By Larry Olmsted

The classic African safari features a huge variety of wildlife on land, water and sky, but the main attractions for most travelers are the big cats: the lion, cheetah and leopard. It is very easy to see lions on safari and possible to view all three species in a single trip. Each has its fans, and all are beautiful and compelling, but none can match the grandeur of the biggest of the big cats, the tiger, which you will never see on an African safari. You have to make a special trip to see the tiger, but it’s worth it, because the tiger is that special. The King of the Jungle moniker bestowed on lions is more a case of good marketing than reality – the tiger is not just the king of the jungle, it is the king of pretty much everything.

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