Experience the beauty and diversity of Africa’s most treasured national parks inhabited by a huge variety of animals. There are too many parks to list them all, but here are a few worth mentioning.

The Chobe River area contains an interesting variety of habitats. Out of all the parks in Botswana, Chobe National Park is probably the most affordable. Chobe is home to around 120,000 elephants. Many trees have suffered damage from the numbers of elephants who push them over and rip off the bark. Both elephants and hippos symbolize this park more than any other animals, and are often featured on the cover of brochures and travel guides to the area.

Kenya is Africa’s most popular safari destination. In Mount Kenya National Park, elephants, colobus and sykes’ monkeys, and olive baboons share the forest. The evasive bongo and suni antelopes find peace here, as do black rhino and buffalo.

If hiking or mountain climbing is your pleasure, Mount Kenya provides plenty of both. The scenery is spectacular, and you just might see sightings of Mount Kenya’s peak at dawn or dusk, or even both.

Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe is considered one of the greatest natural wonders in the world. As the steadily flowing Zambezi River nears Victoria Falls, it topples uncontrollably over a 330-foot drop producing a mile-wide curtain of water, the widest curtain of falling water in the world. The mighty Zambezi offers white-water rafting, fishing, sundowner cruising, bird and game viewing. The Victoria Falls Bridge boasts some of the best bungee jumping.

Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa has become residence to some 350 elephants and numerous other species. This is the place to see elephants by the ton. In addition, there are sightings of flightless dung beetles, black rhino, raptors, and more. The Addo herds have become so comfortable around visitors; they will pass by cars without blinking.

Pick up a travel guide and begin your journey to breathtaking Africa, where you can always be sure to have unforgettable encounters and lasting memories. With so much natural, unfettered beauty, how can one resist?