Meta description: Africa is a top tourist destination. But how do you know the best attractions to visit in such a huge continent? This article outlines the top 5 destinations for a student trip in Africa.
COMMUNICATED CONTENT – Africa boasts numerous natural wonders, unique cultures, and amazing travel destinations. This explains why tourists travel to the continent in droves year after year.
However, when planning a student trip to Africa, it’s easy to find yourself at crossroads when it comes to selecting the ideal travel destinations.
Well, let that not worry you anymore. This article outlines some of the best places for a student trip to Africa. These are the best of the best that we think will make your trip pure fun, unbelievably exciting, and unforgettable!
- Maasai Mara Kenya
Top on our list is the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya. The reserve lies in the Great Rift Valley and borders Serengeti National Park.
The Mara is the most visited game reserve in Africa. It is home to the big 5, the big cats, over 450 bird species, the great wildebeest migration, and plant and bird species that can not be seen anywhere else. So, when here, rest assured you will have a unique, exhilarating, and thrilling experience.
So famous is the Mara that more than 250,000 tourists visit the reserve annually. It is popular for the Great Migration, an event that sees about 1.5 million wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, Grant’s gazelles, elands, and impalas migrate across the crocodile-infested Mara River.
Maasai Mara is also home to cheetahs, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, and gazelle, and over 96 different species of Mammals. Eagles, storks, and vultures are among the over 450 bird species that thrive in the Mara ecosystem.
There’s no end to stunning wild animals and unique wildlife surprises in the Mara, such as a rare zebra with white spots instead of white stripes sighted at the reserve in 2019. The rare zebra, named Tira after the tour guide who first saw it, has all the features of a typical zebra apart from the white spots. A black leopard has also been spotted in the Mara.
- The Serengeti
The Serengeti National Park is yet another famous destination that ticks all the boxes when it comes to educational and memorable African safari holidays.
Located on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya, the park is well-known for the famous wildebeest migration across the Mara River in Kenya to the Serengeti Park.
Serengeti National Park is rich with wildlife, never-ending plains, sunrises and sunsets that will make your heart go wild. It is mostly covered by savannah grassland with dispersed pieces of shrubland, and therefore ideal for the herbivores as well as the carnivores that prey on them.
Zebras, elands, elephants groups, giraffes, rhinos, impalas, wildebeests, antelopes, kongoni, gazelles and buffalo herds, are among the herbivores found in Serengeti that you’ll see roaming freely. The carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, etc.
You’ll catch sight of birds including the ostrich, crowned crane, kori bustard, secretary bird marabou stork, martial eagles, lovebirds, and numerous species of vultures.
Activities you can undertake in the park include game drives, balloon rides, walking safaris, and local Maasai tribe tours that will no doubt leave you with unforgettable memories.
- Victoria Falls
Spanning a width of 1.7km, a height of 108m, and an average flow of 1 million liters of water per second, Victoria Falls is the largest, most spectacular, and awe-inspiring waterfall in the world.
It is found on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, on the Zambezi River. Since it covers the entire breadth of the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls holds the world’s most massive sheet of falling water.
History says that the falls were formed nearly 100,000 years ago. A Scottish explorer, David Livingstone is said to have named the falls after Queen Victoria when he visited the site in 1855.
In just a minute, approximately 550 million liters of water drops over the cliff at Victoria Falls, and the mist from the waterfall can be seen from far away. This should explain the reason natives call the falls “Mosi-oa-tunya,” which translates to ‘smoke that thunders.’
The falls have been approximated to be twice as wide and twice as deep as the Niagara Falls. It’s no wonder it is among one of the Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
One of the sights to behold at the fall is an almost ever-present rainbow that’s formed when the sun shines through the mist from the falls.
For an endorphin high, visitors swim at the naturally formed Devil’s Pool on the edge of the falls when the river flow is at lower levels from September to December. A natural wall just below the water stops swimmers from being washed over the edge.
- Mt Kenya
In the Central Highlands, East of the Great Rift Valley stands Mt Kenya, Kenya’s highest mountain. At 5,199 meters, Mt Kenya provides the rare sight of equatorial snow.
The mountain was naturally formed by a chain of volcanic eruptions and comprises three glacier-cloaked peaks. The highest peak is called Batian(5,199 m), Nelion (5,188 m), and the lowest is called Lenana (4,985 m).
About 715 km2 surrounding the center of the mountain is a National Park that has already been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Park receives more than 15000 visitors annually.
Amazing sceneries in the park include glaciers, lakes, mineral springs, alpine forests, and dense bamboo pockets.
The park’s diversity of flora and fauna offers rewarding opportunities for tourists. Wildlife includes black and white colobus monkeys, elephants, buffaloes, tree hyrax, leopards, and hyenas.
At the foothills, you’ll find the famous Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, which provides a luxury retreat with activities including golf, trout fishing, and tennis.
- Diani Beach
For your student trip to Africa, you can’t afford to miss a stopover at one of the most beautiful and attractive beaches in Kenya, Diani Beach. Since 2015, Diani Beach has been voted Africa’s leading beach destination for the 5th time in a row.
You only need to be here in person to realize this vibrant, uncrowded, intimate little paradise on the Indian Ocean’s quiet shores just south of Kenyan Coast.
Famous for its spread of white sand and great onshore activities, Diani Beach is a paradise for relaxation and the perfect mix of adventure, calm, and culture.
Just enjoying a swim in the warm sea combined with the tropical atmosphere is a magical experience. You can also engage in kitesurfing, skydiving, jet-skiing, fishing, water sports, paddle boarding, diving, snorkeling, and fun-filled parties.
The beach’s colorful ocean reefs, energetic aquatic life, restaurants, and nightlife sure make it a highlight!
Conclusion
We’ve just shared with you the five best places for a student trip to Africa. We hope that you’ll get a chance to visit these fascinating and adventure-filled Africa’s top destinations.
To have yourself the best of student trips to Africa, we recommend booking your holiday with Nairobi based travel agencies such as MasaiMarasafari.in or ajKenyasafaris.com. Contact them today!
