East Africa is the Africa of many travelers’ dreams, with places like Masai-Mara, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Ngorongoro, heavy with the intoxicating allure of sprawling savannahs, teeming wildlife and exotic cultures. It is in this region that the notion of safari – meaning “to journey” in Swahili – was born. Today East Africa has perfected the safari experience, with romantic camps, outstanding wildlife experiences, vast open landscapes and knowledgeable guides.
As a traveler to East Africa you can explore the dramatic Rift Valley and its soda lakes, climb snow-capped mountains on the Equator, visit gigantic Lake Victoria, discover magical beaches and islands, encounter the greatest concentration of free-ranging wildlife on earth, explore the customs of the Masai people and peer into the past at Olduvai Gorge.
The main tourist season in East Africa is January and February, since the hot, dry weather at this time of year is considered to be the most pleasant. June to September is another popular season as the weather is still dry and the Masai Mara migration a huge attraction. East Africa has two distinct rainy seasons – March to May and October to December - and road travel during these periods can be hampered at times.
In terms of temperature, the Rift Valley and Nairobi are temperate with cool nights, the Masai-Mara and Serengeti are warmer (generally in the 20°Cs ), whilst the coastline and offshore islands are hot and humid, reaching the low 30°Cs.