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Best Safari Destinations in East Africa for 2025

East Africa has a vast array of wonderful safari destinations which can make it quite difficult to decide which ones are best to incorporate into your 2 week East African safari itinerary.

What month you plan to travel to Africa will also determine which safari destinations are best, as various destinations can be better than others depending on what time of year you want to travel to Africa. I am going to focus here on the peak safari months from July to October. If you plan to travel outside of these months and would like more information on the time of year that you plan to travel, then please contact us.

Namiri Plains Male Lion in Camp
Male lion passing Namiri Plains Camp, Serengeti.

The Masai Mara in Kenya is an iconic African safari destination. I highly recommend included a safari to the Masai Mara on any itinerary in 2025. The great migration herds start to enter the Masai Mara in July however it is not just the great migration herds that make the Masai Mara such an incredible safari destination. The Masai Mara offers exceptional big cat sightings and some of the best lion and cheetah sightings in all of Africa. For a more exclusive safari experience I would recommend that you consider the Naboisho Conservancy. This conservancy borders the Masai Mara Reserve, however unlike the reserve, the number of people that can visit Naboisho is limited to those staying in the reserve. Naboisho also has one of the highest concentrations of lion in Africa. There are also some excellent camps in Naboisho such as Naboisho Camp.

Namiri Plains Cheetah on Game Drive
Seeing cheetah are one of the many highlights of an East Africa safari .
Another one of East Africa’s iconic safari destinations is the Serengeti. With flights connecting the Serengeti with the Masai Mara these 2 regions combine really well on the same itinerary. The Serengeti is a lot bigger than the Masai Mara and from July to October the migration herds can be seen mainly in the Northern Serengeti. From July the great herds tend to move from the Western and Central Serengeti to the Northern Serengeti. The well positioned safari camps in the Northern Serengeti should be well placed to maximise their guest’s chances of seeing any river crossings as the great herds cross back and forth over the Mara River. A lessor known part of the Serengeti that is well worth including on your safari to East Africa in 2025 is to visit the Central/Eastern sector. There are very few camps in this region and so it offers a very exclusive safari experience and the lion and cheetah sightings, in particular on the vast open grasslands are magnificent. Staying at a safari camp like Namiri Plains is not to be missed.
A tented room at Namiri Plains Camp.

For the more seasoned safari goer, a safari to Ruaha National Park is highly recommended. Ruaha lies in Southern Tanzania and offers a remote and exclusive safari experience. The area gets particularly dry from July onwards and the wildlife viewing is excellent. The terrain is very different from the Serengeti and Ruaha is about as wild as it gets. Lion and huge buffalo herds are what awaits the intrepid traveller at Ruaha.

An elephant herd in Ruaha National Park.

One cannot mention top safari experiences in East Africa without mentioning the mountain gorillas. A visit to Rwanda to Volcanoes National Park is highly recommended for seeing mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is very easy logistically, to combine with an East African safari and is a fantastic add-on to any safari in the region. Gorilla trekking offers a completely different experience too and is a great way to start or end your safari to East Africa.

Bisate Lodge, Mountain Gorillas

Mountain Gorillas, Bisate Lodge, Rwanda.

The above-mentioned places are arguably the best safari destinations in East Africa for visiting in 2025. For further information or for assistance in booking these places, please contact an Africa Uncovered Travel Expert.

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