7 Best Safari Experiences in East Africa.
East Africa will leave you breathless with some of the most amazing safari experiences on the continent. From mountains, and rich tropical forests, to the big five marvels and giant apes, the area offers amazing animal experiences and breathtaking vistas.
The grandeur of the Safari adventures in East Africa cannot be adequately described by words. This page is dedicated to provide you the most highly sought-after experiences available in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda.
Big five safaris for wildlife watching
Many visitors to East Africa come for safari vacations mostly because of the five most amazing creatures found in Africa: lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and hippo. The great five got their moniker in the 20th century from affluent European big-game hunters who struggled to kill these magnificent creatures at rifle range.
The major names in conservation and tourism nowadays are the five large ones. One of the finest safari adventures in East Africa is seeing the Big 5 African animals roaming wild and free in their native habitats. The big five wander freely in some of the top safari parks in East Africa, but they still suffer harsh threats from poachers.
The Masai Mara (for lion, buffalo, leopard, and elephant) and Lake Nakuru National Park (for black and white rhino) would be a well scheduled short safari combo to see the big five (and much more besides) in Kenya. Big five safari experiences in Kenya may also be found in Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Laikipia Plateau, Amboseli, Samburu-Buffalo Springs-Shaba, and Meru.
Traveling to Tanzania for the big-five experience will find you visiting Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Serengeti adds even more thrill by allowing one to see the great migration. Seeing the rhinos at the Ngorongoro Conservation region is very unique as they are limited to the Crater region, which makes sightings of these timid animals more simpler.
To see the big five in Uganda, travel via Murchison Falls National Park. And in Rwanda, your Big five encounters will take place only in the far northeastern Akagera National Park.
safaris for the Wildebeest migration
One of East Africa’s safari adventures that no die-hard safari enthusiast should miss is seeing and tracking the Great Migration. With millions of wildebeest, gazelle, and zebra crossing the Serengeti in Tanzania and Maasai Mara in Kenya, the sight is maybe untamed nature’s best performance.
Naturally, fierce predators follow the herds for a simple meal, creating amazing encounters with other species. Survival of the fittest is therefore ensured as the migration surges on regardless of the challenges encountered along the road.
Together, the animals follow the rains over the plains of the savannah in quest of better ground. Though their path is not clear-cut, the animals follow essentially the same annual cycle.
East Africa’s postcard image now is the migratory experience. Against the distinctive red African sunset, consider large wide savanna grasslands inundated with animals and flat-topped shrubs on horizon.
Watching and tracking the Great Migration, Masai Mara offers the greatest safari experiences available in East Africa. Here you will see the struggle of the beast herds crossing the Mara River from Serengeti into the Maasai Mara National Reserve and back into Tanzania. From here, they go for the Serengeti National Park, the best spot to see the birth of the animals.
ascending Mount Kilimanjaro
Ascending Mount Kilimanjaro (Uhuru Summit (5,895 m), climb to the roof-top of Africa and see East Africa’s breathtaking scene from the heavens on the highest peak on the continent. Conquering Kilimanjaro does not depend on your level of expertise climbing mountains. You just need a decent pair of hiking boots and will to reach the peak; you do not require mountain climbing gear.
Better yet, however, would be to avoid assuming the climbing mount Kilimajaro experience is a stroll in the park. Exposed to the elements, the ascent is taxing on frequently difficult terrain under often demanding circumstances. But among your top safari experiences in East Africa will be the great feeling of accomplishment and amazing vistas from the peak.
Arriving in Kilimanjaro a day before the ascent, check in at your accommodation and receive a briefing. Early in the morning, among banana farms on Kilimanjaro’s well developed lower slopes, the climbing adventure begins.
The most often used Kili hiking path spans a desolate lunar terrain, winds through thick rainforests and alpine meadows, and climbs a slick slope to the summit, therefore exposing amazing views over the plains far below.
There are more than eight conceivable paths of ascent. The terrain you can manage, your acclimatization profile, the landscape, and the expense of the experience will all affect which best fit you.
Under a minimum $1700 budget, it may take at least five to ten days to reach Uhuru Summit and return. Entry fees, guides, rangers, porters, and a chef may all count against the costs. You regretfully cannot go alone; you must be escorted from the park headquarters by a ranger and guide.
Plan your adventure with the various Arusha and Moshi operators or with Katland. Encounter will handle your stuff, lodging, guides, and everything else.
Trekking with mountain gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda
Among the top safari experiences in East Africa is surely mountain gorilla trekking in the rainforests of Rwanda and Uganda. Among the most threatened species on the globe are mountain gorillas. Few thousand dwell in a tiny East African area; one of the most fulfilling events in life is getting near to these amazing primates.
Only in mountain forests over 3000 meters in two groups along the Great Rift Valley can mountain gorillas reside. One population lives in the misty woodland slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes Mountains that span over the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and the DR Congo. Human settlements and way of life in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park kept the second gorilla population apart from the larger group.
You cannot discuss the top safari experiences in East Africa and exclude the gorilla trekking trip with its direct interaction with animals and community preservation. The experience of gorilla trekking is mostly dependent on the local community as well as government initiatives for the protection of the nearby protected areas and committed wildlife preservation groups.
One major contribution to the sustainable projects safeguarding the threatened apes in their native environment is a gorilla trekking expedition. And how better to travel than to do so in order to help to save the environment?
You can only travel at two airports to monitor the gorillas: Kigali International Airport, around 100km from Volcanoes National Park; Entebbe International Airport, roughly 500km from Bwindi. The two national parks provide the greatest safari encounters including mountain gorillas. You would require three nights minimum in the nation.
But Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park presents the upscale side of the budget; gorilla permits cost $1500 each. With gorilla tickets at $800 per person, Uganda offers a more reasonable price for the experience. Just beyond the gates, accommodation in both national parks is easily accessible and has world-class lodges to simply provide somewhere to stay.
The gorilla trekking experience is very in demand, hence you cannot just go to the park and pay for an entrance fee. There are just a few daily visitors, hence you have to reserve months ahead to guarantee your permission. It follows first-come, first-serve schedule.
Book with a reputable safari operator like Katland Safaris LTD. to prevent negative experiences connected with local logistics. They will organize your lodging, arrange your transportation and handle your whole trip; they will even acquire your official gorilla permit.
Trekking in Uganda among chimps
One of the most unmissable safari activities available in East Africa is chimps walking in Kibale Forest. For a very long time, chimps have been known to share the biggest amount of our DNA of all animals and replicate human societies. Trekkers let visitors get nearer to these amazing apes and see their fascinating body forms and actions.
You may go close to the chimpanzees at many of the sites spread around Africa. Still, your greatest encounter with the chimpanzees will be in Kibale National Park as Uganda has a great concentration of animals and a good conservation tourism program. Along with 13 other monkey species and a list of other fascinating creatures to see, the park has about 1500 chimpanzees.
Early morning daily trips in Kibale for chimpanzee trekking spend practically half the day in the jungle. Some chimpanzee groups are kept for tourism, hence you may spend at least one hour watching their unique activities.
You may spend virtually the entire day wandering among other chimp groups; they are not totally accustomed. The expedition is managed by armed rangers and professional guides, therefore enabling you to approach the threatened primates at most convenient speed.
Although everyone beyond 15 years may do, the chimpanzee experience calls for moderate physical condition. These hyperactive monkeys cover 2km to 10km throughout the jungle in a day quickly. Keeping up with their motions is thus an active experience requiring some effort on your part. Some pre-trip workouts before scheduling your chimpanzee journey would be very beneficial for a great experience.
In Kibale Forest or less, a chimp permit runs $300; elsewhere, such as Budongo and Kyambura Gorge, it runs less. Each person’s one-day habituation encounter with the monkeys is $300.
To really enjoy the chimpanzees, you essentially need three nights in the country. You could also include the gorilla trekking adventure into your trip. About 350km from the chimpanzees in Kibale, gorillas are found; the two safari experiences are very complementary.
To enable you to arrange your chimpanzee trekking adventure in Uganda with reliable local knowledge, kindly contact us.
Zanzibar’s beach vacation
Once a thriving trade hub and major spice route, Zanzibar Island was These days, one of the most peaceful and perfect holiday spots in Africa. Walking along the smooth, delicate, white sand beaches, Zanzibar offers peaceful safari experiences.
The final visit after a tour of the mainland East Africa attraction is the island’s endless kilometers of shoreline embracing its marine ecosystem.
The rich tropical flora of the Island offers a vivid, green contrast to the grandeur of the beaches; you may savor the amazing African sunrises from the east of the Island or the golden hues of the magnificent sunsets on the west coast. The numerous vibrantly colored Zanzibari birds—including the yellow-collared lovebird—will delight birders.
Zanzibar is an archipelago including Unguja, Zanzibar, Pemba Island, and adjacent islands like Chapwani, Mnemba, Chumbe Bawe, Changuu, and others, not just one island in the Indian Ocean.
Families and honeymooners will find the beautiful Zanzibar beaches and coral reef excursions ideal. Perfect boutique lodging and all the conveniences for a laid-back visitor abound.
Watching Lions Climbing The Tree
Driving over the huge plains of Lake Manyara Park in Tanzania or Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda will reward you with breathtaking scenery views and one of the most unique safari experiences in East Africa; seeing the remarkable tree-climbing lions.
These fascinating lions perched on large fig tree branches in Ishasha may be seen closely observing their prey of gently grazing impala, gazelle, and kob herds. If lucky, you may see the unusual display of the tree lion pouncing on the ground for a kill.
Watching them at Isasha has the benefit of allowing you to include the gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi (65km) into your trip.
Around Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks in Southern Tanzania, you may find the other population of tree-climbing lions. Their clumsy, almost unnatural approach of ascending trees with their great weight contrasts sharply with leopard exceptional mobility.
One of the special safari experiences in East Africa is seeing a 300-kg nimble cat negotiate the delicate branches of a fig tree.
a Safari in East Africa
There is nowhere in Africa where you will get the most real animal experience than East Africa. For all kinds of guests, including you, East Africa is a timeless safari location with seasoned adventures.
Still, if you arrange a safari in East Africa on your own, it might be intimidating. We are here so for this reason. East African safari experiences are the area of expertise for Katland Safaris LTD. planning and management. We provide you the finest guidance, assist you in organizing your safari, arrange local transportation and trip management of your agreed itinerary.
