Wildlife safaris in East Africa

Combined
scuba diving and safari holidays

It would be utter madness to travel to East Africa and not go on a wildlife safari. You can go diving as well but don't miss the chance to explore the continent's greatest resources – the vast wilderness of the Serengeti plains, the fascinating culture of the Masai tribes, the mass migrations of hundreds and thousands of animals.

Whether you choose Kenya or Tanzania – or any of the other African nations – it's easy enough to travel to the closest coast afterwards and immerse yourself in the cooling tropical waters.

Seasons
vary by country depending on when the rains arrive. Ensure you check before booking

Flights to Nairobi, Mombasa or Dar es Salaam then onwards by road or light aircraft

Operators are endless:
look for a specialist travel agent such as africa-discovery.com

KENYA: the most remote parks have the best animal populations. In Samburu the landscapes are classic Africa and animals include the long-necked gerunuk, Grevy's zebra and the reticulated giraffe. The Masai Mara National Park is where you are most likely to see all of the big five and you can visit the tribes who still adhere to their traditional way of life. Tsavo East is the wildlife park close enough to the coast to allow a day trip – you might see elephants and lions, but buffalo, giraffe and various deer species are more likely.

TANZANIA: many travellers come to climb Mount Kilimanjaro but far more amazing is the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient gorge occupied by elephants, giraffe, rhino, zebra, lions and cheetahs. All the big cats live on the wide open plains of the Serengeti, zebra are everywhere and hippopotamus wallow in ponds. The great wildebeest migration is beyond spectacular, as is watching a pride of cheetahs making a kill.