Safaris

Wild, deadly felines pursuing striped, horse-like creatures. Truck-sized, leather-skinned brutes with huge protruding teeth roaming in packs. No, this isn’t a strange dream, it’s a common family vacation—a safari.

Safaris are usually associated with Africa, where you might see lions chasing zebras and roaming elephants. A few of the best and most popular safari destinations are Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana. However, countries such as India, Indonesia and Thailand also offer guided safaris and opportunities to see tigers, Komodo dragons and gibbons, respectively.

Safaris used to revolve around big-game hunting, although the lion’s share (pun intended) of modern safaris are journeys to observe and photograph the wildlife, not kill and mount it. Today, the word “safari” can refer to an ocean cruise to spot whales as easily as a bird-watching adventure in England, so khakis and pith helmets may not always be appropriate attire.