From sheltering some of the globe's most endangered species to showcasing astonishing patterns of migration, Africa's national parks are among the world's most spectacular.
More
and more visitors flock each year to the continents' parks and
reserves, bearing witness to nature on a grand scale and playing a vital
role in generating tourism income.
Here are some of the top picks on the continent.
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
A hot air balloon carries tourists during the annual wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara game reserve.
Maasai
Mara National Reserve, which has been honored by the World Travel
Awards, is named after its ancestral inhabitants, the Maasai people, and
is one of the most popular tourist destinations in southwest Kenya.
In
addition to an impressive population of big cats, rhinos and elephants,
it plays host from July through to October each year to one of the
world's more spectacular movements of wildebeest. Known as the Great
Migration, the phenomenon involves more than 1 million wildebeest and
hundreds of thousands of gazelles, zebras and other animals, which
migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
Some 150,000 visitors from across the world come annually to witness the wildebeest migration and river crossings.
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Maasai Mara Game Park, Kenya, 59000 Narok, +254 729 631403
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
A small river flows through palm-lined shores in a lush savannah grassland in Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti
National Park was established in 1951, making it Tanzania's oldest
national park. The park is arguably one of the most famous in the world
and covers 5,700 square miles of grassland, riverine forest, woodlands
and savannah.
It
is famed for its spectacular scenery, diverse wildlife and its part in
the impressive annual migration of more than a million wildebeest and
hundreds of thousands of other animals. It was listed in 1981 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and hosts an average 90,000 visitors each year.
Serengeti National Park, 3134 Mugumu Mara, Tanzania +255 27 250 3471
Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo
Two mountain gorillas lay on a bed of brush on the slopes of Mount Mikeno in the Virunga National Park.
Established
in 1925, Virunga National Park is Africa's oldest national park and is
often considered the crown jewel of parks on the continent. It lies in
the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in
1979, it was created to protect mountain gorillas in what was then
known as the Belgian Congo. It stretches over 3,000 square miles and
houses forests, savannas and active volcanoes and the Rwenzori
Mountains.
The
park is known for being the "continent's most biologically diverse
protected area" and is home to endangered species, such as the mountain
gorilla and the okapi.
In
the 1970s, Virunga welcomed an average of 6,500 visitors every year,
but it has suffered terribly from armed conflict and poaching. The park
is slowly re-establishing itself through international donations.
Virunga National Park, Rumangabo, Democratic Republic of Congo +243 991 715 401
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
The morning valley mist wafts across the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda.
The
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda and
is home to a multitude of birds, butterflies and endangered species,
including the mountain gorilla. Some 300 wild gorillas live in the park, accounting for nearly half the world's population
The park also boasts more than 160 species of trees.
0 comments: