East Africa Road Trip  

There are several countries today that make up the East African community. Some of these countries are almost in the north East of Africa. For this particular road trip, we are focusing on the most popular countries in East Africa in terms of safaris. These are Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. Some people might consider including Burundi on their road trip itinerary.

In regard to Burundi, it is important to note that the easiest entry into Burundi is supposed to be Rwanda but at the moment, the border of Rwanda and Burundi is closed. If you intend to visit Burundi, you would have to fly into Burundi or access it through Tanzania. This somehow makes it hard to include Burundi in your road trip without back tracking.

Rwanda

Most of the East African road trips either start from Rwanda or Nairobi but most people usually opt for Nairobi due to cheaper flights during certain seasons of the year. Therefore when planning your East African road trip, consider your arrival and departure flights and that should inform your itinerary.

Bisate Lodge

Most of the times, if someone starts in Rwanda, they will likely end their journey in Arusha Tanzania or Nairobi Kenya. However like earlier stated, most people find dropping off in Nairobi cheaper than dropping off in any other major towns in Tanzania.

During your Rwanda road trip, you can participate in activities such as chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest national park, gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park, Genocide memorial as well as Akagera national park. Once you have completed your exploration of these destinations, you can tend proceed to cross the border to Uganda.

Uganda Road Trip

Like Rwanda, your Uganda road trip offers options such as gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge, Kalinzu forest, Budongo forest, Bugoma forest and Kibale forest.

Uganda therefore offers several options when it comes to chimpanzee tracking than Rwanda.

Rwanda’s road network is often ranked higher than that of Uganda. If you love dirt roads during your road trip, Uganda will offer a better experience than Rwanda. In case you are interested in a destination that has better paved roads, then Rwanda will offer a better road trip experience.

Besides the primate, Uganda has a wide range of culture ready to be explored. On your road trip, it is recommended to make the best of Murchison falls national park and the source of the Nile because those are things you will not find anywhere in other countries.

When it comes to game drives, then it is better to major on those in Kenya and Tanzania of course not forgetting Uganda’s Kidepo valley national park though often overlooked due to its proximity to the South Sudan border.

Kenya Road Trip

From Uganda, there are mainly three exit point into Kenya. The one of Sipi falls, then Malaba and Busia border. For purposes of ease of crossing the border, the Sipi falls border side is the easiest however the road network after crossing is not the best.

It is therefore recommended to stick to Busia border during your Kenya road trip.

MasaiMara national Park Wildlife

While in Kenya, Masai mara is the main highlight due to its abundance in wildlife. However some people find amboseli better because it is less congested compared to Masai mara. You will do well to plan your Kenyan road trip with Mombasa as your final destination. From Mombasa, you can slide south in Tanzania.

Tanzanian Road Trip

While Zanzibar is one of the major destinations in Tanzania, you might have to fly there after leaving the car in Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport. The major highlights during your Tanzania road trips will be the vacant land when driving between major towns.

You will also visit the northern circuit parks such as Serengeti, Lake Manyara among several other to do activities. Making Arusha your final destination will make it possible for you to connect to Zanzibar by flight.

In conclusion, the East African road trip is a combination of beaches, wildlife, waterfalls and cultural encounters. Each country edges the other in a particular area. It is therefore wise to major on areas where each country has an advantage however, if you have the time and resources , you can do similar activities in the different countries and simply compare the experiences.