East Africa holds some of the most famous wildlife destinations on earth, and Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania each have their own character. We run trips across all three, and which one is "best" really depends on what you most want to see. Here is an honest comparison to help you decide — or combine.
Uganda — gorillas, primates and green wilderness
Uganda is the place for primates. It is one of the few countries where you can trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and track chimpanzees in the same trip, alongside classic savanna safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, with its tree-climbing lions and the Kazinga Channel. Add the Rwenzori Mountains and Uganda becomes the most varied of the three — and it is generally quieter and greener than its better-known neighbours. It suits travellers who want gorillas, scenery and a sense of off-the-beaten-track adventure.
Kenya — the Maasai Mara and the Great Migration
Kenya is the classic safari country and the most accessible introduction to the African plains. The Maasai Mara delivers superb Big Five viewing year-round and, between roughly July and October, the dramatic river crossings of the Great Migration. Amboseli adds huge elephant herds framed against Mount Kilimanjaro. Kenya is ideal if you want iconic big-game viewing and famous landscapes with well-developed safari infrastructure.
Tanzania — the Serengeti and Ngorongoro
Tanzania is big-scale, bucket-list safari. The endless Serengeti plains and the Ngorongoro Crater — the world's largest intact caldera — offer some of the densest wildlife concentrations anywhere, and the Migration spends much of the year here, including the dramatic calving season in the southern Serengeti around January and February. Tanzania suits travellers chasing the grandest, most iconic savanna experience.
Why not combine them?
Because these countries border one another, it is very possible to combine them — gorillas in Uganda with the Maasai Mara in Kenya, or the Serengeti and Ngorongoro in Tanzania. A combined trip gives you the full range of East Africa's wildlife in one journey.
We design tailor-made itineraries across all three countries and can build a trip around exactly what you want to see, your time and your budget. Tell us your priorities and we'll suggest the right mix.