The cheetah which is the fastest on land animal on earth is one of the most desired animals in a safari. The combination of its beautiful construction, stunning speed and hunting abilities makes cheetah a dream to all travelers and wildlife enthusiasts all over the world. Although in the past cheetahs were able to roam freely in large areas of both Africa and Asia, nowadays their population is limited to an ever smaller extent since they have lost their habitat, suffered human-wildlife conflicts and are poached. Consequently, the already occasional view of one of these magnificent predators in the wild has become even more of an exciting and astonishing experience.
The Best Places To Locate Cheetah on Safari will provide you with the highest chance of having a sight of the cheetah in the wild. Starting with Kenya and the Maasai Mara and Namibia and the Namib Desert; these are some of the most reliable places where cheetahs have been known to abound. These sites are the best places to observe the cheetahs in their natural habitat whether you are a first-time safari or an experienced one. This will be a list of the Best Places To See Cheetah on Safari and there you will be able to experience amazing wildlife viewing and get lost in the beauty of the African wild world.
1. Maasai mara national reserve, Kenya.
Largely, Kenya has the best place to find Cheetah in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. This international renowned reserve is located in the Southwest of Kenya and it has diverse topography incorporating expansive open plains as well as the riparian forests and woodlands, which form an ideal habitat of cheetahs. Maasai mara is known by the large population of the big cats, which are lions, leopards and cheetahs. We also see these mighty predators hunting in open grasslands mostly where cheetahs run gazelles and impalas by its amazing speed.
Visiting during the Great Migration ( July to October ) is the most appropriate time to have cheetah sightings as thousands of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles are migrating to the mara. Cheetahs frequently appear hunting these herds and this guarantees the safari-goers exciting experiences as Cheetahs hunt.
2. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
Serengeti National Park which is situated across the border with the Maasai Mara is another good place to see cheetahs. The Serengeti is possibly one of the most popular wildlife reserves globally and has very expansive savannahs and imposing hills, which make the easiest places to find cheetah. Cheetahs are predominantly found in the south-east and central location of the Serengeti particularly during the dry season when the prey is concentrated around the permanent water sources of the Serengeti.
Similar to the Maasai Mara, the Serengeti is also a prime spot of the Great Migration and thus a great flyer-by of cheetahs on the cheetah patrol. Tourists who visit the Serengeti are likely to be served with the sight of cheetahs in pursuit of herds of wildebeest or Thompson gazelles to portray their amazing speed and agility. The size of the Serengeti is also a factor because sightseeing of the cheetah is very common and unforgettable due to the diverse ecosystems within the Serengeti.
3. Okavango Delta, Botswana
Okavango Delta is also considered a wetland paradise that is full of life and is regarded as one of the crown jewels of Botswana. There are also a wide range of wildlife in this UNESCO World Heritage site such as cheetahs and is considered to be one of the Best Places To Find Cheetah on Safari. Even though the Okavango Delta is generally referred to as home of various birds and elephants and lions, in safaricam you can find cheetahs, although that is in drier parts of the delta (north and east).
The Okavango has a huge area of floodplains and woodlands, which make it an excellent habitat to cheetahs, where they hunt and rearing their cubs. The area has such amazing game viewing that is made both in land and water by using traditional mokoros (dugout canoes) which gives the visitors a chance to appreciate their cheetah hunting gazelles as well as sharing with their cubs in their natural environment. During the dry season, May to October, is the most appropriate season to see cheetah as they are found around water sources.
4. Namibia, Etosha National Park.
Etosha National Park in Namibia is the other best place to visit to find continuity of Cheetah in the wild. Etosha is a place with a fascinating safari experience in the northwest region of the country. The biggest part of the park is influenced by the extensive salt pan of Etosha that can be viewed even in space. An expanse of waterholes encircling this arid region harbors numerous animals, among them cheetahs.
The cheetahs are commonly found in the east and central sections of the park where the vast plains of the park form a perfect habitat to the speedy killer. The duration at which the wildlife is high in the park is during the dry season where the animals flock around the waterholes thereby making it easy to see the cheetahs when they are preying or resting in the shade of acacia trees. Etosha is also a viable place to have a self-driving safari experience where the visitors are able to take their time exploring the park and experience a more adventurous and wild experience.
5. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa/ Botswana.
Another of the Best Places To Find Cheetah on Safari include the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park; a huge conservation park that lives on both South Africa and Botswana. This semi dessert area is characterized by beautiful red dunes, sparse vegetation and dramatic landscapes, which makes wildlife viewing of a stunning background in this area. The Kgalagadi is a habitat of a variety of predators such as cheetahs and is among the most appropriate locations to view them in action.
The spacious land of the park offers the ideal habitat of cheetas where the species can not only get a cover to stalk the preys but as well open areas to run fast on a chase. Most likely a cheetah will be found in the southwestern region of the park, close to the Nossob Riverbed, where springbok and gemsbok are seen in large numbers. Tourists, who visit Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, are usually provided with memorable scenes of cheetah running thru the dunes in search of their prey.
6. The Hwange National Park is a national park located in Zimbabwe.
Hwange National Park is the biggest and the most popular national park of Zimbabwe with such great herds of elephants, many species of animals, and vast spaces. Hwange is most popular due to its population of the lion and elephant but it is also among the Top Destinations To Find Cheetah on Safari. The diverse terrain of the park such as the mopane woodlands, grass savannahs as well as seasonal wetlands offer the best habitat where cheetahs find a web to hunt and survive.
The cheetahs are usually concentrated in the western part of the park especially in the Ngomo Plains and the Kennedy and Mandavu Pans where animals such as impalas and zebras are in large numbers. Cheetahs can be seen well all year round but during the dry season (May to October), when the animals gravitate towards the waterholes, there is more likelihood of seeing a cheetah in action.
7. South Luangwa National Park Zambia.
Recently preserved wild surroundings make South Luangwa National Park one of the Best Places To See Cheetah on Safari in Zambia since the park is of high quality and few visitors are frequenting it. In this place with its thick mopane forests, grassy plains, and expansive lagoons, cheetahs have many different habitats to search and feed in. The South Luangwa is based on a healthy community of cheetahs although the lion is more visible, the sighting of the cheetah is also a top priority among visitors.
The variety of ecosystems in the park has provided the cheetahs with vast variety of prey, such as impalas, gazelles, and many more. Cheetah cubs can also be best seen in South Luangwa where the park not only gives them a safe cover, but there are also a lot of prey. South Luangwa has become a popular safari-walking experience that presents visitors with a rare opportunity to see the park on foot and they may even trail the cheetah footprints on the sand.
8. Tsavo National Park, Kenya
The Tsavo National Park, the largest and oldest national park in Kenya is an expensive place to visit in order to get a glimpse of cheetahs on safari. Tsavo is characterized by its distinctive sceneries such as savannah, forest and volcanic hills and large numbers of elephants and other animals. The varied topography of the park is an excellent habitat where cheetahs can be seen freely and cheetah sighting is a common activity in the open plains of the park.
Tsavo is separated into two parts, namely Tsavo East and Tsavo West, which are both inhabited by cheetahs. The Tsavo East has volcanic hills and rocky outcrops where the volcanoes are popular in offering superb vantage points to the cheetahs as they hunt and the Tsavo West has two large herds of gazelles and impalas which attract the cheetahs. The optimal season to visit Tsavo in order to see cheetahs is during dry season (June to October).
9. Namib Desert, Namibia
Namib Desert is a very interesting and distant place that is one of the oldest deserts in the world and provides the tourists with an opportunity to observe cheetahs in a very unique environment. The large, dry landmass of the desert with its tall sands dunes and rock plains is inhabited by a community of adapted cheetahs who have been taught to overcome this very hostile land.
Cheetahs are most likely to be found in the environs of the Namib-Naukluft National Park and the Sossusvlei dunes. These cheetahs can adapt to extreme weather conditions of the desert where they hunt smaller animals like springbok, oryx and other desert adapted antelopes. Namib desert is the place that is in a real sense a once-in-a-life experience to those who wish to witness cheetahs in the most remarkable setting on the earth.
10. Ruinsori Mountains, Uganda
Although known more as the gorilla trekking, the Rwenzori Mountains provided in Uganda also provide the exclusive chances of cheetah sighting especially in the savannah areas and the foothills. Rwenzori is not such a tourist attraction, where in the periphery of the mountains, tourists can watch cheetahs hunt in the region.
This place is slightly off-road, however, some reward awaits the adventurous traveller, who will be able to observe cheetahs in the wild and mark it down as one of the Best Places to see Cheetah on Safari in Uganda. You will also witness the beauty of the Rwenzori Mountain beauty the Mountains of the moon that offer an unbelievable landscape on which to view wildlife.
Conclusion
To people who are looking to have the adventure of witnessing cheetah in their natural habitat, these Best Places To Find Cheetah on Safari stand as a wide range of exciting experiences after spying the great-looking creatures. Starting with the open plains of the Maasai mara and serengeti and to the deserts of Namibia, all these places offer a unique habitat where the cheetahs can be found in their earning elements. Be it the excitement of doing a high-speed pursuit or just the hope of getting even the slightest glimpse of these legendary cats these safari destinations will be utterly memorable wildlife.
