Expert

Philip Briggs

Member of the SafariBookings Expert Panel

Country:: South Africa
Expert Reviews:: 162 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 162 – Written by Philip Briggs

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 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 country review

4/5
The Home Of The Safari
Aberdare National Park

4/5
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

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
Ruma National Park

3/5
An Off-Beat Gem
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

3/5
Kenya’s Best-Known Wilderness Park

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 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 country review

4/5
Land of the Lake … and Some Great Safari Options Too!
Kasungu National Park

2/5
Peaceful Bush Retreat with Low Wildlife Densities and Plenty of Potential
Lengwe National Park

3/5
An Engaging but Low-key Gem for Self-drivers
Liwonde National Park

5/5
Archetypal African River Setting
Majete Wildlife Reserve

4/5
Resurrected Star of the South
Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve

2/5
For the Hardcore Only
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve

3/5
A Little-visited Escarpment Wilderness
Nyika National Park

4/5
A Remote Highland Paradise
Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve

3/5
Super-accessible Elephant and Hippo Viewing