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  4. Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Expert

Philip Briggs

Member of the SafariBookings Expert Panel

Country:
South Africa South Africa
Expert Reviews:
154 Reviews
Website:
philipbriggs.wordpress.com

Philip Briggs is a guidebook writer and content creator with more than 30 years’ experience travelling in and writing about Africa. He acquired the bug whilst travelling through East and Southern Africa in 1986, and has been exploring the continent on-and-off ever since, most recently based out of the pretty village of Wilderness on South Africa’s Garden Route.

Over the course of the 1990s, Philip researched and authored several Bradt guidebooks to destinations that were then – and in some cases still are – otherwise practically uncharted by the travel publishing industry. These include the first dedicated guidebooks to Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique and Rwanda, all of which have since been revised on several occasions for new editions, and are still in print today.

More recently, Philip has authored the Rough Guide to the Game Parks of South Africa, Insight Guide to Madagascar, Eyewitness Top 10 Cape Town, as well as Bradt’s Kenya Highlights, South Africa Highlights and East African Wildlife. He also co-authored Eyewitness Kenya and has worked extensively on various editions of Eyewitness South Africa and Insight Guides to Namibia, Tanzania, Senegal & Gambia, East African Wildlife, South Africa, Cape Town and Kenya.

Expert Reviews 154 – Written by Philip Briggs

Botswana Botswana
  • Botswana country review
    4/5

    The thirsty Kalahari and swampy Okavango

  • Central Kalahari Game Reserve
    4/5

    The Great Thirstland

  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
    4/5

    Desert splendours

  • Mashatu Game Reserve
    5/5

    Southern Africa’s best-kept game viewing secret

  • Okavango Delta
    5/5

    Southern Africa’s greatest inland swamp

Ethiopia Ethiopia
  • Ethiopia country review
    4/5

    Historical sites and endemic wildlife

  • Abijatta-Shalla National Park
    3/5

    Flamingo central

  • Awash National Park
    3/5

    A compelling volcanic landscape

  • Bale Mountains National Park
    4/5

    Multiple visits

  • Chebera-Churchura National Park
    3/5

    Tracking elephants on foot

  • Lake Ziway
    3/5

    Birding among the vineyard

  • Nechisar National Park
    3/5

    A tale of two lakes

  • Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary
    2/5

    A one-trick pony

  • Simien Mountains National Park
    4/5

    The spectacular roof of Ethiopia

Kenya Kenya
  • Kenya country review
    4/5

    The home of the safari

  • Aberdare National Park
    3/5

    Life in the Treetops

  • Amboseli National Park
    4/5

    Giant tuskers in the shadow of Kilimanjaro

  • Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve
    3/5

    Home of Kenya’s largest ‘lost city’

  • Buffalo Springs National Reserve
    4/5

    Samburu’s southern twin

  • Hell's Gate National Park
    4/5

    Hike or bicycle through a valley full of wildlife

  • Kakamega Forest National Reserve
    4/5

    Kenya’s top birding site

  • Kora National Park
    2/5

    A little visited wilderness

  • Laikipia Plateau
    4/5

    Ranchland reclaimed for wildlife

  • Lake Bogoria National Reserve
    3/5

    The flamingos’ holiday home

  • Lake Nakuru National Park
    4/5

    Lake of birds and land of rhinos

  • Lake Turkana
    4/5

    The world’s largest desert lake

  • Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
    4/5

    Africa on horseback

  • Marsabit National Park
    3/5

    A forested island

  • Masai Mara National Reserve
    5/5

    Big Cat Diaries made flesh

  • Meru National Park
    4/5

    The Phoenix park

  • Nairobi National Park
    3/5

    A top safari experience bordering the capital

  • Ol Pejeta Conservancy
    4/5

    Laikipia’s main tourist focus

  • Saiwa Swamp National Park
    4/5

    Kenya’s Smallest & Most Pedestrian-friendly Park

  • Samburu National Reserve
    4/5

    A river runs through it

  • Shaba National Reserve
    3/5

    Samburu’s wilder eastern cousin

  • Shimba Hills National Reserve
    3/5

    Sables, squirrels and bush babies

  • Solio Ranch
    3/5

    Rhino overload

  • Tsavo East National Park
    4/5

    Kenya’s largest wilderness park

  • Tsavo West National Park
    4/5

    Kenya’s greatest wilderness park

Lesotho Lesotho
  • Lesotho country review
    3/5

    Magical mountain kingdom

  • Sani Top
    3/5

    An Afro-alpine Paradise atop the Drakensberg’s Wildest Road Pass

  • Sehlabathebe National Park
    3/5

    A Giant’s Playground of Boulders & Rock Arches

  • Ts'ehlanyane National Park
    3/5

    Lesotho’s Most Accessible Hiking & Wildlife Destination

Madagascar Madagascar
  • Madagascar country review
    4/5

    A world apart

  • Amber Mountain National Park
    4/5

    Chameleons great and small

  • Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
    4/5

    One-stop lemur shop

  • Andohahela National Park
    3/5

    An enjoyable forest walk

  • Anja Community Reserve
    3/5

    A rewarding community reserve

  • Ankarafantsika National Park
    4/5

    Forest of rarities

  • Ankarana Special Reserve
    4/5

    Mountains of pins

  • Berenty Private Reserve
    3/5

    A contrived ‘spiny forest’ primer

  • Isalo National Park
    4/5

    A sandstone jungle

  • Kirindy Forest
    4/5

    Fossas and baobabs

  • Ranomafana National Park
    4/5

    Top lemur viewing and hiking

  • Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park
    3/5

    A tiny and easily accessible gem

Malawi Malawi
  • Malawi country review
    3/5

    Land of the Lake…and some wildlife too!

  • Kasungu National Park
    2/5

    Peaceful bush retreat with low wildlife densities

  • Lengwe National Park
    3/5

    A engaging but low-key gem for self-drivers

  • Liwonde National Park
    4/5

    Archetypal African river setting

  • Majete Wildlife Reserve
    4/5

    Rising star of the south

  • Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve
    2/5

    For the hardcore only

  • Nyika National Park
    4/5

    A hiker’s paradise

  • Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve
    3/5

    Super-accessible elephant and hippo viewing

Mozambique Mozambique
  • Mozambique country review
    3/5

    Beaches, history…and a bit of safari

  • Gorongosa National Park
    4/5

    Mozambique’s conversation flagship

  • Maputo National Park
    3/5

    Elephant and bird nirvana

  • Niassa National Reserve
    4/5

    As remote as it gets

Namibia Namibia
  • Namibia country review
    4/5

    Land of open spaces

  • |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
    4/5

    Land of the mutant plants

  • Damaraland
    4/5

    Desert-adapted elephants and rhinos

  • Etosha National Park
    4/5

    A photographer’s favourite

  • Kaokoland
    4/5

    The harsh home of the enigmatic Himba

  • Namib-Naukluft National Park
    4/5

    Gemsbok on the Dunes

  • Skeleton Coast National Park
    4/5

    Coast of ghost-ships

  • Tsau //Khaeb National Park
    3/5

    Namibia’s Forbidden territory

Rwanda Rwanda
  • Rwanda country review
    4/5

    East Africa’s Phoenix State

  • Akagera National Park
    4/5

    A Resurgent Gem

  • Gishwati-Mukura National Park
    3/5

    Rwanda’s Phoenix Forest

  • Nyungwe National Park
    4/5

    Superb Forest All-rounder

  • Volcanoes National Park
    5/5

    Gorillas in the Mist

Réunion Réunion
  • Réunion country review
    4/5

    France’s tropical island Department

South Africa South Africa
  • South Africa country review
    4/5

    A World In One Country

  • Addo Elephant National Park
    4/5

    Elephants up close and personal

  • |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
    4/5

    Land of the mutant plants

  • Amakhala Private Game Reserve
    3/5

    The Big Five and the N2

  • Augrabies Falls National Park
    4/5

    Place of great noise

  • Balule Private Nature Reserve
    4/5

    Important Member of a Vast Unfenced Ecosystem

  • Camdeboo National Park
    3/5

    Desolate Karoo landscapes

  • Golden Gate Highlands National Park
    4/5

    Cliffs of gold

  • Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve
    4/5

    Home of the Rhino

  • Ithala Game Reserve
    3/5

    Hill country

  • Kapama Private Game Reserve
    4/5

    This well-run Big Five reserve is affiliated to a unique Endangered Species Centre

  • Karoo National Park
    3/5

    Sea of fossils

  • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
    4/5

    Desert splendours

  • Kruger National Park
    4/5

    South Africa’s most iconic national park

  • Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
    4/5

    The Eastern Cape’s last wilderness

  • Londolozi Private Game Reserve
    4/5

    Protector of all living things

  • Madikwe Game Reserve
    4/5

    Malaria-free Big Five viewing

  • Makalali Private Game Reserve
    3/5

    Canned game viewing

  • MalaMala Private Game Reserve
    5/5

    South Africa’s top private reserve

  • Mapungubwe National Park
    3/5

    Lost city on the Limpopo

  • Marakele National Park
    4/5

    Large Mammals & a Scenic treat

  • Mountain Zebra National Park
    3/5

    Endemics hideaway

  • Phinda Private Game Reserve
    5/5

    Big Five viewing in Zululand

  • Pilanesberg Game Reserve
    4/5

    The closest Big Five destination to Johannesburg

  • Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve
    3/5

    Stark sophistication in the bush

  • Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
    4/5

    Best for a quick Big 5 fix

  • Shamwari Private Game Reserve
    3/5

    Big Five and more in the Albany thicket

  • Singita Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
    5/5

    Sabi Sands in style

  • Spioenkop Game Reserve
    3/5

    Low-key game viewing in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg foothills

  • Tembe Elephant Park
    3/5

    Southern Africa’s largest tuskers

  • Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
    4/5

    Home of white lions

  • uMkhuze Game Reserve
    4/5

    Photographers’ and birders’ paradise

  • Waterberg Biosphere Reserve
    4/5

    A Diverse Area of Reserves & Wildlife

  • Zulu Nyala Private Game Reserve
    3/5

    Zululand travel base

Tanzania Tanzania
  • Tanzania country review
    5/5

    Africa’s Greatest Safari Destination

  • Arusha National Park
    4/5

    Below Mount Meru

  • Gombe National Park
    4/5

    Jane Goodall’s Chimp Reserve

  • Katavi National Park
    4/5

    A Forgotten Wilderness

  • Lake Manyara National Park
    4/5

    Tanzania in Microcosm

  • Mahale Mountains National Park
    5/5

    Primate Nirvana

  • Mikumi National Park
    4/5

    An Underrated Gem

  • Mkomazi National Park
    3/5

    In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro

  • Ngorongoro Crater
    4/5

    Nature’s Greatest Natural Stage

  • Nyerere National Park
    4/5

    Southern Tanzania’s Ultimate Wilderness

  • Ruaha National Park
    5/5

    The Connoisseur’s Choice

  • Saadani National Park
    3/5

    Where the Beach Meets the Bush

  • Serengeti National Park
    5/5

    Plains of Plenty

  • Tarangire National Park
    4/5

    Baobabs & Elephants

Uganda Uganda
  • Uganda country review
    4/5

    Gorillas in the mist – and much else besides!

  • Budongo Forest
    3/5

    The forgotten chimpanzee reserve

  • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
    5/5

    Rare birds and gorillas in the mist

  • Kibale National Park
    4/5

    Monkey Nirvana

  • Kidepo Valley National Park
    4/5

    Uganda’s forgotten savannah reserve

  • Lake Mburo National Park
    3/5

    Hilly gateway to the western safari circuit

  • Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
    3/5

    Volcanoes in the mist

  • Murchison Falls National Park
    4/5

    Thundering waters and smirking shoebills

  • Queen Elizabeth National Park
    5/5

    Oasis of biodiversity

  • Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve
    3/5

    Uganda’s forgotten valley

Zambia Zambia
  • Zambia country review
    4/5

    Adventurer’s Africa

  • Bangweulu Wetlands
    4/5

    Home to the shoebill

  • Blue Lagoon National Park
    3/5

    A neglected bird-watcher’s paradise

  • Kafue National Park
    4/5

    Africa’s largest national park

  • Kasanka National Park
    3/5

    The world’s biggest mammal migration

  • Liuwa Plain National Park
    4/5

    Africa’s second-largest wildebeest migration

  • Lochinvar National Park
    3/5

    Dry scrub and lush wetlands

  • Lower Zambezi National Park
    5/5

    Canoeing the mighty Zambezi

  • Luambe National Park
    4/5

    Secret retreat in the Luangwa Valley

  • Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
    4/5

    The Smoke That Thunders

  • North Luangwa National Park
    5/5

    Zambia’s only Big Five safari destination

  • South Luangwa National Park
    4/5

    Africa’s best night drives

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe
  • Zimbabwe country review
    4/5

    Adrenaline capital of southern Africa

  • Hwange National Park
    5/5

    Zimbabwe’s top all-round safari destination

  • Matobo National Park
    4/5

    Land of giant boulders

  • Nyanga National Park
    3/5

    Rhodes’s former estate in the Eastern Highlands

  • Zambezi National Park
    4/5

    The southern side of Victoria Falls:

Most Popular Blog Posts – Written by Philip Briggs

  • Top 5 Best Hikes in Tanzania
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  • Top 10 Best Places To Visit in Africa in 2022/2023
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United Kingdom UK
79 Reviews

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South Africa ZA
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United Kingdom UK
25 Reviews

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Kim Wildman
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Australia AU
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United Kingdom UK
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United Kingdom UK
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United States US
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United Kingdom UK
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