Original Story and Photography Published by: Bill Wiatrak for Houstonia
I often ask people I meet, if they could go anywhere in the world, where would they choose? One of the most common answers is often a place that the majority of travelers are unlikely to visit—a game park in Africa. For many of us, just mentioning the name of the continent conjures up images of lions chasing gazelles on the Serengeti and giraffes nibbling on acacia trees in the perfect Lion Kingsunset.
The reason more travelers have not gone on their dream trip to Africa is the perceived high price for such an adventure. With travel deals online starting at thousands per person, it appears to be a trip for just the well-heeled. However, travel to Africa can be accessible to anyone. Although flights to some countries in Africa can be some of the most expensive airfares in the world, my three favorite African hubs cost no more than flying to Europe if you do a little shopping around. Once you’re on the continent, you can put together your own safari for pennies on the dollar.
A flight to Ethiopia, Nairobi or Johannesburg can be booked for less than $800 round trip from many U.S. cities with a stopover in Istanbul, London, Amsterdam or perhaps Paris. You won’t find many safaris in Ethiopia, but Kenya has the Masai Mara National Reserve and is close to Tanzania’s famed Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. Jo’Berg (as the locals call it) in South Africa is driving distance to Kruger National Park. If you’re going to do a safari, none of these parks will disappoint you. They’re four of the best in the world.
