Where To See Hippos in Africa – The 12 Best Places To Go

By Philip Briggs

There’s more to an African safari than ticking off the Big Five, which consists of lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino. Most safari destinations host a wide variety of other fascinating creatures. These include the hippopotamus, or hippo, a bulky water-loving ungulate (hoofed mammal) whose Greek name translates as ‘river horse’.

Weighing in at 1,500kg/3,300lb, hippos are easily recognized by their barrel-shaped bodies, cavernous mouths, fearsome teeth and custom of spending long daylight hours submerged in rivers or lakes. No African safari would be complete without the distinctive sound of hippos grunting and snorting. And if you’re wondering where to see (and hear) hippos in Africa, here we introduce you to some of the best places to encounter them.

1. Katavi National Park, Tanzania

Hippopotamus bulls fighting in Katavi National Park

Obscure Katavi National Park, in the far west of Tanzania, attracts a tiny fraction of the visitor numbers associated with the likes of Serengeti National Park. It is also arguably the very best place to see hippos in Africa, particularly toward the end of the Dry season, when hundreds upon hundreds of individuals might gather in one pool. This often leads to dramatic territorial disputes that frequently involve vicious headbutting, clashing teeth and bloody injuries.

Best time to see hippos in Katavi: Hippo concentrations are most impressive from August to October, at the end of the Dry season

Katavi Tours

2. Okavango Delta, Botswana

Hippo feeding in the Okavango Delta

The world’s largest inland delta comprises 22,000km²/8,494mi² of permanent and seasonal wetlands fed by the Okavango (Kavango) River as it drains into the sandy Kalahari soils. Unsurprisingly, the Okavango is home to one of Africa’s largest hippo populations, and you’ll see plenty as you’re poled through the Delta’s channels in a mokoro (dugout canoe).

Best time to see hippos in the Okavango: Wildlife is most abundant between July and October, but the Delta can be visited at any time, and hippo sightings are not strongly seasonal

Okavango Delta Tours

3. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Hippo in Lake Edward, Queen Elizabeth National Park

A safari to the diverse mosaic of savannah and wetland habitats of Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) is easily combined with gorilla trekking in the jungle of nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. A highlight of QENP is a boat trip on the scenic Kazinga Channel, which is one of the best places in Africa to see hippos, along with elephants, buffalo and many different waterbirds.

Best time to see hippos in QENP: Boat trips are available and hippos are present all year round. Most people time their visit around the peak gorilla trekking months of June to August and December to February.

Queen Elizabeth NP Tours

4. Liwonde National Park, Malawi

Hippo herd in the Shire River, Liwonde National Park

Underrated Liwonde National Park is a Big Five safari destination dominated by the Shire River as it flows south from Lake Malawi to its confluence with the Zambezi. Boat trips on this wild African waterway are a real treat. It hosts a quite extraordinary density of hippos and offers great elephant viewing and bird watching.

Best time to see hippos in Liwonde: Hippos will be there whenever you visit, but general wildlife viewing is best from July to October

Liwonde Tours

5. iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

Hippopotamus in Lake St Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

South Africa’s third-largest park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park protects a stunning 280km/170mi stretch of coastal wilderness running south from the border with Mozambique. The gateway village of St Lucia is the only settlement in South Africa where hippos regularly walk down the main road at night, undeterred by the gaping tourists in the restaurants and bars. Even if you miss out on this bizarre phenomenon, you should see plenty of hippos on a boat trip on the bordering St Lucia Estuary.

Best time to see hippos in iSimangaliso: Hippos can be seen in St Lucia Estuary throughout the year

iSimangaliso Tours

6. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Hippopotamus in the water, South Luangwa National Park

Zambia’s best-known safari destination offers great elephant, lion and leopard viewing, but the waterway for which it is named is also one of the best places in Africa to see hippos. As with Katavi, hippo viewing can be phenomenal at the end of the Dry season when large numbers gather in the river’s few remaining pools.

Best time to see hippos in South Luangwa: July to October offer peak wildlife viewing. This is also when the Luangwa River is lowest and you’re likely to see large hippo concentrations.

South Luangwa Tours

7. Akagera National Park, Rwanda

Hippo in Akagera National Park

Rwanda’s only Big Five safari destination incorporates a beautiful wetland complex fed by the Akagera River on the border with Tanzania. Hippo sightings are a near certainty on boat trips on Lake Ihema, or from Lake Hago’s so-called Plage des Hippos.

Best time to see hippos in Akagera: Hippos can be seen throughout the year, but if you’re combining a safari with gorilla trekking elsewhere in Rwanda, aim for June to September or mid-December to mid-February

Akagera Tours

8. Kruger National Park, South Africa

Hippopotamus lying in the water, Kruger National Park

South Africa’s flagship Big Five destination is great for most iconic safari creatures, including hippos, which can be seen in all permanent rivers and larger dams.

Best time to see hippos in Kruger: Wildlife viewing is best from June to September. However, Kruger is less seasonal than most safari destinations thanks to its well-maintained surfaced roads, so hippos can be seen at any time of year.

Kruger Tours

9. Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

Hippos in the Nile River, Murchison Falls National Park

Uganda’s largest park is home to East Africa’s most spectacular waterfall, formed by the Nile as it funnels through a narrow crack in the Rift Valley escarpment. Boat trips to the base of this explosive waterfall offer great wildlife viewing, and you’re sure to see several pods of hippo basking in the shallows of the world’s longest river.

Best time to see hippos in Murchison Falls: This is a year-round safari destination and hippo sightings are not greatly affected by season

Murchison Falls Tours

10. Nyerere (Selous) National Park, Tanzania

Hippos in Nyerere National Park

Tanzania’s largest national park is bisected by the country’s longest river. This is the Rufiji, a classic African waterway whose wide sandy course is lined by tall borassus palms and lush forest. This atmospheric stretch of river reputedly hosts Africa’s densest hippo population, and you’ll see plenty of these aquatic giants over the course of a single boat trip, along with elephants, giraffes and some impressively large Nile crocodiles.

Best time to see hippos in Nyerere: The Dry season, from June to October, is the best time to visit and look for hippos

Nyerere Tours

11. Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia

Hippos in Lower Zambezi National Park. Source: flickr.com/photos/ninara/14296691067

Situated on the north bank of the Zambezi as it flows along the border with Zimbabwe, this Zambian national park offers Africa’s best self-propelled canoe safaris. Close-up encounters with hippo are pretty much guaranteed, and because the canoes are so low on the water, they offer a great vantage point for watching any action.

Best time to see hippos in Lower Zambezi: Hippo viewing on the Zambezi isn’t seasonal, but canoeing most certainly is. The best time to visit is between July and October.

Lower Zambezi Tours

12. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe

Hippo wading through the Zambezi foliage, Mana Pools National Park

This Zimbabwean counterpart to Lower Zambezi lies on the opposite side of the same river and is equally productive for hippo viewing. Canoe trips are available, but the main specialty at Mana Pools is walking safaris, which often yield close-up encounters with hippos and other heavyweights such as lions and elephants.

Best time to see hippos in Mana Pools: Wildlife viewing is best from June to October. The Zambezi floodplain becomes waterlogged and is difficult to visit between December and March.

Mana Pools Tours