The Big Five include the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo—the most impressive wildlife seen on safari in Africa. They are notorious as the most dangerous of Africa's large animal species. Since 1998, African Sky has offered private overland safaris and luxury fly-in packages that will bring you close to these mighty animals.
Need Advice?These majestic animals have captured the imaginations of visitors to Africa for centuries. You would only need one encounter with a member of this imposing quintet to understand why.
These itineraries will likely bring you close contact with Africa's imposing animals.
Explore South Africa's national parks on a comprehensive private overland safari, which includes Kruger National Park, Addo Elephant Park, Hluhluwe, and the Garden Route National Park.
This package features two of South Africa's top destinations. It combines Cape Town with a Big Five safari in the Sabi Sand.
Enjoy Big 5 safaris from a base in a private concession within the heart of the Kruger National Park. Accommodation is at personal lodges.
Big Five encounters are all characterized by one thing: awe! Awe at the stealth and beauty of the leopard, awe at the gentility of the giant elephant, awe at the fierce majesty and hunting prowess of a pride of lions, awe at the almost casual yet commanding power of a herd of Cape buffalo, and awe at the prehistoric appearance of the endangered rhino.
Where you find the continent's supreme five animals, you will also find the continent's ultimate lodges. The safari areas need to be first-class to sustain such majesty, and the lodges they host are of equal stature. Here, you can relish encounters with these amazing animals, beautiful wilderness areas, and lavish accommodations.
If your safari photographs involve the Big Five, they will become all the more memorable. A leopard stalking through the bush or high up in a tree, a family of elephants crossing a river or gamboling in the current, a tender moment between a lioness and her cubs, or an army of buffalo blocking out the landscape with their black bodies—photographic opportunities abound.
The private game reserves are known for their ultra-luxurious lodgings. With your plush accommodations, however, you will enjoy the company of an experienced ranger (and often a tracker) during your game drives, ensuring unforgettable sightings of the Big 5.
Southern Africa's Big Five-bearing national parks are timeless, authentically wild spaces where you can enjoy a guided overland safari that offers great value for money. The Big Five roam these breathtaking landscapes in significant numbers, augmenting your chances of sightings.
Botswana boasts inimitable, authentic wilderness areas. Currently, rhinos only occur on Chief's Island in the Okavango Delta's Moremi Game Reserve. You will likely encounter the remaining four members in healthy numbers in the Chobe National Park, Savute safari area, Linyanti swamp, and the Okavango Delta.
Etosha National Park is home to all but the Cape buffalo, and it remains one of the finest corners of the continent to encounter endangered black rhinos. Lions and elephants are also frequently sighted, while the leopard remains as elusive and shy (yet still as common) as elsewhere in Southern Africa.
Zambia's wilderness areas are dramatically remote and truly wild. Four of the Big 5 - leopard, lion, buffalo, and elephant - occur in generous populations in its stunning national parks, like South Luangwa, Kafue, and Lower Zambezi. Visitors can head to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park near Livingstone to view rhinos.
In Zimbabwe, the Big 5 still reigns supreme in Hwange National Park, while four of the Big 5 (no rhinos, unfortunately) roam the breathtaking wilderness of Mana Pools. These are Zimbabwe's premier safari areas and the regions where you will most likely encounter these majestic mammals.
Kruger Park Safaris
The Kruger National Park's diversity is legendary amongst safari enthusiasts, boasting 147 different species of mammals.
Luxury Safaris
Our luxury safaris combine exceptional game viewing and stunning wilderness areas with sumptuous accommodations.
South Africa Safaris
No other country in Southern Africa offers the diversity of national parks and private game reserves as South Africa.
African Lodges
The African lodges included in our safari packages range from intimate tented camps to extravagant safari palaces.
