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The climate of eastern Africa is generally tropical, though average temperatures tend to be reduced by the region’s high elevations. Precipitation also is affected by varying elevation: Uganda, Tanzania, and western Kenya receive plentiful rainfall, while Somalia, eastern Ethiopia, and northeastern Kenya receive far less. The region’s vegetation ranges from woodlands and grasslands in the wetter regions to thornbushes in semiarid areas. The grasslands of Tanzania and Kenya are renowned for their wildlife, in particular large migratory herds of ungulates (e.g., gnus, zebras, and gazelles) and predators (lions, hyenas, and leopards).

Eastern Africa is populated by 160 different ethnic groups or more, depending on the method of counting. Most of the peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia—and some of those in Tanzania and Kenya—speak languages belonging to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Speakers of Nilo-Saharan languages populate Uganda and the rift valley portions of Kenya and Tanzania, while speakers of Bantu languages constitute much of the remainder of these countries’ population. 

The largest ethnic groups in eastern Africa are the Oromo, Cushitic speakers who occupy much of southern Ethiopia, and the related Somali, who occupy all of Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, and much of Djibouti. The Afar are found in both Eritrea and Djibouti. The main ethnic groups of Eritrea, the Tigray and the Tigre, are speakers of Semitic languages. Both the Tigray and the Amhara, another Semitic-speaking group, dominate northwestern Ethiopia. The ethnic fabric in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda is much more fragmented, with many smaller peoples intermingled or occupying discrete territories. The largest numbers of Nilo-Saharan speakers belong to the Luo, Lango, Kalenjin, Maasai, and Karimojong peoples, while the principal Bantu-speaking ethnic groups are the Kikuyu, Chaga, and Kamba.

This article covers the history of the area from ancient times through the 20th century. Coverage of the region’s physical and human geography can be found in the article Africa. For discussion of the physical and human geography of individual countries in the region and of their late colonial and postcolonial history, see Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Area 1,420,236 square miles (3,678,394 square km). Pop. (2009 est.) 293,654,000.

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Lake Kivu / Rubavu

If you're surprised that Rwanda has a beach - you're not alone. Rubavu (also known as Gisenyi) is a waterfront town located on the shores of Lake Kivu, one Africa's great bodies of water. At only an hour away from Volcanoes National Park, Rubavu is a great way to unwind after trekking adventures. Rubavu marks the beginning of the Congo Nile Trail, which extends 227 km to Rusizi, and has plenty of biking and hiking trails to fulfill those who crave the some more adventure. Rubavu is also known for its agrotourism experiences, with many tea and coffee plantations nearby.

Nyungwe National Park

Located in the South West corner of Rwanda, Nyungwe National Park is an untouched natural rainforest that is filled with exciting biodiversity. Covering over 1000 square kilomtres, Nyungwe is surely one of the world’s most beautiful and pristine mountain rainforests. It’s believed to be one of Africa’s oldest forests, staying green even through the Ice Age, which explains its diversity. Home to habituated chimpanzees and 12 other primates species (including a 400-strong troop of habituated Ruwenzori Black & White Colobus), it’s also a birder’s paradise with over 300 species, including 16 endemics, and is home to 75 different species of mammal. This majestic rainforest is filled with nature and wildlife experiences for you to emerge yourself in. Hiking or even biking the beautiful terrain, tracking the famous chimpanzees, experiencing the canopy walk, witnessing beautiful birds, relaxing by waterfalls are just a glimpse of activities that Nyungwe offers. Sounds and views collaborate to create a one-of-a-kind wildlife experience. Exploring through the forest, travellers will witness the lush green mountains and cooling mist in a landscape that won’t be soon forgotten. Cultural activities are also available around the forest.

Karongi

Located in the western part of Rwanda, Karongi lies on the shores of the Lake Kivu. Lake Kivu is surrounded by magnificent mountains and has deep emerald green waters. The lake covers a total surface area of 2,700 km and stands at a height of 1,460 meters above sea level. About 110km from Kigali, the road to Karongi is paved and in good condition. Karongi is one of the most relaxing and romantic places in Rwanda, and is an ideal place to enjoy lakeside recreation. A picturesque lakeside resort town, there are ample beaches with crystal clear water. Along with modern water sport facilities, traditional boats can be used for exciting nature discovery tours and authentic experiences within local Rwandan daily life. Visitors can take boat rides from many of the local hotels visiting Napoleon's Island (home to a colony of fruit bats) and dine at the Amahoro Island restaurants and even go night fishing with locals. Adventure awaits at Karongi with opportunities to hike and bike the Congo Nile Trail, visit the Congo Nile Divide watershed, have a taste of the 'crop to cup' coffee and tea experiences within the local community, or visit the moving Bisesero Genocide Memorial with breathtaking views of the lake.

Akagera National Park

A stunning National Park where the past has been revived. Akagera National Park is located in the north east of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. Although founded in 1934, much of the park was re-allocated as farms and in 1997 the park was reduced in size from more than 2,500 sq km (nearly 10% of the surface area of Rwanda) to its current extent of 1,122 sq km. Since 2010, a joint venture with African Parks has seen Akagera return to its former glories. It is named after the Akagera River that flows along its eastern boundary and feeds into a labyrinth of lakes of which the largest is Lake Ihema. The forest fringed lakes, papyrus swamps, savannah plains and rolling highlands combine to make Akagera amongst the most scenic of reserves anywhere in Africa. It has exceptional levels of biodiversity and forms the largest protected wetland in central Africa. Akagera combines well with Nyungwe and the Volcanoes NP to offer a great safari element as it is home to many large plains game species as well as species restricted to the papyrus swamps such as the Sitatunga and the sought-after Shoebill Stork. Notable plains game include elephant, buffalo, topi, zebra, waterbuck, roan antelope and eland. Other antelope are duiker, oribi, bohor reedbuck, klipspringer, bushbuck and impala. Of the primates, olive baboons, vervets and the secretive blue monkey are seen during the day, with bushbabies often seen on night drives. Of the larger predators only leopard, hyaena cand side-striped jackal are still present and although lion once occurred throughout Akagera, the population was wiped. Plans are underway for the reintroduction of lion, as well as black rhino in 2015, which will restore Akagera’s ‘Big 5’ status. Due to its wide variety of habitats, Akagera is an important ornithological site with nearly 500 bird species. The rare and elusive shoebill shares the papyrus with other rarities such as the exquisite papyrus gonolek and countless other water birds that inhabit the wetlands in large numbers.

Muhazi

Even though it’s only slightly more than 40 kilometres east of Kigali, the winding shores of Lake Muhazi see few visitors (and of these, most tend to be locals and expats escaping the city for a weekend), but the region has a laid-back, subtle charm all its own, and with such easy access from Kigali, there’s really no reason not to explore the winding shores and placid waters of Lake Muhazi. Long and shallow, Lake Muhazi twists and turns its way through a flooded valley for more than 40km before reaching its eastern shore, not far from the northern exit of eastern Rwanda’s crown jewel, Akagera National Park. The east end of the lake sits right along the road to Nyagatare, and makes for a perfect place to break the journey for a meal and a cold drink after long hours spent bumping along the park’s dirt roads. If you stick around after your fresh-caught lunch and let the lake breezes guide you, you’ll quickly find that the live music at the lakeside bars, dozens of traditional villages along the shore, and the fantastic birding and fishing on offer will keep you here well longer than expected. The hilltop town of Gahini sits just opposite the lake’s east end and is a great place to soak up a bit of small-town Rwandan life, especially if you’re here on a Sunday, when services at the historic Gahini Anglican Cathedral can be heard from all around. Most people in Gahini and other villages around the lake are either farmers or fishers, so don’t be surprised to see herds of the long-horned Inyambo cows around every bend. No trip to the lake is complete without getting out on the water, and any of the low-key guesthouses that dot the lakeshore can help set up fishing and birding expeditions up and down the lake. Wildlife lovers should keep their eyes out for a glimpse of the Spotted-necked otter, while dedicated ornithologists can expect to check off the African fish eagle, Malachite kingfisher, Pied kingfisher, Swamp flycatcher, and many more. Though it’s only some 50km long east to west, there are more than a dozen meandering offshoots branching north and south of Lake Muhazi’s wide central valley, and there are miles and miles of tranquil agricultural villages and green, unspoilt coastline on either side of the lake simply waiting to be explored. If you’ve got a 4x4, the little-travelled dirt roads north of the lake take you through a lacustrine agricultural Eden, where the terraced hillsides tumble down to the water’s edge, and there’s a lake vista around every bend. The two largest towns near the lakeshore are Gahini and Rwesero, and both have a couple guesthouses where you can arrange a variety of aquatic activities. Fishing, birding, and boating trips are a highlight of any trip to Lake Muhazi, but there’s always plenty of space for a cool dip just offshore if you don’t have time to get out on the water. Back on dry land, there’s no shortage of hot food, cold drinks, and irresistible hammocks to keep you occupied. Religion and history buffs won’t want to miss the brick-built Gahini Anglican Cathedral either. It dates to 1975 and still towers over the low-slung rooftops of Gahini, drawing in thousands of parishioners and pilgrims every year.

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• Birding
  
  

With nearly 700 species in just 10,000 square miles, Rwanda is a birder’s paradise. When it comes to birding, Rwanda is amongst Africa's most exciting destinaitons - within this relatively small and compact country, there over 1450 bird species of which 27 are Albertine Rift endemics. Highlights include the Red-Faced Barbet, Shoebill Stork, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Papyrus Gonolek and the Miombo Wren-Warblers.
Rwanda has seven Important Birding Areas (IBAs) including the three National Parks—Volcanoes, Akagera and Nyungwe. The other IBAs are at: Rugezi Swamp, Akanyaru, Nyabarongo and Cyamudongo. Rwanda’s location in the Albertine Rift makes for an ideal and stunning landscape for bird enthusiasts. Bird-watching in Rwanda can appeal to every level visitor – from the absolute novice (who maybe only visited for the primates) all the way to the most serious of birders, due to the diversity and appeal of certain species. Birding is experienced throughout the year, with the migrant bird season being from December through to February.

• Congo Nile Trail
  
  

Get lost along the lake in Rwanda's wildest corner. The Congo Nile Trail is a trail along Lake Kivu that extends from Rubavu, continues through Rutsiro via the Karongi, Nyamasheke districts and ends at Rusizi District. 227 km (141 miles) of beautiful landscapes, including rolling hills and clear water. The entire trek can be completed in a 10- day hike. However, the trip can be done in sections if travelers do not have the time to complete the entire trail. Trails give stunning views of the Lake Kivu coastline and offer adventurous travelers an exciting way to discover Rwanda. Biking the Congo Nile Trail can be completed in 5 days, with rich views and immersive cultural experiences along the way. This trail appeals to adventure travelers and is a great way to experience Rwanda. The trail can also be split up if visitors do not have the time to commit to the 5 day journey. However, it is an experience worth selling to those who crave an off the beaten path adventure.

• Cultural Experiences
  
  

Centuries of music, dance, history and hospitality are wating for you in Rwanda. While it might have been the gorillas that entice you to Rwanda, it’s the people of Rwanda who will keep you coming back. Ancient traditions of honour and hospitality run strong here, and anybody who takes the time to discover Rwandan culture for themselves will find a proud and unique people, happy to welcome you into their lives and introduce you to their traditions. Music and dance play an indispensable role in everyday life here, and performances range from dashing demonstrations of bravery and prowess to humorous songs, light-hearted dances, and rural artistry with roots in traditional agriculture. Traditional songs are often accompanied by a solitary lulunga—a harp-like instrument with eight strings—while more celebratory dances are backed by a drum orchestra, which typically comprises seven to nine members who collectively produce a hypnotic and exciting explosion set of intertwining rhythms. Below we list different cultural experiences that you can easily incorporate into your trip to Rwanda.

• Game Safaris
  
  

Experience a classic African Safari in beautiful Akagera National Park. With Lake Ihema in the background and cooler temperatures, this is a safari experience unlike any of Rwanda’s neighbors. Akagera is located approximately 110 km from Kigali. The majority of the way is paved, and the last 28km are on a dirt road, therefore it is recommended to have a 4x4. For self-drive safaris, there is no need to book. Cars are available for hire, there is one 7-seater game viewing vehicle which can be hired out for either a half or full day, all which includes the vehicle, driver and guide. Guides are available for hire from the reception and can join visitors on their self-drives. Booking a guide a head of time is not necessary, unless for special groups such as school trips. An information center to assist with activities is also available.

• Coffee & Tea
  
  

The world's favourite drinks have their roots right here in Rwanda. Tea is Rwanda's largest export. The fertile volcanic soil and temperate climate are perfect for growing the plants that create this popular drink. Tea leaves can be seen covering the mountains – creating a stunning contrast to the blue skies, dirt roads and sunshine. Visitors can discover how tea is harvested, processed, and even get to taste the results. Tea plantation tours take ?place in a variety of locations ?across Rwanda, with the major? ones being around Nyungwe ?National park: Gisovu and ?Gisakura. This is a great family ?trip and travelers of all ages are? welcome. Tea may be Rwanda’s number one export, but the lush, rolling hills of the Rwandan countryside are equally suited to coffee production, and the beans coming out of Rwanda today are in serious demand all around the world. The coffee-covered hillsides shimmer bright green all throughout the year, but when the harvest is ready (usually between February and May), the coffee cherries themselves blush a deep cranberry red to say they’re ready to be plucked. A patchwork of hundreds of thousands of small growers produce coffee all across Rwanda, but visits are primarily centred around Gisenyi, and a number of farmer’s cooperatives and washing stations near here offer tours explaining the coffee process throughout the year, and each one naturally comes with a generous tasting.

• Musanze Caves
  
  

Delve into some natural and cultural lore at the Musanze Caves. Formed by centuries of geologic activity centred around the Virunga volcanoes next door, the 1.25-mile long Musanze caves are located just outside of the town they share a name with, and are only a 90-minute drive from Kigali. With an enormous opening (and an equally huge number of bats resident inside), the greenery outside spilling over into the twilight within makes for a fantastic photo op. Though today they’re a tourist attraction, the caves were used as a shelter during wartime for many centuries leading right up into the modern era, and as such, it’s an important site to local people. Thus, out of respect for the area’s residents, access is limited to guided visits. Expert guides lead every tour, and they can explain the history of the caves from their formation to present day. The tours make an excellent add-on activity for the afternoon after you’ve seen the gorillas, take about 2.5 hours, and can be done at any time throughout the year.

• Helicopter Tours
  
  

One of the most spectacular ways to see Rwanda is from the air! Indulge in a helicopter ride above the land of a thousand hills to get a birdseye view of our endless rolling green hills and pristine water banks. Helicopter is also a rapid way to get from one attraction to another. Heli-safaris and transportation are offered by Akagera Aviation.

• Festivals
  
  

From films to fahsion and gorillas to guitars, Rwanda has a festival for all tastes. Whatever you’re into, coordinating a trip to Rwanda with one of our award-winning festivals is the cherry on top of any trip to the land of a thousand hills. Most festivals fall in the northern summer months, and there’s an event for everyone! Whether you want to catch some of the biggest names in African music at KigaliUP, freshen up your wardrobe at either of our two fashion festivals, see a film at ‘Hillywood’, dance at the Hobe Rwanda Festival, or celebrate our world-famous gorillas, natural wonders and conservation successes at Kwita Izina, it’s all right here.

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This truly magical place is home to Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakeys discovered the hominoid remains of a 1.8 million year old skeleton of Australopithecus boisei, one of the distinct links of the human evolutionary chain. In a small canyon just north of the crater, the Leakeys and their team of international archaeologists unearthed the ruins of at least three distinct hominoid species, and also came upon a complete series of hominoid footprints estimated to be over 3.7 million years old. Evacuated fossils show that the area is one of the oldest sites of hominoid habitation in the world. The Ngorongoro Crater and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are without a doubt some of the most beautiful parts of Tanzania, steeped in history 

and teeming with wildlife. Besides vehicle safaris to Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, and surrounding attractions, hiking treks through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are becoming increasingly popular options. Either way you choose to visit, the Crater Highlands are an unforgettable part of the Tanzanian experience.

Serengeti

A million wildebeests each one driven by the same ancient rhythm, fulfilling its instinctive role in the inescapable cycle of life: a frenzied three-week bout of territorial conquests and mating; survival of the fittest as 40km (25 mile) long columns plunge through crocodile-infested waters on the annual exodus north; replenishing the species in a brief population explosion that produces more than 8,000 calves daily before the 1,000 km (600 mile) pilgrimage begins again.

Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park, also a world heritage site and recently proclaimed as the most voted Natural Wonder of Africa, the Serengeti is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephants and giraffes, and thousands upon thousands of elands, topis, kongonis, impalas and Grant’s gazelles. The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-manned lion prides feast on the abundant plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, and on the other hand, a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and as well a host to more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat, but there is more to Serengeti than large mammals. Gaudy agama lizards and rock hyraxes scuffle around the surfaces of the park’s isolated granite koppies. A full 100 varieties of dung beetle have been recorded, as have 500-plus bird species, ranging from the outsized ostrich and bizarre secretary bird of the open grassland, to the black eagles that soar effortlessly above the Lobo Hills.

As enduring as the game-viewing is the liberating sense of space that characterizes the Serengeti Plains, stretching across sunburnt savannah to a shimmering golden horizon at the end of the earth. Yet, after the rains, this golden expanse of grass is transformed into an endless green carpet flecked with wildflowers. And there are also wooded hills and towering termite mounds, rivers lined with fig trees and acacia woodland stained orange by dust. As popular as the Serengeti might be, yet it remains so vast that you may be the only human audience when a pride of lions masterminds a siege, focused unswervingly on its next meal.

About Serengeti

Size: 14,763 sq km (5,700 sq miles).
Location: 335km (208 miles) from Arusha, stretching north to Kenya and bordering Lake Victoria to the west.

Getting there

Scheduled and charter flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara and Mwanza. Drive from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Tarangire or Ngorongoro Crater.

What to do

Hot air balloon safaris, walking safari, picnics, game drives, bush lunch/dinner can be arranged with hotels/tour operators. Maasai rock paintings and musical rocks. Visit neighbouring Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano and Lake Natron’s flamingos.

When to go

To track the wildebeest migration, December-July. To see predators, June-October.

Accommodation

Four lodges, six luxury tented camps and camp sites scattered through the park; one lodge; one luxury camp, a lodge and two tented camps just outside.

Zanzibar

Portuguese invasion and control of the Swahili Coast in the late 16th century ended the golden age of the archipelago, although the Omani Arabs returned to power less than a century later. Today, many of the winding streets and high townhouses of old Stone Town remain unchanged and visitors can walk between the sultan’s palace, the House of Wonders, the Portuguese fort and gardens, the merchants’ houses, and the Turkish baths of the old city. Day-long spice tours to working plantations offer visitors the chance to observe the cultivation of cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and other spices that have made the island famous.

Zanzibar’s coastline offers some of the best beaches in the world, but sand and surf vary depending on what side of the island you’re on. On the east coast, waves break over coral reefs and sand bars offshore and low tide reveals small pools of starfish, small minnows, and anemones. Up north, ocean swimming is much less susceptible to the tides, and smooth beaches and white sand make for dazzling days in the sun. The port city of Stone Town dominates the west coast, and although the beaches of Mangapwani, where slave caves are visible at low tide and nearby Bububu are less than half an hour’s drive away, a night or two spent on the east or north coast is well worth the extra hour it takes to drive there. That said, the Chole Island Marine Park just off Stone Town as well as nearby Prison, Grave, and Snake Islands make a refreshing day-trip and a good break from exploring the winding passageways of the old city.

On the south coast of Zanzibar lies the Menai Bay Conservation Area, a sea turtle protection area for the endangered species that come to breed on the island. Roads to the southeast coast take visitors through the Jozani Forest, home to Zanzibar’s rare Red Colobus monkeys and a number of other primate and small antelope species.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park has some of the highest population density of elephants anywhere in Tanzania, and its sparse vegetation, strewn with baobab and acacia trees, makes it a beautiful and distinct location. Located just a few hours drive from the town of Arusha, Tarangire is a popular stop for safari goers travelling through the northern circuit on their way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The park extends into two game controlled areas and the wildlife is allowed to move freely throughout. Before the rains, droves of gazelles, wildebeests, zebras, and giraffes migrate to Tarangire National Park’s scrub plains where the last grazing land still remains. Tarangire offers unparalleled game viewing, and during the dry season elephants abound. Families of the pachyderms play around the ancient trunks of baobab trees and strip acacia bark from the thorn trees for their afternoon meal. Breathtaking views of the Maasai Steppe and the mountains to the south make a stop at Tarangire a memorable experience.

Day after day of cloudless skies. The fierce sun sucks the moisture from the landscape, baking the earth with a dusty red and the withered grass as brittle as straw. The Tarangire River has shriveled to a shadow of its wet season self. Nonetheless it is choked with wildlife. Thirsty nomads have wandered hundreds of parched kilometres knowing that here as always, there is water. Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry river bed for underground streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. It has the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem – a smorgasbord for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed.

During the rainy season, the seasonal visitors scatter over a 20,000 sq km (12,500 sq miles) range until they exhaust the green plains and the river calls once more. But Tarangire’s mobs of elephant are easily encountered, wet or dry. The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat as compared to elsewhere in the world. On drier ground you find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the stocking-thighed ostrich, the world’s largest bird; and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys. More ardent bird-lovers might keep an eye open for screeching flocks of the dazzlingly colourful yellow-collared lovebird, and the somewhat drabber rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling – all endemic to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania. Disused termite mounds are often frequented by colonies of the endearing dwarf mongoose, and pairs of red-and-yellow barbet, which draw attention to themselves by their loud, clockwork-like duetting. Tarangire’s pythons climb trees, as do its lions and leopards, lounging in the branches where the fruit of the sausage tree disguises the twitch of a tail.

About Tarangire National Park

Size: 2850 sq km (1,096 sq miles).
Location: 118 km (75 miles) southwest of Arusha.

Getting there

Easy drive from Arusha or Lake Manyara following a surfaced road to within 7km (four miles) of the main entrance gate; can continue on to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.
Charter flights from Arusha and the Serengeti.

What to do

Guided walking safaris.
Day trips to Maasai and Barbaig villages, as well as to the hundreds of ancient rock paintings in the vicinity of Kolo on the Dodoma Road.

When to go

All year round but dry season (June – September) for sheer numbers of animals.

Accommodation

Two lodges, one tented lodge, two luxury tented camps inside the park, another half-dozen exclusive lodges and tented camps immediately outside its borders.
Several camp sites in and around the park.

Lake Manyara National Park

Located beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment, on the edge of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park offers varied ecosystems, incredible bird life, and breathtaking views. Located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is worth a stop in its own right. Its ground water forests, bush plains, baobab strewn cliffs, and algae-streaked hot springs offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and incredible numbers of birds. The alkaline soda of Lake Manyara is home to an incredible array of bird life that thrives on its brackish waters. Pink flamingo stoop and graze by the thousands colourful specks against the grey minerals of the lake shore. Yellow-billed storks swoop and corkscrew on thermal winds rising up from the escarpment, and herons flap their wings against the sun-drenched sky. Even reluctant bird-watchers will find something to watch and marvel at within the national park.

Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions are another reason to pay a visit to this park. The only kind of their species in the world, they make the ancient mahogany and elegant acacias their home during the rainy season, and are a well-known but rather rare feature of the northern park. In addition to the lions, the national park is also home to the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world — a fact that accounts for interesting game viewing of large families of the primates. Stretching for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”.

The compact game-viewing circuit through Manyara offers a virtual microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience. From the entrance gate, the road winds through an expanse of lush jungle-like groundwater forest where hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside; the blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees; dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and the outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy.

In contrast with the intimacy of the forest, is the grassy floodplain and its expansive views eastward, across the alkaline lake, to the jagged blue volcanic peaks that rise from the endless Maasai Steppes. Large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds congregate on these grassy plains, and so do the giraffes – some so dark in coloration that they appear to be black from a distance. Inland of the floodplain, a narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favoured haunt of Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants. Squadrons of banded mongoose dart between the acacias, whereas the diminutive Kirk’s dik-dik forages in their shade. Pairs of klipspringer are often seen silhouetted on the rocks above a field of searing hot springs that steams and bubbles adjacent to the lakeshore in the far south of the park.

Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks.

About Lake Manyara National Park

Size: 330 sq km (127 sq miles), of which up to 200 sq km (77 sq miles) is the lake when water levels are high.
Location: Northern Tanzania. The entrance gate lies 1.5 hours (126km/80 miles) west of Arusha along a newly surfaced road, close to the ethnically diverse market town of Mto wa Mbu.

Getting there

By road, charter or scheduled flight from Arusha, en route to Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

What to do

Game drives, night game drives, canoeing when the water levels is sufficiently high.
Cultural tours, picnics, bush lunch/dinner, mountain bike tours, abseiling and forest walks on the escarpment outside the park.

When to go

Dry season (July-October) for large mammals;
Wet season (November-June) for bird watching, the waterfalls and canoeing.

Accommodation

One luxury treehouse-style camp, public bandas and campsites inside the park.
One luxury tented camp and three lodges perched on the Rift Wall outside the park overlooking the lake.
Several guesthouses and campsites in nearby Mto wa Mbu.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Above the gently rolling hills and plateaux of northern Tanzania rises the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, it’s slopes and glaciers shimmering above the rising clouds. Kilimanjaro is located near the town of Moshi and is a protected area, carefully regulated for climbers to enjoy without leaving a trace of their presence. The mountain’s ecosystems are as strikingly beautiful as they are varied and diverse. On the lowland slopes, much of the mountain is farmland, with coffee, banana, cassava, and maize crops grown for subsistence and cash sale. A few larger coffee farms still exist on the lower slopes, but much of the area outside the national park has been subdivided into small plots. Once inside the park, thick lowland forest covers the lower altitudes and breaks into alpine meadows once the air begins to thin. Near the peak, the landscape is harsh and barren, with rocks and ice the predominant features above a breathtaking African view.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highlight of most visitors’ experiences in Tanzania. Few mountains can claim the grandeur, the breathtaking views of Amboseli National Park in Kenya, the Rift Valley, and the Masaai Steppe, that belongs to Kilimanjaro. Hiking on the ‘rooftop of Africa’ — the highest point on the continent at 5896 metres — is the adventure of a lifetime, especially because, if paced well, everyone from seasoned trekkers to first-time enthusiasts can scale the snowy peak. For more information, see the ‘Mountain Climbing‘ section under ‘Things to Do.

Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don’t even have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, the summit of Africa.

Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around 900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres (19,336 feet).

Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most accessible high summits, a beacon for visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing and determination. And those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual summit, or Gillman’s Point on the lip of the crater, will have earned their climbing certificates, and their memories. But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The ascent of the slopes is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic.

Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m contour), the cultivated footslopes give way to lush montane forest, inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered Abbot’s duiker, and other small antelope and primates. Higher still lies the moorland zone, where a cover of giant heather is studded with otherworldly giant lobelias.Above 4,000m, a surreal alpine desert supports little life other than a few hardy mosses and lichen. Then, finally, the last vestigial vegetation gives way to a winter wonderland of ice and snow – and the magnificent beauty of the roof of the continent.

About Kilimanjaro National Park

Size: 1668 sq km 641 sq miles).
Location: Northern Tanzania, near the town of Moshi.

Getting there

128 km (80 miles) from Arusha.
About one hour’s drive from Kilimanjaro airport.

What to do

Six usual trekking routes to the summit and other more-demanding mountaineering routes.
Day or overnight hikes on the Shira plateau. Nature trails on the lower reaches.

Trout fishing.
Visit the beautiful Chala crater lake on the mountain’s southeastern slopes.

When to go

Clearest and warmest conditions from December to February, but also dry (and colder) from July-September.

Accommodation

Huts and campsites on the mountain. Several hotels and campsites outside the park in the village of Marangu and town of Moshi.

NOTE:

Climb slowly to increase your acclimatisation time and maximise your chances of reaching the summit.
To avoid altitude sickness, allow a minimum of five nights, preferably even more for the climb. Take your time and enjoy the beauty of the mountain.

Ruaha National Park

The game viewing starts at the moment the plane touches down. A giraffe races beside the airstrip, all legs and neck, yet oddly elegant in its awkwardness. A line of zebras parades across the runway in the giraffe’s wake. In the distance, beneath a bulbous baobab tree, a few representatives of Ruaha’s 10,000 elephants – the largest population of any East African national park, form a protective huddle around their young. Second only to Katavi in its aura of untrammelled wilderness, but far more accessible, Ruaha protects a vast tract of the rugged, semi-arid bush country that characterizes central Tanzania. Its lifeblood is the Great Ruaha River, which courses along the eastern boundary in a flooded torrent during the height of the rains, but dwindling thereafter to a scattering of precious pools surrounded by a blinding sweep of sand and rock. A fine network of game-viewing roads follows the Great Ruaha and its seasonal tributaries, where during the dry season, impala, waterbuck and other antelopes risk their life for a sip of life-sustaining water. And the risk is considerable: not only from the prides of 20-plus lion that lord over the savannah, but also from the cheetahs that stalk the open grassland and the leopards that lurk in tangled riverine thickets. This impressive array of large predators is boosted by both striped and spotted hyena, as well as several conspicuous packs of the highly endangered African wild dog. Ruaha’s unusually high diversity of antelope is a function of its location, which is a transition to the acacia savannah of East Africa and the miombo woodland belt of Southern Africa. Grant’s gazelle and lesser kudu occur here at the very south of their range, alongside the miombo-associated sable and roan antelope, and one of East Africa’s largest populations of greater kudu, the park emblem, distinguished by the male’s magnificent corkscrew horns. A similar duality is noted in the checklist of 450 birds: the likes of crested barbet – an attractive yellow-and-black bird, whose persistent trilling is a characteristic sound of the southern bush – occur in Ruaha alongside central Tanzanian endemics such as the yellow-collared lovebird and ashy starling.

About Ruaha National Park

Size: 10,300 sq km (3,980 sq miles), Tanzania’s 2nd largest national park. Location: Central Tanzania, 128km (80 miles) west of Iringa.

Getting there

Scheduled and/or charter flights from Dar es Salaam, Selous, Serengeti, Arusha, Iringa and Mbeya. All year-round road access through Iringa from Dar es Salaam (about 10 hours) via Mikumi or from Arusha via Dodoma.

What to do

Day walks or hiking safaris through the untouched bush. Stone age ruins at Isimila, near Iringa, 120 km (75 miles) away, one of Africa’s most important historical sites.

Best time

For predators and large mammals, dry season (mid-May-December); bird-watching, lush scenery and wildflowers, wet season (January-April). The male greater kudu is most visible in June, the breeding season.

Accommodation

Riverside lodge; three dry season tented camps; self-catering bandas; two campsites; Ruaha Hill Top Lodge.

Climbing Mt Meru

Climbing Mt. Meru is usually skipped in favour of its larger neighbour Mt. Kilimanjaro to the west, but the sheer beauty and challenge of this three-day climb makes it a must-to-do activity for obliging itineraries. The early parts of the trail pass through lush rainforests of fig trees and colubus monkeys high in the canopy. As you climb higher, the cloudy forest clears in the late afternoon to reveal striking vistas of Kilimanjaro and the volcano chain on the edge of the Rift Valley. The last distance before the summit passes over the crater ridge. It is an exhilarating experience, and it is not one for the faint-hearted. So while Kilimanjaro offers the chance to scale to the ‘roof of Africa’; its slightly smaller neighbour is certainly not lacking the adventure.

Safari circuits

Northern Circuit

The parks and game reserves that make up Tanzania’s northern circuit are easily the most popular and accessible attractions in the country. All the big names of mainstream Tanzanian safaris are located in the north, from the plains of the Serengeti to the lofty peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. On a northern circuit safari, most safari companies and independent travellers depart from Arusha. Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park are little more than three hours away and are often incorporated as part of a longer safari. The most visited part of the northern circuit is the Ngorongoro Crater, where wildlife graze and hunt in one of the largest volcanic craters in the world.

If you are travelling from December to April, the annual wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park is definitely not to be missed. For hikers, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or the crater of Mt. Meru is an adventurous break from game viewing. A longer trek through the Crater Highlands is also a beautiful way to explore northern Tanzania at a leisurely pace. Day-trips from Arusha to Mt. Meru and the Momela Lakes, located in Arusha National Park, incorporate short forest hikes and canoeing trips as a break from standard vehicle game drives.

Southern circuit

The sheer vastness of southern Tanzania makes for some spectacular game viewing and superb African vistas. An additional benefit of a visit to the southern circuit is the remoteness of the location, which means that most visitors rarely see another car during their long game drives. Whereas wildlife and big game are the focus of the northern circuit, a trip to the parks of southern Tanzania allows visitors to learn in-depth knowledge about complex ecosystems and diverse living creatures that are usually skimmed over in more crowded areas. A visit to the southern circuit is a trip into an unexplored and wild Africa.

On the southern Swahili Coast, the little-visited old town Mikindani is a good base for diving explorations and trips to the abandoned ruins of the ancient Swahili trading post. The old German boma in Mikindani is also a historical site of interest.

The Eastern Circuit

The benefit of the eastern circuit is that it offers visitors based in Dar es Salaam a chance to see the wildlife and scenery the country has to offer without the expense and time involved in flying to Arusha or inside parts of Tanzania for a longer safari. Parks like Saadani and Mikumi grow in popularity every year, and the Mafia Island Marine Park is fast becoming a hot destination in the Indian Ocean. The national parks, game reserves, and marine parks of the eastern circuit are perfect weekend retreats for guests on business-related trips to Dar es Salaam.

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• Doing a Safari
  
  

When choosing a safari operator, be sure to specify what kind of safari you want. Trips can be tailor made according to your travel preferences, the time of year, and what you want to see, so don’t hesitate to let your operator know exactly what you want. While the quality of safaris can vary according to what you will be paying, all visitors should expect the best of their safari team, from competent, well-informed guides to well served food and comfortable accommodation. Remember that many of these multiple safari options are available in the same areas and parks, and that what differs is only the accommodation facilities offered; not the wildlife and the scenery that you will see. Safaris in Tanzania have something to offer to everyone. Experience the adventure of budget camping or the opulence of luxury camping safaris. Enjoy a truly memorable lodge safari, or take it one step further and go fly camping. Hunting safaris are also possible.

• Budget Camping
  
  

Budget camping safaris are among the most popular options for visitors who want to explore Tanzania’s many national parks and conservation areas. These safaris embark on the same circuit of national parks and game reserves as the other more expensive companies, and guests get to feel like they’re experiencing an ‘on the ground’ adventure by camping in various beautiful locales. Camping safaris are a rewarding experience because visitors feel like they’re ‘roughing it’ and participating in a real African adventure, but still have all the benefits and comforts of safari drivers, guides and a cook to take care of all their needs.

• Luxury Camping
  
  

Luxury camping safaris comprises of the best of the African bush together with an exclusive and luxurious atmosphere. Tented camps are stationary and set up before your arrival, with a group of cooks, tent staff, waiters, drivers and your guide, all there to make sure you experience the best in service, food, and high-end accommodation. Tents are equipped with running water and electricity, fully furnished in a safari comfort and style. At night, sundowners around the fire lead to chats about the game viewing and events of the day. Private guides and an entire camp all to yourself make luxury camping safaris one of the more romantic safari options on offer in Tanzania — rustic adventure, with no comfort sacrificed.

• Lodge Safari
  
  

For visitors who want the amenities of home and the adventure of a safari experience, lodge safaris are a popular choice, making up the majority of safaris to Tanzania. Lodges offer traditional hotel-style rooms in a comfortable and controlled environment, and allow hesitant visitors to feel secured during their stay in and around game parks and nature reserves. All of the national parks and most of the game reserves have numerous lodges based in and around their boundaries for visitors to choose from, and have variety caters for every budget and taste. Options include everything on the spectrum, from high-end luxury lodges — tree house rooms high in the forest canopies, highland cottages with feather beds and fireplaces, all-natural beach bungalows on hidden island retreats — to more lower-budget options like fully furnished safari tents, equipped with hot showers, comfortable beds, and a breathtaking view.

When staying at lodges, all meals and services are provided for guests by the lodge property, and extra additions to the safari can be arranged. Breakfast and often lunch is served as a buffet, with dinner a more formal, sit-down occasion. Traditional tribal dances, called ngomas, may take place on certain nights, and live music, theme nights or other entertainment is often provided during the week. During the mornings and afternoons, visitors set off on game drives with their safari guide and driver, returning for tea, drinks and dinner when the sun begins to set. Extras such as hot-air ballooning, night game drives, nature walks, sunset drinks and other activities are also offered at various properties.

All in all, the lodge safari experience is a comfortable and accessible way to see the various game parks and nature reserves of Tanzania. Every budget and taste is accounted for. All over Tanzania, from the Serengeti to the remote stretches of southern coastline, lodges await to welcome visitors from around the world.

• Fly Camping

‘Fly camping’ is the term used for luxury walking safaris where visitors sleep out in the open with only a mosquito net between them and the African sky. Guests often embark on day hikes through the bush with their private guide, and a camp is set up each evening in a new locale. These mobile walking safaris give visitors a chance to see the wildlife and birds of the game reserves up close, and experience their natural surroundings without the distraction of vehicles and other guests. For many visitors, fly camping is the height of their Tanzanian experience – the sheer vastness of their surroundings, the peaceful rhythms of nature, and the opportunity to be alone in the African bush is a stunning and memorable experience.

Fly camping is fast becoming the most popular option for luxury safari guests who want to experience the freedom and adventure of camping in the African bush without the encumbrances that camping often entails. Hike lengths can be varied according to difficulty and length of each day, and the guided walks introduce guests to a living breathing world that extends beyond the big game of other mainstream safari options. Visitors learn to read animal tracks, explore the medicinal properties of indigenous plant life, and immerse themselves in the cosmic world of insects and bird life that sustains the vast African plains. At present, fly camping is only available in the Selous Game Reserve, but due to its popularity, other game reserves may include it as a safari option soon.

• Huting Safaris
  
  

Game and bird hunting is legal in Tanzania, and during the hunting season, which runs from July to December of each year, hunters from around the world arrive to embark on private guided expeditions into the African bush. Hunting safaris take visitors to some of the most remote parts of the country on a private basis, and guests often return with a variety of antelope and buffalo species, and sometimes the occasional lion or leopard. Hunting safaris range between a week to a few months, with guests and their guides setting up camps in a specific hunting block and exploring the entire area over a given period of time. Camps are well equipped with comforts such as hot showers, flushing toilets and walk-in furnished tents.

During a hunting safari, the client and his or her guide have the entire area of the designated hunting block to themselves, affording the visitor an ideal opportunity to experience the wilds of the African bush without the distractions of other guests. Game viewing and tracking take up a large part of the day, with the hunters often rising at dawn, returning to the camp for breakfast or lunch then setting off again in the afternoon until twilight. Although game hunting is on the top of most hunters’ lists, bird hunting is becoming increasingly popular around seasonal rivers and dams. Guinea fowl, sand grouse, franklin and some geese and duck species are plentiful throughout the country.

• Deep-sea Fishing
  
  

waters of the Indian Ocean along Tanzania’s coast are rich in big-game fish, from marlin and tuna to swordfish and biting barracudas. All the same, the waters of Tanzania are only just beginning to gain the world-wide fame of the Kenyan coast, so the waters are less populated and fishing is at its most pristine. Tuna and other pelagic migrate through the Pemba Channel on a yearly basis, but can be found in smaller numbers throughout the year. Besides the big-game fish, grouper, red snapper, and other local species are populous along the coastal waters. Deep sea fishing in Tanzania is best organized by private companies that are specialized in boating and ocean trips; or through lodges and hotel properties that offer day excursions throughout the coast.

Along the mainland coast, Pangani and Dar es Salaam are the most popular areas for deep-sea fishing. Trips from Pangani and Tanga offer easy access to the Pemba Channel, a main migratory route for big-game pelagic. Outfitted charters are best arranged from local lodges and the guides know where to look best for the big-game catch. Around Dar es Salaam, fishing boats can be chartered and trips arranged around the areas of Msasani Bay, as well as the larger hotels and lodges. Excursions usually take the form of day trips and although the area is not so much populated with large game fish, smaller species are in plentiful supply.

In the Zanzibar Archipelago, resorts and lodges along the northern and eastern parts of Unguja and the island of Pemba offer fishing charters that venture into deep waters. Fishing is becoming a popular alternative to snorkelling and dive trips along the reefs. Boats take clients out into the Pemba Channel and surrounding waters. Pelagic and big-game fish are abundant in the isolated waters around Pemba and Unguja, and reward the adventurous fishermen with their size and bounty.

• Inland Fishing
  
  

Fishing is an economic mainstay of many parts of rural Tanzania and it is quickly becoming a popular activity for visitors along the country’s rivers and lakes. Although not permitted in national parks, fly and lake fishing in remote areas is a rewarding and peaceful way to experience the beauty of African scenery and enjoy the country at a leisurely pace. Private companies, tour operators and lodges can arrange for day trips to nearby lakes and rivers, and longer fishing safaris around the region can be organized with travel specialists if one desires to participate. In addition to planned day excursions, local fishermen in the region will often gladly take you with them on their daily fishing trips and show you the best places to get started.

The freshwater lakes of Tanzania offer fishing opportunities for visitors willing to venture off the beaten track. Fishing along Lake Victoria offers an opportunity to experience freshwater lake fishing and observe life around the lakes of Tanzania. Fishing trips can be organised from surrounding villages, as well as the larger ports of Mwanza and Musoma, where boatmen will gladly arrange for you to accompany them on their daily trips to net the Nile Perch and Tilapia in the offshore waters. Trips to Rubondo Island National Park also offer fishermen a base from which to embark on trips around the Lake Victoria and its tributaries.

Fly fishing along the many rivers and large streams Tanzania is another rewarding experience for sportsmen wanting to experience remote areas at a leisurely pace. During the rainy seasons, rivers and their tributaries swell with fish and river life, and any time after the short and long rains is a good time to plan a fishing safari. Many adventure safari companies cater for international fishermen looking for the best fishing waters in East Africa, and everything from trolling through flood plains to fly fishing in mountain streams is possible.

• Boating
  
  

Boating and canoeing through the rivers, ocean bays and waterways of Tanzania can be an exhilarating experience. River boating can take you past sleeping crocodiles and hippos sunning themselves with their mouths wide open, gathered in half-submerged herds. Taking to the water is also a welcome break from the all-day enclosure of a traditional vehicle safari, allowing visitors to experience the sights and sounds of Africa’s waterways up-close and unhindered. On Tanzania’s large freshwater lakes, boats are a popular means of transport and offer visitors the chance to see life in and around the waters — the fishermen bringing in their catch, the bustling colours of the lake shore towns and the sharp movements of small fish in shallow waters. On the Indian Ocean coast, boating takes visitors deep into the fish-filled waters of the Pemba Channel, and through the hundreds of islets strewn across the Zanzibar Archipelago and Mafia Island. Along the coast, boating offers visitors a chance to travel the way the Swahili people do — by wooden dhow sailboats, the wind slowly filling the boat’s sails, the smell of the surf and the swell of ocean waves drifting over the horizon.

Boating safaris are fast becoming a popular alternative for safari-goers adventurous enough to venture off the beaten track. Water-safaris are on offer as a break from longer game-viewing and give visitors the opportunity to get out in the open and see tremendous amounts of bird-life and water species up close. At present, boating safaris for game-viewing are only permitted in the Selous Game Reserve, where the Rufiji River, the Great Ruaha River, and numerous lakes give visitors a choice of many expeditions to choose from. Despite the proximity of crocodiles and hippos during water safaris, the expeditions are extremely safe and the animals react with puzzled curiosity to the sight of boats on water!

Canoeing excursions in Tanzania are an active option for visitors with a few days to spend exploring the northern lakes. Adventure excursions on the soda-coloured shores of Lake Manyara involve canoeing past thousands of pink flamingos in the shallow waters. In Arusha National Park, the freshwater crater lakes of the Momela Lakes make a spectacular canoeing trip, with the forests, highland games, and the imposing crater of Mt. Meru looming nearby. Canoeing excursions allow visitors to get out and explore their surroundings, getting exercised in some of the most beautiful locations in the country.

Boating on the Tanzanian coast, whether on the mainland’s quiet bays or the palm-spotted islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia, is a fun-filled adventure for visitors who want to experience the vibrant underwater life of the Swahili Coast. Day trips to small deserted islands, swimming off sandbars at low-tide, sailing to nearby reefs, or even just tacking back and forth across the bay are all pleasurable options for visitors who want to experience life on the Indian Ocean, and get another view of life on the Swahili Coast.

• Baloon
  
  

Until this moment, only the Serengeti National Park has a company that operates hot-air balloon safaris. Especially during the months of the Great Migration, this is often the highlight of visitors’ trips to Tanzania. The journey takes a little over an hour and sets off before dawn, flying low over the plains as the sun comes up and turns the grasslands from blue to gold. After landing, guests have a champagne breakfast complete with crystal glasses and white linen tablecloths in the middle of the African bush, as zebra and antelope graze nearby. Although expensive, the experience is well worth the treat.

• Shopping and Nightlife in Tanzania
  
  

Pick up African crafts and curios at the most popular tourist centres. Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Stone Town on Zanzibar are dotted with curio shops, markets and bazaars, as well as main roads near parks and reserves, and the coast roads behind beach resorts, all have plenty of roadside stalls. Items to buy include African drums, batiks, basket-ware, soapstone knick-knacks, handmade chess sets, paintings of Maasai tribes and Serengeti landscapes in the popular Tingatinga style, and large wooden carvings of animals or salad bowls fashioned from a single piece of teak, mninga or ebony.

Maasai items such as beaded jewellery, decorated gourds and the distinctive red-checked blankets worn by all Maasai men make good souvenirs. Kangas and kikois are sarongs worn by women and men respectively and are often in bright colours and patterns. These are made into other items including clothes, cushion covers and bags. In Zanzibar, find old tiles, antique bowls and the famous carved wooden Zanzibar chests (once used by the Sultans to store their possessions, but today ornate replicas), and pick up packets of Zanzibar’s famous spices in Stone Town, as well as on a spice tour.

A Tanzanian specialty is the semi-precious stone called tanzanite, which ranges from deep blue to light purple and it is only found around Arusha. Tanzanite jewellery can be seen in upmarket curio and jewellery shops in Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar’s Stone Town. Whilst most prices in shops are set, the exception include the curio shops where a little good-natured bargaining is possible, especially if it’s quiet or you are buying a number of things. Bargaining is very much expected in the street markets.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1730; Sat 0830-1230. Some tourist shops open on Sunday, while some Muslim-owned supermarkets and other businesses close on Friday afternoons but may also be open on Sunday. In Zanzibar, some shops close for a siesta from around 1200-1500 but stay open later until around 1900. In the larger cities markets are open daily 0800-1800.

Note: CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) was established to prevent trading in endangered species. Attempts to smuggle controlled products can result in confiscation, fines and even imprisonment. International trade in elephant ivory, rhino horn, sea turtle products and the skins of wild cats, such as leopard, is illegal.

• Nightlife in Tanzania
  
  

Nightlife is limited in Tanzania, but Dar es Salaam does have several nightclubs, cabaret venues and cinemas. Generally, nightlife is centred on the top tourist hotels and restaurants. All along the coast, and particularly on Zanzibar, hotels and beach bars often feature bands during the weekends with dance floors right on the beach. Quite often, traditional tribal dancing and drumming is performed in the safari lodges and beach resorts. Rowdy full moon parties have become popular on Zanzibar’s backpacker-focused northern beaches.

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Kasubi Royal Tombs

Kasubi hill was originally called Nabulagala. When Mutesa I established his palace on the hill in 1882, he changed its name to Kasubi, a village in Kyagwe where he grew up. This is a traditional site in an urban setting 5kms to the south-west of Kampala city, the capital of Uganda. Four of the last Kings (Bassekabaka) of the Kingdom of Buganda namely; Mutesa I (1865-1884), Daniel Mwanga II (1884-1897), Daudi Cwa II (1897-1939) and Frederick Mutesa II (1939-1966), were buried in this gigantic dome-shaped grass thatched house known as Muzibu Azaala Mpanga. The magnificent reed and ring work representing the 52 clans of the Baganda, the equally long and straight poles wrapped with barkcloth and the tranquility inside the house all contribute to the mysticism, respect and awe which are the intangible values about the great house. Indeed it is not only the cemetery of the Buganda royalty but also an active religious shrine of the Buganda Kingdom. Its traditional architectural design, its religious function and living relevance formed the criteria for its nomination as a unique cultural site of outstanding universal value. Kasubi Royal Tombs of the Kings of Buganda was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 2001. It is a famous tourist site which records more than 50,000 visitors a year.

Ssese Islands

The 84-forested island of the Ssese Group, float like green jewels on the waters of lake Victoria ,located 55km from Entebbe, these are one of Uganda's greatest natural gifts waiting for you to be discovered. To all professional Entomologists Ssese Group of islands provides an earthly insect paradise. Guests are required to bring with them bird watching and fishing gears. The most famous and recommended tours and historical places of interest in Ssese include;

Nsirwe Island, famous for both bird and spider breeding.
Bugaba Island, the birth and home place of the African Grey parrots .It also hosts a living sample of a true African virgin Equatorial forest.
Bubembe and Funve Islands, and Serinya, Banda and Kitobo Islands.

Other islands on Lake Victoria include: Kalangala, Ngamba Islands,and Kigungu among others.

Location

Northwest of Lake Victoria,

Getting there

Boats, ferries and vehicles are available to take you between and around the 84 islands, these are fully equipped with life jackets, sun canopies.
For those tourists who wish to enjoy the country side, travel arrangements can be made by road ,from Kampala to Masaka Town (Nyendo) crossing with the Bukakata/ Luku Ferry to Bugoma. One hour drive gets you to Kalangala the home of Islands.

What to do

While you are in and around Ssese islands, sport fishing, bird watching, monkey and marine life viewing, are all activities and discoveries, one can make.

When to visit

Anytime during the year, except during rainy seasons especially April - May and September - November.

Namugongo Matyrs Shrine

About 15 km east of Kampala city lies the Namugongo martyrs’ shrine where more than 20 catholic and Anglican martyrs were burnt alive on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga in June 1886. Consequently, christians from eastern and central Africa and indeed the world over flock to Namugongo to pay their respects and renew their faith by paying pilgrimage to the martyrs on June 3rd, every year. A church was constructed in the shape of a traditional Baganda hut (akasiisiira) in memory of the martyrs. It stands on 22 copper pillars representing the 22 catholic martyrs. In front of the main entrance to the church, below the altar is the spot where Charles Lwanga, the leader of the Catholics was burnt on June 3rd 1886.The church was consecrated by Pope Paul VI on August 2nd, 1969.

Location
In Namugongo, outskirts of Kampala city along Kampala - Jinja road.

Getting there
15km, by road from Kampala city centre along Kampala - Jinja road. It is accessible by public transport.

What to do

Exploring the roots of religion in Uganda, fellowships and restoration of faith.

When to visit
Any time during the year but prepare to reach there before June 3rd (Martyrs' day) of every year.

Bwindi Forest

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is located in Kabale/Kanungu Districts, South West of Uganda on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), covering an area of 321 sqkm. It is 530km from Kampala. Bwindi Forest consists of a large primeval forest in East Africa, with altitudes spanning from 1,160 to 2,607 meters. The forest is at the edge of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley. Bwindi Forest was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site for being the home of half the world's population of endangered Mountain Gorillas as well as being one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, is part of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, located Southwestern Uganda, covering an area of 331 sq Km of jungle forerst. It consists of 120 species of mammals, 346 bird species, 202 butterfly species, 163 tree species, 100 fern species, 27 frog species, as well as other many endangered species including chameleon, gecko to mention a few.

Best seasons to visit

The rainy season is from March till May and October till November. Light rain season falls in November and December. Dry seasons are from December to February and June to August. The best time, the best months of the year would be December to late February and from June to September.

Kitagata Hot Springs

Kitagata is a vernacular for warmth, but because of the popularity of the place, the village and sub-country are called Kitagata. The place is dotted with small houses, some grass thatched, others roofed with corrugated iron sheets, which act as private rooms for patients to hire. The scene of people almost naked resting in water in a pond-like formation is the first to inform you that you have arrived at the healing place. Women and men of all ages seem to be enjoying the water in flowing from the two nearby springs. The water in the springs can warm up to 80 °C (176 °F). One hot spring is famously known as Mulago while another is called Ekitagata kyomugabe, meaning the hot spring for the king of Ankole. Mulago is national referral hospital in Uganda, while Ankole is a sub region in Western Uganda. People with ailments on the body dip that particular part in the water to get healed. If someone is having stomach problems, they draw the water directly from the burble source locally called Akaswonswo and let it cool to the temperature they can drink it. It is indeed as busy as a hospital. As other patients come in, others go out, admitting themselves to the hospital and discharging themselves after treatment. Kabasekye says that they get around 800 visitors (patients) every week, people of all ages and from all corners of the country.

Location

The hot springs are located in Sheema District, Western Uganda

Size

50 sq. km

Getting there

350kms west of the Ugandan capital Kampala, 72 kilometres by road, west of Mbarara

What to do

The usual visitors are patients who use the water from Kitagata twice a day to drink and to bathe. Here, you witness patients taking turns to lie in the water for treatment. The official schedule is four hours in the morning and up to 7 hours in the evening. Other tourists visit to view the uniqueness of the feature.

When to visit

Throughout the year.

Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi is believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa with its deepest end approximately 900m. The lake is dotted with 29 islands. The most prominent of these include the Akampene Island also known as the punishment island, Bushara, Kyahugye, Bwama and Njuyeera, and Bucuranuka. Also the deepest lake in Uganda, home of Otters, crayfish and a place of many little birds in South-western Uganda lies between kisoro and kabale districts close to the border with Rwanda.

Location

In the south-west, north of kabale district and is located at 1,962m above sea level.

Size

It is about 25 km long and 7 km wide covering an area of 61 square kilometers.

Getting there

466km from Kampala

What to do

Camping, the bamboo walks are guided trails which have been established and are highly recommended for anybody who may be looking for a serious leg stretch.

When to visit

Any time during the year.

Fort Portal

Fort Portal in western Uganda is in the seat of both kabarole district and toro kingdom and is named for Sir Gerald Portal, a British Special Commissioner for Uganda, whose statue graces the main road of the town. Situated between the Rwenzori Mountains, Kibale National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park, it is a significant market town.

Location

The coordinates of the town are: 0° 39' 36" North, 30° 16' 30" East

(Latitude: 0.6600; Longitude: 30.2750).

Size

A population estimate of approximately 47,100 according to UBOS in 2011.

Getting there

298 Km - Distance from kampala Region to Fort Portal by road.

261 Km - Flight distance between kampala Region and Fort Portal

What to do

View of rock paintings, landscape sceneries, several crater lakes and the Semiliki valleys near the municipality.

When to visit

Any time during the year.

Katonga Wildlife Reservation

Katonga Wildlife Reserve is a national park in western Uganda, along the banks of River Katonga. The wildlife reserve was established in 1998. The reserve is a recent addition to Uganda's list of protected wildlife areas. It protects a network of forest-fringed wetlands along the Katonga River. It is best explored by foot and by canoe. It is home to over forty (40) species of mammals and over one hundred and fifty (150) species of birds; many of them specific to wetland habitats. Commonly sighted in the wetland reserve are elephant, waterbuck, reedbuck, colobus monkeys and river otters. Also found in this habitat is the shy Sitatunga, a semi-aquatic antelope with webbed hooves. Viewing this game from a canoe, whilst they come to the water's edge to drink is a thrilling and memorable experience.

Location

In the districts of Ibanda and Kamwenge in western Uganda, along the banks of the Katonga River.

Size

Approximately 211sq km

Getting there

200km, by road from Kampala, accessible by public transport.

What to do

Bird watching and game viewing of the variety of animals including the Sitatunga.

When to visit

January-Febraury and July-August are the driest months, but rain is possible due to unpredictable seasonal changes.

Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is home to a vast number of species of birds as well as the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa; 13 remarkable primate species, including L'Hoests and red colobus monkeys flourish within the park. Add to this the the fact that the elusive forest elephant move seasonally through the forest and you can see why Kibale National Park is a superb safari destination. The park itself is easily accessible with a good internal infrastructure; many of the facilities are community based, thus providing the local population with the necessary revenue to ensure the long-term protection of the area. As the most accessible of Uganda's major rainforests, Kibale is a home for over 13 remarkable primate species, including L'Hoest's and red colobus monkey. The elusive forest elephant, smaller and hairier move seasonally into the developed part of the park.

Location

In the west near Fort Portal

Size

795 sq km

Getting there

320km from Kampala to Fort Portal and/or an hour's drive from Kasese, accessible by public transport.

What to do

Chimp tracking, Bird watching, forest walk and game viewing over an expanse of beautiful crater lakes lying between Fort Portal and Kibale Forest.

When to visit

Any time during the year.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Uganda's smallest and probably most scenic National Park is situated in the extreme South-Western corner of the Country, forming part of a large conservation area of about 33sqkm that straddles political boundaries to to include Parc de Volcanoes in Rwanda and Parc de Virungas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three extinct Volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga range, lie within the boundaries of the Ugandan portion of this biologically rich area. Mountain gorillas form the main attraction at Mgahinga National Park, which protects the Ugandan portion of the Virungas, an imposing string of nine freestanding extinct and active volcanoes that runs along the border with Rwanda and the Congo.

Location

South-Western corner bordering Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo

Getting there

One day drive from Kampala to Kisoro where public transport (Taxis) can take you to the park gate.

What to do

Gorilla tracking (Gorillas are at times cross border) limited to a maximum of 6 people per day – Permits must be pre-booked at the Uganda Wildlife Authority offices in Kampala. Nature Guided walks through a variety of wildlife, Volcano climbing at Muhavura, Sabinyo and Gahinga, Bird watching and monkey viewing.

When to visit

The rainy season is from March till May and October till November. Light rain season falls in November and December. Dry seasons are from December to February and June to August. The best time, the best months of the year would be December to late February and from June to September.

Rwenzori Mountain Ranges

The fabled "Mountains of the Moon" in Rwenzori Mountains National Park, one of Uganda's UNESCO heritage sites lie in Western Uganda along the Congolese border where the snow-covered equatorial peaks rise to a height of 5,109m and the lower slopes are blanketed in moorland and rich montane forest. Most of the park is accessible only to hikers although the magnificent scenery and 19 Albertine Rift endemics would be ample reward for Birders. Rwenzori Mountains National Park protects the eastern slopes and glacial peaks of the 120km-long Rwenzori Mountains, a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination.

Location

In the West near on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Size

996 sq km

Getting there

The Nyakalengija trailhead are 22km from Kasese off Fort Portal road. Arrangements can be made before you travel. Contact us for more.

What to do

Mountaineering and hiking, Bird watching of over 195 species and Nature guided tours through all the vegetation zones at the glacial peaks.

When to visit

January-Febraury and July-August are the driest months, but rain is possible due to unpredictable seasonal changes.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most popular National Park and certainly one of its most scenic. It stretches from the crater-dotted foothills of the Rwenzori ranges in the north, along the shores of Lake Edward to the remote Ishasha River in the South, incorporating a wide variety of habitats that range from wetlands to savannah to lowland forest. The lush savannah of Queen Elizabeth National Park offers prime grazing to buffaloes, elephants, various antelopes and and a variety of over 600 bird species.

Location

Southwest, near Kasese

Size

Southwest, near Kasese

Getting there

Only 5 -6 hrs drive away from Kampala city centre via Mbarara, accessible by public transport.

What to do

Launch trips on the Kazinga channel, Game viewing, Bird watching, Chimp tracking and guided walks through Maragambo forest.

When to visit

December-February

Semuliki Wildlife Reserve

Semuliki National Park and the beautiful Semuliki wildlife reserve lie on the southern shores of Lake Albert and offers a mosaic of different habitats with some excellent birding opportunities.

Toro-Semuliki Wildlife Reserve

The Toro-Semuliki Wildlife Reserve (formerly called the Toro Game Reserve) is subtly different and shows affinities with the northern savanna woodland with over 400 bird species and a captivating landscape.

Kidepo National Park

Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka, in the heart of the national park, a savanna landscape extends in all directions, far beyond the gazetted area of 1442km2, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. The park has a semi-arid climate with just one rainy season per year (April-September) and rainfall is light. The valley of the Narus river in the south of the park receives some 890mm of rain/year while just 635mm of rain/year falls in the Kidepo valley to the north. Both rivers are seasonal, and dwindle and disappear in the dry season. During these months, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools along the southern Narus valley near Apoka and as a result, wildlife is concentrated in this area. This consideration, combined with the valley’s open, savanna habitat, makes it the park’s prime game viewing location. Indeed it is possible to sight a good variety of wildlife simply by scanning the valley with binoculars from the comfort of the Apoka lodge.

Location

Located in the North-eastern corner of Uganda, some 700 km from Kampala and tucked between the borders with Sudan and Kenya.

Size

1442 sq km

Getting there

The park can be reached by both road and air. Driving is more rewarding, as much of Karamoja, like Kidepo itself, is a vast and unspoiled wilderness. However, road conditions are sometimes difficult and 4WD vehicles are usually essential.

There are four possible routes by road: routes via Mbale pass to the east of Lake Kyoga to reach northern Uganda; routes via Karuma pass to the west.

Kampala-Mbale-Soroti-Kidepo (792km)
Kampala-Mbale-Sironko-Kotido-Kaboong-Kidepo (740km)
Kampala-Karuma-Lira-Kotido-Kidepo (705km)
Kampala-Karuma-Gulu-Kitgum-Kidepo (571km)

What to do

Game viewing and wildlife study.

When to visit

Any time throughout the year.

The Murchison Falls

The Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the bulky Bunyoro escarpment merges into the vast plains of Acholi land. One of Uganda's oldest conservation areas, it was initially gazetted as a game reserve in 1926 to protect a savanna that Winston Churchill described in 1907 as 'Kew Gardens and the zoo combined on an unlimited scale'.
The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile which first races down 80km of white-water rapids before plunging 40m over the remnant rift valley wall at Murchison Falls, the centre piece of the park. The Falls drains the last of the river's energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor for 55km to Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda's most memorable wildlife spectacles on a Uganda safari. Regular visitors include elephant, giraffe and buffalo while hippopotamus and Nile crocodile are permanent residents.

Size

The park covers 3,893 sq km and is Uganda's largest protected area. Today it is part of the even larger Murchison Falls Protected Area (5,072 sq km) which includes the adjoining Karuma and Bugungu wildlife reserves.

Getting there

By road, the Nile river crossing at Paraa, in the centre of the park, is approximately 5hrs drive from Kampala (305km). Paraa is 85km from Masindi town by the direct route. A longer (135km) alternative route passes through Budongo forest and enjoys spectacular views across Lake Albert from the riftvalley escarpment above Butiaba. Paraa can also be approached from the north, via Chobe Gate near Karuma Falls and Tangi Gate near Pakwach (25km to Paraa), and Wankwar Gate near Purongo.

What to do

Five regular launch trips to the base of the falls offer fine game viewing and bird watching. Boat trips to the Lake Albert delta provide the best chance in Africa of sighting Shoebills. Chimp tracking at Rabongo Forest, and en route from Masindi in the Budongo Forest.

When to visit

Any time throughout the year.

The Source of the Nile

Flanked today by the city of Jinja, the waterfall described by Speke now lies submerged beneath the Owen Falls Dam, Uganda's main source of hydro-electric power. Still, a visit to the source of the Nile remains a moving and wondrous experience, no less so to those who have seen the same river as it flows past the ancient Egyptian temples of Luxor some 6,000 km downstream. The source of the Nile, alluded to hazily in the ancient writings of Ptolemy, stood as one of the great geographical mysteries of the Victorian Age. Closer to home, the Nile downriver from Jinja offers some superb white water rafting and game fishing. Its crowning glory, however, is Murchison Falls, where the world's longest river funnels through a narrow fissure in the Rift Escarpment to erupt out of the other side in a crashing 43 metres plume of white water. The river below the falls is no less spectacular in its own way, with its profuse birdlife, thousands of hippos, and outsized, gape-mouthed crocodiles.

Mt Elgon National Park

Mount Elgon is a popular destination for nature lovers providing an exclusive domain for backpackers with numerous birding trails. The extinct volcanic mountain is an important watershed supporting a rich variety of vegetation zones ranging from montane forest to high open moorland studded with the other worldly giant lobelia and groundsel plants. The recent development of the Forest Exploration Center at Kapchorwa allows birders access to extensive montane forest as well as the arid savanna around Moroto.

Location

On the Eastern border with Kenya near Mbale

Size

1,121 sq km

Getting there

3-4 hours from Kampala to Mbale (along Kampala - Jinja Road). The trailhead at Budadiri is only 20km from Mbale and is accessible by public transport.

What to do

Day walks within the Mount Elgon Forest Exploration Centre, mountain climbing and hikes, Bird watching and the breathtaking Sipi Falls is definitely worth a visit.

When to visit

Throughout the year especially during the drier seasons (January - March and June - August).

Read More

• Game viewing and drives

Uganda has 10 national parks and various large and small game reserves. The endowment of natural resources, largely covered by large vegetation and huge expanses of tropical forests that are rich in flora and fauna has made the country a home to unique physical landscapes, lakes and rivers. All these physical attributes provide a habitat for the diverse wildlife that forms a bedrock of Uganda's tourism industry.

Uganda boasts of over 330 mammal species, of which 0 are critically endangered, 7 are endangered, 21 are vulnerable, and 17 are near-threatened. The wealth of invertebrate life of more than 100,000 species have been identified countrywide and an astonishing 1,200 butterfly species, including almost 50 endemics, have been recorded.

Here, both animals and nature are in complete harmony with each other. A wide range of wildlife exists in the national parks and game reserves, providing one of the distinctive tour destinations on the continent. Parks like Kidepo valley and Queen Elizabeth are easily accessible yet not crowded, offering a wonderful game drive and wildlife experience.

These parks offer safe and excellent Uganda safari opportunities since all national parks and game reserves, wildlife animals, and all visits to the parks are monitored and carefully protected by the Uganda Wildlife Authority with its team of rangers.

Several transport means can be used within the parks. This is dependant on the travel agent organizing your trip. However, there a few airfields in some large parks like Kidepo with small passengers planes that ease mobility within the park. Accommodation is available both within and nearby.

• Mountain Climbing

Rwenzori, the mountains fascinate so many climbers in the whole world. The fascination is not about the height of the highest peak, but about the rich nature itself with diversity.

Green tropical rainforest under the Equator changes itself in to the heath forest on the second day of climbing, and alpine plants like lobelia and everlasting flower appears. On the following day, while passing the mysterious bogs with a lot of lobelia, it exceeds tree limit, then senecio covers the all slopes of mountain. Over there, rocky stretch starts and the volume of plants decreases remarkably, then reach the peak after the glaciers.

You will meet the different faces of Rwenzori everyday, and its beauty will fascinate you.

Skill of rope work is necessary to climb the highest peak, but even beginners can climb the circuit course called “central circuit” as long as someone has strength and spirit. And we assure you that the fascination on the central circuit will meet your satisfaction.

• Gorilla Tracking

Without doubt one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences is the thrill of a close encounter with reclusive mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

• Bungee Jumping

Challenge your fear of heights by touching the Source of the Nile from the high Nile Bungee jumping uganda. After the Bunjee you will go explore upstream in the wild Nile Jet. Leave Jinja Late afternoon to Kampala where the Safari Ends.