East Africa is the true spiritual home of the safari. It’s also the best place to watch wildlife on the planet.
It was here in East Africa that the world first fell in love with the continent’s wildlife and wild places, with the magic of its landscapes, and with its people. Nothing captures that magic quite like lying awake in a safari tent and listening to a lion roaring the world’s unrest not far away. Or a sunset framed by an umbrella thorn acacia and savannah grasslands that never seem to end. Or the mystical experience of encountering chimpanzees or gorillas in the forest.
But Africa’s story didn’t begin with the safari. This is a continent with an incredibly rich human history. It is the Maasai, the Swahili, Buganda and so many other communities who bring these landscapes to life and it is they who must find ways to live alongside the wildlife. Their presence in this story is a sign of how much the East African safari has evolved, with fascinating conservation projects now very much a part of the experience.
And therein lies the astonishing richness of going on safari: spending time among the people, the wildlife and the wild places that they share.
Which countries are considered part of East Africa?
East Africa carries many meanings and no firm boundaries. But in the context of the safari, it’s a rather simple equation taking in four countries: the first safaris arose around the East African heartland of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, but the possibilities have since extended throughout both countries, and into neighboring Uganda and Rwanda.
In a geopolitical and strictly geographical sense, Burundi and Ethiopia both belong to East Africa, although their safari possibilities lie beyond the scope of this article.
When should I visit East Africa?
May to October: When it comes to the weather, the best time to visit East Africa is the dry season, which loosely corresponds to the cooler winter months. This season usually begins around May or June and continues through to October. Within this, June to September or October is usually considered the high season, which means more visitors, limited availability in lodges and tented camps, and higher prices. June to August can be mild during the day and quite cool in the evening. Temperatures start to build through September and into October; the latter is often the best time to find and see wildlife, as water supplies dwindle and animals are drawn to the few remaining water sources.
November to April: For all that, visiting during the warmer, wetter summer months can also be excellent. Fewer visitors go on safari at this time, reservations are easier to come by, and prices tend to be lower. While more unpredictable, the weather at this time can also make for a wonderful safari.
The so-called short rains usually begin in November, and into December, with heavier, longer rains usually occurring from February into April. Even during this period, rainfall may be restricted to intense afternoon thunderstorms, leaving skies clear the rest of the time, and the landscape wonderfully green. Apart from the rains themselves, the main problem that can occur at this time is that some, perhaps many, unpaved tracks can become impassable after heavy rain, which can limit where you travel and how much you see.
How many days do I need in East Africa?
The simple answer is that you should spend as much time on safari in East Africa as you can. Safaris can vary in length from two or three days to much longer.
With just a few days for your safari, you would need to focus on just one, maybe two, parks. With a week or ten days, which is an ideal minimum period for going on safari, you might be able to visit four or even five parks. Extend your safari to two or three weeks and you can really start planning the safari trip of a lifetime, and you may even be able to combine a couple of countries, such as southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.
Although it may be more expensive, you can also fly to and from many parks – from Nairobi or Arusha, for example, or from other parks. Many have air strips where your accommodation can pick you up. You’ll see more of the countryside and have more opportunities to interact with locals if you travel by road, and it will be cheaper. But your ratio of time spent traveling when compared to the time you’ll spend actually looking for wildlife will be higher.
Is it easy to get in and around East Africa?
How you get around East Africa will depend on what kind of safari you take, but all are relatively easy to organize.
If you’re otherwise traveling independently to and around East Africa, you’ll want to organize the safari part of your trip through a safari company. This means going on a group or private safari tour – the latter is more expensive but gives you more control over your itinerary. These can vary from budget trips where you’ll sleep in simple ground tents, to all-inclusive safaris where levels of luxury know no bounds.
The other option is a self-drive safari. Although less common in East Africa when compared to Southern Africa, the self-drive safari gives you great independence. Some of the 4WDs available for rent have rooftop tents or come with camping equipment.
Many travelers also combine a safari with a beach holiday – the Serengeti and Tanzania’s northern safari circuit with time spent on the beach in Zanzibar, for example.
To see what’s possible, and to match tours with countries and their parks and reserves, Safari Bookings is an excellent resource.
What is the Big Five?
The “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) is a much-vaunted ambition for many safarigoers. The Big Five was actually a term coined by professional hunters back in the early 20th century to refer to the animals considered most dangerous to hunt. Build an itinerary around seeing these five signature species by all means, but restrict yourself to these alone and you’ll miss out on a whole world of wonder.
Top places to go on safari in East Africa
From seemingly endless savannahs to dense rainforests, superb beaches to deep volcanic calderas, East Africa’s terrain provides a wide and stirring sample of the continent’s most iconic ecosystems and habitats. With the great variety of landscapes comes an equally diverse portfolio of wildlife, and planning where to go consists of a joyful weighing up of where you want to go and what you want to see.
Kenya is the birthplace of the safari
Kenya remains one of the best places to visit in search of animals. It also has an experienced safari industry, lots of community-run conservancies where excellent conservation work is being done, and a fascinating cultural mix.
Masai Mara
Imagine rolling savannah grasslands, perfectly formed acacia trees and a backdrop of rivers and escarpments. Then picture that same landscape as warm with wildebeest and zebra during the Great Migration, with so many of them that the entire earth seems to seethe and swell. Or a pride of lions, a family of elephants, a cheetah on the hunt. The Masai Mara National Reserve is all of this and so much more.
The Masai Mara is also home to the Big Five. Four (lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo) are relatively easy to see, with black rhinos the most difficult – they’re present only in the Mara Triangle section of the reserve.
The only drawback of a visit here is its popularity – overcrowding has become a real issue in the reserve in recent years, especially during high-season months. Consider visiting the (more expensive) neighboring conservancies (eg Naboisho, Mara North or Olare Orok), or plan to visit at a quieter time of year.
Amboseli and the Tsavos
Kenya’s southeast is classic safari territory and its three main parks – Amboseli, Tsavo East and Tsavo West – rank among Kenya’s best. In the heart of Maasailand, Amboseli has one of Kenya’s densest concentrations of elephants, and a picture of a long-tusked elephant feeding in the green Amboseli swamps with Mt Kilimanjaro as a backdrop is one of the iconic images of an East African safari; although Mt Kilimanjaro lies just across the border in Tanzania, by far the best views are from Amboseli, on the Kenya side of the frontier.
The two Tsavos have a wild aspect with vast hardscrabble plains the domain of big cats and big elephants caked in the red Tsavo dust. Tsavo West also has an excellent sanctuary for black rhinos.
The Rift Valley and Nairobi
Running through the heart of Kenya, Africa’s Great Rift Valley is where you find a string of lakes that offer an entirely different wildlife experience. Flamingos are perhaps the biggest drawcard here: depending on the year, you can encounter entire lakes turned pink at Lake Bogoria National Reserve or Lake Nakuru National Park. The latter is also fabulous for lions and is one of the best places in Kenya for seeing both black and white rhinos. Close to Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate National Park is one of few parks in Kenya where you can actually get out and walk, cycle or rock climb. You can also hike to the top of a volcano in Mt Longonot National Park and circle the crater rim.
And out in the suburbs of Nairobi, the eponymous national park is a surreal experience – it’s great for black rhinos, lions and a host of other species, and you might even see them with city skyscrapers as the backdrop.
The North
Kenya’s wild and often trackless north is where East Africa turns to desert. It’s a fascinating natural and human landscape, with nomadic and little-known communities inhabiting the harshest of landscapes, especially around Lake Turkana. But before you get too far into the deep north, three reserves – Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba – are fabulous, compact parks that rank among Kenya’s best.
Tanzania has abundant wildlife and Mt Kilimanjaro
Everything seems to happen in Tanzania on a grander scale – vast parks, epic herds and wildlife populations, and an astonishing variety of landscapes that spans everything from the tropical coast to the deep rainforests of the Congo Basin.
The Northern Safari Circuit
If we were to pick the best place to go on safari in East Africa, Tanzania’s northern parks would be a prime contender. Starting from the city of Arusha, you’ll encounter an astonishing portfolio of world-class wildlife destinations: Arusha National Park (home to spectacular Mt Meru), Tarangire NP (baobab trees, elephants and big cats), Lake Manyara NP (elephants and tree-climbing lions), Ngorongoro Crater (a lost world of wonder and wildlife), and Serengeti NP (the Great Migration and year-round wildlife); the Serengeti is like Kenya’s Masai Mara, only many times bigger.
Northern Tanzania is also where you can climb to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m/19,240ft), a challenging, immensely rewarding week-long add-on to a more traditional safari.
The South
Down in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands, you’ll find a superb array of parks and reserves. If we had to choose two parks to visit above all others, they would be Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve), which is known for its boat safaris, lions and elephants, and Ruaha National Park, an expansive park with baobab-lined rivers and prolific wildlife.
Out West
Western Tanzania is a long journey from anywhere, but it’s like nowhere else in Tanzania. The dense rainforests of Gombe and Mahale Mountains national parks look out over Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. They also shelter large populations of chimpanzees and other primates: it was at Gombe National Park back in the 1960s that legendary conservationist Jane Goodall began her ground-breaking study with chimpanzees, and it’s still possible to enjoy the fruits of her work numerous chimp generations later.
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is not really a safari destination as such – the islands of the archipelago don’t really have much wildlife to speak of (unless you count marine wildlife seen while diving and snorkeling). But many travelers include a few days in Zanzibar as part of their safari holiday, and it’s well worth doing so. Zanzibar is a hot curry of ancient cultures, spice markets, traditional architecture and superb beaches that encircle the main island.
Uganda has fewer visitors and iconic mountain gorillas
Uganda flies a little under the radar when it comes to East African safaris, but that can be an advantage for those who make it here. The landscapes here really soar, and the country seems perpetually swathed in the deepest of greens.
For many travelers, Uganda is the best place in Africa to see gorillas: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has nearly half of all eastern mountain gorillas on the planet, and most of them are habituated and can be visited. Seeing gorillas in Uganda is just over half the price of a gorilla permit in Rwanda. Gorillas (and golden monkeys) are also possible in Mgahinga Gorilla NP.
Elsewhere, Queen Elizabeth NP is one of Africa’s best parks, thanks to its incredible biodiversity – over 600 bird species, tree-climbing lions and chimpanzees, among others, call the park home. Its landscapes, too, are extraordinary, from open grassland savannah to dense rainforest.
Named after a spectacular waterfall on the Nile River, Murchison Falls NP is a fine place to see lions, elephants, and all kinds of predator and prey. Down in the country’s southwest, where you find so many of Uganda’s best parks, Kibale NP has 13 different primate species, including habituated chimpanzee families.
Rwanda offers mountain gorilla treks and lush rainforests
Rwanda unfurls across some of Africa’s greenest hills and although it doesn’t have many parks, those that are here are outstanding. Volcanoes National Park is Africa’s other major destination for eastern mountain gorillas – a visit here is as expensive as it is utterly unforgettable.
Elsewhere, wonderfully scenic Akagera NP is a park reborn, with marvelous scenery, the Big Five (after the reintroduction of lions and rhinos), and a real sense of conservation rejuvenating parks once devastated by poaching. And lovers of rainforest should visit Nyungwe NP, rich as it is in primates, birds, and layer upon layer of forest-green mountains.
My favorite thing to do on safari in East Africa
Where do I start? As someone who spends large amounts of time every year on safari, I can think of very few places where I wouldn’t return, and often. If I had to identify just one place, it would have to be the Serengeti (especially around the quieter Gol Kopjes and other eastern plains) or the community conservancies (especially Mara North and Naboisho) that surround the Masai Mara. Both are wildlife-watching destinations of the highest order, and their savannah grasslands that extend to the far horizon call to me like no other landscape on the continent, and are to me the essence of East Africa’s special appeal.
Watching a cheetah fall into step alongside my vehicle out on the plains, or coming eye to eye with a perfectly camouflaged leopard in the fork of a tree, or communing with elephants – these are the moments of magic that can turn a safari into a life-changing experience. Then again, every time I descend into Ngorongoro Crater, it really does feel like the dawn of Earth’s first morning…
How much money do I need for an East African Safari?
The possibilities are endless when it comes to going on safari, and this is reflected in the prices. You could enjoy a budget safari for less than US$100 per person per day, which will probably mean a camping safari, and one in which you help out with chores around camp, such as putting up and taking down tents, cooking, washing dishes, and so on. At the other end of the scale, you could spend US$3000 (all-inclusive) per person per day if you plan on staying in uber-luxurious tented camps and lodges, fly everywhere, and take a private (rather than group) tour.
Another factor that can affect the cost of your safari is the time of year when you plan to travel – traveling in low or shoulder season can considerably reduce the cost of your safari. To help you plan your budget, here is a basic guide to costs:
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All-inclusive lodge or tented camp: US$50–3000
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Hiring a car/4WD per day: US$80/150
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Park entry fees per day: US$20–200
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Gorilla trekking permit (one hour with the gorillas) in Uganda/Rwanda: US$800/1500
