An eight-hour drive from Dakar, nature lovers won't be disappointed by this vast UNESCO World Heritage reserve in Senegal's southeast corner near the Guinea-Bissau border. With the help of guides (various outfitters run overnight trips out of Dakar), you can roam 913,000 hectares (3,525 square miles) of sylvan savannahs and wetlands, taking observe a wide variety of flora and fauna including not just more than 350 kinds of birds but leopards, chimpanzees, elephants, hippopotamuses, giant elands (a type of antelope, above) and even lions reputed to be Africa's largest.

Read more in our post Exploring Senegal: 3 Excellent Excursions from Dakar.

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