A holiday to Africa offers so much more than just wildlife – the continent is blessed with luxurious white-sand beaches for travellers looking to spend some time in the sun. Here are a few of the best safari and beach holiday destinations in Africa.
South Africa
Best safari destination – Kruger National Park
South Africa’s Kruger National Park is home to a high density of wildlife – and is also one of the best locations to see Africa’s Big Five.
Kruger is a fantastic all-year-round round safari destination. However, the ideal time to visit is during the dry winter months from May to September as the animals congregate around waterholes and rivers.
Best beach – Camp’s Bay
TripAdvisor ranks Cape Town’s Camp’s Bay beach as the second best beach in Africa and with good reason as well, it’s turquoise-coloured waters attracts thousands of tourists each year.
Naturally, the best time to visit Camp’s Bay is during the summer months of November – April.
Kenya
Best safari destination – Masai Mara National Reserve
Dubbed by many as Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve, the Masai Mara stretches for 1510 square kilometres and his home to rich concentrations of wildlife, including the Big Five as well as over 400 different birds species.
However, the highlight of the Mara Reserve is the wildebeest migration – one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The herds head to the Masai Mara from July to October, crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River in their quest for better food and water resources.
Best beach – Watamu
Watamu is a small town on the coast of Kenya, its shoreline boasting white sand beaches and different bays such as Garoda Beach, Turtle Bay, Blue Lagoon Bay, Watamu Bay, Ocean Breeze, Kanani Reef and Jacaranda Beach – all forming part of the Watamu Marine National Park.
Tanzania
Best safari destination – The Serengeti National Park
Tanzania is a wonderful safari and beach holiday destination and the Serengeti National Park is the jewel in it’s crown. The Serengeti is home of the wildebeest migration, the Big Five and over 500 species of birds.
Best beach – Zanzibar
Boasting all-year-round warm weather, Zanzibar is a luxurious beach destination for those looking to relax after spending some time on safari.
It’s crisp white sand beaches and sky blue waters makes it one of the most popular beach holiday destinations on the planet. Zanzibar is also commonly known as the Spice Islands due to their production of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper.
Author: Lana Goodwin
Published: 6 March 2017
Last Update: 6 May 2024