Safari Destinations inEast & Southern Africa

Back in 1953, a prominent Mateves coffee and sorghum farmer named Colonel Grey built what we now know as Arusha Airport. The airstrip changed hands just after Tanganyika won its independence in 1961, when ownership officially shifted to the government. East African Airways took charge of managing the site early on. However, when the East African Community collapsed in 1977, oversight fell to the Ministry of Agriculture, operating under the name Kilimo Hangar. This arrangement stood until 1999, when the government set up the Tanzania Airports Authority as a dedicated executive agency to run all state-owned airports and airstrips across the mainland.

A compact jewel just 40 minutes from Arusha city, this park packs diverse habitats into a small area: the Ngurdoto Crater, Momella Lakes, and the towering Mount Meru — Africa's fifth highest peak.

Dar es Salaam, a major city and commercial port on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, grew from a fishing village. The open-air Village Museum has re-created the traditional homes of local and other Tanzanian tribes and hosts tribal dancing. It’s part of the National Museum, which offers Tanzanian history exhibits, including the fossils of human ancestors found by anthropologist Louis Leakey.

A surreal, otherworldly landscape at the foot of the active Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano. This blazing-hot alkaline lake is the primary breeding ground for 2.5 million lesser flamingos — one of East Africa's most extraordinary natural phenomena.

A bustling multicultural market town at the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park. Mto wa Mbu (River of Mosquitoes) is home to over 120 ethnic groups and offers one of Tanzania's most authentic cultural tour experiences.

Nyerere National Park is currently the largest in Africa a massive, newly established wilderness carved out of the legendary Selous Game Reserve. Founded in 2019 and spanning over 30,000 square kilometers, it was named to honor the father of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. Because of its sheer scale, the park remains a raw, undisturbed sanctuary where nature functions exactly as it should. The wildlife numbers here are staggering; you’ll find some of the highest concentrations of elephants, buffalo, and lions on the continent. Perhaps most importantly, Nyerere (along with the neighboring Selous) serves as the final true stronghold for the rare African wild dog. The lifeblood of the park is the mighty Rufiji River, which teems with hippos and crocodiles before winding its way toward the Indian Ocean. This area has become a favorite for travelers because it offers a break from the standard bumpy jeep ride. In fact, the variety of ways to explore is what really sets Nyerere apart you can head out on a boating safari, take a guided bush walk, or even try "fly camping" for a night under the stars.

One of the oldest and most biodiverse montane rainforests in Africa, Nyungwe spans 1,019 square kilometres of ancient forest harboring 13 primate species, 310 bird species, and a spectacular canopy walkway suspended 50 metres above the forest floor.

Rwanda,[a] officially the Republic of Rwanda,[b] is a landlocked country in East Africa. Known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills" for its high elevation and rolling terrain, its geography is dominated by mountains in the west and savanna in the southeast. The largest and most notable lakes are mainly in the western and northern regions of the country, and several volcanoes that form part of the Virunga volcanic chain are primarily in the northwest. The climate is considered tropical highland, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. Its capital and largest city is Kigali, located at the centre of the country, at 1,567 metres above sea level.

The Republic of Uganda is an East African landlocked market situated strategically within the Nile basin and the Great Lakes region. It shares trade and geographic borders with five nations: Kenya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The country features a diverse equatorial climate and holds a substantial portion of Lake Victoria in its southern territory. Backed by a growing population of 45.9 million people, the nation boasts a major economic and urban hub in its capital city, Kampala, which houses 1.8 million residents.

The park where Dian Fossey dedicated her life to gorilla conservation. Volcanoes National Park protects five of the eight Virunga volcanoes and is home to 10 habituated mountain gorilla families — offering the most accessible gorilla trekking in Africa.

The West Kilimanjaro conservancy lies between Kilimanjaro and Amboseli, offering walking safaris with Maasai guides through open plains where elephants migrate freely between Tanzania and Kenya against a Kilimanjaro backdrop.

Eastern Africa encompasses Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda — the heartland of the African safari experience, home to the Great Migration, mountain gorillas, and the snow-capped equatorial peaks of Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.