Lake Manyara National Park offers a wilderness experience in diverse habitats, from its Rift Valley soda lake to dense woodlands and steep mountainsides. Apart from a spectacular setting, the park is famous for its unusual tree-climbing lions and the vast elephant herds it was established to protect.

Despite its name, which means “abode of peace” in Arabic, Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s largest and busiest city. It is the country’s most important business and commercial hub and is situated right on the Indian Ocean.

Dar es Salaam is the main port of call for most visitors, as it is an ideal location from which to access both the wilderness areas and the beaches of Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Home to Africa's highest mountain and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro is dominated by the stunning vista that 'Kili' provides.

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.

One of the most important watersheds for the Great Ruaha River, Kitulo is well known for its floral significance – not only a multitude of orchids, but also the stunning yellow-orange red-hot poker and a variety of aloes, proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies and aster daisies, of which more than 30 species are endemic to southern Tanzania.

With many travellers having been in Kenya to witness the legendary Great Migration or chase the Big Five, Kenya is the perfect mix of first-world tourism infrastructure and Africa's exotic charms.

With Nairobi National Park located mere miles from Kenya's biggest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya is a great country for a day safari or a lengthier, multi-park tour.