Menu
East Africa
15565478_xxl
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

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.

Read more
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Uganda's hidden gem

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs

Mgahinga, set on the Ugandan slope of the Virungas, is my personal favourite among East Africa’s gorilla tracking destinations. True, there’s only one habituated group here, but if you can secure one of the park’s eight daily permits, you're in for a special experience. This is because the group in question is overseen by a trio of massive male siblings, making for superb silverback viewing. In addition, the gorillas here are generally found in bamboo forest or other relatively open areas, hiking conditions are usually quite undemanding, and low tourist volumes give the park a relatively off-the-beaten-track feel. What’s more, the location, below the volcanic Virunga peaks, is utterly spectacular, and other activities on offer include golden monkey tracking and various volcano hikes.

Read more
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Best all-round gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs

Bwindi vies with Volcanoes National Park as Africa's best all-round gorilla tracking destination. Its densely forested slopes are home to 45% of the world’s mountain gorilla population, and a total of 23 habituated groups means that 180-plus permits are available daily. True, tracking conditions are generally less predictable than they are in Rwanda, and the denser foliage can sometimes make it more difficult to obtain clear views. But this is mitigated by the fact that permits are less than half the price (in other words, you could track here on two successive days and pay less than you would for a single excursion in Rwanda) and by the park’s relative accessibility to independent travellers. Be aware that there are four discrete tracking hubs in Bwindi. Each hub is serviced by its own cluster of lodges, so it is important you coordinate your permit and accommodation booking around the same place. The oldest hub is Buhoma, which usually offers the easiest hiking conditions, is accessible on public transport, and has the widest range of accommodation (from luxury lodges to simple local guesthouses) but is also the most likely for permits to be booked solid months in advance. Nkuringo hub offers the most challenging tracking (almost always bookended by a steep one-hour descent and two-hour ascent). Rushaga has the most permits, with 9 habituated groups resident, so it is good for last minute bookings. Ruhija is the only tracking hub set deep within the park, rather than on the periphery, which makes it highly alluring for other wildlife and birding.

Read more
Volcanoes National Park

Accessible gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Experience

Volcanoes National Park, which protects the Rwandan slopes of the volcanic Virunga Mountains, has positioned itself as Africa’s premier gorilla tracking destination. One reason for its popularity is that it lies a short drive north of the Rwandan capital Kigali, making it a convenient add-on to any multi-country African trip or Big Five safari elsewhere in the region. Another is the association with Dian Fossey; the iconic primatologist worked here for two decades prior to her death, and several scenes in the Oscar-winning movie Gorillas in the Mist were shot here too. In my experience, Volcanoes generally offers relatively easy tracking conditions compared to Bwindi, its main rival, and the range of luxury lodges bordering the park is second to none. A negative for budget conscious visitors is the relatively hefty price tag of US$1,500 for one of the park’s 96 daily tracking permits. Once here, other recommended activities include tracking a habituated troop of endangered golden monkeys, the day climb to the spectacular crater lake at 3,711m summit of Mount Bisoke, and a hike to Dian Fossey’s grave at her abandoned research centre.

Read more
Serengeti National Park

Bush Rover Migration Camp

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

The quirkiest mobile camp, and absolutely one of my favourites places to stay anywhere in Tanzania, is Bush Rover Migration Camp. This consists of six double-story standing tents built around the converted Land Rovers used to transport them between different locales. The ground-floor toilet and shower for each unit is actually built into the Land Rover, while the upper floor comprises a canvas bedroom with a balcony from which you can safely watch passing wildlife or stargaze after dark. The camp sets up in the southern Serengeti over December to March for the calving season, before relocating the Western Corridor to catch the northward migration over June to mid-July, then heading further north, along with the wildebeest, to the Mara River area over August to October.

Read more
Mahale Mountains National Park

Greystoke Mahale

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

Arriving at Greystoke, you could be forgiven for thinking you've washed up on a jungle-swathed Indian Ocean island. This idyllic beach camp stands on Lake Tanganyika, a beautiful inland sea that ranks as the world's longest freshwater body, and reportedly the least polluted. Greystoke is the perfect base for tracking chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains – on two previous visits, these hirsute apes have actually walked through camp – and it also offers dhow trips out onto the lake. In common with Chada and Sand River, Greystoke is owned by Nomad Tanzania, a locally-based company that operates several of the country’s most alluring and exclusive bush camps

Read more
Katavi National Park

Chada Katavi

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

When it comes to that classic bush feel, few safari camps can match Chada. Set in remote and little visited Katavi National Park, this low-footprint camp comprises just six standing tents scattered in a tall acacia glade overlooking a vast floodplain alive with buffalo, hippo and other wildlife. The tents are very spacious, but simply decorated, with old-school bucket showers and eco-toilets. Chada really comes alive at night: I’ve had elephants nibbling on fallen acacia pods all around my tent here, and almost invariably heard hyenas whooping and lions grunt-roaring across the floodplain.

Read more
Nyerere National Park

Sand Rivers

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

Probably my favourite lodge in Nyerere National Park, Sand Rivers overlooks a wide, sandy bend in the Rufiji, Tanzania's largest river. The open-fronted stone-and-thatch suites here are simply stunning, and there's also a tempting freeform swimming pool set under a massive baobab tree. Whether you explore by boat, in a 4x4, or on foot, there's plenty of wildlife to be seen in the area, and the guides are exceptional. Aside from the exceptional river view, an appealing aspect of Sand River is that it stands some distance from any other camp and too deep into the park to be reached on day safaris from outside.

Read more
Nyerere National Park

Roho ya Selous

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

Nyerere is Tanzania's largest national park, extending across 30,000-plus square kilometres, and it offers a more exclusive safari experience than the better-known Serengeti. A great base for exploring it is Roho ya Selous, which means ‘Heart of Selous’ in reference the park’s former name Selous Game Reserve. Set on the shore of Lake Nzerakera, Roho ya Selous consists of eight luxury standing tents spaced along a tract of evergreen waterside forest. The lodge stands in the heart of a rewarding wildlife-viewing circuit where you are sure to see plenty of elephant, buffalo and giraffe, and might well get lucky with lion and African wild dog. A highlight is boat trips on the lake, which is home to large numbers of hippo and plentiful waterbirds.

Read more
Ruaha National Park

Jabali Ridge

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

The view from Jabali Ridge is unforgettable. Set on a rocky hill, this stylish boutique lodge offers sweeping vistas across the vast baobab-studded plains of Ruaha National Park and wide sandy arc of the seasonal Mwagusi River. The accommodation is every bit as memorable, comprising as it does eight luxurious cottages built into and around the large rounded granite boulders at the hill’s summit. Jabali Ridge is a superb base for game drives in Ruaha, a relatively off-the-beaten-track safari destination that ranks as Tanzania’s second-largest national park and one of the best for carnivores such as lion, leopard, cheetah and African wild dog. Night drives are often very rewarding and the cuisine is truly outstanding.

Read more
Lake Natron

Lake Natron Camp

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

This extraordinary wilderness camp stands on the edge of the blinding white salt flats that enclose caustic Lake Natron. This starkly beautiful Rift Valley setting is dominated by the brooding presence of Ol Doinyo Lengai, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Tanzanian owner-managers Åke and Nangini Lindstrom have designed the camp to be low impact, and the spacious standing tents are shaded by camouflaged netting that helps keep the interior cool whilst reducing the visual impact. Lake Natron Camp stands on a Maasai concession, it only employs local Maasai people and it funds several community projects. Within the concession, you’ll find 120,000-year-old fossil human footprints and a spring-fed stream where you can swim while white-lipped tilapias nibble at your dead skin (a sensation I found oddly addictive once I got used to it).

Read more
Serengeti National Park

Ndutu Safari Lodge

Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs
Accommodation

Wildlife photographers, filmmakers and big cat enthusiasts talk in hushed tones about Ndutu Safari Lodge. Founded in 1968 close to the seasonal lake for which it is named, this down-to-earth lodge offers access to a part of the Serengeti-Ngorongoro ecosystem famed for its high densities of carnivores. Ndutu is an excellent base for catching the wildebeest calving season in February, but large herds of grazers are usually present from December through to April, and there's good cat viewing all year round. It also remains one of the best value lodges in this part of the world, offering accommodation in 34 simple stone-and-thatch cottages with private verandas, and meals in a convivial thatched restaurant where I’ve often seen genets creep around the rafters at night.

Read more

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 safari in Tanzania
Guide

The best safari in Tanzania

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler

Best for: Migration safaris & river crossings The big-ticket park is the 12,000-square-mile Serengeti, home to the great wildebeest migration and a healthy population of big cats: lions, leopards and cheetahs.

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

Why Horizon Guides?

Impartial guidebooks

Impartial travel guides

Our guides are written by the leading experts in their destinations. We never take payment for positive coverage so you can count on us for impartial travel advice.

Expert itineraries

Expert itineraries

Suggested itineraries and routes to help you scratch beneath the surface, avoid the tourist traps, and plan an authentic, responsible and enjoyable journey.

Specialist advice

Specialist advice

Get friendly, expert travel advice and custom itineraries from some of the world's best tour operators, with no spam, pressure or commitment to book.