OK, so the news is bad from India?s game sanctuaries. Perhaps it?s time for avid wildlife enthusiasts to head for foreign shores. Take your choice from a string of African countries like Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Closer home, head to Sri Lanka. The good news is that India?s top travel agencies can organise your trip in a jiffy.

There are heaps of options and that makes for a tough choice about where to go. So, the first step is to decide what animals you want to see.

And be warned: safaris don?t come cheap. Botswana, considered the ultimate experience in safaris because of its raw wilderness, can be enjoyed for between $250 to $600 per person, per night. East Africa (and that includes Kenya and Tanzania) can be savoured for $150 to $350 per person, per night and South Africa and Sri Lanka will probably cost you $200 to $400 per person, per night. And these tariffs do not include airfares.

How does a safari work? The typical safari will take you into a reserve for a specific number of days ? three, four, five or even seven days ? with stays usually organised in tents at rest camps. If you book for a ?luxury? safari then expect to stay in the comfort of a lodge. The safari will also throw in the experience of dining under the stars, on-road game viewing drives, night safaris in open vehicles and even a walk-through in the safer areas.

If you are pretty much decided on seeing the Big Five ? lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos and elephants ? all in one trip, then Masai Mara in Kenya, Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania are the best bets. Besides these destinations, Indians also favour Botswana.

Masai Mara is where the wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migrate each year in June from the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania. The animals cross the border and the rivers to reach Masai Mara?s lush grasslands. When in Kenya, trips to Lake Nakuru National Park (that protects flamingo and hippos), the Amboseli, Aberdare National Park Samburu Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Tsavo East National Park can be inbuilt.

Other African jewels are the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands of South Africa. Sabi Sands Reserve?s leopard safaris are exciting and June to August is a good time to go. Besides big game viewing, Kruger also offers bird watching safaris.

Tanzania, the largest country in east Africa, offers you the chance to view an amazing natural wonder ? the Ngorongoro Crater. The game park is the place to see elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, lions and much more. Another spectacular park is the Serengeti National Park.

It may be lesser known, but north Zimbabwe also offers great reserves. Safari enthusiasts can head for Hwane, Matusodona and Mana Pools ? and throw in a visit to Victoria Falls. Botswana may be a landlocked country, dominated by the mighty Kalahari Desert, but it remains famous for its safari tours in the spectacular inland Okavango Delta known for its abundance of elephants.

Options abound to gawk at other species: for gorillas head for Rwanda, Uganda or Gabon, for chimps, it?s Tanzania?s Gombe Stream National Park.

Though but a teardrop in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is gifted with teeming wildlife. Though it?s not the country where lions and tigers are found, it?s a land of elephants, leopards, the sloth bear, monkeys and the aggressive wild buffalo. Sea turtles and crocs can also be found in parts of Sri Lanka while the Sinharaja Forest Reserve is an undisturbed lowland rain forest.

Leopards, elephants, sloth bear and water buffalo are the threatened species that have made Wilpattu National Park their home. If Uda Walawe Park is the best place to watch wild elephants, Ruhuna National Park at Yala is great for viewing leopards, crocodiles, elephants and flamingos. The best time to visit is from now to October. For bird-watching head for Horton Park, a 2,000m plateau that ends in a 1,000m drop to the valley floor. Bundala in the South East of Sri Lanka (aquatic bird life) should round off the trip.

Tips for the trip

But some do?s and don?ts must be adhered to when enjoying the adventure trail. Obviously, be very careful about wild animals and don?t go off for a stroll by yourself. It?s particularly risky to go near a waterbody.

If you are driving through a game park in a vehicle, stay in it. Leave the vehicle only in the designated areas (called hides) and abide strictly by the rules. Never stick anything out of the vehicle and quell the urge to stand up if the vehicle is an open one. Having attracted attention, you might irritate the animal.

If you are driving your own vehicle, go slow. Keep the windows up (if the vehicle has them) to keep out the baboons and monkeys. If you opt for any of the walking safaris (like those in Africa and Sri Lanka), then be prepared to bump into some animal on your walks. But if you do encounter wildlife, ensure that you are not blocking its escape route. Walk away slowly, or back off quietly.

Thus armed, it?s time to go. Honeymooners, wildlife enthusiasts and photographers as well as families out on a vacation ? safaris are sure to offer a spot of fun on the wild side.