An east African safari is a true and always memorable travel adventure full of experiences unique or common in some points from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

This article will provide some key elements any traveler should   take into consideration for a smooth travel to this region.

1. What are you most interested in?

Many travelers travel to Africa in search of a wildlife experience, in search of the “Big five”: buffalo, lions, leopards, elephants and rhinoceroses.

Others will want to see the giant gorillas –gorilla trekking safari .And this can be done in DR Congo, Rwanda or Uganda while the above is absolutely to be in Kenya and Tanzania.

An east African safari can be long or wide of ideas due to its high diversities including a tour in cities, villages, mountain climbing, encountering people, learning their cultures and history etc…

To be able to decide what to include, somebody needs ideas from a travel consultant.

This can be one of the requests a client may send:

I am looking to book a budget trip to Rwanda, Uganda, Congo and Zanzibar, Bwindi National Park, Volcanoes national park,

No interest in birds. And Have been on quite a few safaris, so mostly interested in gorillas and chimps) arriving December 16 and leaving Zanzibar January 1st.

From above request, the safari organizer will get a clear picture of what the client needs, an idea of the budget she/he intends to spend on this trip, and the duration.

Her/his job will be then to draw a tour in accordance with above criteria.

1. Tell your travel/tour consultant your budget.

Telling the budget you are willing to use for your trip will make the job easy for the tour consultant to find the perfect hotels, activities and number of days   to make sure the whole tour matches your desires and budget. Nothing can make a client happier than having a perfect tour package at a good price with great service. Nobody needs to pay a high price by the way.

In some cases, safaris can be a costly kind of vacation. But as with any other type of travel, you can tailor make your safari to suit your personal budget. The length of your safari will affect its cost. You may get a suggestion of cutting your trip and focus mostly on your prime travel needs to make your safari short and save cash.

Always keep in mind, the travel consultant knows best what best the region can offer-and their main focus is to make your safari the most enjoyable. One happy customer may bring ten more the next morning.

Budget-minded travelers should not   also hesitate to request self-drive safaris as opposed to all-inclusive package tours; they may be a good way to explore east Africa independently while minding their budget.

Enjoy east African tour holidays.

Heading into the wilds on a guided safari is one of the most exciting and memorable experiences a traveller can have. That first sight of a giraffe emerging from the bushes or a pride of lions lying in the shade of a tree is one that will stay with you forever.
So apart from spotting a bevy of wild animals, what else can you expect on an African safari?

It can hot and dusty sometimes
When you’re packing make sure have your Comfortable shoes, a hat and sunglasses which are essential. You can probably leave the three-piece suits and pith helmets at home.

it gets chilly
Early morning and evening drives can be pretty cool, so be sure to bring a few warm layers.

You’ll be travelling in customised vehicles…
Our trucks have been custom built to give travellers the best possible safari experience. Large sliding windows allow perfect opportunities to photograph grazing rhinos and wallowing hippos. Some vehicles have front and roof window hatches for additional visibility.

With an expert guide
Most of my safaris have one guide and one driver. Your experienced guide knows exactly where the animals are hiding and will point out where they are, the best vantage points for great photographs, and how to stay safe if curious creatures get a little too close for comfort.

You’ll see some pretty incredible sights
Sweeping grassy savannas, rocky mountain ranges, incredible sunsets and… animals! Lots of them. What you’ll see depends on where in Africa you are: gorillas will be seen in Rwanda and Uganda; zebras and wildebeest make their famous migration between the Masai Mara and the Serengeti; and Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater is home to a range of wild animals, such as elephants, lions, rhinos and flamingos.

Some animals are more curious than others
So exercise caution around all animals and listen to your guide. If they tell you to stay in your seat, stay in your seat. Masai Mara National Reserve is becoming quite famous for its curious cheetahs, with many cats leaping on top of safari vehicles to get a better view of the animals around (not to mention who’s inside the truck). My responsibility as is to keep you safe while on safari, at nature stops and at the camp at night, so follow instructions at all times.

You won’t go hungry
On all-day safaris, you’ll get a packed lunch at a designated picnic area (so there’s no chance of a hungry lion snatching your sandwich). Breakfast, lunch and dinner (usually a combination of Western and traditional African meals), are served at the lodge/permanent-tented camp.

You’ll need to stock up on a couple of things before you go
Make sure you invest in a good camera, with an extra memory card and spare battery. You’ll take more photos than you ever thought possible and will probably want a camera with a bit more oomph than your smartphone. Binoculars also come in handy when a herd of elephants come lumbering across the horizon. Sunscreen, hand sanitiser and insect repellent are essential; tsetse flies are quite partial to a bit of biting – even through clothes.

A typical day
It’s an early start – around 5am – so you’ll need to set the alarm; the animals are most active as the sun comes up. After a snack at the lodge, you’ll head out across the savanna and watch as the plains come to life: giraffes plucking leaves from the highest branches, elephants trundling single file through the grasslands, and herds of gazelle gathered around the waterhole.
Once the morning warms up, return to the lodge or camp for a hearty breakfast (or lunch) and a few hours of downtime; swimming in the pool, relaxing in the shade with a good book or taking a nap.
As the day starts to cool down in the late afternoon, head out again for a sunset game drive and watch as Africa’s nocturnal creatures come out of hiding for an evening on the prowl.
On your return to camp you can enjoy dinner and drinks with your group before heading off to bed.
Safari-speak: what it all means

• Safari stems from the Swahili word for journey or travel. Originally, safaris denoted game hunts, but these days, the only shooting of wildlife is done with cameras.
• Another term originating from hunts, Big Five was coined by hunters and refers to the African animals that are trickiest to corner and kill: the African lion, African elephant, African leopard, Cape buffalo and Black/White rhinoceros. Despite its archaic etymology, the term is now commonly used among wildlife experts. The Small Five refers to Africa’s less noticed but equally pertinent critters: the Ant Lion, Elephant shrew, Leopard tortoise, Buffalo weaver and Rhino beetle.
• Not the relaxing experience you may expect, an African massage refers to the bumps and jolts you’ll feel through your body as the truck bounces over Africa’s notorious unsealed roads.
• A Sundowner is an alcoholic beverage enjoyed during a game drive as the sun goes down, sometimes with a backdrop of a few local elephants. Cheers to that!

The moments - and the people.

If you reflect back on some of your favourite adventures, travels and explorations - I suspect that what sticks out in your mind are special moments or memorable people you met along the way.

It is likely not your hotels, flights, trains, activities, or the minutia of everyday travel - but rather specific moments in time and place.

Moments when you were content or peaceful, perhaps excited or exhilarated, or maybe even surprised and interested.

Now think about the people who are etched into your mind from your travels. The incredibly friendly mom and pop restaurant owners, the local man fishing down by the beach who showed you his catch or that captivating tour guide who had the most incredible stories.