East Africa is one of the best regions that any adventure seeker or travel lover can visit in the world. A paradise for tourists, this stunning region is home to pristine beaches, lush green forests, spectacular mountains, vivid cities, serene lakes, and vast safari parks. For travelers who want an adventure trip, East Africa is the ideal location, as it offers a number of opportunities to enjoy a safari or a hiking tour. Here is a guide for tourists who wish to enjoy safaris and hiking during their vacation in East Africa.
- Safari Tours
Tourists can enjoy many types of safaris in East Africa. They can go on hot air balloon rides, walking tours, cycling trips, horseback safaris, and game drives. Travel lovers should try to experience all these types of safaris.
At the Maasai Mara in Kenya, tourists can enjoy horseback riding and game viewing at the same time. Hot air balloon safaris are excellent at the Serengeti, where tourists can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the scenic grassland. For cycling tours, visitors can take a trip to Arusha National Park, where travelers can bike through the breathtaking landscape. For game drives, Selous Game Reserve is an ideal location. Travelers can go to Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park for a walking safari, which is a healthy and environmentally friendly way of exploring a safari park.
East Africa is home to stunning birdlife and wildlife, which tourists can spot during safaris. They can enjoy game viewing as they explore the many safari parks of the region, and watch the animals in their natural habitat. The Great Migration of two million wildebeests is a must-see for travel lovers, as it is an extraordinary sight to witness.
The region is home to animals such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffaloes, impalas, antelopes, wildebeests, hartebeests, reedbucks, waterbucks, civets, dik-diks, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, gazelles, colobus monkeys, apes, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, vervet monkeys, galagos, badgers, warthogs, wild dogs, servals, caracals, baboons, jackals, kudus, butterflies, and elands.
East Africa’s birdlife includes hornbills, flamingos, herons, kingfishers, owls, egrets, woodpeckers, storks, eagles, pigeons, oxpeckers, starlings, ducks, bustards, spurfowl, turacos, lapwings, weavers, ostriches, and guineafowl.
Here is a list of top rated safari locations that travel lovers should visit:
- Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
- Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
- Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
- Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
- Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
- Saadani National Park, Tanzania
- Kidepo National Park, Uganda
- Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
- Tsavo National Park, Kenya
- Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda
- Arusha National Park, Tanzania
- Kibira National Park, Burundi
- Samburu Game Reserve, Kenya
- Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
- Amboselli National Park, Kenya
- Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania
- Hiking Tours
Hiking is an enjoyable and memorable activity as it provides a physical challenge to tourists. Tourists can go gorilla trekking at Kigale Mountains, which is a rewarding experience as they climb up through the dense vegetation to reach the natural habitat of the primates. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a bucket list experience, as the climb can be life changing. Tourists can climb up through the lush green vegetation till they reach the peak from where they can enjoy an aerial view of the surroundings. There are a number of smaller treks that less experienced hikers can enjoy, such as Ngong Hills in Kenya, Ol Doinyo Lengai, and Kidege Falls in Tanzania.
Tourists should pack a light-weight bag which they can easily carry. Some must-have items that they should pack are sunscreen, binoculars, travel documents, cash, insect repellant, a light jacket, and comfortable walking shoes. Tourists should pack clothes that can cover their skin, protecting it from the sun and insects, and shoes that are fit for hiking.
Here are some top rated hiking locations to visit in East Africa:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
- Ngong Hills, Kenya
- Mount Meru, Tanzania
- Mount Karisimbi, Rwanda
- Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
- Budongo Central Forest, Uganda
- Mount Longonot, Kenya
- Mount Kenya, Kenya
- Kidhege Falls, Tanzania
- Kigali Mountains, Rwanda
- Mount Hanang, Tanzania
- Karura Forest, Kenya
- Olmoti Crater, Tanzania
- Virunga Mountains, Rwanda
- Hell’s Gate, Kenya
- Mount Sabinyo, Uganda
- Usambara Mountains, Tanzania