Kenya is a country in East Africa with coastline on the Indian Ocean. It’s also home to wildlife like lions, elephants and rhinos. From Nairobi, the capital, safaris visit the Maasai Mara Reserve along the Tanzanian border. It is home for lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and hippos. Wildebeest traverse its plains during their annual migration. I had a chance to visit Kenya and Tanzania in 2012.

Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar, with Arabic influences.

We had an opportunity to visit both the countries in 2012. We managed our trip with Kuoni, which I think was very good. The accommodation and services were brilliant. Though some were in tents, they were five star rated. We had safaris in the early morning and late evenings. The rangers were in contact with each other so that we could see the maximum number of animals possible. We were able to see a large number of animals compared to Kruger in South Africa, Unfortunately we could not witness the wildebeest migration.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District in Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. The area is inhabited by hippopotamuses, elephants, lions and many others. We also visited Lake Manyara National Park which is located in northern Tanzania, at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment.

Towards the end we spent a few days in Zanzibar, an island in the Indian Ocean. We visited the Stone Town, part of Zanzibar City, is an old trade center, with mosques and winding lanes. The 1883 House of Wonders is a former sultan’s palace with a clock tower.

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