An end of year camping safari is an excellent way to treat your family and wind up the year in style. What makes a camping safari truly memorable is the fact that you don’t have to be holed up in one campsite. Camping involves days of literally traveling between locations, taking in new sights and adventures as you bond with your loved ones. Camping lets you experience raw nature. It inspires the idea of a romantic, bygone era. You get to see the magic of wonder in your kids’ eyes as they discover new places.
Now, as the year comes to an end, there will be scores of travel companies throwing around all kinds of recommendations for what they call enchanted family holiday destinations. If you aren’t careful, you may be lost in all the marketing and end up in a camping spot that doesn’t inspire any awe or adventure. That underscores the importance of exercising due diligence when searching for a camping safari destination. In this post, we shall review the top 5 countries for unforgettable camping safaris around the world.
1. Australia
Though it’s fairly detached from the rest of the world, Australia is a land that’s rich in adventure. It’s the right camping destination for up-close encounters with nature. Australia boasts hundreds of spots, so many that you can’t possibly cover even in a year-long vacation.
One camping safari you might consider is a 3-week long trip from Perth to Darwin. This is your best chance to experience the scenic marvels of Northern and Western Australia. A few of the highlights in this adventure-filled safari include snorkeling at the Coral Bay and hiking the Bungle Bungles. The safari also features numerous sightseeing opportunities, including cascading waterfalls, majestic gorges, and picturesque landscapes.
On this trip, you will see the dolphins do their graceful dances at Monkey Mia and explore the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park. Kangaroos and crocodiles in their natural habitat. The Kalbarri National Park is another special highlight of a holiday from Perth to Darwin. The park boasts numerous majestic gorges, such as the Z-Bend Gorge, not to mention its trademark red and white-striped rocky mountains. The best time for this trip is from December through February.
Other top camping destinations in Australia include Purnululu National Park and Karijini National Park.
2. Makorori Beach, New Zealand
New Zealand and Australia share a lot in common. The cultures of these two countries are seamlessly intertwined, and so is their adventure opportunities when it comes to camping. Like Australia, New Zealand teems with beautiful camping safari destinations. Our best pick is Makorori Beach, which offers freedom camping.
The Makorori beach car park, the freedom camping spot on the beach, is located in the breathtakingly beautiful Eastern cape of New Zealand’s north island in the city sun-soaked city of Gisborne. It offers a raw camping experience with only a handful of facilities such as bins and flushing toilets. The camping experience is rudimentary, but its front-seat sunrise views and seashore location make it a top choice for free camping destination.
Some of the fun activities here include surfing, swimming, sunbathing and lots of other watersports. From the beach, you can explore numerous coastlines, with the Tolaga Bay being a special highlight.
The only drawback to Makorori Beach is that most camping sites here don’t allow tents. On the bright side, HitTheRoad.Rentals make finding a campervan for hire in New Zealand extremely easy. The website provides real user reviews of over 300 camping vehicle suppliers and hundreds of real user reviews to help you make an informed choice.
Other top camping destinations in New Zealand include Urupukapuka Bay Campsite, Opoutere Coastal Camping, and the Totaranui Campground
3. Kenya
Kenya is undeniably the most charming country in Eastern Africa. From the towering peaks of the Aberdare Ranges to the rolling plains of the Maasai Mara, there’s no getting enough of this country’s scenic beauty. Being the birthplace of safaris, it’s clear to see why the country plays host to millions of tourists every year.
Kenya’s defining tourist attraction is the Masai Mara, which is the most famous park in Africa. A Masai Mara camping safari is an excellent opportunity to take a glimpse of Africa’s Big 5 – Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant, and Rhino. The grassy plains of the Mara enable the herbivore population to thrive, which also makes the park a haven for predators. The game reserve is always a beehive of activity all year round, but the best time to visit is for a camping safari is from July to September, during the Great Wildebeest Migration.
The iconic journey involves millions of wildebeest crossing over from the Serengeti National Park in neighboring Tanzania as they follow the rains. The Mara River that lies across the wildebeest migration path is a perfect spot to catch the action as scores of wildebeest fall pretty to the mighty Nile crocodiles. Besides wildlife, the Masai Mara is also known for its mild warm climate all year round.
Other camping destinations in Kenya include the Aberdare ranges, the Menengai Crater, and the coastal beaches of Diani and Nyali.
4. The UK
The UK is famous for many things. From the magnificent skyscrapers dotting its cities’ skylines, to its quaint, laid-back rural life. The country is also known for its numerous castles, most of which have withstood centuries of invasions, conflicts, and human encroachment. Indeed, the UK is Europe’s preeminent camping safari destination.
One of the best locations to go on a camping safari in the UK is at the Treen Farm Campsite. Treen Farm is located three miles from Land’s End and within the greater Cornwall area. It’s a friendly site that features two fields which are perched high up on the cliffs, offering a picturesque view of the adjacent rolling landscape. Treen Farm is located off the beaten tracks, making it one of the UK’s most sought-after camping safari destinations. Its defining feature is the open-air auditorium that’s cut into the rocks.
A camping safari at Treen Farm involves lots of sightseeing adventures around Cornwall’s enchanted beaches. Sennen, Pedn Vounder, and Whitesands Bay are some of the Cornwall beaches you can tour and take part in Adrenaline-pumping water sports. Even if you’re not the beach guy, there are other equally-captivating points of interest to visit nearby. The Porthcurno Telegraph Museum is a special recommendation during the wet seasons.
The campsite features an on-site shop selling groceries and camping supplies, as well as in-house accommodation facilities like laundry and a washing-up area.
The best time to visit the UK is between March and June, and from September to November when the weather is hot.
5. The United States
The United States is as expansive as it’s mysterious. Much of its mystery lies in the country’s vast diversity of wildlife. And there’s no better place to experience that diversity than at the Yellowstone National Park. With a surface area of 8,991 km² and an abundance of flora and fauna, there’s never a dull moment at the Yellowstone.
Yellowstone is famous for its geysers, hot springs, vistas, and of course, wildlife. The Park is home to more than half of the world’s geysers. The most popular one, the Old Faithful Geyser, plays home to some of the fiercest carnivores in the Americas, including grizzly bears and wolves.
Due to its immense geographical expanse and limitless points of interest, the park has been specially zoned. The zones depend on where you’d wish to explore during your camping escapades here. Generally, you can choose to focus on the regions around the Yellowstone Lake or pitch tent near the park’s geysers. If you prefer some seclusion, you might consider exploring the more rustic settings far away from the crowds.
Some of the most popular campgrounds here include the Norris Campground, the Bridge Bay Campground, the Fishing Bridge RV Park, to mention but a few. The campgrounds are spread across the park, with each site boasting a special attraction nearby.
The best time to visit is from May to September when it’s dry.
Wrapping Up – The Conclusion
And there goes our top five countries to consider for a camping safari this year. Each of these countries boast a defining feature that makes it the regional hub for camping safari tours.