When you think of Africa, the picture in your mind’s eye is quite likely a single acacia tree silhouetted on the savanna against a flame-red horizon, inching towards infinity. That classic image is almost certainly from the Maasai Mara.

Nakuru, Kenya's fourth-largest city and capital of Nakuru County, is a rapidly growing, cosmopolitan, and scenic agricultural hub located 160 km from Nairobi. Situated in the Great Rift Valley at 1,850 meters, it is renowned for its mild climate, the nearby Lake Nakuru National Park (famous for flamingos).

Weighing in at over four times the size of the Serengeti, the wild frontiers of the Selous Game Reserve are home to a dizzying number of animals, including over 200,000 cape buffalo, 80,000 wildebeest, 30,000 elephants, and the country's most stable African wild dog population. The park is also home to Tanzania's largest hippopotamus and crocodile populations.

Arusha National Park is a perfect trip for day safaris, as it is close to both Arusha and Moshi. With terrain that ranges from open savannah to tropical rainforest, the park is dominated by the shadow of Mt. Meru, whose summit offers an unparalleled view of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Lake Bogoria National Reserve is a beautiful place with the pink cloud of flamingoes and the geysers bubbling with the most spectacular hot water volcanic springs. Much more is the fascinating phenomenon of the hot springs, an indication that molten rock does not lie far below the earth's surface.

Officially Tanzania's smallest national park, tiny Rubondo Island in the heart of Africa's largest lake packs a lot into its 240 square km. Known as the Jewel of Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park boasts a unique diversity of flora and fauna, including the endemic Sitatunga.