East Africa Safaris Vs South Africa Safaris

Safaris are the main icon of African holidays. Currently, there are two regions on the African continent that compete for the African safari cake. That is Southern Africa that is composed of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Then the East Africa safari trail that composes of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. In normal times of planning an African safari, these are the two options you will have on the table.

The Big Five 

African safaris are generally defined by what is called the big five, that is, lions, leopards, Rhinos, buffaloes, and Elephants. The term big five comes from the hardest animals to hunt on the African continent. Though these animals are no longer available for hunting, the term big five remains to define the must-see animals on an African game drive.

Lions in Kidepo Valley National Park

Both East Africa and Southern Africa are home to the big five animals. However, if you are to rate the easiest place to see the big five, Southern Africa, specifically South Africa, would be the best destination for the big five. These are very easy to spot in mostly private reserves. There are also some grounds to choose East Africa over South Africa even though south Africa seems to easily scope the ease to spot big five crown.

In East Africa, it is mainly a savannah grass lands. This means that animals are can easily been seen from a far without necessarily tracking.

Gorilla Trekking Experience

There is nothing is Southern Africa to compare gorilla trekking to. If you wish to go gorilla trekking, then East Africa remains the top option for gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking is possible in Uganda, Rwanda the Democratic republic of Congo. Of these three destinations, Rwanda has branded itself as a luxury gorilla trekking destination while Uganda is a mid range gorilla trekking destination.

The difference in the gorilla trekking experience often has nothing to do with the gorilla trekking experience itself. The difference is often found in the accommodation and the road network to the trekking inception point not in the gorilla trekking experience itself.

Great Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara 

Again, similar to gorilla trekking, there is nothing in Southern African that comes close to the great migration. Therefore if you have to choose between the South and the East, the Eastern part of Africa will come on top because of this special wildlife expedition. The only down side to this is over tourism. Unlike gorilla trekking that has a limit on the number of visitors per day, the great migration is often a congestion activity that sometimes robs the travelers of the envisioned travel experience.

Culture Expeditions 

The cultural experience presents mixed feelings in most cases. The Masai people often come out on top in East Africa while the Zulu people come out on top in the South. However these are not the only tribes in these areas. There are several other tribes. In case you are looking for a more culturally diverse destination, then East Africa comes on top of Southern Africa.

Beyond Wildlife Expeditions

Southern Africa offers more beyond wildlife experiences than East Africa. Most of the tourism in East Africa is centered around wildlife. Currently it is Zanzibar and Mombasa that attempt to provide something that goes beyond a game experience. In this area, southern Africa edges East Africa.

Accommodation

East Africa has a mixture of glamping and cottage lodges. You will likely get a similar accommodation experience or close to what you will get in Southern Africa. There are also some crossover lodges that operate in both southern Africa and East Africa. Therefore you can get whatever accommodation you desire in both regions. It is all about your budget not the absence of the services.

Self Drive

Self drive in Southern Africa is far more developed than self drive East Africa. If you do a self drive in southern Africa and then go to East Africa, there will likely be a disappointment because in East Africa, people use older cars compared to the people in southern Africa. However if you are able to get a reliable car in East Africa, then the self drive experience is worthwhile.

In conclusion, typically safari travelers tend to find East Africa better than Southern Africa. However for those who desire to have a mixture of safari are several other activities tend to find South Africa a better option.