Game Drives
The core of a safari: out at first light in an open-roofed 4x4 with a guide who knows where the cats were yesterday. Most of what you came to see happens in the two hours after dawn and the two before dusk.
What you can actually do out there
Not every safari is a game drive. These are the 27 things we run across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda — each one with the places it happens and the trips that include it.
Balloon Safaris
Lift off before sunrise and drift a few hundred feet over the plains while the light comes up, then land to breakfast in the bush. It is expensive and it is worth it once.
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Gorilla Trekking
One hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family, a few metres away, after a walk through steep forest that can take one hour or six. Permits are limited and go months ahead.
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Chimpanzee Trekking
Tracking chimpanzees on foot through Kibale, Nyungwe or Budongo. Noisier, faster and funnier than gorillas — they move, argue and feed overhead while you follow.
Bird Watching
East Africa has over 1,500 bird species and some of the best birding on earth. Tell us before you book and we will put you with a guide who actually birds, and build in the right stops.
Guided Walks
Getting out of the vehicle changes a safari. On conservancies and in a handful of parks you can walk with an armed ranger, reading tracks and dung and getting close to the small things you drive past.
Night Game Drives
Private conservancies allow what national parks do not: driving after dark with a spotlight. Leopard, aardvark, bushbaby, genet and porcupine are all night animals you will otherwise never see.
Great Wildebeest Migration
Between July and October around a million and a half wildebeest and zebra cross between the Serengeti and the Mara. The river crossings are the famous part; the calving on the southern plains in February is arguably better.
Tracking Black Rhinos
Tracking black rhino on foot at Ol Pejeta or seeing them from the vehicle at Lake Nakuru, Tsavo West and Meru. Fewer than 1,000 are left in Kenya, and the conservancies will tell you exactly how they are doing.
Maasai Village Visit
Visiting a Maasai manyatta the right way: arranged with the community, paid fairly, and not a performance staged for a coach. Ask about the livestock and the age sets and you will get a real conversation.
Boating
A boat changes what you see. Hippo at eye level on the Kazinga Channel or the Rufiji, fish eagles on Naivasha, crocodiles on the Nile below Murchison Falls.
Hiking
Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, the Virunga volcanoes, Longonot's crater rim and the gorge at Hell's Gate. Walking is how you see the parts of East Africa a vehicle cannot reach.
Cycling
Cycling through Hell's Gate among zebra and giraffe, or around Lake Mburo and the crater lakes of western Uganda. One of the few places on earth you can ride through a national park.
Camping
Sleeping under canvas in the middle of it, from a serviced tented camp with a proper bed to a fly camp carried in and set up for one night. The sounds after dark are the point.
Horse Back Safaris
Riding out among plains game at Lake Mburo, in Laikipia and on the conservancies. Zebra and giraffe let a horse come far closer than any vehicle.
Camel Safaris
Camel safaris in the dry north of Kenya, walking alongside at the pace the Samburu have always travelled. Slow, quiet, and the opposite of a game drive.
Snorkeling
Snorkelling the reefs off Zanzibar, Mnemba atoll and the Kenyan marine parks. Warm, shallow, and good enough that non-swimmers end up staying in.
Scuba Diving
Diving Mnemba atoll, Pemba and the Kenyan marine parks: coral, turtles, reef sharks and, in season, whale sharks. Courses and refreshers can be arranged with the trip.
Dolphin Watching
Bottlenose and humpback dolphins off Kizimkazi and Watamu, early in the morning when the sea is flat. Go with an operator that keeps its distance — we only use those.
Sport Fishing
Deep sea fishing off the Kenyan and Zanzibar coasts for sailfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo. Tag and release on billfish, kept fish cooked at your hotel that night.
Cultural Visit
Meeting people where they live: a Batwa community on the edge of Bwindi, a Samburu village in the north, a Swahili neighbourhood walk in Stone Town. Arranged with the community, not around it.
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking in the Rift Valley, around the crater lakes of western Uganda and down from the Aberdares. Bikes and a support vehicle come with the trip.
Kayaking
Kayaking on Lake Naivasha among the hippo pods at a safe distance, and on the Nile above Murchison. Quiet, low to the water, and far closer to the birdlife.
Flocks Of Flamingos
Flamingos in their tens of thousands on the Rift Valley soda lakes. The numbers move with the water, so Bogoria is usually the better bet and no honest operator will promise them anywhere.
Watch A Pride Of Lions
Lion are the reason most people book a first safari. The Mara, the Serengeti, Ruaha and the Kasenyi plains hold the prides worth travelling for.
Watch A Cheetah Hunt
A cheetah hunt lasts under a minute and almost nobody sees one. The Mara and the southern Serengeti give you the best odds there are — open country and high cheetah density.
Surfing
Ride the Waves with our Surfing Adventures along the coasts of Kenya and Tanzania. Whether you're a novice catching your first wave or an experienced surfer seeking new challenges, our surfing experiences promise the thrill of coastal adventure. Join us for a surfing escapade, where the rhythmic motion of the waves becomes the soundtrack to your journey, creating memories of exhilaration and surf culture. Learn the art of paddling out, catching waves, and riding the surf with our skilled instructors. Whether it's the beginner-friendly breaks of Diani Beach or the challenging swells of Zanzibar's east coast, our Surfing experiences cater to all levels. Feel the rush as you ride the crest of a wave, surrounded by the beauty of the ocean. Our Surfing adventures are more than water sports; they're celebrations of the coastal lifestyle and the exhilaration of catching the perfect wave.
Want a trip built around one of these?
Most of our safaris start as somebody saying "I want to see the migration" or "I want to climb Kilimanjaro and then lie on a beach". Tell us which one it is and we will build the rest around it.