05/03/2025
🐆 We recently put together an itinerary where a key focus was on maximising the chance of seeing cheetahs, and it had us reflecting on sightings over the years and the best places to see these speedy cats.
🌿 With less than 7,000 individuals left across a range that is 90% of what it once was, any sighting is special. There is no better time to support camps that are doing their bit to maintain the wilderness areas where these cats thrive.
Here are our top picks of where to go to see wild cheetahs:
🌍 Masai Mara/Serengeti - take your pick of areas across this ecosystem, depending on the time of year and your other safari interests. The southern Serengeti in February, during the wildebeest calving, can be particularly exciting.
🇿🇦 Phinda Private Game Reserve - this private reserve in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, has the same number of cheetahs as the Masai Mara, but it is 1/6 of the size.
🇧🇼 Okavango Delta - the area to visit needs careful thought depending on the time of the year. The grasslands of the Moremi Game Reserve to the east are usually a good option, as well as the Chitabe, Splash and Khwai Concessions.
🏜 Kalahari - whether in the north in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve of Botswana or further south in the Kgalagadi of South Africa, the open spaces and lower density of competing predators provide the perfect habitat for cheetahs to stretch their legs.
🇿🇲 Kafue National Park - the largest national park in Zambia isn't on a lot of people's radar but through the tireless work of organisations like Panthera and the Zambian Carnivore Programme it is fast becoming a reliable location for predator sightings. The ephemeral grasslands of the Busanga Plains, in the north of the park, from July to October, is a particularly spectacular area and good habitat for cheetahs.
If you've made it this far, save for future travel inspo.
All pictures and videos taken by Faran Founder Josh in Botswana.
