Road notes from East Africa
Permits, park fees, seasons and road conditions for driving yourself through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.
East Africa Volunteer Opportunities: Conservation, Community and Wildlife
East Africa's volunteer tourism sector ranges from genuinely impactful conservation partnerships to cynical "voluntourism" operations that extract money from…
Uganda Bwindi Gorilla Trekking vs Rwanda Volcanoes: Which Country to Choose
The Uganda versus Rwanda gorilla trekking question is the most asked and most nuanced comparison in East Africa safari planning — both countries offer…
Kenya Naivasha to Nakuru to Bogoria: The Rift Valley Lake Circuit
The Kenya Rift Valley lake circuit — combining Lake Naivasha (freshwater, hippo and fish eagle), Lake Nakuru (alkaline, flamingo and rhino), and Lake Bogoria…
Uganda Safari Planning Timeline: When to Book Gorilla Permits and Vehicle Hire
Planning a Uganda safari requires a specific booking timeline very different from Kenya or Tanzania — the gorilla and chimpanzee permit system (a fixed number…
Kenya Ol Donyo Lodge: Walking with Elephants in Amboseli Ecosystem
Ol Donyo Lodge — operated by Great Plains Conservation in the Mbirikani Group Ranch, a 300,000-acre Maasai community wildlife area adjacent to the Amboseli…
Tanzania Lake Natron: Flamingo Breeding Ground and the Soda Ash Desert
Lake Natron in northern Tanzania's Rift Valley — one of the most caustic and inhospitable environments in East Africa, an intensely alkaline soda lake (pH…
Uganda Lake Mburo National Park: Zebra, Impala and Walking Safari Near Kampala
Lake Mburo National Park in western Uganda — 370 sq km of acacia savanna, rocky hills, wetland, and the Lake Mburo lake system — is the closest Uganda…
Kenya Lewa Wildlife Conservancy: Grevy's Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe and Rhino
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (250 sq km on the Laikipia Plateau, 40 km northeast of Nanyuki) is Kenya's most important private rhino sanctuary and one of the…
Tanzania Zanzibar Spice Tour: What to Buy, Where to Buy and How Much to Pay
Zanzibar's spice heritage — the island was historically the world's leading clove producer and the centre of the Indian Ocean spice trade that drew Arab,…
Rwanda Community Tourism: Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village and the Gorilla Guardians
Rwanda's community tourism programme around Volcanoes National Park has produced one of East Africa's most sophisticated and genuinely educational cultural…