By David Noland

To see lions, elephants, and thousand-strong herds of wildebeests in their natural habitat is a thrilling experience. But the variety of safaris to choose from can be bewildering. Here’s a look at the options:

Lodge Safari
For this popular style of safari, you’ll stay in a permanent lodge and take daily game-viewing drives into the bush by minivan or Land Rover. The hundreds of game lodges in eastern and southern Africa, as well as those springing up in the lowlands of Nepal, range in price from about $100 to $500 a night, depending on the level of luxury, size (smaller is pricier), and remoteness. A lodge safari is great for a first-timer, though more active and/or adventurous folks might prefer something a bit farther off the beaten tourist path.

Mobile Tented-Camp Safari
Instead of staying in a permanent lodge, you can sleep in a tent and move from place to place each night or two. Mobile safaris make close encounters with game--an elephant strolling through camp or a lion roaring in the night just outside your tent--much more likely. The level of comfort can still be surprisingly high: huge, multiroom stand-up tents with private showers and toilets, sterling silver tableware, etc. Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Botswana are the best countries for mobile safaris, which cost from $200 to $500 per day per person. Backpacker-style "fly-camping" expeditions cost as little as $75 to $100 per day.

Walking Safari
Peering out of a minibus roof hatch, you are a mere spectator to the big-game action. But on a walking safari, you step onto the stage with the main players. Although you'll see fewer animals, a mere rustling in the bushes triggers more adrenaline than a close-up sighting from a vehicle. Moreover, silent and fumeless, you’ll often be able to sneak up to wildlife before it knows you’re there. (Don’t worry, you will always be accompanied by a guide and an armed guard.) The birthplaces of walking safaris, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are still the best places for them.

Specialty Safari
Been-there-done-that types can watch their wildlife from all manner of safari "vehicles," including canoes, elephants, horses, and hot-air balloons. In other words, freedom of choice enough to make even our Founding Fathers proud. (Washington, we think, would’ve gone canoe; Jefferson, however, was more of a hot-air kind of guy...)

David Noland is the author of Travels Along the Edge.