Destinations

Kenya is safari’s classic heartland: The vibrant culture of Kenya's varied peoples and a wide range of activities complement the wildlife strongholds of the Maasai Mara's rolling plains teeming with year-round wildlife, crowned by the annual drama of the Great Migration, the rich diversity of Laikipia, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Meru National Park and Samburu's and Tsavo's red-earth country, Amboseli’s great elephant herds roam beneath Kilimanjaro, the Rift Valley lakes shimmer with birdlife, and the Swahili Coast, from Lamu to Diani, adds barefoot days on warm Indian Ocean shores. Across Kenya’s private and community conservancies, low-impact properties make space for meaningful conservation and community encounters, seamlessly linked by short flights and expert local guides

Tanzania is safari on a grand scale: The Serengeti’s endless plains host most chapters of the year-round action of the Great Migration. Nearby, the Ngorongoro Crater concentrates astonishing wildlife; Tarangire’s baobab valleys draw large elephant herds and Lake Manyara’s forests and shores brim with birdlife. National Reserves like Maswa and Grumeti give an element of exclusivity. To the south, Ruaha and Nyerere (Selous) offer remote, crowd-free safaris with walking and boating; to the west, Katavi’s wide plains and Mahale/Gombe’s chimpanzees meet the beaches of Lake Tanganyika. Off the coast, the Zanzibar Archipelago; Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia islands, blends Swahili/Arabic heritage with Indian Ocean reefs and laid-back shores.

Uganda is the “Pearl of Africa,” rich and varied: trek to find mountain gorillas in Bwindi’s misty "impenetrable" forests and chimps in Kibale; cruise the Nile below Murchison Falls where the river explodes through a narrow gorge; scan the plains (and the Ishasha fig trees) in Queen Elizabeth National Park for lion, and bird watch along the Kazinga Channel. For birders, few experiences rival the best chance to encounter the shoebill stork - a prehistoric-looking giant best spotted in the Mabamba wetlands or papyrus swamps along Uganda’s lakes. Add the Rwenzori Mountains for highland hikes, or Lake Victoria and Jinja for easy-going shores and white-water adventures.

Rwanda is intimate, polished, and conservation-led: Volcanoes National Park offers some of Africa’s most accessible gorilla trekking, while Nyungwe’s ancient montane forest invites chimp tracking and canopy walks, home to thirteen distinct primate species. Conservation successes mean that Akagera National Park's wide plains interspersed between a network of small lakes and water sources now host the Big Five, as well as being Africa's largest protected wetland. As a stopping point for either the start or end (or both) of a visit to Rwanda, Kigali’s creative, contemporary capital acts as a base and a chance to explore Rwanda's culture and history. Journeys take you through rolling hills, forests, and tea plantations, immersing you within the rich culture and landscapes of The Land of a Thousand Hills.