Explore the diverse East African safari destinations

The East African region is a rich destination as far as safaris are concerned. Exploring the diverse nature of the region does not require buying the stronger customized safari cars, which must be 4×4 cars. Actually, the region is boosted by certain safari encounters that can’t manifest anywhere else around the globe. The region is the master of safaris; this is derived from the rich backbone of protected areas and gazetted areas for safaris.

Safari encounters such as hiking to the top of the four highest peaks in Africa, including those of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, Mt. Rwenzori, and Mt. Elgon, the dramatic wildebeest migration from Masai Mara Kenya to Serengeti in Tanzania, gorilla trekking, which is limited to Uganda, Rwanda, and the DR Congo, chimpanzee safaris, visiting islands and white oceanic beaches, watching as many animals and wildlife in the tropics and savannah extensions within the region, and cruising and rafting on the world’s longest river, among others,.

The East African region is subdivided into two, with geographical boundaries and political boundaries that are bountifully stretching. The geographical boundaries of East Africa include Tanania, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, and the political extend extends to eight countries in addition: Bugrundi, the DR Congo, South Sudan, and Somalia.

So, we bring you the hot safari destinations of the East African region by geographical boundaries, and these destinations are stated per country.

Top Safari Destinations in Tanzania

The largest country in Africa’s sunset region, Tanzania is bigger than the combined size of Kenya and Uganda, seated on an area of 947,300 km2. The country is generally tropical, with largely savannah grassland coverage, which extends to the coastal semiarid nature. It has favored the existence of over 50 naturally protected areas, some of which are national parks, people and their cultures, and coastal life.

Below are a few of the diverse destinations to explore in Tanzania.

Serengeti National Park

It’s a safari spot that has scooped a top slot among all tourist destinations in East Africa. Serengeti has won awards for being the best world safari national park in the World Travel Awards for about five consecutive years. It’s a side of the point where many travelers merge to watch the great wild migration. Serengeti National Park is located in the northern part of Tanzania, bordering Kenya, and shares borders with the other collide, Masai Mara National Reserve. A safari adventure to Serengeti National Park rewards with the highest views of various Lion and Leopard prides and herds of wildebeests migrating; these are always combined with gazelles and zebras. Herds of buffalos, antelope species, elephants, and giraffes, among so many other wildlife, make Serengeti National Park a very rewarding safari encounter. Among the adventure activities to undertake here are game drives, nature walks, balloon safaris, and community visits, among others.

Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park

Taking a safari trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park introduces you to Africa’s highest peak to hike. Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park overlooks the Serengeti Savannah Plains through the northeastern edge of Tanzania. This tourist safari destination is among the most popular destinations on the African continent. A safari to Kilimanjaro in most cases is easy compared to other tourist safari destinations in Tanzania due to the Kilimanjaro International Airport, which connects directly to the international audience. Kilimanjaro National Park is among the few parks that offer super hiking encounters as well as game watching on the game drive.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are among the most popular tourist destinations that brand Tanzania as the top African safari tourist destination. The conservation area is situated in Ngorongoro district, northern Tanzania, southeast of Serengeti National Park. It was named after Ngorongoro Crater, one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world. It features lush green plains, woodland trees, and wildflowers for a stunning beauty often referred to as the ‘Garden of Eden’. Ngorongoro has been the site of numerous archaeological discoveries over the years, and it’s now one of the best places for safari in East Africa. The area has global importance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally threatened species and numerous wildlife within. It’s another spot to enjoy the greater Savannah Plain wild drama of wildebeest migration in combination with zebras, gazelles, and many other animals within the northern circuit. Visiting this conservation area exposes you to game drives, nature walks, and visiting craters, among other adventures.

Gombe National Park

One of the few parks on the eastern side of Tanzania that is thrilling for adventures. Gombe National Park is a small park that has the stature to offer safari adventures that can’t be done anywhere else in Tanzania. The park features the tropical rainforest, which uniquely accommodates a number of chimpanzees in Tanzania. So, for travelers wishing to have an adventure in this eastern park, it’s important to know that you need just a stronger safari-customized land cruiser to cruise here and track the rare chimpanzees. However, the park hosts a larger number of wild species, which creates space for many other tourist safari activities.

Nyerere National Park

Nyerere National Park is the largest national park in the region, covering an area of 54,600 km2. This park is larger than 70 countries in the world and is considered to be twice as large as Costa Rica. The park has the highest concentration of wildlife in the world, though it’s less frequented by tourists. The grassland of Savannah Acacia also features rivers, lakes, and forests, which extensively host a larger number of wildlife. It offers a wide range of activities that give visitors opportunities to enjoy its beauty. Some of the most popular activities include game drives, bird watching, walking safaris, and boat safaris. The many waterways in the park provide an excellent natural setting for boat safaris, both for big-game viewing and bird watching.

Top Safari Destination Kenya

Kenya is the historical home of the East African safari, a land of sweeping savannah grasslands inhabited by charming extra-large fauna, including big cats, the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhino), and just about everything in between. Elsewhere, landscapes here stir the soul, with deserts in the north, dense forests in the west, Rift Valley lakes in the center, and a tropical coast out east. The result for those on safari is an experienced safari industry ready to show you a seemingly endless parade of wildlife against one of the most beautiful backdrops in Africa.

Masai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara National Reserve is another safari jam, just like the Serengeti boasts. The brag flinches for hosting these amazing wildebeest herds have created the wild charm of watching millions of wildebeests together with gazelles and zebras crossing the Mara River to the Serengeti Plain. The adventure is explained by the wild annual event, which has attracted thousands of travelers here. Masai Mara National Reserve is another nomadic space for the Masai people. The park features a larger open savannah plain, which hosts larger numbers of wildlife, including wildebeest, prides of lions and leopards, ebras, cheetahs, herds of buffalos, elephants, antelopes, and many other animals. It’s another tourist destination that has featured heavily on the list of the world’s best safari tourist destinations on the World Travel Awards and has scooped some of the awards. Visiting the park gives you a chance to do wildebeest watching, game drives, hiking, and cultural visits, among others.

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is one of the most famous and most visited parks in Kenya. The park accommodates hundreds of elephants, wildebeests, and herds of zebras and antelopes, ticking off a list of the Big Five mammals. When planning a safari into this Kilimanjaro foothill, there should be a recommendable list of wonderful lodges and camps to consider for a night. The park in the southeast of Kenya directly overlooks the Kilimanjaro range, and a combined safari of the two parks is great and easily connected from direct countries. When visiting the park, expect to see the highest concentration of lions in any other park in Africa. Safari activities to do at Amboseli National Park include game drives, nature walking safaris, hiking, and balloon safaris, among others.

Tsavo National Park

It’s the largest national park in Kenya, and it’s divided into two parts: Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park. The park is one of the hardest-to-reach parks in Kenya, considering the distance to drive right from Nairobi, which means a full day of driving to reach the park. This takes more than 15 hours of driving. The park has the highest concentration of wildlife; it overlooks Kilimanjaro, and a combined safari connecting to northern Tanania is easy.

Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park is a Ramsar and UNESCO world heritage site situated north of Nairobi capital within the arrays of the Great Rift Valley. It’s one of the easily accessible parks from Nairobi, about 3 hours of driving. Nakuru is a shallow, saltwater lake boasting an abundance of wildlife and spectacular landscapes. The lake, which sits 1,754m above sea level, Besides a large number of bird species, the park is famous for its vast flamingo population, which forms the pinky-colored waters of the lake and can be seen all year-round. The National Park is one of the best places in Kenya to see rhinos in the wild. It is home to both white and black rhinos and is abundant with wildlife, including lions, cheetahs, hippos, buffalos, waterbucks, impalas, giraffes, and zebras, among many other species.

Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park was established in 1946 and was the first national park in Kenya. The closest national park to the capital city in the East African region is just in close proximity to Nairobi’s high towers. This park makes Nairobi the only city where you can find lions and leopards roosting close to the capital, only about 5 minutes’ drive from the park. This gem in the capital of Kenya is actually one of the most accessible wildlife destinations in the country. The park suggests a wonderful start for a safari. Nairobi National Park, which hosts four of the Big 5, is home to 100 mammal species and is also known as a rhino sanctuary, a breeding area for the rhinos in Kenya. The park is a perfect spot for watching the rare black rhino as well as for capturing some unusual wildlife shots.

Top Safari Destination in Uganda

Uganda is another charming country to visit on a safari holiday. The small East African country has the best weather of all time and can be visited throughout the year. Though in Uganda all protected areas are located near distant destinations, it requires about 4 hours to a full day of driving to access them, which may require spending at least three days. The country features several safari destinations that offer almost totally different safari experiences compared to Kenya and Tanzania.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in southwestern Uganda, famous for accommodating the rare and endangered apes, “the mountain gorillas.” Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to more than 120 mammals, 350 bird species, 310 butterfly species, and approximately half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. The park features a hilly tropical rainforest that accommodates several endangered species, and mountain gorillas are the prime animals among these species. Then there are other species like L’Hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus, and baboons, among many others. Expect forest elephants, giant forest hogs, and forest buffaloes—about 450 bird species among so many other species. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, and the major adventure activity done here is gorilla trekking, among many others.

Murchison Falls National Park

Uganda’s most visited tourist destination is mainly known for its incredible Murchison Falls, which is arguably the world’s most powerful waterfall. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest protected area in Uganda. It’s bisected by southern and northern sections, which are divided by the Victoria Nile flow, where the Victoria Nile and Lake Albert combine to form the majestic Albert Nile (Delta). The park features tropical woods, bushes, and smatterings of savannah on the south, and the rush savannah and acacia woods are more attractive, with a tentative number of wildlife species. This records about 76 mammal species, including the Big Five, Jackson’s hartebeest, chimpanzees, and giraffes, just a few of the numerous mammals present, along with one of the greatest populations of hippos and Nile crocodiles. The park is home to over 450 different bird species, including shoebill storks, herons, and many others. Safari activities done at the park include game drives, boat cruises, nature walks, chimpanzee tracking, and a top of the falls hike, among others.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Uganda’s third-largest park spans an area of 1442 km2, located in northeastern Uganda in the Karamoja region, the land of the Karamajong people. Kidepo National Park is a true African wilderness, shipped into the widest savannah landscapes and rugged mountains. The park is divided into two sections: the Narus Valley system and the Kidepo Valley section. The Narus Valley section contains the highest concentration of wildlife due to the Narusi swamp’s perennial water supply. And the Kidepo Valley stretches northward to the permanent water source in adjacent South Sudan, the Kanangorok hot springs. The park has the widest open landscape in the country, where the glitzy Savannah scenery stretches beyond what the human eye can see. This unrated savannah opening accommodates numerous wild animals, including the tower of giraffes, herds of bushbuck, Uganda kobs, Oribe, zebras, warthogs, waterbuck bushbuck, Kudus, fox, hyena, aardwolf, jackals, Jackson’s hartebeest, eland, dik dik, ostrich, cheater, civet, hunting dog, and numerous other amazing encounters.

Kibale National Park

Among the few tropical rainforests that feature wetlands, valleys, and hills, Uganda hosts hundreds of chimpanzees. Kibale National Park is located in Kamwenge district, western Uganda. Kibale Forest is known for accommodating the highest number of primate species in the world, hence being called the world’s primate capital, and for majorly hosting the highest number of chimpanzees in the region of East Africa. Kibale National Park is the most primate-rich national park in Africa, both in terms of total and species diversity. There are around 1500 chimpanzees, roughly 13 primate species, which include the L’hoest’s monkey, the endangered Procolobus tephrosceles, the Ugandan mangabey, Lophocebus ugandae, the Ugandan red colobus, and the Ugandan red colobus. And other species include blue and red duikers, bushbucks, sitatungas, bush pigs, gigantic forest hogs, warthogs, African buffalo, and forest elephants, which are occasionally spotted there. Predators can also be found in Kibale National Park, including serval cats, leopards, and African golden cats. Mongooses and two different otter species are also present. Things to do at Kibale National Park include chimpanzee tracking, primate tracking, bird watching, nature walks, and community visits, among others.

Top Safari Destination in Rwanda

Rwanda is popularly known as the land of a thousand hills and a prime safari destination. Rwanda is a superb tourist destination, exciting with lots of encounters, amazing cool weather throughout the year, and one of the most hospitable countries to visit. Located in East Africa both geographically and politically, it sits right in the heart of the Albertine Rift Valley. The natural beauty of Rwanda makes it a unique tourist destination worthy of exploration. A combination of mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trading, and wildlife safaris is the right definition of Rwanda safaris. Rwanda is a beautiful country that exhibits both the central African tropical forests, which roll on volcanic cones widely evident on the south, north, and western, and the eastern savannahs that stretch right from Tanzania.

Volcanoes National Park

One of Africa’s top tourist destinations, Volcanoes National Park has become famous for being a luxurious gorilla trekking destination. About 80% of visitors to Rwanda choose to drive to the northeastern region with the intention of watching these endangered mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park has established itself as one of the most upscale gorilla trekking locations on Earth. Setting to this park is going on a mountain gorilla hike and staying in luxurious 5-star resorts. The Virunga Massif, a chain of volcanoes that makes up this region, is heavily defined by volcanic features. The park’s 160 km2 of land is covered in bamboo forests and tropical rain forests. There is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Kigali.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

The biodiverse rainforest is in Nyungwe Forest National Park. One of the few significant forests still standing in central Africa is the Complete Forest. It is situated in the capital city of Kigali’s southern district. There are bamboo, wetlands, rainforests, grasslands, and lowlands in the vegetation and scenery. The 1,020-square-kilometer Nyungwe Forest serves as a major water catchment area for Rwanda. Over 1000 different varieties of flora and animals can be found in the woodlands, which are home to a wide range of wildlife. The dominant inhabitants of the forests are chimpanzees, while roughly 13 other primates make Nyungwe Forest their native habitat. Here, there are approximately 87 different mammal species, 300 bird species, and untamed plants. Mainly, visitors to this park go for chimpanzee tracking and canopy walks. It features Africa’s finest jungle canopy walk alongside many other adventures.

Akagera National Park

The only savannah-themed national park in Rwanda, Akagera National Park, accommodates the highest concentration of wildlife in Rwanda. These species, including some of the big five, herds of elephants, buffalos, antelopes, and prides of lions, find it a paradise. It is situated in the eastern part of the country. The park is about a 22-hour drive from Kigali and shares borders with Tanzania. You must include Akagera in your itinerary if you want to experience a full safari in Rwanda. The magnificent gold-colored park is situated in Rwanda’s eastern region, close to Tanzania’s border. The park is Rwanda’s largest protected area, with a total area of 1122 km2. A diverse ecosystem’s high biodiversity includes thickets, savannah forests, and marshes, among other habitats. The primary river Kagera that flows across the lake largely divides it in half and is decorated with several streams of lakes, rivers, and swamps.