Choosing between a safari in Kenya or Tanzania must be one of the hardest. Both countries offer sensational scenery, fantastic game viewing, different aspects of the great wildebeest migration, and a series of bucket-list activities that defy comparison.
Both countries are in East Africa and have coastlines along the warm Indian Ocean as well as Lake Victoria. As neighbours, they obviously share a common border, a sizable chunk of which consists of Serengeti National Park on the Tanzanian side and the Masai Mara National Reserve on the Kenyan side, together forming the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem – one of the biggest and most protected ecosystems on Earth.
This wide-open terrain offers plentiful grazing and, where there are grazers, predators are sure to be found. This is one of the easiest places in the world to spot game as you can have a virtually 360-degree view to the horizon in the Serengeti and Mara. This is the scene for the great wildebeest migration, a continuous movement of two million mostly wildebeest, but also antelope and zebra, in search of water and fresh grazing.
Head for the unusual species found in north Kenya like the ‘Samburu Special 5’. Endemic to the area, they are beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk (giraffe gazelle) and Grevy’s zebra. The west of Tanzania is still home to thick indigenous forest. Go to the Mahale Mountains National Park for chimp trekking amid pristine rain forest.
A Kenya safari is probably more budget-friendly. It’s a numbers game: Kenya has done much more on the international stage to promote itself, which means more flights, more types of accommodation and more safari lovers (don’t think this means crowded though.
Africa is not a place of enormous hotels with thousands of rooms – a 40-room lodge in Kenya is considered unusual and gigantic! The most crowded place on safari will be the Mara River during the migration crossing; even then, it will be less traffic than the average city intersection).
There are very few large hotels or resorts in either country so lodges and camps fill up very quickly over peak/high safari season. If you want to visit at mid-year, be sure to start planning about a year in advance.
Things are a little trickier in Kenya and Tanzania but, in some ways, working harder to find the Big 5 makes it more rewarding when you do. Rhinos are among the most endangered animals on Earth, which makes these beautiful beasts difficult to spot. The best place for reliable Big 5 sightings in East Africa is the Ngorongoro Crater.
There are more private conservancies in Kenya vs Tanzania, so if you are keen to extend your safari beyond game drives, then consider staying in private parts of the Mara if you want to see the Wildebeest Migration and be able to go off-road, see crepuscular species and learn more about the Maasai way of life.
It is more affordable to travel in the low or green season, and pricier to visit during the peak or high season.
Kenya is considered the better option for families with younger children, because more of the lodges and camps have family-friendly elements like private vehicles, age-appropriate activities and family suites. Tanzania is on the up, but Kenya still has the edge for family travel.
Couples and adventurers are spoilt for choice: both Kenya and Tanzania offer sensational honeymoon suites, exciting activities like chimp or camel trekking, and excellent Migration viewing. Kenya has the edge in the number of private conservation areas, but Tanzania has superb options if you’re willing to splurge.
