13 Amazing African National Parks

Posted on 24 September, 2014

Africa is renowned for its wildlife, so it’s little wonder that the continent has the highest concentration of national parks on earth (335), which together protect over 1,100 species of mammals, 100,000 species of insects, 2,600 bird species of birds, and 3,000 species of fish. That’s a whole lot of animals! There’s obviously a multitude of worthy parks, game reserves, and conservation areas to choose from, but here are 13 ones that stand out—definite must-visits for animal lovers!

Have you been to any of these amazing parks? Are there any you’d add to the list? Let us know in the comments!

13 Amazing African National Parks

By Ali O'Neill

Okavango Delta, Botswana

By Ali O'Neill

The world's biggest inland delta (it's roughly the size of Israel) is ideal for waterborne safaris–you can see hippos and 6 meter long crocodiles.
Ahaggar National Park, Algeria

By Ali O'Neill

Located in the Ahaggar Mountains (in the desert mountainous zone of the Sahara), this intriguing park is home to cheetahs, gazelles and Barbary sheep.
Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda

By Ali O'Neill

Not quite as accessible as some of the other parks, but worth the effort: it's considered one of Africa's most picturesque parks, and is known for its incredible herds of buffalo.
Perinet Reserve, Madagascar

By Ali O'Neill

80% of Madagascar's wildlife can only be found on the island itself, and Perinet, home to the giant indri (a type of lemur with a haunting call) is one of its most popular parks.
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

By Ali O'Neill

Contiguous with the Serengeti, and named for the Maasai people who inhabit the region. Famous for its lions, leopards and cheetahs, and although small, has an incredible concentration of wildlife.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

By Ali O'Neill

At the core of this conservation area is the incredible Ngorongoro Crater, which forms a natural enclosure for a large variety of wildlife, including black rhinos, hippos, wildebeests and zebras.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

By Ali O'Neill

At 52,800 km² this game reserve in the Kalahari desert of Botswana is the second largest in the world. Some of the wildlife to be seen include giraffes, hyenas, warthogs, cheetahs, leopards and lions.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

By Ali O'Neill

This park–331 km² of jungle forests accessible only by foot–has a number of tree species and endemic butterflies, as well as half the world's population of mountain gorillas (340 at last count).
Amboseli National Park, Kenya

By Ali O'Neill

One of Kenya's most popular parks, Amboseli offers the classic view of Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as huge herds of elephants, and a number of lions, leopards and cheetahs.
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

By Ali O'Neill

One of Africa's best-known parks; famous for its annual migration of wildebeests, gazelles and zebras followed by their predators. Considered one of the least disturbed ecosystems on earth.
Kruger National Park, South Africa

By Ali O'Neill

One of the largest national parks in the world, Kruger has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve, including the "Big 5": Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Rhinos and Buffalos.
Etosha National Park, Namibia

By Ali O'Neill

This 22, 270 km² park gets its name from the white Etosha salt pan which covers 1/4 of the park. Home to 100s of species, including the endangered black rhinoceros.
Chobe National Park, Botswana

By Ali O'Neill

Renowned for its elephant population, Chobe has an estimated 50, 000 elephants: the highest concentration in Africa, and part of the largest continuous surviving elephant population.