Destinations

One of Kenya's largest parks, a red-dust wilderness along the Galana River known for its rust-coloured 'red elephants' and Lugard Falls' rapids.

Eleven monolithic churches carved downward into volcanic rock in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, still active places of worship today.

A small coral atoll off Zanzibar's northeast tip, its protected reef holding the best diving and snorkelling within reach of the island.

Africa's first national park, protecting mountain gorillas since 1925, and the most accessible gorilla trekking destination anywhere thanks to its proximity to Kigali.

A UNESCO-listed escarpment landscape in northern Ethiopia, home to the gelada baboon and the endemic Walia ibex, with multi-day trekking toward Ras Dashen.

A glaciated UNESCO World Heritage range on the DRC border, climbing through forest, bamboo and moorland to Margherita Peak, Africa's third-highest point.

Uganda's smallest national park, set among three dormant Virunga volcanoes on the border with Rwanda and DRC, sharing its gorilla population with both.

Savannah, crater lakes and a channel linking two lakes, with tree-climbing lions in Ishasha and 600-plus bird species across the park.

Uganda's largest and oldest park, built around the point where the Nile forces through a seven-metre gorge and drops 43 metres into the gorge below.

331 square kilometres of ancient rainforest holding roughly half the world's mountain gorillas, split into four trekking sectors on Uganda's southwestern border.

A varied wilderness of springs, lava flows and lake, with the full Big Five and one of the more visually striking landscapes in southern Kenya.

Rwanda's largest lake, forming the border with DRC, used mainly for boat trips, swimming and a break between the country's more demanding trekking destinations.