Over the last decade and a half, I’ve visited some place in Africa each year. And while there’s still a lot for me to experience, I reckon I’m a bit of an African safari veteran, as compared to the average tourist. I was recently on a truncated safari in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - a wilderness that very few Indians have visited or even have on their bucket lists.

As I sat there in the campfire light one evening, I found myself thinking about the many safaris I’ve done — both in Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana) and in East Africa (primarily Kenya, across the Mara, Samburu, Amboseli, and the Great Lakes). And it struck me: while we tend to lump “African safaris” into a single experience, East Africa and Southern Africa are entirely different worlds. Both magnificent. Both unforgettable. And both are rewarding in their own ways.

The word safari itself comes from the Swahili word for "journey," and while a safari can be any trip in Africa, a game drive is the specific activity of getting into a vehicle to spot animals. In this article, I want to compare the game viewing experience in Kenya against that of Southern Africa, which includes Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. Let’s get started.

The vibe: open plains vs. diverse habitats

Imagine the movie The Lion King. The vast, open grasslands you see are the quintessential East African habitat. The expansive, undulating grasslands of Serengeti and the Maasai Mara are dotted with a few trees and rocky outcrops. These food-rich habitats lend East Africa a higher density of game. You'll rarely have a dull moment, with abundant sightings of wildebeest, buffalo, topi, and various gazelles. The high prey density also means you'll see more predators. It’s no wonder that the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem has one of the highest densities of cats in the world. There’s really no competition.

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem has 2x to 3x the lion density of the Kruger and the Moremi-Chobe ecosystem.
Cheetah density? Anywhere between 2x and 6x that of the Kruger.
You’re also far more likely to trip over large hyena clans in the Mara and the Serengeti, whereas in Southern Africa, they’re a prized sighting, especially in the drier habitats.

Southern Africa, on the other hand, is a study in diversity. Think of the massive dunes of the Namib, the vast pans of Etosha, the thick bush of Kruger National Park, and the lush riverine areas of the Chobe. Each is a unique ecosystem. This diversity in habitats leads to a great diversity of species. You'll find different types of hyenas—spotted, striped, brown, and aardwolves—and even different kinds of lions. The Kalahari lions, for example, are big and muscular with black manes, while those in Kruger are leaner and meaner.

Southern Africa is also famous for its leopard sightings, particularly in places like the Southern Kruger, which has high densities of fairly habituated leopards. And I can say without a shred of doubt that Southern Africa has some of the best places in the world to see African wild dogs. The Southern Kruger, for example, has some large wild dog packs close to the most popular SANParks rest camps.

Big five? Small five? Special seven?

When you go on an African safari, you’re often targeting the big five species - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Not all parks have the big five, though. Elephants, rhinos and buffalo have some pretty serious water and foraging needs, so you won’t find them everywhere. If it’s the big five you’re after, be sure that you’re heading to a big five destination.

To level up, you’ll also want a glimpse of the small five - the antlion, leopard tortoise, elephant shrew, rhino beetle, and the buffalo weaver. After all these years, I still haven’t seen them all. And whether or not you see the small five, you’ll experience a special thrill when you meet the two additions to the big five, that make up the special seven - the African wild dog and the lightning fast cheetah. Only a few parks offer a high chance of spotting these two threatened predators, so be sure to review your safari plans if these beasts are on your sighting wishlist.

In the east, it’s all about the spectacle.

Historically, both Southern Africa and East Africa have had animal migrations. Southern Africa has a zebra migration in the Magkadikgadi pans, and of course, the Serengeti-Mar ecosystem has the great wildebeest and zebra migration. East Africa, however, wins hands down because of the pure spectacle. The wildebeest migration has two major events each year - calving in Ndutu, Tanzania, and the crossings over the Mara River in Kenya. Each of these events leads to dramatic prey and predator activity, which in turn yields some incredible images.

The wildebeest migration is a photographer’s dream

That apart, once the wildebeest leave the Mara in October, all the other antelope start calving. So, budget-conscious photographers can visit the Mara in October and November and get some incredible photographs of predators going after young topi, springbok and warthog. As summer arrives, the big lion prides become desperate and pursue larger prey, such as buffalo. For photographers, the period between July and February holds incomparable opportunities!

In contrast, the zebra migration in Botswana isn’t as spectacular because there simply aren’t enough predators to cash in on the bounty. There are no precarious river crossings either. Over the decades, vet fences, homesteads, farms, and villages have also come in the way of historical migration routes. In effect, it’s all a bit “meh” in comparison to the Serengeti-Mara spectacle.

East Africa’s photography perks

For a wildlife photographer, East Africa is a dream. The open plains make it easy to see animals and position your vehicle for a great shot. Your photographic opportunities can start well before sunrise, with silhouettes, and end well after sunset. You can be out all day.

Guides are the game-changers in East Africa.

The magic of East Africa only comes alive when you work with the right guides. I see too many people spend heavily on lodges and creature comforts, yet skimp on the guides who make or break your safari experience. I always suggest working with a local guide who knows the park you’re visiting, instead of hiring a guide from a place like Nairobi. Local guides also have the strongest local networks, so you can benefit from the news that they get from their mates on the cellphone and the radio.

For example, in the Maasai Mara, I work only with Simon Kararei, a Maasai, who grew up and continues to live on the border of the national reserve. He knows the park and its animals like the back of his hand and knows exactly how to maximise your photography opportunities each day. Simon also owns a small camp on the edge of the park, and both his brothers are gun guides, too.

A few features make East Africa a special place for photographers:

Vehicle access: With an off-roading permit and the right guide, you can get closer to the action when you need to. You needn’t stay at an expensive lodge to enjoy these benefits.

Specialised vehicles: The local guides employ Landcruisers with three levels for photography: a low-set window or a removed door for near ground-level shots, the standard window, and a pop-up roof for elevated views. This multi-level setup allows you to capture a variety of images.

To photograph elephants, there’s no place better than the Amboseli

The super-tuskers: Kenya's Amboseli National Park and Tsavo National Park are home to some of the world's largest elephants with the most magnificent tusks. In Amboseli, you’ll often photograph these pachyderms against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, or while walking across dusty pans, affording you some dream images.

East Africa also has the best places to see and photograph cheetahs, which are diurnal hunters. I've had incredible sightings of cheetah hunts in the Masai Mara, a rarity in my Southern African experience.

Golden light? You still can’t match the east!

I also want to debunk a common myth. People wrongly believe that it’s easier to get golden light images in private concessions of the Greater Kruger and the Okavango Delta than in the Serengeti-Mara. Apparently, the golden-light advantage stems from two factors:

Since the Serengeti-Mara are very close to the equator, they have a shorter golden hour than the Greater Kruger and the Okavango Delta.
Conservancies in the Kruger and the Okavango Delta are smaller. Guides and trackers can approach their local predators through a network of access routes and off-roading, which is more challenging in the Serengeti-Mara.

The truth, however, is to the contrary. First, there’s not much of a difference between golden light durations in, say, the Mara and the Kruger. The Mara gets about 43-45 minutes of golden light each morning and evening, while the Kruger receives about 45-48 minutes. Yes, you get 2-8 minutes more in the south, but surely that’s not a significant game changer!

Second, accessing game on time is a matter of planning and experience. Skilful guides in the Maasai Mara have no trouble finding you golden light opportunities, as long as you’re staying in the right area. Of course, if you stay outside the park, you can’t reach the game-rich areas in time to make the most of the golden light.

Nashipai the cheetah supermom - warm silhouette.jpg

Sumeet Moghe - Cheetah quarrel - Maasai Mara.jpg

Third, photographing in golden light is about more than just finding the animals. The open plains of the Serengeti-Mara allow guides to position their vehicles in whichever way that matches your photographic vision. On the other hand, many areas of Southern Africa either have very thick habitat or strict rules that prohibit off-roading. So people often struggle to manoeuvre a car into a favourable position for photography. In fact, unless it’s a leopard on a tree, clean silhouettes are almost impossible in Southern Africa. In the Serengeti-Mara, though, the undulating plains and the three-level cars that I described above can give you loads of opportunities to create beautiful silhouettes at dawn and dusk.

Oh, and can I say something? Southern African game lodges and guides seem to love their sundowners! I’ve never quite understood this practice. Often, if there’s no news about predators, guides will just park their vehicles against a setting sun and share drinks with guests. Nothing annoys me more than wasting good light on drinks I can savour back in camp. One can always gulp down a can of beer in a moving vehicle. I’d rather go looking for common subjects to photograph in good light than be stood in the middle of the bush, sipping fizzy pop. But that’s just me!

If it’s your first safari, go to the Maasai Mara

Most photographers on their first African safari want just to sit back, relax and get themselves a few banger images. If you’re one of those first-timers, let the Maasai Mara spoil you. It’s by far Africa’s best photography destination, and don’t let anyone else convince you otherwise.

At about $5000-9000 for a week, you and your partner can sleep to the sound of lions roaring and hyenas laughing, in tented accommodation inside the reserve. Although it’s no longer as inexpensive to visit as it used to be, the value remains unmatched.

In that cost, you get your dedicated three-level Land Cruiser and access to some of the most badass guides on the planet. As long as you know your camera, you’ll have photos galore - no question about it.

Beyond the game drive: Southern Africa has a richer experience

While East Africa excels at high-density sightings, Southern Africa offers a richer, more hands-on experience. This region is not just for guided safaris; it is an ideal destination for self-drive safaris. Overlanding and self-driving make the bush experience richer.

In Southern Africa, the experience extends far beyond the game drive itself. When you self-drive, you're responsible for everything:

Game tracking & viewing: You learn to track animals, read their behaviour, and position your vehicle for a photo.
Camp life: You get to camp out in the wild, interacting with other travellers around a campfire.
Bushcraft: You learn practical skills like pitching a tent, cooking on a fire, and managing your resources like fuel, water, and food.

This holistic experience makes you feel more connected to the bush. You might not have the most spectacular or high-volume sightings, but you will have a deeper appreciation for the wild.

Even when it comes to experiencing wildlife, you have a wide variety of experiences available to you in the Southern African wilderness. For example, you can even walk around a campsite to photograph animals like meerkats, ground squirrels and mongoose on foot. In places like the Namib Desert, you can go looking for spiders, snakes and chameleons, to make macro images. In Mana Pools and Chitake Springs, experienced rangers can get you up close with elephants and predators on foot. And in parks like Etosha, you have productive waterholes attached to camps like Okakuejo and Halali, so the action doesn’t stop even when you return from your game drives.

Done with cats? Go to Southern Africa.

At some point, you’ll tell yourself that you know what a lion looks like. You’ll have seen cheetahs hunting and the customary leopard in a tree. This is the time to level up your bush experience and to seek a richer, more immersive experience in Southern Africa.

Want to take it easy? Visit Etosha, and just wait at the waterholes. Want a bigger challenge? Visit Kruger National Park and use a combination of your skills and the Latest Sightings mobile app to lead yourself to sightings. Need a planning challenge and a unique set of photos? Go to the Kgalagadi! Keen on roughing it out? Go overlanding in Botswana! Even a luxury safari in the Sabi Sands, Mala Mala, Okavango Delta and Manyeleti will teach you a lot if you observe how trackers follow spoor and animal calls to find special sightings.

So, go to Southern Africa to learn your bushcraft. You’ll experience a variety of different habitats and practice skills that go beyond just camera settings.

Show me the money: a guide to safari costs.

Costs are a significant factor in choosing a safari destination. Safaris in the Serengeti-Mara are no longer cheap, especially since the Mara park fees increased in 2024. That said, a guided safari in East Africa is significantly more affordable on a cost-per-photo basis than a comparable guided safari in Southern Africa.

Working directly with local guides in Kenya can help you keep your costs low. Lower costs allow you to stay on safari longer and increase your photographic opportunities. It also helps that in the Serengeti-Mara, you can be out photographing from dawn to dusk. Cloud cover can soften mid-day lighting conditions, and late in the year, dry grass can act as a natural reflector to afford you photos through the day.

Suppose you are seeking a luxurious, high-end experience. In that case, Southern Africa offers a myriad of options, but the costs can be very high — sometimes thousands of dollars per person per night. Guides in Southern African conservancies know their animals very well, so you can also have a productive photography experience there, as long as you can afford it all.

What about the sunken waterhole hides?

In the last decade or so, sunken hides that face waterholes have become incredibly popular with photographers. Zimanga, Mashatu, Umgede, Onguma, and Dinaka in Southern Africa, and Shompole and Lentorre in Kenya, are some of the best photographic hides that money can get you access to. Hides like the ones at Mashatu even give you fine-grained lighting control at night, so you can make some unique images that’ll be impossible to create naturally. Once you get to one of these hides, all you need is patience and some luck to create intimate, low-angle images of wildlife.

The advantages of such hides notwithstanding, most of them cost a pretty penny to access. If they don’t have custom lighting setups, most images can look pretty similar to one another. After all, everyone’s shooting from the same window, into mostly the same view. You may discover that a low-cut window on a safari vehicle gives you a greater variety of low-angle images - not just the ones of animals drinking.

All this said, I’d love to spend time at all these hides sometime in the future. And if only for the experience, you should plan some time there too, if and when you can afford it.

However, the cost equation changes dramatically if you choose to self-drive. In Southern Africa, parks like Etosha and Kruger are very well-suited for self-driving. The roads are well-marked, and you can’t go off-road, so you won't miss out on much compared to a guided trip. Self-driving puts the power in your hands, making the trip very affordable. As you’ll notice, the same amount of money can have you camping in the Kruger for four weeks versus just a week of guided safaris in the Maasai Mara. Eventually, animals don’t judge you by the amount of money you’re spending on posh lodges. If time in the wilderness is your main reward, you know which option to choose.

Costs for a couple for a week

	Maasai Mara (East Africa)	Kruger self drive (camping)	Kruger self drive (chalets)	Okavango Delta (Mombo camp)	Greater Kruger (Sabi Sands)
Park entry fees	$2,800	$340	$340	NA	NA
Vehicle rental	$1,750	$1,000	$900	Included	Included but often shared across groups
Guide fees	Included	NA	NA	Included	Included
Stay	$4,200	$140	$1,000	$20,000-34,000	$6,300
Food	Included	$500	$500	Included	Included
Fuel	Included	$200	$200	Included	Included
Total (excluding gratuities and flights)	≅$9,000	≅$2,200	≅ $3,000	$20,000-34,000	≅$6,300

So, which safari is right for you?

Here’s a quick summary to help you decide which region is best for your next trip:

Parameter	East Africa (Kenya)	Southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, South Africa)
Primary vibe	Open plains, high density of animals, iconic "Lion King" scenery	Diverse habitats from deserts to thick bush; quieter, more serene experience
Game density & variety	Very high game and predator density, especially cats. Great for guaranteed sightings.	High diversity of species and habitats. Predator sightings can be more spread out, especially on self-drives.
Photography	Unmatched opportunities for high-quality photos, especially of predators. You’ll often end up neglecting common game antelopes and birds.	Excellent, but requires more work to get the shot — a better option if you’re seeking a wide variety of images of different species.
Experiences	Primarily guided safaris.	Guided safaris are available, but self-driving is a popular, cost-effective, and immersive option.
Cost & value	Guided safaris are now expensive, but you get great value for money and a high "cost-per-photo" return.	Guided safaris are often very expensive. Self-driving is an excellent option for a more affordable trip.
The "first-timer" choice	The ideal first safari.	The ideal second or third safari to deepen your bush skills.

Ultimately, if you're planning your first safari, don't overthink it. Just head to the Masai Mara. It's the perfect place to get a taste of Africa and guarantee great sightings. If you want to level up your bush skills, seek solitude, or prefer a self-drive adventure, find a place to explore in Southern Africa. So, what kind of safari-goer are you? Where would you like to go for your African safari? Let me know in the comments!

Safari showdown: An Indian photographer's guide to East vs Southern Africa