When you think of going on safari, more than likely the beautiful forests and savannahs of East Africa are what come to mind. And, of all East Africa’s safari lands, no other countries offer more variety of safari experiences and wildlife than Kenya and Tanzania.
Each has built up an extensive system of national parks and reserves – and the means to protect the wildlife within. So too, are the many excellent accommodations near the parks from which to choose.
The infrastructures of both Kenya and Tanzania have developed enough to assure you’ll have no trouble traveling around each country, moving from one glorious park to the next. Kenya also has a safe, fast, and modern rail line known as the Madaraka Express, which will whisk you from Nairobi to the coast, passing through several parks.
And when it comes to the variety of landscapes and types of wildlife you’ll encounter, no other countries can match the numbers, depth, and colors of animal and birdlife you’ll find in these two safari havens – from thousands of lions and elephants to millions of wildebeests and flamingoes, you’ll discover every expression of our natural world here.
Kenya – Where the Safari was Born
Imagine a land where you can go from a savannah active with lions one day, to a high-altitude lake filled with hippos, the next, and then to great plains alive with red-dusted elephants. In Kenya, you’ll find sanctuaries for endangered hippos and chimpanzees, and mountain parks with waterfalls and surprising giant antelope.
Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve is home to the greatest movement of animals on the planet, the Great Migration of millions of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles – an endless train of grazers on a timeless quest for survival.
At Amboseli National Park under the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the big-tusked elephants are so dense you are guaranteed sightings of them marching to and from their watering holes. Want to see all of Africa’s “Big Five” just a short drive from Nairobi? Take a trip to Ol Pejeta, where you may also catch a glimpse of wild dogs, along with protected chimps.
And if you don’t have time to even leave Nairobi, you can visit a true wildlife park just minutes from downtown, where lions roam and giraffe meander against the backdrop of the city’s skyscrapers. Nairobi National Park is also home to scores of endangered rhinos, a treat for most safari-goers.
Tanzania – Endless Wildlife
The land, the wildlife, and the entire safari experience are without limit in beautiful Tanzania. Here you can travel from a park with the world’s greatest number of giraffes, to a reserve with the world’s greatest population of lions, to lakes covered with millions of pink flamingoes.
The great Serengeti Park is home to over 3,000 lions and uncountable wildebeests and zebras. The sight of thousands of wildebeests calving on the immense plain is breathtaking and unmatched anywhere. Tanzania is also home to the world’s largest intact volcanic crater, the Ngorongoro, a massive lush world of wildlife, cut off from the rest of Africa. You can descend to the crater floor, entering a universe of every sort of animal from lions, to hippos, to flamingoes.
You’ll never forget a visit to Lake Mayara Park, where the unique lions climb the acacia trees and the pretty lake is adorned with thousands of flamingoes. Nor Tarangire Park, a lightly touristed reserve where over 3,000 elephants roam.
So when you’re planning your safari will you go to Kenya? Or Tanzania? Or both? We can create a personalized tour to any of the great parks of Kenya and Tanzania – just let us know what excites you. We’ll make it happen.
