Top 10 Tourist Destinations in East Africa

Top 10 Tourist Destinations in East Africa

Top 10 Tourist Destinations in East Africa are amazing destinations that will give you a bit of everything in terms of wildlife and nature. East Africa is considered a tourism hub in Africa because of a number of tourists attractions that can be found in the different countries of the region. Some of the tourist attractions include wildlife that can be seen in the different national parks and game reserves of the countries and currently, wildlife is the trending attractions that is favoured by the biggest percentage of tourists that come into the east African region. Other attractions include the cultures, the climate, capital cities, museums, monuments and many others that can be seen when tourists carry out the East African tour.

The countries East African countries Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda all have unique tourism attractions and activities that they offer to ensure tourist satisfaction. Currently, the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa include the different national parks that are within different countries because of the fact that different tourists are interested in seeing the different wildlife species.

Top 10 Tourist Destinations in East Africa

1. Bwindi impenetrable national park -Uganda

2. Murchison Falls National Park -Uganda

3. Kibale National Park -Uganda

4. Maasai Mara National Park -Kenya

5. Lake Nakuru National Park- Kenya

6. Amboseli National Park – Kenya

7. Serengeti National Park – Tanzania

8. Ngorongoro Crater Area – Tanzania

9. Volcanoes National Park – Rwanda

10. Nyungwe National  Park – Rwanda

Among the different national parks, every park has a unique feature/ attraction that will catch the eyes of the tourists making them top 10 tourist destinations to visit while carrying out an East Africa tour.

Top 3 tourist destinations – Uganda

In Uganda tourists on a Uganda tour will have a chance to visit the top 3 tourist destinations in the country which have the different national parks that offer different experiences and different activities that they can participate in to make their Uganda tours memorable for the tourists.

1.Bwindi impenetrable national park

Famous for the mountain gorillas, Bwindi impenetrable national park offers the utmost gorilla experience in Uganda. The park located in the south western part of Uganda and is known for its numerous Uganda gorilla families, for example, Nshongi, Kyaguliro, Mweza and many more. The park has different sectors where different Uganda Gorilla groups/ families can be seen. Uganda is blessed to have over 22 gorilla families and a number of different gorilla families that are still in the habituation process.

Participating in the Uganda national parks tour and visiting  Bwindi impenetrable national park will give the tourists a chance to take part in different activities like the gorilla trekking where tourist will  hike through the forest to see the different gorilla families and spend a period of 1 hour while with them which will make tourists understand their ways of living while in the wild for instance grooming methods which is usually done by the females, feeding patterns where they feed on fruits and bamboo steps which is a very thrilling experience. 

Gorilla habituation can be carried out in the park whereby with the accompaniment of people that carry out the habituation process, a ranger and a guide, tourists take part in the habituation process of the gorillas by making them accustomed to human presence which is one of the most rewarding experiences while in the park. Other activities that can be carried out include birding, the Batwa trail experience which involves tourists visiting the Batwa community a remote community that depends on fruit gathering, hunting small creatures in the forest.

2. Murchison National Park

As part of the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa, a tourist will have a thrilling adventure while they visit the biggest National Park in Uganda with a number of tourist attractions and activities to take part in while at the park.  Carrying out the Murchison falls national park tour will offer memorable experiences with a number of attractions like 76 mammal species including the largest living land mammal the elephant, the African buffalo, the leopard and the lion and 400 bird species including the water birds that can be seen during the launch cruise on the Victoria Nile like the long-toed Lapwing, osprey, the African darter, the giant kingfisher and so on. 

The park is a hidden treasure that can only be seen by those that take on the initiative to carry out the Murchison falls national park tour where the famous Murchison falls will be seen as they are seen making their way through a narrow gorge of 7 metres producing the best noise in the wild with the cool breeze, on your way to the park, tourists can visit the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary which is the only rhino (endangered white rhinos) where they can go rhino tracking and they are able to see the rhinos at a closer distance as compared when they are in the wild, where tourists are able to see how they feed and many daily activities.

Just a few minutes away from the park, tourists can also go for chimpanzee trekking before they enter the park in Budongo forest, with over 500 chimpanzees in the forest, the tourist will have a chance to visit habituated chimpanzee groups in order to find out their ways of living, feeding patterns and so on in addition, through the park other attractions can be seen including the baboons with in the forest and a number of bird species making the experience unforgettable where you will see the amazing Shoebill stork.

In the park the game drive through the northern side of the park with the highest concentration of the animals in the park will enable tourists to see the number of animals grazing in the plains including the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, zebras, buffalo, antelopes, bushbucks and so on. The launch cruises that are carried out on the river which involves the downstream and the upstream launch trips where we can see how powerful the falls are through the gorge. A number of water animals like the hippos, crocodiles, elephants can be seen quenching their thirst from the waters of the river. With all of the attractions and activities, it is clear to say Murchison falls national park is one of the top ten tourism destinations in East Africa.

3. Kibale National Park

Choosing Uganda as one of the countries with the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa will make the East African safari experience worth the time and money that will be spent. The tour will involve tourists carrying out the Uganda national parks tour where a number of parks will be visited but in all the parks visited, Bwindi impenetrable, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kibale national park stand out as part of the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa and in Uganda.

Kibale national park offers the best experience of primate tracking in the wild which is quite unmatched when compared to other primate tracking destinations like the kyambura gorge, Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary, Nyungwe national park, the park is a home to 13 different primate species not forgetting how it is famous for the numerous chimpanzees which are over 1600 in number which is a large number of chimpanzees compared to other primate tracking destinations.

While carrying out the Kibale national park tour as part of the Uganda national parks tours, tourists will have a number of activities to participate in including activities like nature walks, birding with the many bird species, bushcraft which is carried out by tourists under the age of 15 years community walks and many other activities but one of the unique activities of the park are the chimpanzee trekking and habituation.

Kibale national park is the only park in Uganda and the whole of East Africa where chimpanzee habituation is carried out this will offer tourists the opportunity to take part in the taming the stubborn primates accustomed to human presence. The experience can also be carried out in Virunga national park which is in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Central Africa) which is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Top 3 tour destinations in Kenya

Just like Uganda, Kenya has a lot of tourism attractions making it part of the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa that can be explored. The tourist destinations in Kenya that a tourist interested in carrying out East Africa safaris and tours include the national parks, coastal towns, knowing the culture of the people and so much more Kenya is the destination to be however there are a number of tourist destination that a tourist on their East African safari interested in visiting the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa will not miss out on as explained below;

4. Masai Mara National Reserve

Visiting Masai Mara National Reserve will offer tourists the best experience of a lifetime with the numerous tourist attractions. The park has a number of activities that a tourist will participate in to make their experience memorable the park is a home to a number of animal species including the big five animals that is the rhinoceros, the African elephant, the buffalo, the leopard and the lion which is one of the few parks with all the big five animals in East Africa, other parks may include Tsavo national park, Serengeti national park and a few others.

The park is also home to numerous bird species which can attract bird lovers. In the park over 500 bird species where recorded which is an impressive number that cannot be seen in other parks some of the species that can be seen include the following like Merlin, black kite, white tailed kite, vultures, marabou storks, long-crested eagles, ostriches, among others, reptiles can also be seen for example the monitor lizards, the tortoise, terrapins, lizards like the afro-tropical ground gecko, tropical house gecko, black-necked spitting cobra, forest cobra,  frogs like the lake Victoria clawed frog, red banned rubber frog, natal puddle frog which offer a variety of attractions to look at.

Among the attractions in the park, the wildebeest migration is the one of the most famous attraction in the park which involves over a million wildebeest where a total number of over 2 million wildebeest and zebras, gazelles migrate from the Serengeti region to the southern part of Masai Mara in search of rains, pastures and many other reasons. The annual wildebeest migration should be on the to-do list of the tourist interested in visiting the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa while carrying out an  East Africa safari.

The migration is one of the most anticipated events to witness in the Masai Mara national reserve by this tourists should come and witness what animals go through in order to survive for instance they have to cross the Mara river in order to access the reserve many animals lose their lives, others are eaten by the crocodiles in the river while they cross its a roller coaster of emotions from being sad after seeing the animals lose their lives while trying to cross to the other end to the joy that will fill your hearts once they successfully cross the river. 

The Masai Mara region is also a place where tourists can see the Masai community which chose to live as indigenous people interesting about the tribe is the fact that it has unique cultural values for instance the Masai believe that all cattle in the world is a God-given gift to them so once they carry out cattle rustling, they believe they are just retrieving what they lost they are many interesting facts about the tribe that can be uncovered and seen once they visit Masai Mara national park.

5.Lake Nakuru National Park

While visiting the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa during the East Africa safari, tourists will have a chance to visit Lake Nakuru national park which is basically known for the variety of bird species that can be seen. For birders, the park will fulfil their utmost birding desires. The park has a number of endemic and migratory bird species that can be seen.  It is home to the flamingo birds which can be seen on the shores of the lakes while they feed on the algae on the shores. 

The flamingos offer beautiful colours out white and pink on the lake which boosts the experience of the tourists while in the park. Flamingos can also be seen in Lake Manyara national park another hidden gem that is ready to be found to fulfil the tourist’s desires of nature. The park does not only have flamingos to offer to the tourists but also other attractions like animals species like different monkey species like the vervet monkey the baboons, impalas, wildebeest, hippos lions, leopards etc. Lake Nakuru and so many other attractions that will be seen once they carry out the East Africa safari.

6. Amboseli National Park

Visit the park and you see what nature has to offer in terms of variety of tourism attractions that will quench the thirst of a tourist thirst for wildlife and nature. The park is known for its uniqueness among the Kenya national parks, Amboseli national park offers the thrilling experiences of the tree climbing lions which is a rare character in lions, the same tree climbing lions can be seen in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the park is also known for the large numbers of elephants which are over 1000 in number these have been named and recorded individually which is quite unlike among other national parks in East Africa.

 The park has also got spectacular views of the Kilimanjaro Mountain the highest in East Africa and the tallest in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Even if these are the top destinations in Kenya, Kenya has a variety of tourism activities which can make have a great time while on East Africa it is very clear for Amboseli national Park to be part of the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa because.

Top 2 tour destinations in Tanzania 

7. Serengeti National Park

Serengeti offers the utmost experience of the wildebeest migration because it is believed to be the origin of the migration; tourists will have the opportunity to be part o f the whole migration from the preparations of the migration in most cases tourists come into the park and book weeks before it actually happens in order to document everything that happens during the migration for instance how the wildebeest travel in large groups and so on.

The park has nice views for scenery viewing with the presence of the views of mountain Kilimanjaro, the numerous bird species that flock the plains and also the lake in the park numerous bird species can be seen but what attract the tourists are the pelicans and the flamingos which are found in large and also help in the modifying the scenery of the park. The park has also had the hot air balloon experience where tourists can participate in and have memorable views of the whole park in an aerial view.

8. Ngorongoro Crater 

Ngorongoro crater is divided amongst the Ngorongoro crater and the conservation area which is part of the Serengeti national park ecosystem. The Ngorongoro conservation area will give the tourists to have a chance to witness the calving period of the wildebeest during the wildebeest migration. The Ngorongoro crater has the Crater Lake which enables bird lovers to see a variety of water birds, for instance, the flamingos, pelicans, ducks, waders and herons and a variety of other bird species like the Ostriches, Grey Crown Cranes, Secretary birds, Kori Bustards and many more.

Ngorongoro crater is among the few destinations where the big five animals can be seen making it one of the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa, the presence of all the animals has boosted tourism in the area. In addition to the big five other animal species in large numbers can also be seen. Other attractions that can be seen include the Olduvai museum which is located in the Olduvai Gorge where the remains of early man were discovered which is a significant place for tourists interested in history.

Tanzania as a country has a lot to offer which can all be seen by carrying out Tanzania holidays or East Africa safaris in order to have a broad view on the tourism in East Africa.

Top 2 tourist Destinations in Rwanda

Visiting the different destinations of the land of a thousand hills should be among the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa that can make a tourist experience memorable. The country is one of the top destinations that can be visited in Africa because of the numerous attractions which can be visited among the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa which may include the following;

9. Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes national park is one of the other destinations that a tourist will visit as part of the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa, to make their East Africa safari. The park is the ultimate Rwanda destination for Rwanda gorilla tours with the presence of the mountain gorillas that can be seen after carrying out the Virunga mountains hike in Rwanda. The country is home to the 5 of the 8 Virunga mountains namely Mt. sabyinyo, Mt. Muhabura, Mt Gahinga, Mt. Karisimbi and Mt. Bisoke all of which have different Rwanda gorilla families.

These Rwanda gorilla families include the Amahoro gorilla family, karisimbi gorilla family, Susa gorilla families and so on which once visited can be a great experience to the tourists because they are able to understand the different ways of the primate species while visiting the different Rwanda gorilla families. Tourists will have a chance to see the Dian Fossey grave who was an American primatologist whose worked on fighting against the poaching of the primate species is the reason why the gorillas are a popular attraction in Rwanda. Dian Fossey is now a pillar of tourism in Rwanda.

Tourists can also carry out Rwanda golden monkey trekking while in Volcanoes national park, the park is blessed to be home to the endangered primate species which can be seen in the bamboo trees of the mountains in volcanoes national park. The golden monkeys can also be found in the Virunga national park Congo another park where many tourism activities can be carried out, Kibale National Park is also home to a number of primate species mainly the chimpanzees but it also is a habitat to the golden monkeys.

10.Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe national park is also part of the top 10 tourist destinations in East Africa and just like Kibale national park is the hub for primate tracking in the Republic of Rwanda, the park is home to a number of tourist attractions like the chimpanzee species that can be seen.  Including other primate species like the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys and so on. There are a number of tourist attractions aside from the primate species which include the canopy walkway where tourists can do canopy walk.

Tourists can also see a number of park attractions like the butterfly species, bird species like, tea plantations where tourists can experience farm life and learn how to harvest and make tea for home consumptions the Gisozi tea estate and Kitabi tea plantations will offer authentic plantation experience from handpicking the tea that is processed for consumption.

Tourists can also embark on hiking the different trails in the park which uncover different adventures in the park for instance the Muzimu trail where views of Lake Kivu can be seen, karamba birding trail where tourists can see a number of bird species, the Isumo waterfall trail which leads to the beautiful Isumo waterfalls of the park. In Rwanda, although the national parks are the most famous for there are other attractions that can catch the eye of the tourist including the Kigali genocide memorial museum which can be visited by tourists on their Rwanda genocide tour. 

“A tourist visiting the top 10 ten tourist destinations in East Africa will unlock the hidden gems in all the destinations listed and have a memorable experience while in East Africa.”