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This region between the Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie rest camps is known for being chock-full of wildlife. It’s also one of the best places to drive if you’ve come to Kruger to spot white rhinos—as grazers, they love the wide-open grasslands found in this part of the park. Also keep your eyes peeled for impalas, baboons, and southern ground hornbill birds, as well as predators like leopards and lions as you drive closer to Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp. If you’ve rented an SUV and are itching to get off the tar, try the S82, a gravel road that runs parallel to H4-2.

“Birdwatching” and “extreme” are not usually two words you’ll find together. But when you’re birdwatching in the severely threatened rainforests of Tanzania‘s Uluguru Mountains, the pastime trades its dull reputation for something more befitting a suspense-filled, high-altitude mission. Hiding in the dense vegetation of the Uluguru are species that exist literally nowhere else on the planet. A hiker with a sharp eye (and a stiff neck) might spot flashy red-breasted Trogons or clumsy-looking hornbills; but the most elusive prize is the thrill of finding the endemic Uluguru bushshrike in your binoculars. A critically endangered species, the bushshrike was finally spotted in the Uluguru South Forest Reserve in 2007. Its presence hadn’t been recorded in that region since its call was last heard in 1981. To explore the Uluguru’s rainforests and try your luck at locating one of Africa’s rarest birds, arrange a hike with one of the great guides from the Chilunga Cultural Tourism Center in Morogoro; visit their website at www.chilunga.or.tz. (I am a birdwatching success story: I was fully prepared to spend the whole day rolling my eyes as my friends lost their minds over glimpses of feathers, but after this hike, I’m now the one screaming things like “STOP THE CAR! THAT’S A RED BISHOP!”)

A three-day safari in Kruger National Park is a must for anyone visiting South Africa. Entering the gates is like Jurassic Park and you feel transported back in time to the creation of Earth where the wild animals, especially the elephants, are dinosaurs filled with ancient knowledge of the land’s beginning. Although you may not see anything like the infamous “Battle at Kruger” YouTube video, you will certainly witness some interesting animal behavior like hippos bathing, monkeys mating, giraffes snacking or even two elephants flirting in the brush.

The andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is the only permanent lodge in the Lake Manyara park. This tree house hotel emphasizes the mahogany forest where it is located in Lake Manyara National Park. The original nine suites of the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge are all built on stilts with large decks suspended above the forest floor crafted from local timber and makuti palm fronds. A family suite takes that model and supersizes it, creating a second bedroom for the kids.

While here, arrange a tour with Deeper Africa to Lake Manyara National Park. Guides will take you to see birds and primates in their natural habitat, including silvery-cheeked hornbills and vervet monkeys, as well as black mamba snakes, wild orchids, and countless butterfly species.