What is Safari? What are the best domestic and foreign safari destinations?

Safari is a world of contrasts! Where beautiful and lovely animals walk freely in their living environment and tourists go to see them in protected cars. So, if you are adventurous and like to see wildlife, make sure to include safari tours in your itinerary. Because this trip will undoubtedly become the most different and exciting trip of your life. But we will read what Safari actually is and where it came from.

What is Safari?

In response to the question of what is a safari or what is a safari park, it can be said that a safari is a type of travel that is carried out with the purpose of traveling in nature, photography and being in the natural habitat of animals. For example, we can mention Safari Park Dubai.

A safari is an exciting and adventurous way to see ‘real wildlife’ as it allows you to see all kinds of wildlife in their natural habitat. As a result, going on a safari gives you a real experience of living in nature.

A safari can include walking in the desert, driving in 4×4 vehicles or flying in light aircraft. The purpose of a safari tour is to allow you to see the natural scenery and wildlife up close (without harming the nature).

Since overland safari tours are mostly challenging, you need to be physically fit and go with an open mind. Of course, all the vehicles are custom made for safari and crossing long and bumpy roads, allowing you to observe wildlife from a close distance and in complete safety.

History of Safari How it all began

Now that we know what a safari park is, let’s talk about the history of safaris. Throughout the 20th century, safaris have been popularized in film and literature through great stories of adventure, romance, and excitement.

The word safari is derived from the word “safar” which is an Arabic verb and roughly translates to “to travel”. In fact, it can be related to the long distances that people have to travel for trade routes and so on.

What is a safari and what was the purpose of the first safaris? The first recorded safaris were mainly centered around the trading industry. Because Arab and African cultures were so closely intertwined during early human history, there were often large caravans of traders who traveled great distances to bring their goods from city to city. According to the history of safari, traveling to Africa in the 18th century was a profitable and successful business as many valuable items and unfortunately even slaves were sold and bartered there.

Fortunately, the safaris associated with the slave trade ended before the turn of the 20th century, changing the purpose of safaris from a commercial focus to a fun adventure or exploration. According to People Behind the Names, naturalists such as William John Burchell, Thomas Ayres and Gustav Adolph Fischer not only redefined the purpose of the safari and led to nature exploration, but were also instrumental in identifying several species of animals. Their legacy is the great work they did during their voyages of discovery. If you want to know what Desert Safari Park is, the article Where is Dubai Safari will explain it to you.

Safari and hunting

Unfortunately, unlike the nature walkers, hunters abused the safari in today’s form and turned to animals. They combined the safari with poaching, that is, conquering the elusive big game and returning from the hunt with trophies ranging from skins and heads to a whole animal! Hunters like William Cornwallis Harris who not only hunted large animals but also proudly displayed the hunts so that everyone would know about his brave adventures in the African wilderness.

Of course, this display caused nature advocates to take action and pass laws to prevent hunting in protected areas. Today, most people are familiar with the safari culture and enjoy being in nature and observing animals with minimal damage to the environment.

Why go on a safari?

• The experience of being in the wild and observing animals in a completely natural environment
• See unique perspectives
• Photography in nature
• Familiarity with local and tribal cultures and customs
• Participating in outdoor adventure activities
• The unique experience of staying in the forest, nature, etc. (Accommodation in nature can be in tented camps, native residences, luxury hotels, etc.)

Types of safari

In the Safari Chat article, we saw that today this word has a completely different meaning than decades ago. This fundamental change has created different types of safaris, which we will discuss further:

Game drive Game Drives

This type of safari is one of the most prominent African safaris. Imagine that you are sitting in a special 4×4 car, the cool air of the savannah blowing in your hair in the morning, a group of birds in the nearby acacia tree attracts your attention. Suddenly a leopard appears in front of you! Isn’t it exciting? This type of safari usually starts early in the morning and lasts until sunset. In this way, you can see the activity of animals during the day and night. A tour of South Africa’s zoo will take you to see some of the rarest wildlife on the continent.

Game viewing Game Viewing

This type of safari is mostly held at sunrise and sunset. In fact, there are more chances to see animals during these times. For example, lions are usually seen minutes after sunset. While the best time to see buffalo, giraffe and elephant is after sunrise.

Bird watching Bird Watching

In the following article, what is safari, we will examine the exciting type of this trip, bird watching. This type of safari is held at the place and time when the chances of seeing rare birds are higher. Usually, the best time to see birds is between October and March. Safari in Kenya will also make a memorable trip for you.

Walking safari Walking Safaris

Walking safari is considered by many to be the most exciting type of safari. Because you can walk in nature in a completely free environment and feel its beauty. This safari is held under special conditions and the safety of tourists is fully guaranteed.

Boating, canoeing and makuro Boating, Canoeing and Makoro

In the next article, what is a safari, it is time to introduce river safaris. In this safari, which is actually a kind of adventure, you will get on a boat and enjoy seeing the beautiful nature, birds and some creatures that live on the surface of the water.

The best safari destinations in Iran

Where is Iran Safari? In recent years, desert safaris have gained many fans in Iran. Fortunately, Iran has a variety of sites for desert safaris, and these fascinating tours are done with special off-road vehicles, camels, and even horses. In addition to desert safaris, jungle trekking can also be added to domestic destination safaris. The following are the best desert safari sites in Iran:

• Lut Plain
• desert plain
• Shahdad desert
• Varzane desert
• Maranjab desert
• Abu Zidabad desert
• Matin Abad desert
• Safari in Kish
• Safari in Qeshm
• Savadkoh forests safari
• Hyrcanian forests safari
• Cloud forest safari
• Safari in the nature of Kurdistan

The best foreign safari destinations

Safari in foreign destinations is much more extensive than Iran, and in addition to going to the heart of nature, it also includes seeing rare animals. Therefore, in the article What is Safari, we introduce the most famous foreign countries for wildlife:

African safaris

The African continent has many protected safari parks, each with its own unique characteristics. If you are keen to see the famous Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros), South Africa tour is a good choice. The country has excellent tourism infrastructure and its protected parks are free of malaria.

If you are more experienced, walking safaris in Zambia or southern Tanzania will be exciting for you. The months between June and September are the best time to go on safari to these destinations. The article on the best national parks in South Africa for safari will tell you which national parks to choose for this fascinating recreation.

The best protected parks in Africa for safari

• Kalahari Desert, Botswana
• Bwindi National Park, Uganda
• Chobe National Park, Botswana
• Samburu National Reserve, Kenya
• Etosha National Park, Namibia
• Masai Mara Reserve, Kenya
• South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
• Kruger National Park, South Africa

Sri Lanka Safaris

Sri Lanka is one of the world’s best safari destinations outside of Africa. The national parks of Sri Lanka are wonderful places to see wildlife, so we will talk about the safaris in this country in the following article.

The amazing wildlife of Sri Lanka is famous for having 4 huge animals (elephant, leopard, sloth bear and blue whale). With this description, it is no wonder that safaris in Sri Lanka are so popular!

Since there are many interesting national parks in Sri Lanka, you can choose from them. Here is a list of the best national parks in the country:

• Yala National Park in Sri Lanka
• Minneriya National Park
• Kaudulla National Park
• Wilpattu National Park

Indian safaris

Imagine waking up in the morning in a treehouse surrounded by dense forest, to a smoky orange sunrise, and the sight of a pack of Bengal tigers. Isn’t it a dream?

National parks of India are full of rare wildlife and have transcendental beauty. The presence of the endangered Asian elephant or the elusive snow leopard not only sets the stage for an unforgettable safari, but also takes you on an exciting adventure in the heart of the jungle. To see these fascinating animals, you can choose one of the following national parks for safari:

• Ranthambore National Park
• Kanha National Park
• Bandhavgarh National Park
• Kaziranga National Park
• Pench National Park
• Tadoba National Park
• Jim Corbett National Park
• Periyar National Park
• Satpura National Park

final word

In the article, what is a safari, we saw that safaris provide us with the opportunity to reconcile with nature and the rarest animals in their natural habitat. Among the most famous national parks for a pure and exciting safari are the national parks of Africa, India and Sri Lanka. The last point is that for traveling to any of these destinations, you can contact our colleagues at Setare Vanak Airline Agency.

Frequently asked questions

• Which country is better for safari?

The following are the top destinations for African safaris:

• Botswana
• National Parks of Kenya
• Malawi National Parks
• National Parks of Namibia
• South African National Parks
• National parks of Tanzania

• Where is the best national park in the world for safari?

With national parks such as Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara, Tanzania is one of the best safari destinations in the world.

• Which country has the best Big Five safaris?

South Africa: The National Park, Eastern Cape and Madikos are probably the most reliable places to see the Big Five.