Travel Guide East Africa

EAST AFRICA

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome

East Africa Map

Our Picks

Regions & Cities

Itineraries

When to Go

Get Prepared

Trip Planner: Safari

The Food Scene

The Outdoors

The Guide

Tanzania

Dar es Salaam

Zanzibar Town

South Zanzibar

North Zanzibar

Chake Chake

Beyond Chake Chake

Bagamoyo

Pangani

Beyond Pangani

Usambara Mountains

Pare Mountains

Mt Kilimanjaro

Arusha

Beyond Arusha

Tarangire National Park

Lake Manyara National Park

Ngorongoro Crater

Serengeti National Park

Lake Natron

Dodomoa Area

Lake Victoria

Gombe National Park

Lake Tanganyika

Mahale Mountains National Park

Katavi National Park

Lake Nyasa

Beyond Lake Nyasa

Ruaha National Park

Beyond Ruaha National Park

Udzungwa Mountains

Mikumi National Park

Nyerere National Park

Mafia Archipelago

Kilwa

Mtwara & Mikindani

Kenya

Nairobi

City Centre (CBD)

Kilimani, Milimani & Upper Hill

Karen, Lang’ata & Dagoretti

Westlands & Parklands

Kileleshwa, Lavington & Around

Naivasha

Lake Elementaita

Nakuru

Lake Bogoria

Lake Baringo

Masai Mara

Kisumu City

Kakamega

Beyond Kakamega

Mt Elgon

Mt Kenya & Meru National Park

Nanyuki

Aberdare

Amboseli

Tsavo West

Mombasa

Diani

Beyond Diani

Shimoni

Beyond Shimoni

Kilifi

Samburu & Isiolo Counties

Marsabit

Lake Turkana

Uganda

Kampala

Entebbe

Beyond Entebbe

Jinja

Beyond Jinja

Mbale

Soroti

Beyond Soroti

Kidepo Valley

Gulu

Beyond Gulu

Hoima

Fort Portal

Kasese

Kabale & Beyond

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Goma

Virunga National Park

Rwanda

Kigali

Volcanoes National Park

Beyond Volcanoes National Park

Lake Kivu

Nyungwe Forest National Park

Huye (Butare)

Nyanza

Akagera National Park

Burundi

Toolkit

Accommodation

Family Travel

Health & Safe Travel

LGBTIQ+ Travellers

Food, Drink & Nightlife

Responsible Travel

Accessible Travel

Nuts & Bolts

Language

How to Explore the Arts

Wildlife

Storybook

A History of East Africa in 15 Places

Wildlife of Tanzania

Memory, Myth & Prophecy

A Journey through East African Literature

Communicating in East Africa

An East Africa Playlist

A Snapshot of Modern Uganda

This Book

EAST AFRICA

THE JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Mountain gorilla, Rwanda | Onyx9/Shutterstock ©

In a region of such vast and varied natural attractions and experiences, it’s a tough task to narrow down the one thing I love most about East Africa. Each day produces highlight after highlight – one moment you’re tracking white rhino on foot, and the next you’re brushing shoulders with a silverback in the jungle. Within a few hours’ drive, you can go from lazing on a pristine beach to standing atop a snowcapped volcano. Every day here I feel humbled and awed by nature, but then it has pulsating cities like Nairobi and Kampala, or laid-back Kigali offering great insights into contemporary and traditional culture, and cool, friendly locals. But for me, it’s Lake Bunyonyi that really seals the deal. It’s a legendary hangout with an unhurried pace of life, where you’ll be content to just kick back and be mesmerised by its astonishing views.

Trent Holden

@hombreholden

Having written for Lonely Planet since 2008, Trent has travelled extensively across Africa and covered destinations from Zimbabwe and Zambia to Uganda and Rwanda.

My favourite experience is tracking mountain gorillas. After doing this four times, you’d think the novelty would start to wane, but it’s the opposite. No two experiences are ever alike.

WHO GOES WHERE

Our writers and experts choose the places which, for them, define East Africa.

Katja Tsvetkova/Shutterstock ©

Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is one of my favourite places: spectacular national parks, streets strewn with bougainvillea, and treasured but deeply threatened wildlife. This area reveals a great deal about the way we need to care for places, people, environment and animals in the years ahead.

Katherina Thomas

@klgthomas

Katherina is a writer and medical anthropologist whose writing explores sense of place and human interconnectedness through the lenses of travel, music and infectious diseases.

Anil Varma/Shutterstock ©

Jinja’s contemporary music and art scenes are second only to its wildlife, waterfalls and other outdoor activities. It’s a top destination for its proximity to forests, wetlands, major East African cities and islands. Its rich history and legends make it an attractive destination everyone can enjoy.

Alia Pathan

@alia_pathan

Alia is an award-winning multimedium artist, musician and writer of Ugandan-Asian heritage, and founder of the IDoc whitetigerproject.co.uk.

Vadim Petrakov/Shutterstock ©

I’ll never forget arriving at a Masai Mara village at dusk: it was ringed by thorny branches protecting the cattle, whose neck bells chimed sonorously. The locals’ ornate jewellery chinked in harmony as I was taken into a hut made from earth. The nature walks and warm conversations in the days that followed will always be in my heart.

Helena Smith

Helena is a writer and photographer who grew up in Scotland and Malawi. She is co-founder of Wilder, a social enterprise doing wildlife-friendly urban gardening.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Shawn Duthie

Shawn has been travelling, studying and working around Africa for the past 17 years. He currently lives in South Africa and takes any excuse to travel around this amazing continent.

Julie Olum

@frameambition

Julie is a travel and culture writer, fan of festivals and almost-architect.

Nasibu Mahinya

@nasibuthevibe

Nasibu Mahinya is a Tanzanian writer and entrepreneur.

Neema Githere

@take.back.theinternet

Neema Githere is a writer whose work explores love and indigeneity in a time of algorithmic debris.

Nanjala Nyabola

@nanjalaone

Nanjala travels regularly, occasionally rides motorcycles, periodically climbs mountains and often writes about it all.

Anthony Ham

@AnthonyHamWrite

Anthony writes for the New York Times and others about wildlife and culture; he is the author of The Last Lions of Africa.

Mwende Mutuli Musau

@tulimusau

Better known as Tuli, she is is a writer who specialises in travel, food and culture. She has written for an array of high-profile publications.

Mary Fitzpatrick

Mary is an Africa-based writer and guidebook author who has been living in, writing about and travelling around Tanzania for years.

Mark Eveleigh

markeveleigh.com

A novelist and travel writer, Mark specialises in wildlife and indigenous cultures. He’s covered assignments for BBC Wildlife, CNN Travel and National Geographic Traveller.

NATURAL WONDERS

Nowhere encapsulates the drama, beauty and raw power of nature than East Africa, home to the world’s longest rivers, oceanic-sized lakes, mightiest mountains and most epic wildlife encounters. Being among its incredible biodiversity and geographical wonders delivers countless life-affirming moments. Of course, no discussion on Africa’s natural wonders is complete without mention of the true stars of the show, its animals, but equally as impressive is the mesmerising backdrop of the natural environment they live in.

Source of the Nile

In 2006 a Kiwi-British–led expedition claimed to find the true source of the Nile, a trickle from a spring in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Tetyana Dotsenko/Shutterstock ©

Great Wildebeest Calving

As well as the Great Wildebeest Migration, an equally remarkable event occurs between January and March: some 500,000 calves are born in the Serengeti over three weeks!

Kiki Dohmeier/Shutterstock ©

World Heritage Listed Sites

Of the 22 Unesco World Heritage–listed sights in East Africa, 15 of those are natural wonders comprising national parks, conservation areas, mountains and lake systems.

Wildebeest in Masai Mara | crbellette/Shutterstock ©

BEST NATURAL WONDERS EXPERIENCES

See the stampede of a million-plus wildebeest making their annual great migration through 1 Serengeti and Masai Mara.

Witness the extraordinary variety of animals deep in the grassy caldera of 2 Ngorongoro Crater.

Discover the start of the 3 Nile River’s 6853km journey through 11 countries to Alexandria, Egypt.

Enjoy sighting 4 Mt Kilimanjaro, not just the continent’s highest peak but also the world’s tallest freestanding mountain.

Experience the 5 Virunga Mountains, a chain of eight volcanoes, two of which are active, and the last habitat of the mountain gorilla.

PLAYFUL WORLD OF PRIMATES

Given humans are part of a subgroup of Hominidae primate known as reat apes (orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and us…), it’s not surprising that close encounters with our cousins has such resonance. It’s one of the most exciting animal encounters on the planet, and East Africa is the definitive place to see both species. But you can also see exotic arboreal and Old World species of monkey too.

Gorilla Habituation

Habituating gorillas involves trackers spending every day in the jungle with them for up to three years, mimicking their behaviour to win over their trust.

GUDKOV ANDREY/Shutterstock ©

Our Closest Cousins

Sharing 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees and 98% with mountain gorillas means they’re highly susceptible to human airborne diseases. Wear masks and get a PCR test.

Sam DCruz/Shutterstock ©

Other Primates

There are almost 40 different species of primates to see, from habituated troops of golden monkey and black-and-white colobus to olive baboons and De Brazza’s monkeys.

Golden monkey | PhotocechCZ/Shutterstock ©

BEST PRIMATE EXPERIENCES

Visit 1 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda’s southwest, home to over half of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas.

Track mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s 2 Volcanoes National Park, and see the exotic golden monkey.

See habituated troops of chimpanzee, red colobus, black-and-white colobus and L’hoest’s monkey in 3 Kibale National Park in Uganda.

Spot 13 species of primates, including 500-plus chimpanzee and gigantic troops of Angolan colobus in Rwanda’s 4 Ngungwe Forest National Park.

Track chimpanzees in Tanzania’s 5 Gombe National Park, home to a group of 100-plus habituated chimps.

GREAT AFRICAN LAKES

Making up part of the Eastern African Rift, these lakes are dotted across 10 countries in the region. Each offers unique charm and character and, as well as being home to an important source of wildlife and a lifeblood to the local economy, they feed into Africa’s two largest rivers, the Nile and the Congo.

Lake Victoria | Tykhanskyi Viacheslav/Shutterstock ©

Islands of Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria has close to 1000 islands, of which most interesting are the Ssese Islands, Rubondo Island and Saanane Island national parks, plus Ngamba Island.

Crocodiles

Kenya’s Lake Turkana is home to the world’s largest population of Nile crocodiles, with an estimated 12,000 of these prehistoric beasts living here.

BEST GREAT LAKE EXPERIENCES

See 1 Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa. Sharing a border with Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, it offers plenty to see and do.

View the world’s largest permanent desert lake, the World Heritage-listed 2 Lake Turkana, with its Central Island National Park home to an active volcano.

Enjoy 3 Lake Tanganyika, not only the world’s longest freshwater lake but also one of the oldest, the second deepest and second largest in volume).

Explore scenic 4 Lake Kivu (forming the natural border between Rwanda and the DRC); it’s a tropical getaway with islands and laid-back beach resorts.

Check out 5 Lake Nyasa, Africa’s third-largest lake, which reportedly has more fish species than any other freshwater lake on Earth.

TREKKING EAST AFRICA

There’s no better way to experience East Africa’s extraordinary nature and beauty than to strap on the boots and tackle its spectacular hiking trails. Treks can be anything from relaxed nature strolls and summiting volcanoes to hard-core multi-week expeditions scaling snowcapped peaks.

Glaciers

Africa is the hottest region on Earth, but its three highest mountains – Mt Kilimanjaro (pictured), Mt Kenya and the Rwenzoris – are home to the continent’s only glaciers.

Westend61 GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo ©

Mt Nyamuragira

Africa’s most active volcano, Mt Nyamuragira last erupted in 2021, causing a mass evacuation in Goma. Trekking is not recommended, due to civil unrest.

RAW-films/Shutterstock ©

Congo Nile Trail

Hiking isn’t all about high-altitude mountain expeditions, and you’ll find similarly epic (but flat) trails, such as the 227km Congo-Nile Trail along Rwanda’s Lake Kivu.

BEST TREKKING EXPERIENCES

Scale 1 Mt Meru, a volcanic cone that’s one of East Africa’s most rewarding treks, rivalling Mt Kilimanjaro in both beauty and challenge of climb.

Hike Africa’s second-highest mountain, 2 Mt Kenya, in a spectacular week-long trek to its summit, for arguably better views than Kilimanjaro.

Explore Uganda’s 3 Mountains of the Moon: its World Heritage–listed snowcapped Rwenzoris are one of Africa’s highest mountain ranges and leads to otherworldly mist-soaked forests.

Head into gorilla country via trails in Rwanda’s 4 Volcanoes National Park, scaling its volcanic peaks to see crater lakes or visit Dian Fossey’s grave.

Wind through pretty villages and even prettier landscapes with 5 Usambara Mountains trails, one of northeastern Tanzania’s delights.

LIFE’S A BEACH

Complementing East Africa’s safari trail beautifully, its long coastline stretches from Kenya to Tanzania along the dazzling Indian Ocean. Its blinding white sands sheltered by palm trees, and exotic island getaways with translucent warm waters are enough reasons to come here – and many do!

The Indian Ocean

East Africa is famous for beautiful beaches, its coastline an historically important centre for trade and commerce, generating an intriguing mix of African, Indian and Arab cultures.

Dan Baciu/Shutterstock ©

Pemba

A relaxed alternative to Zanzibar, the island of Pemba (50km north) sees fewer visitors, despite its idyllic coves and some of East Africa’s best diving.

mohd farid/Shutterstock ©

Inland Beaches

Landlocked countries may not have an ocean, but Ssese Islands, Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika all feature enticing beaches and palm trees along their shorelines.

Mafia Island | Kjersti Joergensen/Shutterstock ©

BEST BEACH EXPERIENCES

Enjoy a choice of Zanzibar’s dazzling bone-white sanded beaches. But for swimming and sunsets, it’s hard to go past 1 Nungwi.

Check out Kenya’s island of 2 Lamu, famed for its 12km-long Shela Beach and its dreamy sweep of pristine sands.

Admire Kilifi’s 3 Bofa Beach on Kenya’s north coast, which offers a blissful beachside escape, with swaying palms and white sands meeting therolling Indian Ocean.

Relax on Tanzania’s southern coastline, which is home to some stunning beaches, but don’t miss its finest patches of sand on 4 Mafia island.

Explore Kenya’s tranquil powdered sands of 5 Tiwi Beach or the resort set-up of Diani Beach with surfable waves.

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

As a cradle of ancient history, culture and civilisation, there’s nowhere better for visitors to experience East Africa’s rich heritage than its world-class museums and galleries. Here you’ll find diverse collections of artworks and its finest artefacts, all showcased under the one roof.

Nairobi National Museum | Images of Africa Photobank/Alamy Stock Photo ©

Rock Art Galleries

Predating East Africa’s contemporary galleries by a mere 2000 years or more, Kondoa’s World-Heritage–listed rock-art sites in Tanzania have 200-plus ancient rock paintings.

Freddie Mercury Museum

The Freddie Mercury Museum is dedicated to Zanzibar’s most famous son, who was born here and lived here until he was eight.

BEST MUSEUM & GALLERY EXPERIENCES

Visit Mombasa’s World Heritage–listed 1 Fort Jesus, a museum with relics from Portuguese warships sunk during the Omani Siege in 1697.

Take a sobering journey through Kigali’s 2 Genocide Memorial, detailing Rwanda’s 100 days of madness where 800,000 people were killed in 1994.

Explore Nairobi’s 3 National Museum, showing cultural and natural-history displays, and its nearby National Gallery, exhibiting African artists.

Celebrate the life of conservationist 4 Dian Fossey and her inspirational work with mountain gorillas in a sleek, architecturally designed museum.

Discover the 5 Tingatinga Art Cooperative Society in Dar es Salaam to watch talented artists at work.

THE BIG FIVE

There’s nothing more riveting than being witness to the dramas that take place on safari. And part of that is the animals that everyone wants to see in Africa – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and big herds of buffalo. While the Big Five is a term coined by hunters for the most difficult and dangerous animals to shoot in Africa on foot, fortunately these days in East Africa shooting the ‘Big Five’ is now about bagging digital trophies instead.

The Ugly Five

Though most are on a mission to see the Big Five, what about the Ugly Five? Try to spot the Marabou stork (pictured), warthog, wildebeest, vulture and spotted hyena.

JMx Images/shutterstock ©

The Small Five

On the other end of the scale are Africa’s Small Five: elephant shrew (pictured), ant lion, rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver and leopard tortoise.

leket/Shutterstock ©

The Shy Five

The most elusive is the Shy Five – porcupine, bat-eared fox, aardvark, meerkat and aardwolf. But good luck in seeing any!

BEST ‘BIG FIVE’ EXPERIENCES

Visit Tanzania’s 1 Serengeti National Park, one of Africa’s best places to spot the Big Five after black rhino were introduced here in 2019.

Spot migrating wildebeest in Kenya’s 2 Masai Mara National Reserve alongside good cat sightings, huge herds of buffalo, elephant and black rhino.

Look for all the Big Five in the 3 Ngorongoro Crater, including some of the biggest tuskers you’ll ever see.

Celebrate the return of the Big Five in 4 Akagera in Rwanda, not just with the reintroduction of lions, but black and white rhinos too.

Enjoy the dramatic scenery of Kenya’s 5 Tsavo West National Park, with good predator sightings and, if you’re lucky, black rhino too.

CULTURAL FESTIVALS

Nothing can quite compare to the untapped energy of East Africa’s carnivals and events, whether it’s Afro-beat, jazz, tribal percussion or a celebration of traditional culture. So, if you can time your visit to coincide with one of its varied and fun-filled festivals, it’s definitely worth building a trip around.

Nyege Nyege Festival | IAN DUNCAN KACUNGIRA /getty images ©

Running with the Lions

If completing a marathon wasn’t hard enough, try adding lions, elephant and rhino into the mix: precisely what makes the Lewa Safari Marathon so popular.

Kwita Izina

In Rwandan culture the naming of child is a momentous occasion, and this extends to to mountain gorillas when, each September, baby gorillas are officially named in Musanze.

BEST MUSIC EXPERIENCES

Experience Zanzibar’s annual 1 Sauti za Busara, showcasing all music genres – from taarab, and Afro-jazz to bongo flava – over three days in February.

Attend 2 Mombasa Carnival in November for its month-long street festival featuring music, dance and cultural events across Kenya’s coastal hub.

Enjoy Uganda’s pulsating 3 Nyege Nyege Festival, with three days of DJs and electronica along the banks of the Nile.

Celebrate Rwanda’s music festival 4 Kigali Up!, which takes place in the capital around August with local and international acts.

Marvel at the nearly 90-year-old 5 Kenya Music Festival in August, the nation’s longest-running music festival.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

With all that warm weather, spectacular scenery and long coastline, East Africa is one giant outdoor-adventure playground. As well as trekking, safaris and the like, a lot of the action happens out on the water, with both world-class whitewater rafting and stunning diving amid a kaleidoscope of colourful corals.

Canopy Walk

A fully immersive experience, Nyungwe Forest National Park’s canopy walk in Rwanda (pictured) has you walking nervously 70m above the canopy over Africa’s most ancient montane forest.

TONY KARUMBA/Stringer/getty images ©

Learn to Run Like a Champion

Producing some of the world’s greatest athletes, Kenya’s High Altitude Training Centre isn’t just for elite sportspeople, but isopen to everyone interested in running.

Holger Leue/getty images ©

Stargazing

There are few more powerful experiences than gazing up towards a galaxy of billion stars in the night skies of East Africa’s national parks.

BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE EXPERIENCES

Bungee-jump into the Nile in between jet-boating and taming grade V whitewater rapids in 1 Jinja, home of East Africa’s outdoor-adventure scene.

Dive into the temptations of the 2 Zanzibar Archipelago; from Pempa to Mnemba Atoll, it’s a bucket-list destination for divers worldwide.

Pedal or hike through local villages and witness stupendous lake vistas on the 227km 3 Congo-Nile Trail that follows the length of Rwanda’s Lake Kivu.

Snorkel amid bright corals and colourful fish in Kenya’s 4 Kisite Mpunguti, which is also the place for kiteboarding, windsurfing, kayak paddling or SUP.

See the great wildebeest migration from above in a hot-air balloon for an even more spectacular perspective of the 5 Serengeti’s untamed wilderness.

TUNE IN & DROP OUT

With all those long distances and early starts, the rigours of an action-packed travel itinerary can catch up with you. So, when it’s time to slow it down, hit one of East Africa’s legendary scenic hangouts, where it’s all about leisurely days spent among spectacular scenery.

Jambiani beach | robertharding/Alamy Stock Photo ©

Forest Bathing

Relax among East Africa’s national parks and forests as you appreciate the sounds and smells, and focus on smaller aspects of its rich biodiversity.

Slow Travel

Aim to stop for a bit, maybe renting a place by the beach in Jambiani to enjoy blissful days while gaining insights into village life.

BEST CHILL-OUT EXPERIENCES

Relax at 1 Lake Bunyonyi, gazing out to its spectacular scenery in between leisurely paddles on the lake.

Chill out with a book, bonfire and hammock in the middle of Lake Victoria on the blinding white sandy beaches of the 2 Ssese Islands.

Spend days swimming, walking through local villages and unwinding in the fresh air at Rwanda’s 3 Twin Lakes, set with a backdrop of towering volcanoes.

Enjoy a unique blend of beachside resort and wildlife safari where the Indian Ocean meets the forest in 4 Saadani National Park.

Recharge among nature at 5 Nanyuki, looking out to Mt Kenya and within easy reach of Laikipia plateau, national parks and wildlife conservancies.

LUXURY ESCAPES

If your budget will stretch, splurge for a night or two in one of East Africa’s famous safari lodges. You’ll get to enjoy not just a rustic brand of luxury, but also be right among nature and wildlife as you relax poolside in between safaris, while indulging in a massage and wonderful views.

In the Thick of It

Whether soaking in a bath overlooking the Nile’s rapids at Wildwaters Lodge or spending a night underwater at Pemba, East Africa has unique accommodation options.

paula french/shutterstock ©

Wildlife Watching from Bed

As well as the top-end luxury lodges, East Africa’s mobile safari camps bring you front-row views as they move to wherever the animals are.

Ariadne Van Zandbergen/Alamy Stock Photo ©

BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE EXPERIENCES

Head deep into gorilla country amid Virunga’s volcanoes at Rwanda’s 1 Bisate Lodge, with its luxury thatched pod huts integrated into the landscape.

Stay at 2 Nay Palad Bird Nest, a contender for Africa’s most memorable accommodation. its thatched towers jut up among the Laikipia plains, northwest of Nanyuki.

Admire views of Kilimanjaro from your four-poster bed with private plunge pool and your own waterhole at 3 Ol Donyo, one of Kenya’s memorable options.

Live your castaway fantasy on an island off an island at 4 Pemba Lodge’s rustic and remote wooden bungalows by the beach.

Experience views over the Rwenzori mountains at 5 Papaya Lake Lodge’s spacious cottages, set among Uganda’s scenic Great Crater Lakes region.

HISTORY & RUINS

East Africa is a cradle of human civilisation, and with its diverse array of ancient cultures it’s a destination with a fascinating history. Here you’ll find many interesting historical and archaeological sites that offer a glimpse into its past, from precolonial times through to independence.

Gede Ruins | Authentic travel/Shutterstock ©

Oldupai Gorge

Oldupai Gorge, near Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, is known as the cradle of humankind after the remarkable discovery of the 1.8 million-year old hominid skull of Australopithecus boisei.

Old Meets New

Kigali’s striking Conference Centre, built in 2016, is East Africa’s most expensive building. It is designed as a 21st-century version of Nyanza’s royal palace.

BEST HISTORICAL SITE EXPERIENCES

Discover an intriguing fusion of Arabic, Indian, European and African influences in 1 Zanzibar’s Stone Town, one of East Africa’s most atmospheric historical quarters.

Experience the 2 Gede Ruins; dating from the 15th century, they offer a window into this ancient Swahili trading post along Kenya’s north coast.

See Uganda’s World Heritage–listed 3 Kasubi Tombs, a striking thatched structure that’s the final resting place for Buganda kings.

Spot the ruins of Kilifi’s medieval Swahili port city of 4 Mnarani, sitting high on a bluff with a well-preserved mosque amid massive baobab trees.

Admire World Heritage–listed 5 Kilwa Kisiwani, a complex of 15th-century Arabic ruins with an imposing fort and mosque.

TRADITIONAL CULTURE & TRIBES

With some 300 different ethnic groups across the region there’s no better way to get insights into local life than through grassroots eco-culture tours. From pogoing with Maasai warriors and taking artistry workshops to homestays in local villages, don’t miss an opportunity immerse yourself in the everyday beauty, realities and vibrancy of East African life.

The Maasai

The Maasai people are pastoral nomads in Kenya and Tanzania who have actively resisted change and follow the same lifestyle they have for centuries.

Katiekk/Shutterstock ©

Twa & Hadzabe

Having resided in the forests for 10,000-plus years, the hunter-gatherer Twa (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and DRC) and Hadzabe (Tanzania; pictured) people are among East Africa’s oldest ethnic groups.

Piu_Piu/Shutterstock ©

The Turkana

Living in the harsh desert country of northwestern Kenya, the pastoralist Turkana people are famous for their distinctive mud-covered heads painted blue and decorated with ostrich feathers.

BEST CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

Staying in a Masaai village in 1 Ewangan is a wonderful cultural experience, where you’ll help with daily chores while learning traditional skills.

Pick the coffee berries before roasting them on an open fire in 2 Sipi Falls in Eastern Uganda, where you can have a bean-to-cup experience.

See banana beer being made, with the vigorous pressing of bananas in a wooden tank accompanied by singing and dancing in Rwanda at 3 Red Rocks.

Spend a day with the Hadzabe people in Tanzania’s 4 Lake Eyasi, learning traditional hunting skills and collecting wild honey.

Tak a locally led cultural and historical tour with Afri Roots around 5 Dar es Salaam and rural communities across Tanzania.

REGIONS & CITIES

Find the places that tick all your boxes.

ITINERARIES

Safari, Beaches & Culture

Allow: 7 days     Distance: 1644km

If you’re here for animals, stunning scenery, beaches and local culture, then this is the trip for you. Slicing through Kenya’s southern wilderness, it combines all of Africa’s big-name animals and national parks before reaching the ancient Swahili port town of Mombasa, then Nairobi for more culture, food and nightlife.

Zebra, Masai Mara | Mongkolchon Akesin/shutterstock ©

1 Masai Mara National Reserve 2 DAYS

Flying in from Nairobi, explore Kenya’s most famous safari destination, Masai Mara National Reserve, with its golden bleached savannah filled with the highlights reel of a David Attenborough documentary. There’s the Big Five, giraffes, zebra and predators aplenty, but it gets even better; come July through to October you’ll be witness to the thunderous stampede of the wildebeest migration at full flight.

1¼ hour flight