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East Africa
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022 Gorilla Rwanda

In the league table of natural wonders, the eastern swathe of the African continent ranks as a global superpower.

In East Africa, where the grinding of plate tectonics has carved a unique geology and sweeping range of habitats, you'll find a land of superlatives: the biggest concentrations of the very largest land animals, the world's deepest lake, the highest mountains in Africa, the list goes on.

And it is this that cements East Africa's place as a tourism heavy hitter. From the wildebeest migration that sweeps across the grasslands of Tanzania and Kenya, the "Big Five" of the Masai Mara, and the great apes of Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC, this is a place that is virtually synonymous with safari and wildlife tourism.

Hidden gems in East Africa

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Game drives in Ngorongoro Crater

Khuzeima Zavery
Khuzeima Zavery
Experience

The Ngorongoro Crater, the remains of an ancient volcano, forms a vast, self-contained ecosystem spanning 100 square miles of wildlife-packed savannah, swamp and forest. A descent into the crater features highly on all popular Northern Circuit itineraries. Aside from watching lions and cheetahs stalk the open grasslands, you’ll see flamingos in Lake Magadi and elephants in Lerai Forest. It’s an early start, setting out at dawn to catch the wildlife at its most active. Access to the crater is through the Loduare Gate, where entry permits and descent fees are required. The crater is a strictly regulated conservation area, and all vehicles must adhere to designated routes and operating hours. Alighting from your vehicle is prohibited other than in designated areas, and there are no walking safaris permitted here. Most game drives leave by mid-morning to avoid the midday heat, but you might find a full-day tour with lunch at Ngoitokitok Springs or other picnic areas. Insider tip The gate opens at 6am and you want to be among the first in order to avoid the rush. Where you stay is critical. I break Ngorongoro accommodation into three categories: premium, high-demand lodges within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and right on the crater rim; lodges within the NCAA but not actually on the rim; and finally there's a wide range of accommodation in nearby Karatu town. In my experience, if staying on the rim itself is too expensive or not available, then somewhere in Karatu is the better option. The value of staying inside the NCAA but not on the rim is limited and does not add significantly to the experience.

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Tanzania

The ‘Northwest Circuit’

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Itinerary

In 2019, Tanzania took the conservation world by surprise when it gazetted a quartet of new national parks in the country’s far northwest. These parks were all amalgamated from badly-managed wildlife reserves that had suffered from extensive poaching, and none, as yet, is properly developed for tourism. Equally, there is nothing stopping those with an adventurous spirit and a decent 4x4 from exploring most of these parks. Most attractive and accessible is Burigi-Chato, which now ranks as Tanzania’s fifth-largest national park, and offers fair game viewing (we saw zebra, warthog and a variety of antelope a recent visit, but lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe are also present). The other three new national parks, in order of accessibility, are Ibanda-Kyerwa, Rumanyika-Karagwe and Kigosi. If you are in this part of Tanzania, you could also consider boating across to lushly forested Rubondo Island National Park, which is one of the best places to see the swamp-dwelling sitatunga antelope. For birdwatchers, Minziro Forest Reserve, on the Ugandan border, is home to at least 50 species not known elsewhere in Tanzania.

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Arusha National Park

Canoe on Momella Lakes

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

Although just 45 minutes from the key transit hub of Arusha, the eponymous national park itself is usually overlooked by tourists heading straight to the more famous Serengeti. This is a shame because Arusha National Park packs in huge scenic and biodiversity into a relatively small area. My favourite activity here is to paddle on the pretty Momella Lakes, canoeing past hippos, buffalo and giraffes. There are usually good close-up views of Mount Meru; weather permitting, you might even sneak a distant view of snow-capped Kilimanjaro.

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Saadani National Park

Unique coastal safaris

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

The palm-lined beaches of Saadani National Park on the Indian Ocean coastline form the last remaining turtle nesting site on the country’s north coast. Adding to Saadani’s uniqueness, it’s the only coastal reserve where you can see big cats, elephant, buffalo and giraffe – although in admittedly low densities compared to the more famous big hitter parks. While here you must take a boat trip on the Wami River, do a guided bush walk and go birdwatching on the salt flats. You probably wouldn’t come here for a standalone safari, but a good operator might help you add this to your itinerary after the Serengeti or one of Tanzania’s other more famous safari locations.

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Mt. Meru

Hike into the gaping caldera of Mount Meru

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

If mountains had feelings, Meru would most likely go through life with a serious chip on its shoulder. This dormant volcano ranks as Africa’s fifth-highest mountain, and it dominates the skyline of Arusha, a town that serves as the bustling safari capital of northern Tanzania. Yet in touristic terms Meru is almost entirely neglected, thanks largely to its proximity to iconic Mount Kilimanjaro. For keen walkers with a day to spare at the start or end of a safari, however, a half-day hike through the forest of Arusha National Park into Meru’s partially collapsed caldera is highly recommended. On the way you're likely to see plenty of wildlife, including elephant, giraffe, zebra and a variety of forest monkeys and birds. Once inside the caldera, you will also enjoy memorable close-up views of its sheer western wall and tall ash cone.

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Lake Natron

Drive through the Rift Valley

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

Relatively few people do it, but the remote and starkly beautiful back route connecting Serengeti National Park to Arusha via Lake Natron ranks as one of the wildest drives you can undertake in East Africa. Hemmed in by the sheer Rift Valley escarpment, Natron is a forbidding presence, thanks to its hypersaline water, which is too caustic to support any aquatic life other than flamingos and the cyanobacteria on which they feed. Red-robed Maasai lead herds of cattle and camels between the zebras and antelope that graze the surrounding arid plains. Rising above it all, Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai ‘Mountain of God’, is an active volcano whose 9,710ft peak towers above the 1,970ft lakeshore. Some of the world’s oldest known human footprints are preserved in an old lava flow between the mountain and the lake. Depending on current volcanic activity levels, it is possible to hike up the shadeless, ash-strewn slopes of Ol Doinyo Lengai, a tough five-to-six-hour ascent best undertaken at night.

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Mt. Kilimanjaro

Hike Kilimanjaro’s Shira Plateau

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

One of Africa’s most iconic sights, Kilimanjaro is the world's tallest freestanding mountain, and its 19,341ft Uhuru Peak Is the highest point anywhere on the continent. It's an alluring goal for hikers, but the full ascent – which takes at least five days, better six or seven – is a serious commitment in terms of time, money and physical endeavor. I recommend as an excellent and little publicized quick-fix alternative the guided Shira Plateau Day Trail, which leads for about 5 miles through a relatively flat tract of moorland perched at 11,000-12,000ft on the mountain’s western slopes. You’re bound to feel the altitude, but in clear weather (most likely if you set off before 9am) you’ll also enjoy magnificent frame-filling views of Kilimanjaro’s distinctive snow-capped peak rising from the Afroalpine moorland.

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Usambara Mountains

Endemic wildlife in the Eastern Arc Mountains

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains are listed among the world's top 20 biodiversity hotspots. Comprising a dozen different ranges scattered along the country's eastern coastal belt, these lushly forested mountains – sometimes dubbed the African Galápagos – support a wealth of unique creatures, including 75 vertebrate species found nowhere else in the world. The best known range is West Usambara, where several guided hikes are offered by a community project based in the lovely small town of Lushoto. For birders, a great starting point is Amani Nature Reserve in East Usambara, while primate enthusiasts are pointed to Udzungwa Mountains National Park, which hosts three monkey species unique to this part of Tanzania. Adventurous travelers could literally spend months exploring this little-visited region, much of which remains undeveloped for tourism.

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Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Descend into Empakaai Crater

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

You don't always need to head far off the beaten track to get away from the crowds. Little-visited Empakaai, only 90 minutes’ drive from the over-touristed Ngorongoro Crater, is a case in point. The second-largest caldera in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Empakaai is a near-perfect circular crater with a 5-mile diameter and a depth of 1,800ft. The road along the rim offers stunning views across the Rift Valley escarpment to the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai. But the highlight of a visit is the short, steep hike down the forested eastern wall (look out for blue monkeys and buffalos) to the crater floor, which is dominated by a green soda lake that usually hosts large flocks of flamingos.

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Mkomazi National Park

Support the critically endangered black rhino

Experience

Mkomazi National Park, in northeastern Tanzania, is scenic and almost entirely devoid of other tourists. It has abundant wildlife but for me the stand-out experience here is visiting the rhino sanctuary which offers the best chance of seeing the critically endangered black rhino anywhere in Tanzania. The rhino here are breeding, and patrols keep them safe from poachers. There is also an African wild dog breeding programme here too.

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Nyerere National Park

Rufiji River boat safari

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

Tanzania’s main wildlife destinations can all be explored in a 4x4. These days, many also allow guided walking safaris. But Nyerere National Park stands out as the only major Tanzanian reserve where you can do a boat safari. This is a true hidden gem. The palm-lined Rufiji is Tanzania's largest river, and it supports prodigious hippos, some monstrously proportioned crocodiles, and a dazzling array of birds ranging from the majestic African fish eagle to the colourful white-fronted bee-eater. Boat safaris in Nyerere also come with a good chance of spotting elephants crossing between the banks, giraffes coming down to drink and lions snoozing below riverside trees.

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East Africa

Lesser-known gorilla safari locations

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs

There are a couple of parks in west-central Africa where western lowland gorillas can be seen in the wild. These are the Congo Republic’s Odzala-Kokoua National Park and Central African Republic’s Dzanga-Sangha Forest Reserve, both of which protect vast tracts of lowland rainforest inhabited by the likes of forest elephant, lowland bongo and chimpanzee. At the moment, these parks only really cater to high-end fly-in gorilla safaris and are difficult to reach on a normal holiday or travel budget.

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East Africa travel guides

The best places to see the wildebeest migration
Guide

The best places to see the wildebeest migration

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

Sometimes called ‘the greatest show on earth’, the wildebeest migration sees mega herds of almost two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles continuously travel thousands of kilometres in a broadly clockwise direction from the southern Serengeti, north into Kenya’s Maasai Mara, and back again. The migration is one of Africa's classic safari experiences, drawing visitors year round to witness this magnificent spectacle.

The Best Time To See The Wildebeest Migration
Guide

The Best Time To See The Wildebeest Migration

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

By definition, the wildebeest migration is a continually moving and perpetually active phenomenon; where you go depends very much on when you decide to travel. A note on the "route" Beware any safari company that tells you they can guarantee the route the herds will take.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In January?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In January?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

A new year means new life, and the stage for the spectacle this month is around the Ndutu Plains in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the south of the Serengeti National Park.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In February?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In February?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

In February most of the migration action takes place in the Ndutu Plains, to the southwest of the Serengeti. Behold the classic image of endless plains, blanketed and dotted as far as the eye can see with grazing wildebeest and their newborn calves.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In March?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In March?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

After a long period of grazing in the Ndutu region, the once green grass is now over-grazed, with little left for the enlarged herd. The time to move on has come.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In April?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In April?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

Long rains mean thicker vegetation and scattered herds, which makes viewing more of a challenge. But the rewards of the low season are lower prices and few other people as the migration makes its way north and into ‘big cat territory’.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In May?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In May?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The long rains taper off and the herds are on the move, heading north towards Kenya. Routes diverge somewhat, but they’ll all funnel through a narrow corridor between two rivers in a dramatic spectacle.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In June?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In June?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The skies are clear, the land dries out, and the herds gain strength and power as the calves mature. But June is no walk in the park.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In July?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In July?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

July is primetime viewing for what many consider to be the main act of the migration theatrics – the crossing of the Mara River.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In August?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In August?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

Welcome to the height of the high season. Everyone has the same idea of witnessing the most action-packed month for river crossings.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In September?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In September?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The September high season in Kenya’s Maasai Mara has its obvious rewards.The skies are sunny, crowds are thinning somewhat, dramatic river crossings are still going strong in Mara side with few crossing between Lamai and Kogatende, predators have hit their stride, and the ‘big five’ are all out in view.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In October?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In October?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The end of the high season means the crowds have (mostly) gone.The migration is straddled between Kenya’s Maasai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In November?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In November?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

In November the ‘short rains’ start to fall in the Mara.The plains return to their emerald green hue, and the migration is on the move southward, back to Tanzania’s Serengeti.

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In December?
Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In December?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The annual cycle of life is turning full circle.The rains have returned, and the wildebeest are on the move back toward the rich grasses of Ndutu.

Saving the African rhino
Article

Saving the African rhino

Peter Knights
Peter Knights

In 1993, both China and Taiwan banned the sale of rhino horn, leading to a dramatic decrease in rhino poaching across Africa. Between 1993 and 2008, poaching of rhinos occurred at a low level -- around 50 per year, worldwide.

Is it right to conserve gorillas at the expense of people?
Article

Is it right to conserve gorillas at the expense of people?

The work to save mountain gorillas over recent decades has led to a dramatic turnaround in their fortunes and is something that we are immensely proud of here in Rwanda. But while the gorilla population is stronger than ever before and the tourism industry brings a welcome source of revenue to the country, not everyone has benefited from our success.

The best time to visit Kenya for safari
Guide

The best time to visit Kenya for safari

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

January & FebruaryThis is a hot and dry period. Animals gather around water holes and river banks which makes for a good period to be on safari.

Wildlife of Uganda: five species to look out for
Article

Wildlife of Uganda: five species to look out for

Sadie Butterworth-Jones
Sadie Butterworth-Jones

With a wide variety of different habitats, including mountains, tropical rainforest, woodlands, grasslands, savannah and freshwater lakes, Uganda offers incredibly biodiverse flora and fauna. It is home to more than 345 species of mammal, 142 reptiles, numerous bird life and — despite being landlocked — 501 different types of fish.

What to do in Tanzania besides safari
Guide

What to do in Tanzania besides safari

Anthony Ham
Anthony Ham

If you're coming to Tanzania, chances are you'll be going on safari.

The time to move has come
Article

The time to move has come

Anthony Ham
Anthony Ham

Having spent the last decade searching out the best wildlife spectacles the planet has to offer, I thought I’d seen it all. But nothing could prepare me for the first time I laid eyes upon East Africa’s Great Wildebeest Migration.

One magical hour
Article

One magical hour

Sue Watt
Sue Watt

Kurira was the first silverback I ever saw, the big daddy of the Susa group living on Mount Karisimbi in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Rules dictate that humans stay seven metres from the gorillas — but no-one had told Kurira.

The great migration faces extinction
Article

The great migration faces extinction

Dr Joseph Ogutu
Dr Joseph Ogutu

Migratory animals across the world are under threat from the impact of humans. In Kenya, fencing, settlements, farms and other developments are cutting off migratory routes and reducing wildebeest’s territory.

Saving the gentle giants
Article

Saving the gentle giants

Ian Redmond OBE
Ian Redmond OBE

In 1976, fresh out of university, my first job was as a research assistant to Dian Fossey at the Karisoke Research Centre in Rwanda. They were fraught times.

The Journal Podcast by Horizon Guides: Revisiting Attenborough's Mountain Gorillas
Article

The Journal Podcast by Horizon Guides: Revisiting Attenborough's Mountain Gorillas

Karam Filfilan
Karam Filfilan

In this podcast, we speak to renowned field biologist and founder of the Ape Alliance, Ian Redmond. He discusses helping Sir David Attenborough meet mountain gorillas in the famous Life on Earth documentary back in 1978; what it feels like to spend a magical hour in the gorillas' company; and the shocking impact of poaching on gorilla families.

Decolonising African travel—and travel writing
Article

Decolonising African travel—and travel writing

Mazuba Kapambwe
Mazuba Kapambwe

Travel writing in Africa has always been an overwhelmingly white affair. Early accounts from 19th century explorers like Henry Morton Stanley and fiction writers like Joseph Conrad depicted Africa as uncivilised, mysterious and barbaric, reflecting the racist attitudes that underpinned European empire building.

Gorilla trekking costs
Guide

Gorilla trekking costs

Charlotte Beauvoisin
Charlotte Beauvoisin

Gorilla trekking can cost from USD $1,500 per person on the low-end, to $5,000 and above on the luxury end.

Is Uganda or Rwanda better for gorilla trekking?
Guide

Is Uganda or Rwanda better for gorilla trekking?

Charlotte Beauvoisin
Charlotte Beauvoisin

In short, I usually recommend Rwanda to those looking to splash out, or on limited time. I suggest Uganda is a better choice for the more budget conscious, and if you're looking for a bigger variety of activities before or after a gorilla trek.

The best time to see gorillas
Guide

The best time to see gorillas

Charlotte Beauvoisin
Charlotte Beauvoisin

The climate, gorilla trekking conditions, and tourism seasons are more or less the same in both Rwanda and Uganda. Gorilla-trekking is a year-round activity, but I find there are some important considerations when timing your trip.

Guide

Gorilla Photography Tips

Charlotte Beauvoisin
Charlotte Beauvoisin

Your hour with the gorillas will fly by and you’ll certainly want some good photos as a memento.If you are lucky you’ll find your gorilla family out in the open on a sunny day in perfect conditions for photography.

Guide

Conservation & Responsible Gorilla Trekking

Charlotte Beauvoisin
Charlotte Beauvoisin

Gorilla families vary in size from fewer than 10 members to 65, with bigger families usually splitting into smaller groups. Mountain gorillas are social animals.

What To Do After A Gorilla Trek
Guide

What To Do After A Gorilla Trek

Charlotte Beauvoisin
Charlotte Beauvoisin

UgandaUganda is a haven for primate lovers. You can track golden monkeys in Mgahinga and chimpanzees in Kibale, Budongo and Kyambura Gorge.

The best safaris in Tanzania
Guide

The best safaris in Tanzania

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs

Tanzania is one of the best places in Africa to go on safari. I first backpacked through it in the 1980s, when I was far too cash-strapped to think about going on a costly safari, so I spent most of my time exploring remote coastal towns, then took a lengthy train and ferry trip from Dar es Salaam to Zambia via Lake Tanganyika.

The Best Time For Safari In Tanzania
Guide

The Best Time For Safari In Tanzania

Heather Richardson
Heather Richardson

With the exception of the rainy months of March and April, Tanzania is a great safari destination through most of the year. The dry season – June to October – is the most popular and best for wildlife sightings, but January and February also see a break in the rains.

How to book a Tanzania safari
Guide

How to book a Tanzania safari

Heather Richardson
Heather Richardson

There's no denying it, a safari anywhere is an expensive trip – and a safari in Tanzania is at the pricier end of the spectrum.

Masai Mara safaris
Guide

Masai Mara safaris

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

The very essence of a Kenyan safari landscape, the Masai Mara stretches along the Kenya-Tanzania border and forms the northern fringe of the greater Serengeti ecosystem (most of which is in

Safaris in Tsavo East & West National Parks
Guide

Safaris in Tsavo East & West National Parks

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

Combined, Tsavo East and West National Parks cover an enormous swathe of Kenya. Tsavo West alone (the bigger of the two parks) covers an area greater in size than Wales, or two and half times the size of Yellowstone National Park.

Buffalo Springs & Samburu safaris
Guide

Buffalo Springs & Samburu safaris

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

Far removed from mainstream Kenyan safari, the three interconnected reserves of Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba have a wild reputation.

Safari in Meru National Park
Guide

Safari in Meru National Park

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

The country's forgotten national park – Meru was once one of the most popular of all Kenya safari parks.

Laikipia safaris
Guide

Laikipia safaris

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

The Laikipia plateau area of central Kenya is one of the most exciting places in African conservation. The fertile, rain fed lands here were prized by British colonialists as prime wheat growing and cattle ranching territory and much of the area's rich wildlife populations were slowly removed to make way for farming.

Safari In Lake Nakuru National Park
Guide

Safari In Lake Nakuru National Park

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

One of the most popular of Kenya's safari parks, Lake Nakuru National Park is centred on the large Rift Valley soda lake but also encompasses fringing grasslands, acacia woodlands and rocky escarpments.

Safari in Amboseli National Park
Guide

Safari in Amboseli National Park

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

Amboseli National Park is the postcard park of most Kenya safari itineraries.

Safari in Nairobi National Park
Guide

Safari in Nairobi National Park

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

While most capital cities have their collection of attractive parks filled with neatly cut lawns, old trees, meandering paths and perhaps a boating lake, Nairobi has gone one step further. Its biggest ‘park’ is in fact a 117 kmsq swathe of undulating savannah grasslands and acacia woodlands.

Kenya off the beaten track
Guide

Kenya off the beaten track

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler
Kenya safari costs
Guide

Kenya safari costs

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

For a multi-day, mid-range safari visiting some of the big name parks and reserves then you’re looking at around USD $300-600 per person, per day. This includes accommodation in a comfortable, if often uninspiring, safari lodge or camp, three reasonable meals a day, and game drives in a shared vehicle.

Kenya besides safari
Guide

Kenya besides safari

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

The most popular add-on to a safari is to throw in a bit of sun and sand time on Kenya’s delicious Indian Ocean coastline. Direct flights link most of the main national parks and reserves with Diani and Malindi beaches.

Safari in Kenya
Guide

Safari in Kenya

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

My first Kenya safari was in 1994 and I’ve been coming back almost every year since in my role as a travel journalist and guidebook author. This is the original home of the safari and, in my view, it’s still one of the finest safari destinations in Africa.

Where To See The Big 5 In Africa
Guide

Where To See The Big 5 In Africa

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

The "Big 5" safari beasts – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino – were so named because they were the prize targets of colonial-era hunters. Fortunately, modern safari has become a force for wildlife conservation not destruction, and today's safari-goer is more likely to be shooting with a camera than a rifle (aside from the many trophy hunting reserves, which we resolutely do not cover in this guide).

Trekking in Tanzania
Guide

Trekking in Tanzania

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

I’ve spent my career trekking in some pretty far-flung places, from Nepal to Norway.

Gorilla trekking
Guide

Gorilla trekking

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs

Before Sir David Attenborough’s landmark TV programme, Life On Earth, gorillas were seen largely in a negative light, based on King Kong and cheap B-movie monsters. At one point, a survey of the world’s most feared animals featured gorillas alongside sharks and spiders.

Chimpanzee trekking
Guide

Chimpanzee trekking

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs

Chimp trekking runs throughout the year at most of the national parks and forest reserves described above. Hiking conditions are generally best in the dry season, which varies from region to region, but broadly falls over June to August and December to February in Uganda and Rwanda, and August to October in western Tanzania.

How to get gorilla trekking permits
Guide

How to get gorilla trekking permits

Charlotte Beauvoisin
Charlotte Beauvoisin

A permit is required to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC.

Being a responsible safari tourist
Article

Being a responsible safari tourist

David Blanton
David Blanton

Serengeti – ‘endless plain’ in the Maasai language; endlessly beautiful and in seemingly endless demand by modern tourism. That’s the Serengeti’s blessing, and its curse.

East Africa tours

Best Of Uganda Game Viewing Safari
East Africa

Best Of Uganda Game Viewing Safari

12 days From $5,450 pp
Ol Pejeta Wildlife Sanctuary Safari
Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Ol Pejeta Wildlife Sanctuary Safari

Two day safari from Nairobi
2 days $330$500 pp
Kilimanjaro Trek Umbwe Route
Mt. Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro Trek Umbwe Route

Mount Kilimanjaro Trekking 6 Days Umbwe Route
9 days $1,800$1,900 pp
Western Uganda
Uganda

Western Uganda

Mountain gorillas and beyond
10 days
Eastern Uganda
Uganda

Eastern Uganda

Nomads, Nile and natural pools
7 days
Wild southern Tanzania
Tanzania

Wild southern Tanzania

Explore Tanzania's famous game reserves
8 days

East Africa travel companies

Africa

Discover Africa Safaris

Authentic Luxury African Safaris, tailored for you
Tanzania

Tanzania Odyssey

Creating tailor-made trips to Tanzania since 1998
East Africa

Tailormade Africa

Luxury safaris experts
Africa

Wayfairer

Tailor-made luxury travel
East Africa

Governors' Camp Collection

Luxury Safari holidays in East Africa
Kenya

Odyssey Safaris

Creating unforgettable experiences in East Africa
Mount Kenya

Kenya Treks

Guided walking tours to Kenya's highest peaks
Central America, South America, Africa (and 8 more)

Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris

In-depth nature & wildlife tours in outstanding destinations

Places to go in East Africa

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