The East Africa Issue

The romance and excitement of an East African safari.

Drumroll, please! Leopard now offers safari holidays to Tanzania and Kenya. Writing this gives me goosebumps because I’ve long wanted to offer East Africa holidays to Leopard clients. We’ve also added two new adventure destinations, Congo Brazzaville and Madagascar. This means that we can help you visit 16 countries on the continent.

People often ask us about the difference between a Kruger and a Serengeti (Tanzania) or Masaai Mara (Kenya) safari. Each have compelling reasons to visit, so it is not an easy decision to make. The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is know for it’s abundance of wildlife, and the great migration of vast herds of wildebeest across the land. Kruger does not have wildlife in the same numbers, but has a better density of wildlife, meaning that you are likely to see the Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino) within a few days.

The landscapes are also quite different. In the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, you typically find open grassland savannah. In Kruger, you will find a variety of habitats including shrub mopane, thorny acacias, marula trees and giant baobabs. Both destinations are family friendly, although each lodge has its policy on whether children are allowed on safari game drives.

Kenya and Tanzania’s tented camps are perfect for those who love nature and the idea of just a sheet of canvas between you and the wild. Depending on your budget, the camps in Kenya and Tanzania often have only basic facilities (no TVs, air conditioning, some may have a bucket shower and chemical toilet). In Kruger, especially in the private reserves that make up Greater Kruger, you will find a selection of luxury lodges with modern facilities, excellent service and outstanding cuisine.

Cost is another consideration. The cost of a safari depends on variables such as time of year, location, logistics and level of luxury you would like. In general, Kruger is more affordable at around $350 – $550 per person per night for a comfortable four star pad compared to $550 – $700 per person per night in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. In Kruger, a luxury five star lodge will cost between $1,000 and $2,000 per person per night, compared to $1,550 – $3,000 in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing a safari. It depends on the kind of experience you wish to have, the time of year you wish to travel, and your budget.

As always, we are just an email or WhatsApp away, if you’d like to have an exploratory discussion on any of our incredible holiday destinations. We look forward to welcoming you to East Africa.

Happy travelling,

Diana

P.S. We have just updated our website. Please take a look and let us know what you think! I love the videos we created for some of the holiday inspiration pages, to better showcase the experience. I think this is my current favourite: https://leopard.voyage/2022/01/24/island-escape/

The Great Migration video can be viewed below.