Tag Archives: Namibia

Off the Grid, Nature Travel, Travel Inspiration, National Parks

225 National Parks in Africa: List of National Parks

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There are over 225 National Parks and popular Game Reserves on the African continent. National parks can be found in a large majority of African countries, being most numerous in Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Namibia, and South Africa.

Many of these parks are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. They can be visited for safaris and to see the African flora and fauna.

The mighty lion in Botswana

Some nations also have considerable areas designated as private parks, game reserves, forest reserves, marine reserves, national reserves, and natural parks.

We have selected the most popular Game Reserves to be included in this list of National Parks because we believe you should not skip them. They are equally as impressive as any National Parks on this list.

National Parks in Africa

Listing all countries alphabetically (A to Z).

Algeria

Sahara desert, Algeria

  • Alhaggar National Park
  • Belezma National Park
  • Chrea National Park
  • Djebel Aissa National Park
  • Djurdjura National Park
  • El Kala National Park
  • Gouraya National Park
  • Taza National Park
  • Theniet El Had National Park
  • Tlemcen National Park

Angola

Sunset in Angola

  • Bicauri National Park
  • Cameia National Park
  • Cangandala National Park
  • Iona National Park
  • Longa-Mavinga National Park
  • Luenge National Park
  • Luiana National Park
  • Mucusso National Park
  • Mupa National Park
  • Quiçama National Park

Benin

Antelope calf drinking mother’s milk, Benin

  • Pendjari National Park
  • W National Park — also called W of the Niger National Park spanning Niger, Benin & Burkina Faso

Botswana

A leopard in Okavango Delta in Moremi National Park, Botswana

  • Central Kalahari Game Reserve
  • Chobe National Park
  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
  • Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
  • Moremi National Park — in the heart of the Okavango Delta

Burkina Faso

Oryx Antelope (almost near extinction in the wild)

  • Arli National Park
  • Deux Balés National Park
  • Kaboré Tambi National Park — formerly called Pô National Park
  • W National Park — also called W of the Niger National Park spanning Niger, Benin & Burkina Faso

Burundi

  • Kibira National Park
  • Risizi National Park
  • Rurubu National Park

Cameroon

Mount Cameroon, Africa

  • Bénoué National Park
  • Bouba Njida National Park
  • Boumba Bek National Park
  • Campo Ma’an National Park
  • Faro National Park
  • Korup National Park
  • Lobéké National Park
  • Nki National Park
  • Waza National Park

Cape Verde

Fogo volcano

  • Fogo National Park

Central African Republic

  • St. Floris National Park
  • André Félix National Park
  • Bamingui-Bangoran National Park
  • Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
  • Mbaéré Bodingué National Park

Chad

A Caravan in Chad’s Sahara

  • Aouk National Park
  • Goz Beïda National Park
  • Manda National Park
  • Zakouma National Park

Democratic Republic of the Congo

A chimpanzee in the wild

  • Garamba National Park
  • Virunga National Park
  • Kahuzi-Biéga National Park
  • Kundelungu National Park
  • Lomami National Park
  • Maiko National Park
  • Mangroves National Park
  • Salonga National Park (North and South sections)
  • Upemba National Park
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Note: This is not a national park. This is a reserve with core protection and multi-use areas)

Republic of the Congo

A Mandrill Monkey in Congo

  • Conkouati-Douli National Park
  • Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park
  • Ntokou-Pikounda National Park
  • Odzala-Kokoua National Park
  • Ougoue Lekiti National Park

Côte d’Ivoire

  • Assagny National Park
  • Banco National Park
  • Comoé National Park
  • Îles Ehotilés National Park
  • Marahoué National Park
  • Mont Nimba National Park
  • Mont Péko National Park
  • Mont Sângbé National Park
  • Taï National Park

Djibouti

  • Day Forest National Park
  • Djibouti National Park
  • Yoboki National Park

Egypt

White Desert National Park, Egypt

  • Gabal Elba National Park
  • Lake Burullus Protectorate
  • Lake Qarun Protectorate
  • Nabq Protected Area
  • Ras Muhammad National Park
  • Saint Katherine Protectorate
  • Sannur Valley Cave Protectorate
  • Siwa Oasis
  • Taba Protected Area
  • Wadi Allaqi Biosphere Reserve
  • Wadi El Gamal National Park
  • Wadi El Rayan Protectorate
  • White Desert National Park

Equatorial Guinea

  • Monte Alen Park

Eritrea

Mountains in Eritrea

  • Dahlak Marine National Park
  • Semenawi Bahri National Park

Ethiopia

Simien Mountain Gelada, Ethiopia

  • Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park
  • Awash National Park
  • Bale Mountains National Park
  • Mago National Park
  • Nechisar National Park
  • Omo National Park
  • Simien National Park — stunning mountain scenery and important wildlife populations in Ethiopia
  • Yangudi Rassa National Park

Kenya

Maasai Mara

  • Aberdare National Park
  • Amboseli National Park
  • Lake Nakuru National Park
  • Meru National Park
  • Mount Elgon National Park
  • Nairobi National Park
  • Samburu National Park
  • Sibiloi National Park
  • Tsavo National Park (East and West)
  • Maasai Mara Game Reserve (Note: not a National Park but the most popular destination in Kenya)

Gabon

A herd of African Buffalo

  • Akanda National Park
  • Batéké Plateau National Park
  • Birougou National Park
  • Crystal Mountains National Park
  • Ivindo National Park
  • Loango National Park
  • Lopé National Park
  • Mayumba National Park
  • Minkébé National Park
  • Moukalaba-Doudau National Park
  • Mwangné National Park
  • Pongara National Park
  • Waka National Park

Gambia

  • Abuko National Park
  • Bijilo National Park
  • Kiang West National Park
  • Niumi National Park
  • River Gambia National Park

Ghana

Life in Ghana, West Africa

  • Bia National Park
  • Bui National Park
  • Digya National Park
  • Kakum National Park
  • Kalakpa Game Production Reserve
  • Mole National Park
  • Nini-Suhien National Park

Guinea

  • Badiar National Park
  • Haut Niger National Park

Guinea-Bissau

  • Cacheu River National Park
  • João Vieira Marine Park
  • Orango Islands National Park

Lesotho

  • Sehlabathebe National Park — a remote mountain reserve great for hiking with rare wildlife, impressive waterfalls, and ancient rock paintings and stone shelters

Malawi

  • Lake Malawi National Park — pictured above
  • Kasungu National Park
  • Lengwe National Park
  • Liwonde National Park
  • Nyika National Park — a large highland national park in Malawi

Mozambique

A Nyala Antelope in Mozambique

  • Gorongosa National Park
  • Limpopo National Park

Namibia

Antelopes in a flowers meadow in Etosha National Park, Namibia

  • Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park — including the Fish River Canyon Park
  • Bwabwata National Park — composed by ex “Caprivi Game Park” and ex “Mahango Game Reserve”
  • Etosha National Park — abundant wildlife in the “big white place”
  • Fish River Canyon Park — the second largest canyon in the world
  • Khaudum National Park — maybe the most remote of all Namibian national parks, known for its tourist-terrorizing elephants
  • Mudumu National Park
  • Namib-Naukluft National Park — contains the famous Sossusvlei valley and the world’s highest dunes
  • Nkasa Lupala National Park
  • Skeleton Coast National Park
  • Waterberg Plateau Park — another good place to watch wildlife

Niger

  • W National Park — also called W of the Niger National Park spanning Niger, Benin & Burkina Faso

Nigeria

Zebra is common across sub-sharan Africa

  • Chad Basin National Park
  • Cross River National Park (Okavango and Oban sections)
  • Gashaka-Gumti National Park
  • Kainji National Park (Borgu and Zugurma sections)
  • Kamuku National Park
  • Okomu National Park
  • Old Oyo National Park
  • Yankari National Park

Rwanda

Rwanda is the best place in the world to see Silverback Gorillas

  • Akagera National Park
  • Volcanoes National Park — in Rwanda is full of impressive rainforest and volcanic scenery of the Virunga Mountains and is perhaps the best place in the world to see rare mountain gorillas. Across the border, in Uganda, it is known as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
  • Gishwati Forest
  • Nyungwe Forest National Park

São Tomé and Príncipe

  • Obo National Park

Senegal

  • Basse Casamance National Park
  • Isles des Madeleines National Park
  • Langue de Barbarie National Park
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary
  • Niokolo-Koba National Park
  • Saloum Delta National Park

Seychelles

A beach in Seychelles

  • Curieuse Marine National Park
  • Morne Seychellois National Park
  • Praslin National Park
  • Ste. Anne Marine National Park

Sierra Leone

  • Gola Rainforest National Park
  • Outamba-Kilimi National Park
  • Western Area National Park

Somalia

  • Daallo Mountain
  • Hargeisa National Park
  • Hobyo grasslands and shrublands
  • Jilib National Park
  • Kismayo National Park
  • Lag Badana National Park

South Africa

A Yellow Billed Hornbill in the mountains of Pilanesberg in South Africa

  • Addo Elephant National Park
  • Agulhas National Park
  • Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
  • Augrabies Falls National Park
  • Bontebok National Park
  • Camdeboo National Park
  • Golden Gate Highlands National Park
  • Karoo National Park
  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
  • Knysna National Lake Area
  • Kruger National Park
  • Mapungubwe National Park
  • Marakele National Park
  • Mokala National Park
  • Mountain Zebra National Park
  • Namaqua National Park
  • Table Mountain National Park
  • Tankwa Karoo National Park
  • Tsitsikamma National Park
  • West Coast National Park
  • Wilderness National Park
  • Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park

South Sudan

  • Bandingilo National Park
  • Boma National Park
  • Nimule National Park
  • Southern National Park

Nile Crocodile in Sudan

Sudan

  • Dinder National Park
  • Lantoto National Park
  • Radom National Park
  • Suakin Archipelago National Park

Swaziland

  • Hlane Royal National Park – known for its Rhinos

Tanzania

An Elephant Family in Serengeti, Tanzania

  • Arusha National Park
  • Gombe Stream National Park
  • Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
  • Lake Manyara National Park
  • Mahale Mountains
  • Mikumi National Park
  • Mkomazi Game Reserve
  • Ngorongoro Conservancy
  • Ruaha National Park
  • Rubondo Island National Park
  • Serengeti National Park — the biggest national park in Tanzania, perhaps the archetypal African game park; becomes the Maasai Mara National Reserve over the border in Kenya
  • Selous Game Reserve
  • Tarangire National Park — one of the best places in the world to see lions

Togo

  • Fazao-Malfakassa National Park
  • Fosse aux Lions National Park
  • Kéran National Park

Tunisia

  • Bou-Hedma National Park
  • Boukornine National Park
  • Chaambi National Park
  • El Feidja National Park
  • Ichkeul National Park
  • Jebil National Park
  • Sidi Toui National Park
  • Zembra and Zembretta Islands National Park

Uganda

A mountain Gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

  • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
  • Kabelaga National Park
  • Kidepo Valley National Park
  • Murchison Falls National Park
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • Rwenzori National Park — home of the almost mythical, otherworldly scenery of the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda

Zambia

  • Blue Lagoon National Park — very accessible
  • Kafue National Park — the largest national park of the country
  • Lavushi Manda National Park
  • Liuwa plains National Park
  • Lochinvar National Park — excellent for bird watching
  • Lower Zambezi National Park
  • Luambe National Park — used to be the president’s private game reserve, now pristine wilderness without mass tourism
  • Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
  • Nsumbu National Park — used to be very popular in the 1970s but has declined in the last decades
  • North Luangwa National Park — one of Africa’s great safari destinations
  • Nyika National Park
  • South Luangwa National Park

Zimbabwe

  • Victoria Falls National Park — one of the world’s largest waterfalls (pictured above)
  • Gonarezhou National Park
  • Chimanimani National Park
  • Chizarira National Park
  • Hwange National Park
  • Kazuma Pan National Park
  • Mana Pools National Park
  • Matobo National Park
  • Matusadona National Park
  • Nyanga National Park
  • Zambezi National Park

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Cultures & Customs, Solo Travel, International Travel, Did You Know

11 Things I Learned from Traveling Alone in Africa

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Namibia is one of the least populated and most peaceful countries in the world. Its beautiful landscape and laid-back culture lure tourists from all over Europe. As a white American woman officially in her mid-twenties, and never having been outside the United States, I took the international travel leap across the Atlantic to Heathrow, then another flight down Africa overland, and finally a 2-hour jump to Windhoek.

As a young woman traveling alone, without any international traveling wits and useless guidebook knowledge in my head, here are just some of my mishaps and learning experiences from Traveling Alone in Africa.

Left Side Driving in Namibia

The first thing I learned after touching ground on Namibian soil was how to drive. Sure, I had a driver’s license. But I had to relearn how to drive a stick-shift in a diesel Ford Ranger while driving on the left side of the road, sitting in the right side of the cab, in a strange African city after having been in and out of airports for a day and a half. My foot was so shaky on the clutch I killed the engine several times merging onto busy roads.

Do Not mess with Baboons

I learned that baboons are nothing to mess around with. Baboons loiter along the side of the road and swarm Waterberg. Smart as they are ugly, they have figured out how to knock on your door, and will try to break into your bungalow to look for food. One afternoon while hiking along the plateau, I found myself surrounded by these things. I thought they were going to attack, and I still don’t know why they didn’t at least try to take my small bag. In the end, I made it through them unharmed.

Kids are smart in Africa

Kids that grow up in mud huts are smarter and more tech savvy than I am. I’m not a true millennial; I still walk into the bank to deposit a check. But these kids out in the middle of nowhere know how to work phones and cameras, and a seventeen year old boy fixed the radio in my truck in five seconds. I felt pretty stupid.

Communicate Clearly

If you don’t speak clearly, the gas station attendant might put unleaded gasoline in your diesel engine. That’s what happened in Tsumeb, and I was stuck at the Shell for three hours while the local mechanic tinkered with the gas tank. Everything ended up okay, and I had plenty of friendly people to talk to. But I was sweaty, dehydrated, and more than nervous about making it home.

 

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Cultural Difference

People did not believe me when I said I don’t have a boyfriend. In their culture, a woman traveling by herself is entirely unheard-of. And some people couldn’t comprehend the choice to remain single as a lifestyle. Most people asked me where my husband and babies were, and some were quite shocked by my solitude. The only other lone travelers I met were old German men.  

Related: Solo Female Travel On Rise: A Report

The definition of Good can be different

I learned that the roads are good by African standards, but they are still African roads. They are rough and bumpy as all hell, and I sometimes drove for an hour or two without passing another vehicle. Most tourists I met had at least two tire blowouts.  

Keep some buffer time if you are traveling from USA

Its a I didn’t meet many Americans, I think mostly because it takes so long to get to Namibia from the States. It’s a long journey of domestic and international layovers. I took seven planes total round trip, which makes me wish I had gone for longer than just two weeks. At least I could be tired and grumpy and not get on anyone’s nerves. And vice versa.

People are kind

I got plenty of free souvenirs by making friends. Of course I wanted to buy everything that looked pretty and exotic, but my cash was disappearing. I ended up making friends with a part-time art dealer named Luigi. He tried to sell me some bracelets by telling me he’d been to Minnesota, not knowing that’s where I’m from. Turned out he visited my own hometown! The only Namibian I’d met who’d been outside of Africa, it was the master of all coincidences. And when I heard his story, I knew he wasn’t lying. He also gave me tons of free jewelry, baskets, and animal figurines.

Collect memories more than photographs

I wanted to stop at almost every turn to take pictures, but if I did that I’d never get anywhere. Sometimes you just have to drink in the view while you’re driving without stopping to document it. I drove hours through breathtaking landscape without taking any pictures because I wanted to get to my hotel before dark. The view will always be in my memory.

It’s okay to feel lonely sometimes

I was traveling alone, and it’s a remote desert so it would just be natural to feel lonely at times. Most nights the bar was a great place to chat up hotel staff and other travelers, and I met plenty of locals in Swakopmund. But once or twice I had to take a night off.

Related: How To Avoid Loneliness When Traveling Alone

Never in any real danger

I was scared at first, but I was never in any real danger. Namibia is one of the most peaceful countries you can find on the globe. I was safer over there than I ever would be at home in Minneapolis. And fellow travelers, guides and staff are more than willing to look out for young ladies gallivanting around the desert on their own

Related: 7 Safest Destinations for Solo Female Travelers

Author Bio:

Kelsey Jennen is a street-art photographer, lone traveler, and blogger on Badhazards. She works as a freelance writer and takes odd jobs with landscape companies. Lover of coffee and reading, she collects books, enjoys working outdoors, plays the drums, and has a cat named Pajamas.

 

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Spring Travel, Trip Ideas, Top 10 List

10 Stunning Images of Spring Trips

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Spring is here folks! As Percy Shelley, an English romantic poet, said, “If Winter comes can Spring be far behind?” 

That is what we all think when the winter freezes us off, but as soon as we see the first blooms of spring, we only want to bask in the sun.

Read: Top 9 Spring Destinations You Must Visit

Spring Trips

Here are the 10 stunning and soulful photographs from 10 different destinations to visit this Spring.

SRI LANKA

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The sun glides over the horizon leaving a crimson reflection on the Pottuvil lagoon, Sri Lanka. If you want to enjoy the sunset as much as the fishermen in the image are doing then you can take canoe tours through the lagoon and see lizards, crocodiles, macaques and even elephants.

In Sri Lanka, you can indulge in all kinds of boating activities. You can sail from a beach to beach and you can also ferry yourself to Pigeon Island which is famous for snorkeling.

You can paddle through the waters of lagoons and watch the diverse wildlife. And you can also get a suntan at the Pasikuda beach. Sri Lanka offers you a relief from the winter blues and is one of the sunniest places you can opt for in Spring.

Related: Travel Bucket List

FOGO ISLAND, CANADA

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A dream looks exactly like the Fogo Island Inn where you get a floor to ceiling views of the ocean. In Fogo Island in Newfoundland, Canada, the night views are adorned with the glittery Milky way above your head. A whole new world comes alive around you, pulsing with serenity.

Fogo Island Inn offers Luxury at its best. It is not just the Canadian Whiskey we are talking about or the rooftop hot tubs, but the magnificent views of the landscape around it.

Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn is surrounded by quaint fishing villages, along which you can take bike rides and go on boats to go whale-watching as well. The delights which this places offer are too big a temptation. If you have got the cash, then we recommend you go for it.

 

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NAMIBIA

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When the sandy shore of the Namib desert kisses the turquoise blue ocean, you get this surreal image of two worlds meeting. Want to see Ocean and Desert going hand in hand then a trip to Namibia is what you need to do.

As soon as spring touches the ground here, Rain leaves Namibia. There are abundant wildflowers and pastures from the previous showers to get you through your spring delight. At this time of the year, the travel costs are pretty low and you can get better access to hotels and basic amenities while traveling.

But you are not going to Namibia just to lounge in a hotel, right? The Namib-Naukluft National Park is rich in wildlife such as giraffes, rhinos, elephants, and lions, who come out of their hiding during summer. It’s not just about the wildlife, who wouldn’t love to surf through the sand?

Read: Adventure in Namibia (Trip Report)

PERU

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Into the wild, I go, to lose myself and find my soul. Embark on the wild journey through the upper Amazon, and let the river enchant you. Live in the treehouses and sail on wooden boats- like a local. Find your tribe.

Till May, Peru’s Amazon River receives rainfall. That means cooler temperatures and easy navigation through the river. You can beat the winter cold with the boat rides on this ancient river.

You might feel like you are in the middle of nowhere when you are here, but it is exactly the heart of nature you are in. The golden sunsets, the pink dolphins and the nights spent on boats and tree houses are worth a lifetime of experience.

SVALBARD

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Nothing is more breath-taking than watching the blind fury of nature. The 100-mile long ice wall of Svalbard crashes in the springtime. You can watch it if you are lucky enough – with some timing and a bit of patience.

 

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Svalbard is just 620 miles from the North Pole, which means it is the place of eternal sunshine during summers. In spring you can bath in the polar glow of the sun.

It is not just you who craves the sunlight, but the polar bears, walruses, and seals also come out of their hibernation. So, you can see their summer bodies. Spot the wildlife while you are off hiking or kayaking.

JAPAN

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All of us love that blush pink color and we always wish we could bottle it up. Such is the charm of the cherry blossoms you see in this picture. The golden lights and the pink reflect in the water of the Meguro River in Tokyo giving it a twinge of sunset.

Spring in Japan brings with it a season of cherry blossoms. People flock to places where there are these blossoms like Nakameguro canal, sakura hot springs where you can watch the bloom in all its glory.

There is also the Takayama Spring Festival in the Hida Mountains where there is an exquisite lantern parade every year. The blossoms continue till the month of May in Hokkaido.

And there are many ways for you to enjoy these cherry blossom sessions in sspring, may it be boating down the Kitakami river surrounded by cherry trees or dipping in the hot springs of Kawazu.

PANAMA

 

The turquoise blue water meets the sandy white beach in the Coiba National Park, Panama. A day on the beach is magical when you spend it doing boating or snorkeling.

Most of the tourists prefer traveling to Costa Rica, which leaves Panama less-crowded and serene. This Caribbean island has a variety of fun things to do – like from diving in with sharks and manta rays, to pampering yourself in a swanky cabana in Pearl islands.

It is a bit rustic compared to its neighboring islands. It has got a weak Wi-Fi connection, which is good if you want to get lost. And the chief mode of transportation are still horses, and you can have a clear sky for star gazing.

 

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COLUMBIA RIVER, CANADA

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This image looks nothing less than a painting. The Columbia River in British Columbia, Canada winds through the deep gorges, and the gentle colors of sunrise grace the sky. Anybody would kill to have a view like this as soon as they wake up. 

Besides, the river live many indigenous tribes who have lived there for centuries. Yakama, Nez Perce, Umatilla – all these tribes are masters at living in the wild.

You can Learn many things from them like nest-fishing or basket weaving. You can even find few touristy places around here to visit the Western Antique and Automobile Museum and Fort Clatsop.

SEYCHELLES

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Vitamin Sea is all anyone needs after a long winter. And what better way than to witness the deep blue waves crashing against the rocky beaches of Seychelles. This image is of the La Digue beach in Seychelles, one of the popular beaches.

There are about 115 islands along the coast of Tanzania which make up Seychelles. It is a dream holiday to fly over any one of these islands and enjoy your spring amidst the cool blowing trade winds and cute tortoises making their way into the moonlit ocean. 

These islands are not limited to coastal vegetations and aquatic animals, but you will find that the shores of the beaches are rocky. There are granite cliffs rather than the sandy beaches, and quiet dinners rather than loud crowds – its Nirvana.

MOROCCO

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Go offbeat, while visiting Morocco and visit this little town of Essaouira as an alternative to Marrakech. It is more of a quaint fishing village rather than a loud tourist town.

The Berber villages of Atlas mountains are cooler options to visit in spring, cooler as in literally. The village of Essaouira is cooled with the Azilee trade winds.

There is another city of Chefchaouen which also has a great outdoor market like Essaouira selling oriental rugs, aromatic spices, and Moorish lanterns. Explore these Moroccan delights in spring to take a break from the winter blues.

 

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