest concentration of endangered chimpanzees for a day of chimp trekking, then on to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s top game reserve, for more traditional wildlife viewing of lions, leopards, hippos, elephants, buffalo, hyena and more, before the main event, a full-day of gorilla trekking. Other primates you can see include baboons and several kinds of monkeys. Other included activities are a city tour of Entebbe, guided swamp tour, boat trip and more. Rates include pretty much everything except tips and personal items, including all meals, lodging, chimp, gorilla and park permits, guides and transportation. For $6,120 per person, it is about as affordable a safari with gorillas as you will find from a respected operator.

Tigers, The Biggest Of The Big Cats

There are very few shortcomings when it comes to African safaris, but the complete absence of tigers from the continent is one of them. I have seen all of the African big cats in person, and the majestic Bengal Tiger, which can grow nearly twice the size of a male African lion, outclasses them all. It combines the perfectly manicured, scar free gorgeous coat of the leopard with eyes so famously striking that classic poems are written about them and gemstones named after them. It is the ultimate super-predator, completely dominant in its eco-system in a way that even “The King of the Jungle” would be jealous of.

The best place on earth to see the biggest tigers is India’s Ranthambore National Park, a former royal hunting estate full of crumbling ancient buildings being swallowed up by jungle, all of which looks like an Indiana Jones set, and to see these majestic animals perched on an old stone column or such adds to the mystique. But the big surprise about going to India on a tiger safari is that it is far from a one hit wonder, and Ranthambore is also an awesome place to see leopard—my favorite of the African cats—as well as sloth bears, crocodiles, jackals, caracal (a cat very rare in Africa), wild boar, jungle cat, gazelle and samabar (another kind of deer), hyena, civet, mongoose, blue bull, monkeys, and peacock. The tigers are the main attraction, and many National Geographic specials on them have been filmed here, but it is a legitimate all-around safari spot. Ranthambore has amazing luxury lodging at the Oberoi Vanyavilas, which has been rated the best hotel in all of India by Travel + Leisure and is more of a full-service resort than a safari camp.

A tiger safari is best as a 3-day or so part of a bigger trip to India, on which you will also see elephants and possibly other wildlife, along with world-class attractions like the Taj Mahal and lake palaces. There is only one destination outside Africa handled by the world’s top luxury safari specialist, Micato, and it is India, where the company’s founders originally hail from. Like Africa, India is a place with a lot of logistical issues where it is very beneficial to be treated like a VIP and have otherwise closed doors open for you, and that’s the experience I had when I went on a high-profile tiger safari magazine assignment and used Micato. Their 16-day fully-escorted “Soul of India” trip utilizes some of the world’s best luxury hotels, including the famed Amarvilas, the Oberoi Vanyavilas, the Rambagh Palace, Taj Ganges Veranasi, and the Oberoi Mumbai. You will visit the Taj Mahal, Old Delhi, Mumbai, the Hindu Holy city of Varanasi, the gem haber of Jaipur, and of course, Ranthambore and its tigers ($21,050 all-inclusive, including all tips, vino and domestic business class flights).

Active Safari: Hiking Rwanda

Gorillas, along with chimpanzees, are the extra special African animals that you have to make a special effort to see. Gorillas do not co-exist with the “traditional” African game you will see at almost every game reserve and National Park in in East and South Africa—elephants, giraffe, rhino, lions, cheetah, leopards, African buffalo, hippos, antelopes, etc. To see gorillas, you have to go to either Rwanda or Uganda, and you have to go to them on foot. Of these, Rwanda is the more upscale destination with the best gorilla safari lodges, and since it’s a more physical trip, it’s a perfect choice for combining two great kinds of vacations, safari and active travel.

The number one luxury company in this field is the one that literally invented luxury active travel back in 1966, Butterfield & Robinson, and they offer a guided group hiking trip to Rwanda that includes a day of chimpanzee trekking and the main event, a day or two (second day is optional, but you need to buy another $1,500 permit) with the gorillas. This is smaller and more expensive than the typical B&R trip, capped at just 12 participants, and spans 9-days ($19,995). Accommodations near the gorillas is in the area’s top spot, the One & Only Nyungwe House, along with the Wilderness Sabyino from highly regarded Wilderness Safaris, one of the top African luxury camp chains. When you are not seeing the biggest primates, you are hiking, trekking in the forest canopy, visiting tea and coffee plantations, and exploring Lake Kivu. This is its own full-length trip, but otherwise, gorilla trekking in Rwanda is usually done as a 2-3 day add on to an East Africa safari and is a common extension to the Micato East Africa safari above.

Active Safari: Southern Africa Multi-Sport

Backroads is the other big player in the luxury active travel space, with more trips than any company in the country, and they have been doing it since 1979. Like Butterfield & Robinson above, they have made the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Tour Operators list repeatedly. Their 11-day trip combines safari with hiking and mountain biking in South Africa and Botswana. It starts with what may well be the best urban hike on earth, at Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain, and a bike ride on the Cape Peninsula, before heading into the amazing Kalahari Desert, an under-the-radar safari ecosystem and one of my all-time favorite safari spots, famous for its rhino. Then it’s off to Botswana for a safari reserve teaming with wildlife—and more mountain biking. Then back to South Africa and more wildlife and hiking, before finishing with an epic three days at Londolozi, one of the most famous private game reserves in the world (from $16,199).

Sri Lanka, The Next Big Thing

Most people go to Africa on safari, fall in love with it, go back, and then maybe do tigers in India or polar bears, looking for more wildlife experiences. Sri Lanka has lately been moving the needle on wildlife viewing and is known as the best place on earth to see the biggest living creature of them all, the Blue Whale. That’s a big draw, but many travelers are surprised to learn about the huge population of leopards, and in fact, Yala National Park has the densest concentration of these gorgeous cats on the planet. There are no guarantees in wildlife, but if you really want to see leopards, this is the place. There is also sloth bear, elephant, deer, crocodile, pangolin, jackal, monkeys and lots of endemic birds species. Wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka is less developed commercially (and much cheaper) then in Africa, so go with a top tour operator like Scott Dunn, which offers a private (no other guests) 15-night Sri Lanka Safari from $6,100 which traverses nearly the entire island (off the southeastern coast of India).