Spot Rhino’s In The Wild
Ticked off
Watch a black rhino step out of the darkness to drink at a floodlit waterhole, just metres from where you sit.
The adventure
At Okaukuejo in Etosha, the waterhole is floodlit after dark and you sit behind a low wall, holding your breath. Then a black rhino steps out of the night, heavy and deliberate, ears twitching, and lowers its head to drink just metres from the bench. A second one follows, and for a while nobody says a word.
Every rhino encounter feels earned, because these are animals that came close to disappearing. In Nepal's Chitwan National Park, greater one-horned rhinos wallow in grassland and river channels, their skin folded like armour plating. In Kenya's Ol Pejeta, you can see southern whites grazing in the open and visit the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, guarded around the clock. Seeing a mother and calf move through the bush together is a reminder of why that protection matters.
And Nepal is much more than the Himalayas. Down on the southern border with India, the jungle and grassland of Chitwan is one of the best places in Asia to see rhinos.
Why it’s epic
- There are five rhino species, white and black in Africa, and greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran in Asia.
- Etosha's floodlit waterholes are among the best places in Africa to see black rhinos.
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy is home to the world's last two northern white rhinos, both female.
- Nepal's rhino numbers have recovered strongly thanks to anti-poaching work, with most living in Chitwan.
What it is
Rhinos are endangered, and seeing one in the wild is a highlight of any safari.
How to do it
Good places include Kruger in South Africa, Etosha in Namibia, Ol Pejeta in Kenya and Chitwan in Nepal.
Top tip
Don't post exact locations online; it can help poachers.
Need to know
- The dry season, when animals gather at waterholes, gives the best sightings; dates vary by country.
- Don't geotag rhino photos or share exact locations online, as poachers use them.
- In Chitwan, walking safaris bring you close to rhinos on foot, so only go with experienced, licensed guides.
Do it yourself
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide
- HotelsBooking.com
- Adventure travel insuranceWorld NomadsWe receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Spot Rhino’s In The Wild” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.