An encounter with an elephant is one of the most special and memorable moments of a safari in Africa – their majestic size, gentle grace, sharp intelligence and emotional sensitivity make for compelling and moving wildlife viewing. Family herds are dominated by a matriarch and their social interactions are obvious to watch (and hear!).
Top 12 places to see elephants on safari in Africa
Thanks to amazing and vital conservation efforts, elephants can be seen throughout the safari regions of Africa, but to see elephants in large numbers in the wild, these areas would be our top recommendations:
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Chobe should be at the top of your list if you are an elephant lover. It has one of the highest concentrations of elephants in Africa and the size of the herds are some of the largest you’ll come across, especially in the dry season (June-October). The Chobe River section is also well known for sightings of elephants swimming.
HWANGE NATIONAL PARK, ZIMBABWE
Hwange is easily accessed from Victoria Falls, and is particularly well known for having one of the largest elephant populations in the world (with estimates ranging from 30,000-40,000). At the end of the dry season (September and October) these numbers can double as elephants roam in from Botswana in search of water, congregating in their hundreds around the pumped waterholes in the park. A stay at Somalisa Camp or Somalisa Expeditions can have you almost within touching distance of elephants from your sun lounger.
AMBOSELI & THE CHYULU HILLS, KENYA
Set under towering Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli has been famous for elephants ever since it was gazetted a National Park in 1974. Elephant research has been carried out here for many years, most famously by Cynthia Moss, so most of the herds are well known and documented. The region is famous for being home to some of Africa’s remaining Big Tusker elephants. One of our favourite bases in the area for a more exclusive experience is ol Donyo Lodge in the striking Chyulu Hills National Park. Located to the east of Amboseli National Park, you can’t help but feel totally captivated by the ‘Chyulus’ with their dramatic scenery, and the opportunity to see some of Africa’s largest remaining ‘Super Tusker’ elephants. You can read more about Super Tuskers and the stunning Chyulu Hills here.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
Tarangire is often unfairly overlooked by the package safaris doing the ‘northern circuit’ in Tanzania. Tarangire is a real gem and extremely rewarding, especially during the dry season when it is full to the brim with elephants that rely on the waters of the Tarangire River and the park’s swamp areas. Large herds are common.
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Ruaha offers fantastic general game viewing, varied landscapes and low visitor numbers, a combination that is increasingly more difficult to find these days. Elephants are abundant and they are common visitors to many of the unfenced camps. In the dry season when the wildlife is forced to gather around the water sources, the elephants are frequently seen along the sand rivers digging for water and opening up waterholes for other species.
Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Mana Pools is a beautiful area in northern Zimbabwe, on the southern banks of the great Zambezi River. The old floodplains are wooded with acacia and mahogany trees, they teem with wildlife and possess an ethereal quality of light that draws photographers from across the world. The park is well known for elephants balancing on their hind legs and reaching up into the albida trees in search of tasty pods which makes for some perfect photographic opportunities. Mana is also well known for having fairly relaxed bull elephants that, with the right specialist guide, can be approached on foot for some exhilarating encounters.
Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Located in eastern Botswana, in the wedge historically known as the Tuli enclave, Mashatu is the largest privately owned game reserve in southern Africa. The beautiful and varied terrain is home to over 600 elephant, the largest population on private land in the world. Visit the underground photographic hide based at a waterhole which allows up close wildlife viewing from a ground level perspective.
Luangwa Valley, Zambia
The Luangwa Valley forms the southern end of the Great Rift Valley and is one of our favourite safari destinations. It is traditionally home of the walking safari and the wildlife viewing is some of the finest in Africa. The Luangwa River, the lifeline during the dry season from May to October, draws in large numbers of elephant and other the wildlife from the surrounding area.
Samburu and the Mathews Range, Kenya
The rugged Samburu, lying on the edge of Kenya’s northern frontier, is an ideal area to see elephants as they are drawn to the waters of the Ewaso Ngiro River. The other big game here is impressive too, with lion, leopard, and cheetah commonly seen alongside species more adapted to this drier habitat – Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, oryx and the reticulated giraffe. To the north, the rivers and springs rising in the Mathews Range support large numbers of elephant which exist thanks to a superb community-led conservation approach. This is the perfect area to combine authentic cultural experiences with elephant viewing.
KATAVI NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
Katavi is a remote national park located in south-western Tanzania, a wild and isolated area outside of the mainstream tourist destinations. With limited access, Katavi allows for a fantastic game viewing experience, away from the crowds. During the dry season, large numbers of elephant can be spotted drinking and cooling off in the Katuma River and surrounding floodplains.
LINYANTI REGION, BOTSWANA
To the north of the Okavango Delta and the west of Chobe National Park, the Linyanti Region is a game rich, unspoilt region of Botswana. Made up of three private concessions and the Chobe Enclave, it is often less crowded than the national parks. Although also well known for excellent wild dog sightings, elephants are superb in this region, particularly in the dry season when they are reliant on the Kwando and Linyanti river systems.
liwonde national park, malawi
Malawi is an up and coming safari destination offering good value and the chance to experience authentic wilderness and the results of highly successful conservation initiatives. Since falling under the stewardship of African Parks, Liwonde has benefited from some extraordinary wildlife translocations and reintroductions, including one of Africa’s biggest ever elephant translocations, ‘500 Elephants’. South of Lake Malawi, Liwonde’s lush tropical forests and plains flank the wide Shire River providing an intrinsically beautiful backdrop to good wildlife concentrations, in particular elephant, world class birdlife, and strengthening numbers of predators, especially cheetah.
Visting an elephant orphanage
In addition to seeing elephants in the wild, there are a number of elephant sanctuaries who carry out critical work to rescue elephants who get into difficulty. Aswell as supporting important efforts for the conservation and the protection of elephants, the experience of visiting is incredibly uplifting. We have had some fabulous experiences visiting the following orphanages and would highly recommend:
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operates one of the most well-known and successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation programs in the world. Visits to the Nairobi elephant nursery take place during the daily public viewing hour and during this time you get to see the elephants come down for a mud bath and have their milk. The nursery is very popular and booking in advance is necessary, but it’s a very joyful and worthwhile experience if you’re in Nairobi.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Kenya
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is a Samburu community-owned operation which takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves with the aim to release them back into the wild. A visit to Reteti is one of the highlights of staying in the magical Samburu and Mathews Range region (which itself is a fabulous place for elephant sightings – see above).
Elephant Havens, Botswana
Elephant Havens Elephant Orphanage rescues and hand-rears orphaned and abandoned baby elephants with the goal of eventually releasing them back into the wild alongside other elephants. The orphanage is an incredibly worthwhile experience to include while on safari in Botswana and you can include this as part of a scenic helicopter flight when staying on safari in many of Botswana’s safari areas.
How to plan an elephant safari to Africa
If you would like to learn more about elephant safaris in Africa, or about travelling to make a positive impact on the protection of elephants and their habitat, our knowledgeable team would love to help you plan the perfect safari. Please contact us here.