Shivers sped down my spine as a hyena crept into our Jeep’s headlights in the night. Then another hyena joined, and further back, we saw a third and fourth set of eyes. We heard piercing cackles, and our safari guide Kebby Arabang, resident tour director for Abercrombie & Kent in Botswana, told us it was a hyena calling for back up in a stand-off with a lion.
We knew the lion – a lone male gorging on buffaloes near camp. We’d also seen the hyena – their den, their cubs, and their paw prints by my tent. I enjoyed dozens of game drives throughout my time in Botswana, but none left me as awestruck as this twilight expedition.
Around the world, a growing number of lodges now offer night safaris for travellers. These trips pair the animal kingdom’s after-dark excitement – up to 70 per cent of species are active from dusk to dawn, after all – with a soft place to land and dine between excursions.
Ready to book your adventure? Here are 10 of our favourite night safaris for watching wildlife via night-vision binoculars in Tanzania, exploring the moonlit Amazon via canoe, and more.
See the Okavango Delta after dusk
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Botswana’s vast Okavango Delta is home to hundreds of diverse species, including many after-dark revellers: hyenas, lions, leopards, bush babies, and pangolins, to name a few. Night safaris aren’t allowed everywhere in the delta, but you can enjoy one with a stay at Sanctuary Retreats’ Stanley’s Camp – the site of my eye-popping night drive on A&K’s Botswana Safari in Style itinerary. The luxe tented camp flings you into the wild, with porches and a plunge pool overlooking a watering hole, plus inventive local and international cuisine made even more enjoyable by the soundtrack of nearby hippo grunts. The property’s private concession surrounds provide guests the opportunities for unique Okavango Delta experiences, from night drives to walking safaris.
Watch wildlife via thermal monocular technology
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
The new Usangu Expedition Camp in southern Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park centres on citizen science, from big-cat collaring by day to watching and photographing wildlife with cutting-edge thermal monocular night vision technology after dark. These night safaris let you admire the animals without the disruptive beams of a flashlight, meaning creatures like leopards are undisturbed – and therefore more likely to attempt a hunt. While nothing beats watching African animals at night, recounting the tales by a starlit campfire back at Usangu is a close second.
Admire the sights and sounds of the Amazon after dark
Yasuní National Park, Ecuadorian Amazon
Sunset sparks a frenzy of activity in the Amazon. You can see and hear the rainforest’s twilight festivities for yourself with a stay at Sacha Lodge, an upscale escape nestled along Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park – one of the Amazon’s most biodiverse pockets. During the day, snag a bird’s eye view via Sacha’s 940-foot-long Canopy Walk bridge, then admire the world’s largest rainforest by night with an after-dark jungle hike or a starlit canoe trip to spot the caiman (a relative of the alligator), one of the Amazon’s largest known predators. Keep the fun going after hours with more listening games from your room’s private balcony.
Search for tigers, leopards, and wolves with a naturalist
Satpura National Park, India
Few of India‘s National Parks allow safaris at night – arguably the best time to see the elusive tigers – but, luckily, Satpura Tiger Reserve is one of them. Satpura night drives run through the park’s buffer zones, and offer the chance to witness a host of creatures: leopards, sloths, wild dogs, and, of course, tigers. Book a night at the eight-suite Bori Safari Lodge, a tranquil getaway within minutes of the park gate that offers a plunge pool with forest views, al-fresco dining, and naturalist-led safaris around the clock.
See nocturnal species and stars in a biodiverse freshwater reserve
Iberá Natural Reserve, Argentina
More than 4,000 plant and animal species reside in Argentina’s 1.3 million-acre Iberá Natural Reserve. Wildlife across the protected area’s streams, lagoons, swamps, and marshes have bounced back after decades of commercial hunting and illegal animal trading. Now, you can admire the biodiversity in one of the most mesmerising ways: a night safari, with on-foot or 4×4 vehicle excursions to see viscachas, grey foxes, and crab-eating raccoons. AndBeyond offers the experience as part of select South America tours. Book your own trip to the reserve via the 11-room Rincón del Socorro, a reinvigorated cattle ranch that offers expert-led night safaris, onsite cycling trails, and a reserve-view restaurant with farm-to-table produce and traditional Argentinian barbecues.
Search for lions, aardwolves, honey badgers, and bush babies under the stars
Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya
Most wildlife travellers dream about visiting Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, but there’s a lesser-known and significantly less crowded safari escape just northwest of it: the 35,000-acre Olare Motorogi Conservancy. The getaway, known for its action-packed lion viewing, protects the ecosystem’s animals and supports the local Masai people via community-based tourism. Unlike the Masai Mara National Reserve, night drives are allowed in Olare Motorogi Conservancy; they’re available via Mahali Mzuri – Richard Branson’s posh 12-tent safari camp. You may see big cats like leopards or lions, or rarer aardwolves, porcupines, honey badgers, and bush babies. But a night safari isn’t the only time to catch these elusive creatures. From the camp’s outdoor dining to each tent’s private viewing deck, you can see and hear the conservancy’s inhabitants around the clock.
Listen for howls on a wolf safari
Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
Sweden’s elusive wolf is easier seen than heard – and your best bet at either is after dark. On an overnight wolf safari with Amazing Nature Scandinavia, expert guides take you out on foot, and in a van, through central Sweden’s liveliest wolf spots. Actually spotting the elusive wolves can be tricky, but there’s an 80 to 90 per cent chance you’ll hear their howls. This seasonal summer adventure pairs with camping in a wolf-pack area; bookend the trip with a stay at a unique central Sweden getaway like Nasets Marcusgard. The forested property features quirky overnight stays – think: a cylindrical pine-flanked pod with potential deer and fox sightings from bed – with a central gathering place for meals, a heated pool and sauna, and a collection of onsite and nearby hiking trails.
Cruise past leopards, gibbons, porcupines, and owls
Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area, Laos
A late-night boat adventure through Laos’ remote Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park provides a first-hand glimpse at the country’s budding conservation success story. The trip starts with an evening boat ride, followed by a hike and dinner by a campfire, then the ultimate twilight treat: floating down the river beneath a blanket of darkness – with only one torchlight per boat to illuminate the potential leopards, porcupines, and gibbons en route. The journey concludes with a night in the park ecolodge’s traditional Lao bungalows.
