Our first sighting just minutes after entering Mikumi National Park was two lions, one with an impressive mane. When sitting with heads held high, the creatures look like majestic royalty. Over the next three hours we found elephant, Grevy’s zebra, wildebeest, warthog, giraffe, impala, Marabou stork, Cory bustard, monkey and an almost hidden hippo under water in the Hippo Pool. By the end of the drive, we’d seen more than 20 lions – an all-time high for us.

Mikumi National Park, located in Central Tanzania, is grassland spotted with Mikumi palm trees, baobab, yellow-flowering acacia and oodles of other bushes and trees. The park’s name originated from the locals’ word ‘mikumi’ for the Borassus palm. Mikumi National Park, the third largest in Tanzania, is an outstanding animal sanctuary for viewing game. Cheap, too.