Walking safaris

South Luangwa in Zambia has traditionally been the home of the finest walking safaris with some very experienced high class operators. From June to November small walking safaris trek between impossibly beautiful small camps and the rewards, be they predator encounters huge nesting colonies of carmine bee eaters, are sensational. The Kruger National Park in South Africa has a long standing series of 3-4 days treks escorted by rangers. And famously, if you want to see the Mountain gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda, then a trek is the only option.

There are plenty of fantastic opportunities outside of Africa where you can see some great wildlife while on foot, from Chitwan national Park in Nepal, to Torres del Paine in Chile and the Carpathian mountains of Romania.

If you don't fancy walking amongst the big game and cats, but you love the idea of a gentle wander, there are plenty of opportunities throughout Africa. Crescent Island on Lake Naivasha, Kenya, or the nearby Hells Gate National Park, are both open for unnaccompanied walkers, as is Arusha National Park in Tanzania and many private parks in South Africa. There are many parts of east and southern Africa where it is possible to wander around outside the game reserves but still see plenty of game (the animals don't recognise the park boundaries).

There are other areas in Africa where walking safaris are spectacular such as Mkuzi in South Africa, the Karoo, the Kaokoveld in Namibia (especially for rhino) and even in the Masai Mara, but South Luangwa and Mana Pools in Zimbabwe (especially if combined with a canoe trail) remain the clear leaders in this field.