You already know the feeling. You’re scrolling holiday options at 11 pm, and the moment a lion photo appears, every beach resort on the list suddenly looks a bit beige.
Turns out, that’s not just you.
A new global survey has confirmed what most South Africans have known their whole lives: the best holidays are the ones we have in the bush, on safari!
South Africans rank first in the world for wildlife-led travel choices, with 95% saying animal encounters shape their destination decisions, according to Cape Town {Etc}.
That figure puts the country ahead of Chile and Italy, the next two most nature-obsessed travel markets surveyed.
The research, commissioned by travel company Explore, polled 2 400 people across 12 countries about which animals they most want to see and where they’d go to see them.
Globally, 72% of respondents said wildlife plays at least some role in choosing a holiday, a sign that nature-based travel has moved from being a niche interest to a mainstream expectation.
South Africa’s Big Five reputation is well earned, yet the global wish list tells a slightly different story.
Pandas topped the international rankings, with 41% of travellers naming them their dream sighting. This is what the survey results look like:
Rank |
Animal |
% Wanting to See It |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panda | 41% |
| 2 | Elephant | 32% |
| 3 | Kangaroo | 32% |
| 4 | Koala | 30% |
| 5 | Whale | 29% |
The elephant is the only Big Five member to make that global top five, showing travellers are broadening their bucket lists well beyond the traditional safari checklist.
Despite that broader spread of interest, South Africa secured second place overall as travellers’ preferred wildlife destination, beaten only by Australia.
More than one in ten survey respondents named South Africa their first choice for a wildlife holiday, placing it ahead of Kenya, Canada and China.
That ranking is perhaps a nod to the decades of world-class safari infrastructure, protected conservation areas and an ecosystem that ranges from bushveld elephants to coastal whales, and draws in millions of international visitors annually.
Google search data recorded a 211% increase in searches for “wildlife holidays” over the past year, according to the survey findings.
Luke Judd, a travel expert at Explore, said travellers are stretching their bucket lists past the classic safari trips, and are now dreaming of seeing pandas in bamboo forests and whales in open water.
Judd also noted that wildlife has become a primary reason people select a destination, rather than a nice extra once they’ve arrived.
For anyone reading this and finding themselves agreeing with this trend, that pull you feel towards the bush isn’t something to fight.
Whether it’s your first Kruger sighting or your fifteenth, there’s a reason South Africa keeps climbing global rankings for exactly this kind of holiday. The animals are real and wild, the parks are properly protected, and the experience tends to stay with people long after the trip ends.
Kruger Safaris, a part of Kurt Safari, has been guiding guests through the Kruger for decades. We have a selection of safari packages, including 3, 4 and 5 day trips as well as private tours and luxury packages. Book your Kruger trip with us. We’ll introduce you to the best side of Africa.