Side by side
On the things that actually differ
Not on wildlife or luxury, which all five have in the same measure at the same price.
The comparison
Five countries, four columns
| Effort | Relative cost | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Low | Moderate | Variety, big cats, bush-and-beach in one fortnight |
| Tanzania | Moderate — more flying | Higher | Scale, the Crater, the February calving |
| Rwanda | One hard morning, easy otherwise | High per night, short trips | A complete honeymoon in six nights |
| Uganda | High — real driving | Lowest | Gorillas, chimps and hardly anybody else |
| Zanzibar | None | Wide range | The week after the safari |
Relative positions within this group, not absolute prices. What a trip costs depends far more on the level you travel at and the number of internal flights than on which of these five you choose.
Which two combine
| Combination | Why it works | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya + the Kenyan coast or Zanzibar | One flight, two genuinely different halves | 10–12 |
| Tanzania + Zanzibar | Forty minutes, and the easiest join in East Africa | 10–14 |
| Rwanda + a Kenyan conservancy | Forest then plains — nothing repeats | 10–12 |
| Uganda + Rwanda | Two treks, two forests. Only with fourteen nights. | 14+ |
Which two do not
- Kenya and northern Tanzania. One ecosystem with an international border through it. You will fly for two hours to look at the same grass.
- Uganda and Tanzania in ten nights. The internal flying will take two of them and you will spend the honeymoon in airports.
- Two beach stops. If you want a longer coast, stay longer on one coast rather than seeing two.
The question that decides it fastest
Not "which country" but "how much effort do you want the trip to ask of you?" Answer that honestly and three of the five fall away immediately.
More from our East Africa guides
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