Twenty years of watching Africa’s most magnificent beasts has taught me one thing: that heart-stopping moment when a leopard locks eyes with you across the savanna never gets old.
After 50+ safaris, I’m sharing my insider secrets for finding each of the Big 5 – and trust me, I’ve learned these lessons the hard way.
African Lion: The King of the Savanna
Want to see lions? Head to Tanzania’s Serengeti between January and March. That’s when the great wildebeest migration draws millions of prey animals – and the lions follow.
Book a stay at one of the mobile camps that track migration. The real secret? Skip the morning game drive that everyone takes.
Lions are most active at dusk, and they often hunt at night. Get out there at 4 PM and stay until sunset.
The Ngorongoro Crater offers almost guaranteed lion sightings year-round – its enclosed nature means the pride can’t leave the crater. Pro tip: Look for lions around kopjes (rocky outcrops) during midday heat – they use these spots as vantage points and temperature-controlled lounges.
African Leopard: The Silent Hunter
These spotted cats are notoriously difficult to spot – unless you know where to look. South Africa’s Sabi Sands Game Reserve boasts the highest concentration of leopards in Africa. Why? Decades of protection mean these normally shy cats are comfortable with vehicles.
June to October is prime time when thinning vegetation makes spotting easier.
Pro tip: Look for leopards around rocky outcrops called koppies, especially in the late afternoon. They often drag their kills into trees, so scan the branches of large trees near water sources.
Listen for the alarm calls of impala and baboons – they’ll tell you when a leopard’s nearby. The best viewing happens in the early morning when leopards return from their night hunts or in the late afternoon as they wake up to begin hunting.
African Elephant: The Gentle Giant
For African elephants, timing isn’t as crucial as location. Botswana’s Chobe National Park hosts the world’s largest elephant population – over 120,000 of them.
Visit during the dry season (July to October) when they gather in massive herds along the Chobe River.
The secret most guides won’t tell you? Book a river cruise instead of a game drive. Elephants are more relaxed around boats, and you’ll get incredibly close as they drink and play in the water.
The lighting for photos is perfect in the late afternoon when they come down for their evening drink. Don’t miss the underground hide at Mashatu in Botswana – you can photograph elephants from ground level as they drink, capturing incredible angles impossible to get elsewhere.
Cape Buffalo: The Black Death
Don’t let their cow-like appearance fool you – buffalo are considered the most dangerous of the Big 5.
Kenya’s Masai Mara offers incredible buffalo viewing opportunities year-round. These massive herds (sometimes numbering thousands) are most visible during the dry season from June to October.
The hidden gem for buffalo spotting? Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park. Here, you can do walking safaris – getting close enough to hear them breathe.
Just remember: never get between a buffalo and water, and always listen to your guide. Old male buffalo, known as “dagga boys,” are particularly dangerous. They often hang out in small groups away from the main herd and are known to ambush anything they consider a threat.
African Rhino: The Living Tank
Both black and white rhinos are critically endangered, making them the hardest of the Big 5 to spot. Namibia’s Etosha National Park is your best bet for black rhinos – they come to drink at floodlit waterholes at night.
For white rhinos, South Africa’s Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park is unbeatable. Visit during the Southern Hemisphere winter (May to September) when the grass is short.
Inside secret? Book a walking safari specifically focused on rhinos. The tracking experience is unforgettable, and you’ll learn to spot the difference between black and white rhino tracks.
Despite their names, both species are gray – the “white” in white rhino comes from a misinterpretation of the Dutch word “wijd” meaning wide, referring to their square lips.
Best Time-Saving Combinations
Want to maximize your chances of seeing all five? Here’s where to go:
- Greater Kruger (South Africa): Possible to see all five in a single day, especially in the private reserves. The best time: is June to September. Focus on the Sabi Sands and Timbavati areas. These private reserves share unfenced borders with Kruger National Park, giving animals free range to move while offering you exclusive viewing rights.
- Masai Mara (Kenya): Excellent year-round viewing, with the added bonus of the migration. Peak season: July to October. The conservancies around the main reserve offer more exclusive viewing.
- Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania): Confined space means a higher concentration of animals. Any time of the year works. Early morning offers the best predator sightings. The crater floor spans just 100 square miles, making it easier to track all five species.
- Madikwe Game Reserve (South Africa): Often overlooked but fantastic for Big 5 viewing. The reserve is malaria-free and less crowded than Kruger. Best time: May to September. The reserve’s varied terrain – from riverside woods to open plains – provides a perfect habitat for all five species.
- Zambezi Valley (Zimbabwe): Mana Pools and Lower Zambezi offer a unique combination of land—and water-based safaris. The best time is July to October.
Budget at least 7-10 days if you’re combining two or more of these locations. Consider starting in South Africa for almost guaranteed sightings, then moving to East Africa for the more dramatic landscapes and massive herds.
Photography Tips That Actually Work
- Lions: Shoot in burst mode – they’re lazy until they’re not. Focus on the cubs playing in the early morning.
- Leopards: Use a longer lens (400mm minimum) and focus on the eyes. Early morning and late afternoon light creates stunning spotted coat patterns.
- Elephants: Wide-angle shots work best to capture the scale. Get low to the ground for more dramatic compositions.
- Buffalo: Early morning light catches the dust they kick up beautifully. Look for oxpeckers perched on their backs.
- Rhinos: Low-angle shots make them look even more impressive. Dawn and dusk provide the most atmospheric lighting.
Make It Happen: Your Safari Toolkit
Tips you should know when going on a safari!
- Park entry fees range from $50-100 per day. Book in advance during peak seasons.
- The best guides book out 6-12 months in advance. Request guides with at least 5 years of experience.
- Private reserves cost more but offer off-road driving and night safaris – worth every penny for serious photographers.
- Consider mobile camping safaris – they follow the animals instead of staying in one place. These camps often provide the most authentic experience.
- Pack neutral-colored clothing, essential camera gear, and plenty of memory cards. You’ll shoot more photos than you expect.
Wild Africa Calls
The Big 5 aren’t just bucket list items – they’re your gateway to understanding Africa’s wild spaces. Pick your season, pack your camera, and prepare for moments that will make your heart race. These animals won’t be around forever – now’s the time to see them in their natural habitat!
Do you want to share your experiences or have a question, please leave your comments down below in the comment section or join my social media channels!
I wish you happy travels!
Kind regards,
Lizzy
I now have a YouTube channel as well!
YouTubeHello Africa travellers!
Who am I? Well, the least you can say is that I am quite crazy about Africa, its nature, its climate, its culture, and more.
As a young woman in my twenties, I had already traveled to several African countries by traveling along in an overlander on my own and mostly camping ( or glamping ) and just fell in love with the diversity of it all.
So much, so that at the age of 26, I went back to university to study biology, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t finish because of health reasons (yes, I got sick from a tropical disease, oh cynicism). But this did not stop my dream of traveling back to Africa several times, and I still do.
My dream was back then to leave Europe and go study animal behavior, especially the elephants (sure, that’s every girl’s dream haha), but I am also very much intrigued by hyenas and other “ugly African animals“.
So, I “kind of” have a little bit of a scientific approach to my articles, when I write about African birds, for example. And most of all: the passion.
But life goes on, you move from one side of the country to the other, you get sick again and top it off with lower back problems, and before you know it, you are over 50 hahaha!
Now, I still travel to Africa, but take it a bit “easier” than the good old camping days, and stay in comfortable, yet affordable accommodations, together with my husband Wouter.
These are some of the countries I have traveled to: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tunisia, and a little bit of Lesotho LOL .
While clearly not being African territory, but Spanish, I also visited Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and location-wise, I consider them “African”, because of their climate and nature, sue me :-p
The last trip I took was to South Africa in the year 2023, and it sure got the fevers for Africa back! From the Barberton mountains to the Drakensberg and the Southcoast, one month wasn’t enough at all to see the whole country, so we’ll be back! At ease and with a little bit more luxury than in my younger days haha!
I wish you happy travels!
Kind regards
Lizzy