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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.

Safari in Kenya

Kenya's best safari reserves and camps

My single most important tip for Kenya safari first-timers is to avoid the mistake of non-stop game drives. Standard tour operator itineraries shuttle you from park to park with a gruelling schedule of game drives. Yes, this is the best way of seeing large mammals up close, but the bumpy tracks, early starts and long hours quickly exhaust even the most ardent wildlife-watcher...read more

10 days

Western Uganda

Mountain gorillas and beyond
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7 days

Eastern Uganda

Nomads, Nile and natural pools
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8 days

Tanzania migration safari

Experience Africa's greatest wildlife phenomenon
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8 days

Wild southern Tanzania

Explore Tanzania's famous game reserves
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11 days

Tanzania safari and beach

See all the spectacular wildlife Africa has to offer
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14 days

Kilimanjaro and Tanzania wildlife adventure

Explore snow-capped Kilimanjaro and tour wild game reserves
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15 days

Unexplored Tanzania

Off the beaten path safari and beach escape
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16 days

Tanzania safari, Kilimanjaro and islands

From mountain top and safari adventure to island beaches
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  • Ethiopia

    Ethiopia

    Epic landscapes and divine history
    Ethiopia is epic...
  • Tanzania

    Tanzania

    Hiking, migration safaris and spice islands
    Tanzania is your quintessential African destination...
  • Serengeti National Park

    Serengeti National Park

    The best place on earth to see the Big Five
    The vast, untamed Serengeti might just be the best place on earth to see wildlife...
  • Seronera

    ...
  • Lake Victoria

    ...
  • Ngorongoro Conservation Area

    Ngorongoro Conservation Area

    All off Africa in one 'bowl'
    The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact – and inactive – caldera in the world...
  • Mt. Kilimanjaro

    Mt. Kilimanjaro

    Stand on top of Africa
    Standing 5,895m high, Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak and one of the continent's most impressive sights...
  • Nalemuru Gate

    ...
  • Simba Camp

    ...
  • Kikelewa Camp

    ...
  • Mawenzi Tarn Camp

    ...
  • School Hut Camp

    ...
  • Uhuru Peak

    ...
  • Horombo Camp

    ...
  • Marangu Gate

    ...
  • Kilimanjaro International Airport

    ...
  • Tarangire National Park

    Tarangire National Park

    Herds of elephants, lions and even wild dogs roam Tarangire National Park, with the dry season bringing in large concentrations of animals...
  • Zanzibar

    Zanzibar

    Spice islands
    A cultural crossroad for centuries, the Zanzibar archipelago mixes Africa, Arab and Indian influences...
  • Matemwe

    ...
  • Pongwe

    ...
  • Pemba Island

    Pemba Island

    ...
  • Arusha

    Arusha

    ...
  • Karatu

    Karatu

    Gateway to Ngorongoro
    Karatu is a small but lively town on the edge of Ngorongoro Conservation Area...
  • Selous Game Reserve

    Selous Game Reserve

    A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, Selous Game Reserve has a rich variety of wildlife with the Rufiji River running through to join the Indian Ocean...
  • Nyerere National Park

    Nyerere National Park

    ...
  • Ruaha National Park

    Ruaha National Park

    Ruaha National Park is Tanzania's largest national park and is home to baobabs, grasslands and rolling hills...
  • Ras Kutani

    ...
  • Songosongo Archipelago

    ...
  • Dar es Salaam

    ...
  • Lake Manyara National Park

    Lake Manyara National Park

    On the edge of Lake Manyara, the Lake Manyara National Park is a forested area of land, sitting below the Great Rift escarpment...
  • Mahale Mountains National Park

    Mahale Mountains National Park

    In the very far west of Tanzania, the densely forested Mahale Mountains cascade down to the soft sand beaches and turquoise waters (with incredible snorkelling) of divine Lake Tanganyika...
  • Katavi National Park

    Katavi National Park

    A remote park, during the dry season Katavi National Park is home to large herds of wildebeest, giraffes, elephants and zebras...
  • Mafia Island

    Mafia Island

    ...
  • Ndutu

    ...
  • Gombe Stream National Park

    Gombe Stream National Park

    Gombe is Africa's most famous chimp trekking destination...
  • Mt. Meru

    Mt. Meru

    Trekking without the crowds
    Mt...
  • Ol Doinyo Lengai

    Ol Doinyo Lengai

    Making up the northern tip of a mountain triangle that includes Kilimanjaro and Meru, Ol Doinyo Lengai (2,962m) is a live volcanic cone whose distinctive shape and billowing volcanic smoke have made it a holy mountain for the Maasai people of Tanzania and Kenya...
  • Usambara Mountains

    Usambara Mountains

    The Usambara Mountains are a great buckle of steep sided ridges and intensely farmed or forested hills that rise up behind Tanzania’s northeastern coastal zone...
  • Udzungwa Mountains National Park

    Udzungwa Mountains National Park

    In the central part of the country, the Udzungwa Mountain National Park is said to be the second most biodiverse national park in Africa...
  • Rubondo Island National Park

    Rubondo Island National Park

    One of Africa's quirkiest and most underrated protected areas, Rubondo comprises a lushly forested 240 sq km island set in the Tanzanian waters of Lake Victoria (the world’s second largest lake)...
  • Kenya

    Kenya

    More than just safaris
    Think of Kenya and you might think of a 4x4 safari vehicle chasing a big cat on the prowl for its next catch or a herd of elephants peacefully grazing...
  • Masai Mara National Reserve

    Masai Mara National Reserve

    The big beast of Kenya safari
    The king of Kenya safari, the sweeping grass plains of the Mara (as it’s usually referred to) are home to the densest concentration of large mammals on the planet...
  • Mara North Conservancy

    Mara North Conservancy

    ...
  • Naboisho Conservancy

    Naboisho Conservancy

    ...
  • Olare Motorogi Conservancy

    ...
  • Ol Derikesi Conservancy

    ...
  • Mombasa

    Mombasa

    Mombasa is Kenya’s largest port and has been a gateway into the country for centuries...
  • Nairobi

    Nairobi

    Most visitors to Kenya simply fly in and out of capital Nairobi – which is a huge mistake...
  • Nairobi National Park

    Nairobi National Park

    ...
  • The Great Rift Valley

    The Great Rift Valley

    The Great Rift Valley stretches across Africa from Mozambique into Lebanon in the Middle East...
  • Mount Kenya

    Mount Kenya

    Mount Kenya might only be Africa’s second-highest mountain, but it’s considerably more beautiful than it’s bigger cousin, Kilimanjaro...
  • Lake Victoria

    Lake Victoria

    Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in Africa and is one of the sources of the Nile...
  • Laikipia

    Laikipia

    The high plains of Laikipia offer an excellent alternative safari experience to the better-known Maasai Mara...
  • Gede

    ...
  • Ol Pejeta Conservancy

    Ol Pejeta Conservancy

    If you’ve ever wondered what the hide of a rhino feels like, wanted to experience a safari at night or dreamed of running (or riding) in the wild, open air of a safari reserve, head to Ol Pejeta Conservancy...
  • Meru National Park

    Meru National Park

    Kenya's forgotten national park
    Meru National Park is one of the least visited wilderness sites in Kenya, yet it still offers sightings of the Big Five and excellent birdwatching...
  • Amboseli National Park

    Amboseli National Park

    Sprawling across the Kenyan-Tanzanian border, the greater Amboseli ecosystem is one of East Africa's preeminent wildlife viewing regions and Amboseli National Park is the postcard park of Kenya...
  • Samburu Game Reserve

    Samburu Game Reserve

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

    ...
  • Lake Nakuru National Park

    Lake Nakuru National Park

    One of Kenya’s most popular parks, Lake Nakuru National Park is made up of grasslands, acacia woodlands and rocky escarpments...
  • Lake Naivasha

    Lake Naivasha

    One of the freshwater lakes that dot Kenya's Great Rift Valley, the large but relatively shallow Lake Naivasha is a sanctuary for a diverse range of wildlife, from hippos and zebras to over 400 species of birds, including the majestic African Fish Eagle...
  • Chyulu Hills National Park

    Chyulu Hills National Park

    Located between Tsavo and Amboseli National Park, Chyulu Hills is one of the lesser visited national parks in Kenya, but the rolling green hills of the volcanic field make it worth the visit...
  • Shimba Hills National Reserve

    Shimba Hills National Reserve

    A densely forested coastal park, the reserve is made up of rainforest and grassland...
  • Watamu Marine National Park

    Watamu Marine National Park

    Located north of Mombosa on the north coast of Kenya, Watamu Marine National Park is a large coral reef about 300 meters offshore...
  • Lake Bogoria National Reserve

    Lake Bogoria National Reserve

    North of the city of Nakuru, Lake Bogoria is a soda lake, so when conditions are right, it attracts tens of thousands of flamingos...
  • Aberdare National Park

    Aberdare National Park

    Aberdare National Park is an area within the Aberdare Mountain Range consisting of two different ecosystems with a high, cold moorland and a dense tangled montane jungle below...
  • Kakamega Forest Reserve

    Kakamega Forest Reserve

    The Kakamega Forest Reserve is an example of what’s left of the rainforest that used to stretch across central Africa...
  • Tsavo East & West National Parks

    Tsavo East & West National Parks

    Separated by the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, Tsavo East and West National Parks cover a massive area of Kenya, but despite their close proximity, they are distinctly different...
  • Diani Beach

    Diani Beach

    ...
  • Taita Hills Game Sanctuary

    ...
  • Loita Hills

    Loita Hills

    ...
  • Saiwa Swamp National Park

    Saiwa Swamp National Park

    ...
  • Ruma National Park

    Ruma National Park

    ...
  • Chalbi Desert

    Chalbi Desert

    ...
  • Rwanda

    Rwanda

    Everything in one perfect package
    One of Africa's last-known tourist destinations, tiny Rwanda gets a fraction of the visitors of neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania -- but not for long...
  • Kigali

    Kigali

    Rwanda’s bustling capital sprawls across several valleys and hillsides, bookended by towering mountains...
  • Nyungwe National Park

    Nyungwe National Park

    One of Africa’s oldest rainforests, Nyungwe National Park is home to around 500 chimpanzees and 12 other primate species...
  • Akagera National Park

    Akagera National Park

    The savannah plains of Akagera National Park on Rwanda’s border with Tanzania are the perfect place for a Big Five safari...
  • Karisoke Research Camp

    ...
  • Volcanoes National Park

    Volcanoes National Park

    The home of Rwanda's mountain gorillas
    Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda and named for the chain of dormant volcanoes that make up the Virunga Massif (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura), Volcanoes National Park is home to endangered mountain gorillas, rare golden monkeys and more than 200 bird species...
  • Gishwati-Makura National Park

    Gishwati-Makura National Park

    Rwanda’s newest national park, Gishwati-Mukura was gazetted in 2016 to protect a pair of relict forest blocks on the Rift Valley escarpment above Lake Kivu...
  • Uganda

    Uganda

    Unforgettable encounters
    Uganda is a gem...
  • Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

    Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

    While Bwindi Impenetrable Forest steals the limelight, the smaller Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda has arguably better views and is directly connected to the extended Virunga conservation area...
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park

    Queen Elizabeth National Park

    For an incredible wildlife experience with second-to-none photo opportunities, head to Ishasha in Western Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you can see the area’s rare population of tree-climbing lions snoozing happily up above the ground in fig and acacia trees...
  • Murchison Falls National Park

    Murchison Falls National Park

    Uganda’s most popular and largest nature reserve, Murchison Falls National Park’s beautiful location and impressive animal populations (the park is home to over 15,000 elephants) makes it a wonderful stop for any traveller hoping to glimpse Uganda’s rich wildlife...
  • Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

    Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

    A collaborative effort between the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rhino Fund Uganda, this private, non-profit animal sanctuary offers a secure home and breeding programme for the only wild rhinos left in Uganda...
  • Kibale Forest National Park

    Kibale Forest National Park

    Kibale Forest National Park, located outside the colonial town of Fort Portal, is a dense tropical rainforest where you can track chimpanzees and 12 other primates, including red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons and the rare Ugandan red colobus...
  • Kazinga Channel

    Kazinga Channel

    Visit the Kazinga Channel in western Uganda and see one of the world’s largest concentrations of hippos and elephants in their natural habitat...
  • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

    Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

    The dense forests of Bwindi in the south-west corner of Uganda are home to over half of the world’s small population of the endangered mountain gorilla...
  • Karamoja Highlands

    Karamoja Highlands

    Once the domain of only the most adventurous of travellers — up until five years ago it was a closed district which required travel permits to enter — Uganda’s Karamoja region is now officially open for tourism, and well worth the visit...
  • Mount Elgon National Park

    Mount Elgon National Park

    Straddling the border of Kenya and Uganda, Mount Elgon National Park is home to some of the best trekking in East Africa...
  • Kidepo Valley

    Kidepo Valley

    Trek high up into the mountains of the Kidepo Valley in northeastern Uganda and get a fascinating insight into the lives of the small but authentic population of Ik tribespeople...
  • Rwenzori mountains

    Rwenzori mountains

    Climb to the top of Africa’s third-highest mountain while avoiding the kind of crowds found at Kilimanjaro with a hike in the stunning Rwenzori mountains...
  • Kampala

    Kampala

    Bordering the shores of Lake Victoria in the heart of the Buganda Kingdom, Uganda’s capital city is an engaging and dynamic city with a rich history...
  • Lake Victoria

    Lake Victoria

    Named after Queen Victoria and one of Africa’s Great Lakes, Lake Victoria is the world’s largest tropical lake, with its waters divided between Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya...
  • Lake Mburo National Park

    ...
  • Semuliki National Park

    ...
  • Jinja

    ...
  • Entebbe

    Entebbe

    ...
  • Buhoma

    Buhoma

    ...
  • Lake Bunyonyi

    ...
  • Kaboya Wildlife Reserve

    ...
  • Mabira Rainforest

    ...
  • Burundi

    ...
  • Bujumbura

    ...
  • Mozambique

    Mozambique

    ...
  • Vilanculos

    Vilanculos

    ...
  • Machangulo Pensinsula

    ...

Places to go in East Africa

East Africa Tours

Rwanda, Uganda

Best Of Uganda Game Viewing Safari

12 daysFrom $5,450
Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Ol Pejeta Wildlife Sanctuary Safari

Two day safari from Nairobi

2 daysFrom $330
Mt. Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro Trek Umbwe Route

Mount Kilimanjaro Trekking 6 Days Umbwe Route

9 daysFrom $1,800
Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route

Mount Kilimanjaro Trekking 7 Days Lemosho Route

7 daysFrom $1,840
Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro Marangu route

Mount Kilimanjaro Trekking 5 Days Marangu Route

5 daysFrom $1,390
Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro Machame Route

Mount Kilimanjaro Trekking 6 Days Machame Route

6 daysFrom $1,680

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

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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

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