Places to visit in East Africa

Masai Mara National Reserve- Kenya

Located in the South Western Part of Kenya, the Masai Mara national reserve borders Tanzania thus

connects with the latter’s Serengeti National Reserve. There is the river Mara that runs through the

reserve that is habitat to crocodiles and hippos. The Mara National Reserve is known as the watch point

for the great Migration. Every year, millions of wildebeest cross the Mara River and back in search for

pastures. Crossing the river is epic as they travel with huge numbers of zebras and they struggle not to

be the prey of massive crocodiles and hippos in the Mara River.

The Masai mara National Reserve is not a large park but holds numerous wildlife species. The wildlife to

see in the Mara are the big 5, cheetahs, lions, leopards, hyenas, wildebeest, zebras, giraffe, impala,

baboons, buffalo, elephants and the crocodiles and hippos that are in the Mara River.

To witness the wildebeest migration, visit the Masai Mara between July and October. Among the things

to do in the Masai Mara National Reserve are;

Taking game drives. You can fly to the Masai Mara or drive. If you have flown, the packages will include

daily game drives with vehicles organized by your tour company. If you have driven, ensure you get a

map of the reserve, or better, get a tour guide.

Cultural interaction with the Maasai

The Maasais are the people that live around the Reserve. They live in traditional villages and are deeply

cultural. Visit them and experience a rich and different culture.

Hot Air Balloons

This is a unique experience totally worth every penny. Arrange with your tour company to have a hot air

balloon flight, best taken at dawn for about an hour. Upon landing, you will be served breakfast, there is

no better way for a romantic getaway.

Zanzibar- Tanzania

Some of the most amazing beaches we have in East Africa are the beaches of Zanzibar. Located off the

coast of Tanzania, Zanzibar is a small island that is complemented by beautiful beaches, interesting

history and spice farms that produce a wide variety of spices.

The stone town is one of the wonderful views in Zanzibar. It was built by Arabs that got rich from slave

trade and spice trade. There is a memorial of slave trade where a church has been built by the people

who abolished slave trade. Also make sure you visit the museum where the sultan used to live and get

an eye view of the whole island.

The romantic beaches that surround the small island are breathtaking and have been ranked as some of

the most beautiful beaches.

Mt. Kilimanjaro- Tanzania

Mt Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak, standing at 19,336 feet. It is snowcapped and the world’s

tallestmountain that you can actually walk to the top.

To climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, you need a good tour operator to organize the trek.

Book the trek in advance during the times when the

weather is friendly. This is between January and March and September to October. You need to practice

before the trek to stay fit; the climb is not an easy one.

It is however one of the most amazing feeling getting to the summit and getting that snap shot at the

highest point in Africa!

Serengeti National Park- Tanzania

The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania offers grassland that is habitat to a variety of wildlife. The

migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra starts here, and because it is larger than the Masai Mara in

Kenya. The breeding season of the wildebeest happens in the Serengeti around January-March so that

the young ones are ready for the migration to Masai Mara during mid-year.

Gorilla Safari in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo

Mountain Gorillas are not common creatures. There are only 880 of them left in the world, 480 of these

inhabit a volcanic region called the Virunga Range in along the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the

Democratic Republic of Congo. Tracking gorillas is not for the faint hearted but quite an adventure. It is

not always guaranteed that you will see them.

Travel to these countries and see the mountain Gorillas. In Uganda, the parks where you go for gorilla

tracking are the Mgahinga Gorlilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In Mgahinga,

besides seeing the gorillas, you will see leopards, buffalo, golden monkeys and bushbuck. Gorilla

tracking fun is trying to follow them through the dense forests where you get to see the chimpanzees to

and some birds.

In Rwanda, there is one park that you can go for gorilla tracking. This is the Virunga National Park which

encompasses six volcanos. Tracking gorillas in Rwanda is more fun as they don’t move a lot in the dense

forest and you can easily watch them.

The Virunga Park extends to the Democratic Republic of Congo.