Road notes from East Africa
Permits, park fees, seasons and road conditions for driving yourself through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Uganda Kampala City Guide: What to See and Do Beyond the Airport
Kampala — Uganda's capital city, spread across seven original hills on the northwest shore of Lake Victoria — is one of East Africa's most dynamic and…
Tanzania Selous Game Reserve: The Rufiji River Safari Experience
The Selous Game Reserve (officially renamed Nyerere National Park in 2019 for the national park area, though the full reserve ecosystem is still widely…
Rwanda Gorilla Habituation Experience: Spending a Full Day with Gorillas
The standard gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda (USD $1,500, 2025) provides one hour with a fully habituated gorilla family — the prescribed international…
East Africa Currency and Money Guide: ATMs, Cash and Exchange Rates 2025
Managing money across a multi-country East Africa safari involves four currencies (Uganda shilling, Kenya shilling, Tanzania shilling, Rwanda franc), variable…
Kenya Laikipia Plateau: Ol Pejeta, Lewa and the Northern Kenya Safari Circuit
The Laikipia Plateau is Kenya's most important private wildlife area — a 9,500 sq km mosaic of private conservancies, community wildlife areas, and commercial…
Uganda Rwenzori Mountains: Glacier Trekking on the Equatorial Snow Peaks
The Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda — the "Mountains of the Moon" of Ptolemy's 2nd-century geography — are Africa's only glaciated non-volcanic range,…
Rwanda Nyungwe Forest: Canopy Walk, Primates and Bird Endemics
Nyungwe Forest National Park in southwestern Rwanda is one of Africa's oldest and most pristine Afromontane rainforests — 310 sq km of continuous montane…
Tanzania Maasai Cultural Villages: Authentic Experience vs Tourist Show
The Maasai cultural village visit is one of the most common Uganda-Kenya-Tanzania safari additions — and one of the most variable in quality and authenticity.…
Kenya Masai Mara Conservancy Guide: Olare Motorogi, Naboisho and Mara North
The Masai Mara conservancies — private community wildlife areas surrounding and adjacent to the Masai Mara National Reserve — provide the Mara experience with…
Tanzania Zanzibar Diving and Snorkelling: Complete Marine Guide
Zanzibar's Indian Ocean waters provide some of East Africa's best scuba diving and snorkelling — warm water (26–29°C year-round), good visibility (15–30+…