Where to go: Malaria-Free Safaris
Where a malaria-free trip goes: the countries, parks, islands and coasts, and what each one is for.
Malaria-Free destinations
East Africa's great parks sit inside the malaria zone, so this collection leans to the south and to the islands. If the Serengeti or the Mara is the dream, the Big 5 and migration collections are the place to look, and a clinic will advise on prophylaxis for those dates.
The Indian Ocean islands make natural finishes. The Seychelles and Mauritius are both commonly listed as malaria-free, and either pairs with a Cape or Eastern Cape safari on a single trip, with a short flight in between.
South Africa: Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and 4 more
Cities, vineyards, mountains, and some of the continent's best-known wildlife reserves, all easy to join into one trip.
South Africa can be a city, a wine valley, a malaria-free reserve, and a beach in one trip. The roads and the flights make that practical.
Kruger and the private reserves beside it are the wildlife. Cape Town is the start or the finish. You do not have to choose.
South Africa destination guide
Cape Town
A harbour city between Table Mountain and the Atlantic, useful as a start or finish to a longer safari.
Cape Winelands
Dutch-gabled towns and vineyard valleys about an hour from Cape Town.
Eastern Cape
A quieter province of coastline, farming towns, and malaria-free reserves such as Addo.
KwaZulu-Natal
The province from the Drakensberg to the Indian Ocean, with Durban as its main city.
Madikwe
A malaria-free reserve on the Botswana border, reached from Johannesburg rather than the lowveld.
Franschhoek
A small winelands town in a valley, known for long lunches and cellar visits.
Johannesburg
South Africa's largest city, and the usual flight hub for Kruger and the northern reserves.
Whale Coast
The bay towns east of Cape Town where southern right whales gather in the second half of the year.
Namibia: Damaraland, Etosha, Swakopmund, Windhoek
Desert, coast, and Etosha's wildlife, with long distances that suit a fly-in or a careful self-drive.
Namibia is desert, coast, and one great wildlife park. Sossusvlei's dunes, Etosha's waterholes, and Damaraland's desert elephants can sit in a single self-drive.
It is one of the easier countries to travel without a private guide, and one of the most striking if you do.
Namibia destination guide
Damaraland
Rocky desert west of Etosha, tracked for desert-adapted elephants and ancient rock art.
Etosha
A huge salt pan park in the north, where animals gather at floodlit and daytime waterholes.
Swakopmund
A small German-influenced town on the Atlantic, between the dunes and the sea.
Windhoek
Namibia's capital, and the usual first night before a flight or drive into the desert.
Kenya: Aberdare Range, Amboseli National Park, Kenya Coast, Lake Nakuru and 6 more
Savannah reserves, highland lakes, and a palm coast, usually linked by short flights from Nairobi.
Kenya is the original safari map: the Masai Mara, Laikipia and Samburu to the north, and a coast when you want to stop driving.
The migration river crossings, when they happen, are in the Mara from roughly July into October. The rest of the year the reserve is still one of Africa's great big-cat parks.
Kenya destination guide
Aberdare Range
A forested highland park above the Rift Valley, often visited from a lodge with a waterhole.
Amboseli National Park
Open plains and swamps beneath Kilimanjaro, known for big elephant herds and a clear view of the mountain.
Kenya Coast
Reef and beach stays from Diani down to quieter stretches, often added after a safari.
Lake Nakuru
A Rift Valley soda lake known for rhinos, flamingos, and a compact game drive.
Lake Victoria
Africa's largest lake, shared by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with island and shoreline stays.
Lamu
A car-free Swahili island town on the north coast, reached by light aircraft.
Masai Mara
Kenya's best-known reserve, continuous with the Serengeti, and the stage for the Mara River crossings.
Mombasa
Kenya's historic island port, and the gateway to the north and south coast beaches.
Nairobi
Kenya's capital and the usual first night, with a national park on the edge of the city.
Samburu
A dry northern reserve on the Ewaso Ng'iro, home to species rarely seen further south.
Seychelles: La Digue, Praslin
Granite islands in the Indian Ocean, usually Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue on one ticket.
The Seychelles are granite islands in the Indian Ocean: pale sand, huge boulders, and water that stays warm all year.
Most trips hop between Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue. It is a natural finish after a Kenya, Tanzania, or gorilla safari, and it is also a complete beach holiday on its own.
Seychelles destination guide
Mauritius: North coast, West coast, East coast, South and inland
A volcanic island east of Madagascar, with a reef lagoon and hotels along the coast.
Mauritius is a lagoon island off the east of Madagascar: beaches, reefs, and short drives, usually taken as a rest after a safari rather than instead of one.
The island is small enough to see Chamarel, a tea field, and a second beach in one hired car, without changing hotel.
Mauritius destination guideNorth coast
Grand Baie and Trou aux Biches. The busiest corner, useful if you want restaurants. Flat Island and the northern islets are boat trips, not places to stay.
West coast
Flic en Flac, Tamarin, and Le Morne. The usual choice for sunsets, kites at certain spots, and diving. Le Morne is the mountain you see in the photographs.
East coast
Belle Mare and the longer resort beaches. Beautiful in the calm months, breezier in mid-winter.
South and inland
Gris Gris and the wild south shore, plus Chamarel and Black River. Better as a day out than as your only base if swimming is the plan.
More places that suit a malaria-free trip
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