by Dominic Chadbon, Leigh Kemp, Sandra Mallinson, 28 August 2008

Travellers to Africa, particularly those who are on their second or third trip to the continent and who have ticked off the big five on the main safari circuit, are often on the hunt for wilder, more remote destinations.

The Serengeti, the Kruger National Park and the Okavango Delta are world renowned for a reason. But sometimes people want to capture the sense of raw Africa, where the landscape is untouched by man from horizon to horizon.

Within the main safari destinations there are often these gems still to be found. So if you've experienced Tanzania's Northern Circuit it may now be time to try its lesser-known, equally magnificent Southern Circuit. The question is not so much whether there is still African wilderness to discover, but how remote and uncrowded you want it.

Dominic Chadbon argues for the parks of Uganda, Leigh Kemp is passionate about Tanzania's southern belles and Sandra Mallinson goes way beyond Zambia's Victoria Falls.

What is your area currently famous for?

DOMINIC: Uganda is the best place to see the critically endangered mountain gorilla and has a thriving gorilla trekking industry.

SANDRA: Victoria Falls has become Zambia's big tourist destination - lots of lodges, activities and people.

LEIGH: Tanzania's Great Northern Circuit - encompassing arguably 3 of Africa's most familiar names: Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater Conservancy and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sounds great - what's the problem?

DOMINIC: Despite the thrills of gorilla trekking, it's an expensive and demanding exercise with no guarantees of seeing these heavyweights. In some ways it detracts from Uganda's other wildlife destinations.

The country has savannahs, wetlands, lowland forests and semi-deserts, all offering a fantastic wildlife experience at a fraction of the costs and crowds of East Africa's better known safari destinations.

SANDRA: The popularity of Victoria Falls has overshadowed the fact that Zambia is prime safari country full of enormous game-packed parks that no-one seems to have heard of.

Even Zambia's best known park, the South Luangwa National Park, has that raw edge of a true African wilderness untouched by mass tourism: three quarters of the park is still largely unexplored.

LEIGH: In the past Tanzania relied solely on its Northern Circuit icons to carry the country's tourism - and the crowds have turned some of the popular areas into a jostling scrum at good sightings or view points. The great south and west wilderness areas are full of wildlife and virtually undeveloped.

Tell us more

DOMINIC: South-west Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park may be missing rhino but the rest of the Big 5 are there - with the added bonus of chimpanzees.

It's easily accessible, famous for animal oddities like tree-climbing lions and with a bird count of well over 600, it's perhaps Africa's premier birding destination.

Uganda's largest park, Murchison Falls National Park is home to most of Africa's big mammals, as well as primates - including chimpanzees - and tons of birds.

It's at the scenic Murchison Falls, after which the park is named, where the 6 700km Victoria Nile bisects the park into northern grasslands and southern open woodland and dense forests - the perfect setting for amazing boat trips.

SANDRA: Zambia's South Luangwa National Park is a secret stomping ground for safari aficionados and those looking for an authentic safari experience.

The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its oxbow lagoons are among the most intense in Africa. Although not a Big 5 reserve, there's plenty of big game: elephant, hippo, lion and a high concentration of leopard.

The park is also the birthplace of fabulous walking safaris. Initially, walking through big cat country may seem like a bad idea, but this is when the valley's best qualities really shine through. Focus on the smaller things, and the bush reveals itself in a way you just can't appreciate from the back seat of a safari vehicle.

Then there are the incredible guides, many of whom grew up in the area and have up to 20 years guiding experience so you'll see - and learn - a lot. To top it all off you can hop across the border to Malawi and chill out on the shores of the crystal-clear Lake Malawi.

LEIGH: No place can be more remote than one that's inaccessible by motor vehicle - as is the case with Tanzania's Mahale Mountains National Park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Home to chimpanzees (and 8 other primate species) the Mahale Mountains are only reachable by light aircraft and boat, creating an utterly unique experience.

Relax on a tropical lakeside beach with untouched forest as the backdrop and the whoop of monkeys and birds as the soundtrack. The region is great for big game too with Southern Tanzania's far-flung Katavi and Ruaha National Parks.

Katavi is Tanzania's third largest park yet incredibly there are fewer than 5 lodges in the area. Similarly, Ruaha allows visitors to experience the best of African wildlife without the bustling crowds of the more popular northern parks.

And don't get me started on the Selous Game Reserve: 55 000km² of raw, trackless wilderness full of animals, and with only a handful of visitors you really won't see anyone else!

And the winner is ...

That's up to you to decide! As you can see from our experts there are still many areas in Africa for the more explorer-minded travellers - the only thing we'd recommend is that you see them soon before the big players get in there. After all, that's what makes them so special...

Readers' Comments:

Which African destination would you consider to be Africa's new frontier and why? Let us know.

Article © Copyright 2008 Go2Africa.

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