Tanzania

Almost the size of France, nearly a quarter of the entire country has been set aside for wildlife conservation. Few countries can say the same. Tanzania is where mobile tent camping is a tradition and one of the best places in Africa to explore on foot. It's beautiful beaches and islands can easily rival those anywhere in the world. It has 12 national parks, 16 game reserves, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, two marine parks as well as several marine reserves.

Here are some of our favorite places to go and why:

Lake Manyara National Park: Nestled under the wall of the Great Rift Valley, this park used to be one of the most popular hunting areas in Tanzania. We are happy to say that its past is just that - the past. Manyara's wildlife is thriving and it is known for its tree-climbing lions. Just why the lions climb trees is up for debate. While we haven't seen one in a tree for ourselves, we do believe it happens - we've seen the photos! Manyara is also known for its superb birdlife with some 450 species having been identified as well as 40 types of birds of prey. We agree with residents of Tanzania who say that Manyara is underrated as a park, usually visited by tourists for one day while taking part in a northern circuit safari. In our opinion, Manyara deserves more than just a one-day visit.

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Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area: the largest intact caldera in the world, Ngorongoro is one of Tanzania's most popular destinations. Its year-round water supply is able to support a permanent resident population of animals. The steep, 30 minute descent into the crater makes 4WD vehicles mandatory. Getting in and out of the crater is an adventure unto itself! We would remind you that wildlife is not limited to the crater floor. Buffalo, zebra and elephants are regularly seen around lodge properties, which are all located on the crater rim. The crater highlands offer a plethora of hiking options.

Selous Game Reserve: Simply put, we love this place. If you want to feel like you have 21,000 square miles to yourself, then Selous is for you. The reserve is huge, covering nearly 5% of Tanzania's total land area, although only the section of the reserve north of the Rufiji River is open for tourism. Where else can you take a boat ride amidst hippos and crocodiles? Talk about an adrenaline rush! A guided walk with an armed ranger is a highlight of Selous. Our last trip, we tracked lion spoors from Lake Tagalala into the bush. We never saw the lion or the kill it had, but walking along the shore of Lake Tagalala with hundreds of sets of crocodile eyes watching as we did so was an adventure we will never forget. We were so enthralled with following the lion tracks that we forgot to take pictures! Except for a handful of tourist facilities, no human habitation is allowed in Selous. We haven't tried it, but fly camping on Sand River during the dry season is reported to be fantastic. How would you like to wake up in the morning and find that an elephant has dug for water only 20 or so yards from your tent? In our opinion, Selous offers a truly unique safari experience.

Serengeti National Park: This park manages to take our breath away every time we visit. It is large (about 5,700 square miles) and offers some of the most spectacular wildlife and landscape anywhere in the world. It is a World Heritage Site and its Masai name means "endless plain." Known for its lion population, this national park is one of the best places in the world to see them. Almost 350 species of bird have been documented here. The vast majority of the park is comprised of wide-open plains, but there are "kopjes," or rocky outcrops, as well as acacia, river forests and some small lakes. This, along with Masai Mara National Park in Kenya, is the place that documentary films are made of. In fact, it is bordered by Kenya's most famous park. During the calving season, around February, more than 8,000 wildebeest calves are born each day, yes, day. That is the equivalent of a smorgasbord for predators such as lion and hyena. The Serengeti is the epitome of where one can see the rhythm of life and nature at its most untamed. It takes a lot for us to emphasize one park over another, but a trip to Tanzania would not be complete without a stay in Serengeti National Park - www.serengeti.org.

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Tarangire National Park: We love this park, it's as simple as that. With its relative proximity to Arusha, its giant baobab trees, huge termite mounds and a healthy elephant population, we are perplexed why this park isn't over-run by tourists. Having said that, we are happy Tarangire is not crowded with safari vehicles and busloads of tourists. Game viewing in this park is good year round, but especially so during the dry season when animals migrate to the pools of the Tarangire River. During our last stay here, we had elephant pass by our tent at night and impala grazing so close we could almost reach out our tent and touch them. For those feeling a bit romantic, Tarangire offers some of the most spectacular sunsets we have ever seen.

Other areas that you should consider visiting include: Arusha National Park, Lake Eyasi (for a cultural experience with the Hadzabe Bushmen and the Dakota tribe), Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park (for unsurpassed trekking any time of the year by normally physically fit person via 5 routes), Ruaha National Park, Mikumi National Park, Mahale Mountains National Park, Katavi National Park, the island of Zanzibar as well as Mnemba, Pemba and Mafia islands.

Kenya

Kenya has 48 national parks and reserves, including marine parks, as well as numerous private sanctuaries and game ranches. There is something for everyone in Kenya, which is about the size of Texas. Its stunning coastline is about 300 miles from north to south. Kenya offers a wide array of locales to visit - picking which ones to go to is not easy.

Again, here are some of our favorites and why:

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Amboseli National Park: Some of our best elephant encounters have taken place in this park, which borders Tanzania. Even though Mount Kilimanjaro is physically in Tanzania, Amboseli provides the best views of the esteemed mountain. No matter where you are in the park, Mount Kilimanjaro is in plain view. Amboseli is the site of one of the longest and most extensive elephant studies. We would urge you to read Cynthia Moss' book "Elephant Memories" before you embark on a visit to Amboseli. For over 25 years, Moss, founder and director of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, has studied the magnificent elephants of Amboseli. After reading the book and going to Amboseli, one cannot help but wonder if you are looking at some of the members of the "T families" that Moss chronicles in her book. Giraffe, lion, cheetah, buffalo and numerous birds can readily be found in Amboseli, but the highlight is its elephants. How can one describe what it is like to have a herd of 25 or so elephants walk within 20 feet of your vehicle? Just thinking about it is enough to make us want to return to Amboseli time and time again.

Lake Nakuru National Park: Known for its frequent visits of as many as a million greater and lesser flamingoes, Lake Nakuru National Park is named for the alkaline lake of the same name. Lake Nakuru National Park is often described as a paradise for ornithologists. While its bird population is phenomenal, the park is also home to lion, leopard, giraffe and has been declared a black rhino sanctuary.

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Masai Mara National Park: What can we say about the Magnificent Mara? That it the place safari dreams are made of? That is has permeated our souls? The Mara is one of those places that when you go, you become awestruck and tongue-tied. It is no wonder the Mara is frequently called the best wildlife park in Kenya. All the big game (lion, cheetah, leopard, buffalo, elephant and even a small amount of black rhino) are here, as well as over 400 different bird species. The Mara is a blend of wide savannah, rolling hills and river forests with the Great Escarpment serving as a dramatic backdrop. At 590 square miles, the Mara is small by African standards. But as the old adage goes, "Good things come in small packages." The Mara and Talek rivers are an invaluable water source for the wildlife and provide dramatic moments during the Great Migration. In our opinion, this park should not be missed. It always manages to offer us spectacular moments and the best of memories.

Meru National Park: One can't help but wonder when you see a lion in this park if it is a descendent of the famed lioness Elsa, who was reintroduced to the wild and released in Meru after being hand-reared by George and Joy Adamson. Elsa's story was a best-selling book and a movie of the same name, "Born Free." Once a hot bed for poaching and banditry, the Kenyan government and the Kenya Wildlife Service - www.kws.org, appears to have gained the upper hand. Meru is now experiencing a renewed interest by tourists. It's not a new park, but it is being touted as Kenya's newest wildlife attraction. Meru will make you work to see its animals. It is comprised of tall grasses, swamp, forest and brush - all of which provide shelter for both predators and herbivores. Understandably, the animals are a bit more skittish, but we can guarantee that you will be hard-pressed to see another safari vehicle while exploring the park. As it is now, Meru is an unspoiled paradise, where one can't help but hum the haunting theme song, "Born Free, as free as the grass grows. As free as the wind blows, Born Free to follow your heart. Stay free…"

Tsavo National Park: Kenya's largest park, at about 8,000 square miles, Tsavo is actually divided into two areas: Tsavo East and Tsavo West. The most developed is Tsavo West, where the landscape is made up of volcanic hills and semi-arid plains. Mzima Springs, an underwater viewing platform, is located in this part of the park. Tsavo East is definitely more remote and life revolves around the Galana River. Again, you will have to work to see the wildlife here, but the landscape and terrain make it worth the effort. Famous for its man-eating lions, Tsavo is a fantastic park. If you decide that Tsavo is a place to visit, then we would urge you to read Philip Caputo's book, "Ghosts of Tsavo." It is about four scientists who try to unlock the secrets of the fierce man-eating lions of Tsavo, who killed an estimated 135 people in the late 1800s.

Other locations that should be considered visiting include: Nairobi National Park, Mt. Elgon National Park, Lake Victoria, Aberdare National Park, Mt. Kenya National Park (Kenya's highest mountain) for hiking, Lake Magadi region, Lake Naivasha, Lake Baringo, the Laikipia region (where most of the private ranches and reserves are located), Samburu National Reserve, Malindi-Watamu Marine National Reserve and the island of Lamu.