Which country in East Africa is best for safari in the wild?

East Africa is one of Africa's best and richest safari destinations, offering various options ranging from game safari to primate safari to birding safaris. The wild safari charms of East Africa lie in the astonishing diversity of wildlife, vegetation, and landscape. The East African coastline allows one to participate in water activities like Boat or ship cruises, Kayaking, scuba diving, and others.

Most Popular Safaris

8 Day Tanzania Safari

3 Day Kenya Safari

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18 Day Ultimate Uganda Safari

5 Day Gorilla Habituation & Chimps

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14 Day Uganda Safari via Kigali

3 Day Serengeti National Park Safari

5 Day Rwanda Gorillas & Culture

4 Day Kenya Game Safari

Currently, some members in the East Africa community include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, and others. Choosing the best wild safari destination to visit in East Africa for a safari depends on your interests and time on safari.

Kenya and Tanzania have the upper hand in the game safaris in East Africa, where the wildebeest migration is a mystery that is hard to explain in detail. Its starting time, usual stopovers made by a vast population of different wild animals, events during the wildebeest migration, and return time for these animals are still puzzling but exciting for many travelers.

For great primate safari experiences in East Africa, Uganda and Rwanda offer more significant opportunities to spot primates in the wilderness. The presence of the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world in Uganda and Rwanda gives these two East African countries an upper hand in the primate safari destinations of East Africa. You can do gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda or gorilla habituation experience in Uganda.

The presence of various forested areas in East Africa that are home to several other primates is exceptional. Moreover, it is hard to find unspoiled, exclusive locations where you can feel a genuinely individual wilderness experience. During the safari in East Africa, you may have a chance to do chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey safaris, spot black and white colobus, olive baboons, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, and several others.

Birding in East Africa offers many birds living in various vegetation zones. The impressive bird population in East Africa is awed to a longitudinal location between East and Central Africa. The range of habitats includes Savannas, Rivers, Lakes, forests, woodland, wetland, moorland, semi-arid, and others.

Where to go on Safari in Kenya?

Nairobi National Park

It is only in Nairobi city that neighbors a national park with more than 100 mammal species. Nairobi National Park covers about 117 square kilometers and was opened in December 1946. The Kitengela migration corridor and south Kapiti Plains border this park.

From Nairobi city, Nairobi National Park is about 7 kilometers away. While on safari in Nairobi National Park, you may spot black Rhinos, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, and many others.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara National Reserve is Kenya's most popular game park because of its mysterious wild game migration and drama. This park offers an extraordinary density of wild animals where chances of spotting the big f, the lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and oes, and Rhinos, are more open.

The peak time of the great migration as populations of several wild animals cross the bloody Mara River in a struggle for the fittest campaign is worth watching. During the great wildebeest migration, other animals you may spot in huge numbers include millions of zebras, elands, gazelles, cheetahs, hyenas, wildebeests, and so many others. The exciting, significant migration period is generally from July to August.

All year round, game viewing in Masai Mara National Reserve is open.

Lake Nakuru National Park

This park covers an area of about 188 square kilometers and was opened in June 1968.

Lake Nakuru is famous for its vast population of Lesser flamingos. This lake is a rift valley lake created from faulting. The population of the flamingos on this lake was reduced in the past when unknown chemicals poisoned the water in it. Several flamingos died from its shoreline, and others migrated to other locations.

For ornithologists, scientists, wildlife filmmakers, and other tourists on leisure, this is a place to be

Meru National Park

Meru National Park covers an area of 870 square kilometers and was opened in April 1968. It straddles the equator, with about 13 rivers dissecting it. This park has excellent scenery ranging from woodland to slopes on the slopes of Nyambeni Mountain to wide open plains with wandering riverbanks with palms.

This park has suffered at the hands of poachers, where several elephants were hunted down for their tasks. With the help of Kenya Wildlife Service, the elephant population in Meru National Park is recovering. More than 300 bird species are residents of this park. The Bisanadi National Reserve and Koru National Park are on this park's border.

Samburu and Buffalo Spring National Park

Samburu covers 104 square kilometers of land, and Buffalo Spring National Park occupies 131 square kilometers. This park offered incredible scenery, including undulating plains and rugged and rounded hills. The vegetation of this park is mainly composed of wood and grassland, riverine forests, and swamps.

In this park, you may spot animals like Grevy's zebras, giraffes, oryx, Somali Ostritches, elephants, an array of birds of over 365 species, and others.

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park occupies about 392 square kilometers of land. It is known for its arid conditions, yet an ample water supply through thousands of rocks melts from the Kilimanjaro mountains to form underground streams that converge into two clear water springs in the middle of the park.

In this park, you may spot zebras, herds of elephants, wildebeests, and others. In Amboseli National Park, you enjoy rewarding game drives and walking safaris. 

Shimba Hill National Park

Here, you can enjoy lush scenery, beautiful coastline, and stunning orchids, and watch out for sable Antelopes and others.

Kisitine Marine National Park

Here, you can see the Kisite coral reefs, estimated to be 3 to 4 kilometers, running along the near and outer edges of the reefs from Mpunguti Island to Kisite.

Where to go on Uganda safari?

Uganda is a country endowed by nature with a mix of safari destinations. You need a well-tailored Uganda safari itinerary to get the best out of your Uganda safari. Use the help of our experience and professional safari consultants to get the best out of this African safari. Some Uganda safari destinations include:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This is home to the largest population of mountain gorillas in the world. This park has about 20 gorilla trekking families and 2 habituation experience families. This park also hosts other 9 primate species like chimpanzees, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, and many others.

More than 350 bird species are residents of the Bwindi forest, one of the hot spots for Uganda birding. 

Anyone wishing to do a gorilla safari in this park must secure a gorilla permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The number of gorilla permits is limited to a maximum of 8 per gorilla trekking family and 4 per gorilla habituation family. 

Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park lies in the southwestern part of Uganda. It is also home to the mountain gorillas, but the only gorilla family open for gorilla trekking adventure in this park is Nyakagezi.

This park also hosts endangered golden, black, and white colobus, vervet, and blue monkeys.

Three of the six Virunga mountains are present for mountaineering excursions in Mgahinga National Park. These mountains include Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Muhavura. 

Ornithologists have a massive list of bird species they can identify in this park, but about 115 bird species have been recorded, including Albertine rift endemics.

Murchison Falls National Park

Bisected by the River Nile is Murchison Falls National Park. This park is a great game viewing park in Uganda, especially the Northern banks using the Buligi track. During the early morning or late afternoon game drives in Murchison Falls National Park, you may spot herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, hartebeests, and so many others.

Taking a launch trip to Murchison Falls, you relax at the launch and look over the banks for the fantastic wildlife, including animals that move down to quench thirst, like giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, and herds of elephants, to mention but a few.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the western part of Uganda, sitting on the floor of the Rift Valley. During the game drives on the tracks within the park, you may spot animals like topis, herds of elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, leopards, and cape buffaloes, to mention but a few.

Taking a launch trip on the Kazinga channel allows you to spot rich aquatic life like hippos, Nile crocodiles, otters, and others. The shoreline of the Kazinga Channel is often flocked by numerous birds, including foreign migrants. Several animals love quenching thirst from the channel banks, and you may have a chance to spot them.

Lake Mburo National Park 

This is home to most of the ungulates in Uganda and the closest National park to Entebbe airport or Kampala city. During a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park, you may spot Zebras, waterbucks, Bush bucks, warthogs, and elands, to mention but a few.

Taking a boat trip on Lake Mburo is unforgettable.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the far North Eastern corner of Uganda. This is home to the largest carnivores in Uganda, like cheetahs, lions, striped hyenas, bat-eared foxes, side-striped jackals, and others.

Ungulates include klipspringers, reedbucks, greater and lesser kudu, herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, zebras, and others.

Semuliki National Park

While in this park, you can visit the Sempaya hot springs, where you can perform the egg-boiling experiment. Watch out for some animals like duikers, forest buffaloes, elephants, hippos, and crocodiles in Semliki River; a wide range of birds also find home in this park.

Mountain Rwenzori National Park and Mountain Elgon National Park offer you chances to hike and enjoy the great vegetation zones along the way that are unique to these highlands.

Where to go on Safari in Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park

For the gorilla trekking experience, a visit to Rwanda gives you this opportunity. At the moment, about 15 gorilla families are present for this adventure. A maximum of 8 gorilla permits per gorilla family are open. Volcanoes National Park is home to golden monkey trekking and other primates like olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, and blue monkeys, to mention but a few.

Birding in Rwanda can only be completed by visiting Volcanoes National Park.

Nyungwe National Park

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park is incredible. Cyamudondo area is also home to a chimpanzee community but is located at the periphery of Nyungwe National Park. You must obtain a chimpanzee trekking permit first from the Rwanda Development Board.

A canopy walk on the suspension bridge in Nyungwe National Park is worth the thrill. Watch out for several birds, more than 285 species that are residents of this park.

Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is the place to be for game drives in Rwanda. This park is recovering from the effects of the 1994 Rwanda genocide as its wild animals were poached, and others escaped to safety. The park is being rehabilitated so that you may spot giraffes, zebras, cape buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, rhinos, and others during the game drives.

Where to Go on Safari in Tanzania? 

Serengeti National park

Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is famous for the wildebeest migration that ends in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The mysterious reason that prompts a large population of different wild animals to take a specific direction at a particular time of the year is still hard to understand.

All that is said about the great wildebeest migration from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is an assumption. During a safari in the Serengeti National Park, you may spot zebras, elands, elephants, lions, warthogs, wildebeests, cheetahs, and others.

Serengeti Nationals Park offers chances to spot several wild animals all year round, other than the wildebeest migration season.

Other Tanzania national parks include

Tarangire National Park, Rumanyika National Park, Ruaha national Park, Mukumi National Park

Where to go on Safari in Burundi?

Ruvubu National park

Ruvubu National Park is the largest Burundi National Park. While visiting this park in Burundi, you may spot animals like Duikers, elephants, Buffaloes, waterbucks, and lions mention it. This park also hosts several bird species, including Albertine rift endemics.

This Burundi National Park hosts several primates like olive baboons, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus, and much more.

Other Burundi National Parks include Kigwena National Reserve, Rusizi National Park, and Kibira National Park.

Our team is ready to plan your East Africa Safari with you today. Contact us for more information.