Tanzania's Serengeti voted Best African Safari Park of 2018

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The organisation said in a statement on Wednesday, 13 June, that the Serengeti received an overall rating of 4.9 out of 5, an outstanding result.

"This was the highest score amongst all the parks, and thus the Serengeti has been crowned Africa's Best Safari Park. This reflects the continued popularity of this stunning park with safari-goers and industry experts," it stated.

Serengeti also came out on top in 'Best Safari Park' analysis carried out by the same organisation in 2015.

A total of 1,670 reviews were contributed by safari tourists from 72 countries. The remaining 860 park reviews were written by renowned experts, including guidebook authors associated with Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Frommer's, Bradt and Footprint.

Africa's top parks

An analysis of these reviews resulted in the list of Africa's Top 50 safari parks. Both Mala Mala Game Reserve in South Africa and Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe came a close second and third to Serengeti, respectively, in the rankings.

Tanzania had three parks overall in the top 10: Serengeti National Park (number one), Selous Game Reserve (number nine) and Ngorongoro Crater (number 10).

Why is the Serengeti such a desired safari destination?

When examined, several repetitive themes emerged: the annual Great Migration (hosting over 2.5 million wildebeest and zebra); top wildlife viewing year-round, including predators in large numbers; and endless savannahs that feel like authentic Africa.

In addition, visits to the park can be easily combined with other top-class parks in Tanzania.

"This unique study is proof of Tanzania's important role in the safari industry and its popularity amongst tourists and industry experts alike. The fact that the Serengeti beat all the other major safari parks in Africa to claim the number one ranking is an extraordinary achievement," the organisation stated.

Read the original article on The Citizen.