As you plan to visit Africa, a perfectly curated combined safaris in East Africa are an ideal experience you must get. East Africa is quite vast and your tour will take you to Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. These East African countries offer great tour experiences due to their diverse cultural tapestry, plenty of wildlife species and beautiful landscapes etc.

Destinations to visit in East Africa are innumerable and each offers unique activities that you may never find anywhere else. Key destinations you should not miss seeing include the following,

Tanzania attractions?

Lake Manyara National Park

Found in the northern part of Tanzania, Lake Manyara National Park covers roughly 330 square kilometers. Lake Manyara itself is an alkaline-saline lake in the Eastern Rift Valley region. Lake Manyara National Park is both a UNESCO World Heritage site and an Important Bird Area. It is known for its population of tree-climbing lions. Other key wild animals include wildebeests, savanna elephants, hyenas, jackals, African buffaloes and lesser flamingos etc.

Serengeti National Park

This ecosystem is dominated by vast plains, and covers a land surface area of around 14,763 square kilometers. Situated in the Rift Valley region in northern Tanzania, Serengeti National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site contiguous with Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Serengeti National Park along with Masai Mara National Reserve are popular for the Great Migration. This involves hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and gazelles and zebras.

Serengeti National Park is also home to the big five (lions, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes and leopards. Other key animal species residing here includes cheetahs, African wild dogs, hippos and other antelopes etc.

Tarangire National Park

Occupying around 2,850 square kilometers in the northern part of Tanzania, Tarangire National Park is known for its population of baobab trees. The park is named after the Tarangire River, which is a good source of water for wild animals during the dry season. The Tarangire National Park is also a home to large herds of savannah elephants. Other wild animals include lions, wildebeests, zebras and African buffaloes among others.

Other key destinations to see in Tanzania include Kilimanjaro National Park, Arusha National Park, Nyerere National Park, Zanzibar Island and others.

Kenya attractions?

Masai Mara National Reserve

This is a 6,400 square kilometers savannah protected area situated in southwestern Kenya. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of 2 destinations in East Africa to witness the Great Migration. In the vast savannah grasslands of Masai Mara, the big 5 are also found here. These include the African elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and African buffaloes.

Amboseli National ark

This covers over 390 square kilometers in the southern part of Kenya. Amboseli National Park is popular for its large herds of savannah elephants. Other wild animals include lions, wildebeests, cheetahs, hyenas and Masai giraffes among others. Amboseli National Park offers one of the best views of the Kilimanjaro ranges. Amboseli National Park is an Important Bird Area with birds like hamerkop, African spoonbill, superb starling and yellow-billed stork etc.

Other key destinations to visit in Kenya include Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Naivasha, Aberdare National Park, Mount. Kenya National Park, Mombasa, Nairobi city, Tsavo East National Park, Mount. Meru National Park, Nairobi National Park and Hell’s Gate National Park etc.

Rwanda attractions?

Volcanoes National Park

Covering around 160 square kilometers in the Albertine Graben, Volcanoes National Park is found in the Virunga massif. Volcanoes National Park is known for over 12 habituated gorilla families and luxury gorilla trekking tours. You will travel to the northwest of Rwanda to explore this unique ecosystem that also houses golden monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons and colobus monkeys etc. Other mammals include African elephants and African buffaloes etc.

Nyungwe National Park

This is a 1,019 square kilometers forested ecosystem found in the southwest of Rwanda. Nyungwe National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site dominated by montane forest. It is a biodiversity hotspot with around 13 species of primates living in it. These include common chimpanzees, owl-faced monkeys, Angolan colobuses, grey-cheeked mangabeys, L’hoest’s monkeys and red-tailed monkeys etc.

Akagera National Park

Located in the eastern part of Rwanda, Akagera National Park is 1,122 square kilometers in size. This is the only savannah park in the whole of Rwanda and home to the big 5 (lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes and rhinos). Other wild animals in Akagera National Park include zebras, African wild dogs, bushbucks and oribi etc. There are other attractions in Akagera National Park, including Lake Ihema and River Kagera.

Other destinations to visit in Rwanda include the 4 Genocide Memorial sites, King’s Palace Museum, Lake Kivu, Twin lakes Ruhondo and Burera, Ibyiwacu Cultural Village, Kibeho Pilgrimage site, Kimironko Market, Ethnographic Museum and Inema Arts Center,

Uganda attractions

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This is a 321 square kilometer UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Albertine Rift region in southwestern Uganda. This is ranked as one of the best places in Africa to see the endangered mountain gorillas. This is because around 459 mountain gorillas reside here. It has diverse habitats including swamp, savannah and montane forests etc. other animals include vervet monkeys, chimpanzees, olive baboons, bushpigs and forest buffaloes etc.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Found in the western region of Uganda and also in the Albertine Rift Valley region. This is a 1,978 square kilometer ecosystem famous for its population of tree-climbing lions. You can spot 4 of the big 5 in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will see African elephants, African buffaloes, leopards and lions. Other animals include bushbucks, waterbucks and warthogs etc.

Murchison Falls National Park

This is a 3,840 square kilometer ecosystem in the northwestern side of Uganda. It is in the Albertine Rift region and bisected by the Nile River. Popular for the Murchison Falls and diverse savannah animals and bird species. Four of the big 5 can be seen here including lions, leopards, African elephants and African buffaloes. Other wild animals to see include Jackson’s hartebeests, Rothchild’s giraffe and warthogs etc.

Other notable destinations to visit in Uganda include Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Semuliki National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kibale National Park, Lake Victoria, Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve, Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch and Pian Upe Game Reserve etc.

The best time to visit East Africa for combined safaris is simply up to your preference in regards to weather, budget and activities to enjoy. In East Africa, most parts experience a tropical climate. This causes generally 2 seasons annually, the wet and dry season. Raw recommends you to plan for a visit in the dry season for perfect wildlife views, navigation of destinations and overall comfort.

Dry seasons are considered perfect because they are generally warmer and drier compared to the wet season. This is because the rains are very minimal, although can still pour at any moment in some destinations. In most of the East African destinations, the dry seasons generally occur during June to August and also December to February.

The dry weather patterns cause dry forest trails suitable for trekking gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys. Shortage of water sources in most protected areas also happens in the dry seasons. The result is that wild animals will tend to congregate near the few open waters, like lakes, rivers and swamps. This makes it easier to be viewed. Also, the vegetation cover is also scarce during the dry season to enhance visibility.

Wet seasons however offer alternative tour experiences to visitors on a budget and also those on birding tours. Wet seasons tend to generally occur during March to May and also October to November. This is usually the low season and discounts are mostly offered on accommodation, transport and some activities. This period is good for visitors in need of solo tranquil tour experiences.

Most destinations during this time experience high amounts of rainfall and can happen more frequently. The rainfall is generally responsible for the dense vegetation cover and moist conditions in the protected areas. The vegetation and plenty of water sources enable the survival of resident and migratory bird species, which attract numerous birders.