Best Safari Operators for Luxury Wildlife Expeditions

Travel trends come and go; however, a safari never goes out of style. When planning the trip of a lifetime, many travelers turn to these amazing outfitters for all their luxury safari needs.

World’s Best Awards Survey

Every year for the World’s Best Awards survey, iBestTravel asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe. This survey gathers opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated safari outfitters based on their staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and overall value.

Trusted Safari Companies

This year’s list features some of the most trusted and long-standing companies in the industry, including:

Wilderness Safaris (founded in 1983)
Travel Beyond (1975)
Lion World Travel (operating since 1964)

Micato Safaris is recognized in iBestTravel’s World’s Best Hall of Fame, an award for companies that have received this honor for at least ten consecutive years. They have maintained their position on the list every year since it started in 1996, marking their 23rd win.

Expertise in Safari Planning

Many leaders and veteran advisors of these operators were born and raised in Africa. For instance, Roar Africa’s founder, Deborah Calmeyer, grew up in Zimbabwe; Leora Rothschild, owner of Rothschild Safaris, is a native South African; Sunit Sanghrajka, founding president of Alluring Africa, grew up in Kenya. This cumulative expertise allows these operators to provide insider access through local connections, along with the exceptional care and hospitality that iBestTravel readers expect.

Destinations to Explore

Unsurprisingly, our winners organize trips in popular safari destinations like:

Botswana
Kenya
South Africa
Tanzania

Moreover, they also offer vacations in less known parts of Africa, such as Rwanda and Uganda, where gorilla- and chimpanzee-tracking itineraries are taking the spotlight. Wilderness Safaris has even opened Bisate Lodge in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, quickly going to the top of many travelers’ bucket lists. Many of these outfitters excel at combining bush and beach experiences; consequently, they can provide combination itineraries, such as a Tanzania trip complemented by a post-safari relaxation period in Zanzibar. Some operators also offer trip extensions or full itineraries in island nations like the Maldives, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.