Traveling to Africa from Europe without flying is more of challenging trip but possible! It needs you to use a combined alternative of transportation methods like use of trains, buses, ships, and or driving. Such cross borders journey takes much time than flying, but it is more rewarding than flying.

Below are some ways to reach there from Europe;

1. Travel to a European or Middle Eastern Port

First, you need to be in Europe for you to be able to travel to Africa without flying by reaching a port city in Europe where you can catch a boat or a ship. Below are the some departure points:

• From Europe:

You can travel to Africa without flying through the following ports;

Spain: The Spain port is located in Barcelona city that connects you to Morocco by ferry.

France: France port is located in Marseilles city; the oldest city in France, this port connects you to Spain. You can have rest in Spain before proceeding to Barcelona for a ferry to Morocco.

Italy: The Italy port is located in Genoa city; you can travel to Africa from Italy on ferry to Spain.

United Kingdom: Portsmouth is the main and popular port in UK and operates daily ferries to Santander port in Spain then Connect from Spain to Morocco from Barcelona city.

2. Board Train or Bus to the Port

If you are starting from a different part of the world (e.g., Asia or the Americas), you will need to travel by land or by sea to one of these departure cities. For example:

• From Europe or the UK: Take a train or bus to the port city.
• From the Americas: You would travel overland or by boat to a European or African port city, possibly via the Caribbean or South America. Trains and buses across South America can be part of the journey.

3. Cross the Mediterranean or Red Sea by Ferry

Once you have made it to a port in Europe or the Middle East, you can travel to Africa by boat. Below are the travel options:

• Mediterranean Ferry: You can take ferries from Spain, Italy, or France to Morocco, Tunisia, or Algeria.
• Cargo Ship: You can also book passage on a cargo ship traveling from Europe to African. It is a longer and less conventional option, but it is a possible if you are flexible with your itinerary.

4. Considerations

• Visas: Most African countries require you to have visas for entry, therefore, be very sure to check the visa requirements for each country you plan to transit through.
• Health and Safety: Ensure you have yellow fever vaccinations as its requirement for most African countries.
• Time and Budget: The journey of traveling from Europe to Africa without flying will take a lot of your time, weeks or months. Make sure you enough time to spend and enough money

Example Itinerary:

• Start in London by train or bus to a port in Southern Europe like Barcelona or Marseilles).
• Get a Ferry to Morocco from Spain or France
• Travel by Bus or train through Morocco into Mauritania, Senegal etc.
• Travel across West Africa by bus, train or get self-drive car.
• Continue by boat from a coastal port (e.g., Dakar in Senegal) to an African country like Ghana, or to the Canary Islands if needed for further connections.

Conclusion

While flying is by far the fastest and most common way to get to Africa, traveling without flying is possible, though much more time-consuming and challenging. It requires creativity, patience, and flexibility. Whether you are hopping on ferries, traveling by cargo ship, or going overland through several countries, this alternative journey can become an exciting, memorable adventure!

When it comes to planning African safari, the first question that runs on every travelers mind is cost. Well, here is the Average cost of an African safari is $250 per person per day. The cost can increase or be reduced depending on the type accommodation, Group size, and season of travel and other several factors such as increase or decrease of taxes.

Below we have given the average cost of an African safari for parks and safari destinations.

African safari to Kenya Cost From $200 per person per day.

Budget safari cost is $250 per person

High-end luxury safari cost is $700 per person

Kenya is the popular African destination that offers best budget safaris. It costs less than $1000 to do safari in Masai Mara as it has a lot of camping and cheapest safari tents and cottages.

• ​​Masai Mara Entry fee is $200 per padult per day and $50 per child per day, masai mara offers best wildebeest migration experince in Africa.
• Ambosoli National park entry fee is $60 per Adult per day, and $35 per child per day. Ambosoli offers magnificent views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Game drives and hot air balloon to see Elephants and other widlife and is also place for cultural tours.
• Lake Nakuru National Park Entry fee is $60 per adult per day, and $35 per child per day. Nakuru is home to thousands of flamingos and more than 450 species of bird.
• Samburu National Reserve Entry fee is $70 per adult per day, and $40 per child per day, Samburu is the perfect park for walking safaris and nature hikes, horseback ride and balloon rides.

African safari to Tanzania Costs From $350 per person per.

Budget Safari Cost $350 per person and Luxury Tanzania Safari Cost $800 per person. Safari to Tanzania is an amazing African safari experience; Serengeti offers a variety of Animals

• Serengeti National Park entry fee is $60 per adult per day, and $20 per child per day.  There is superb wildebeest migration experience in Serengeti, Masai cultural tour and visit Bologonja springs
• Ndere National Park entry fee is $50 per adult per day, and $15 per child per day. Ndere national park is famous for having cheetah, Giraffes, lions, leopards, zebras, hippos, Rhinos and Elephants etc
• Lake Manyara National Park entry fee is $40 per adult per day, and $15 per child per day. This park is known for having tree climbing lions, foot safaris, game rides, local boat canoeing, and bird watching etc.
• Ngorongoro Crater entry fee is $70 per adult per day, and $23 per child per day. There are over twenty six thousand (26,000) mammals available to see during game drive, over 590 species of birds, viewing Ngorongoro crater and visit Tanzania Bushmen.

African Safari to South Africa Cost from $150

South Africa Budget Safari Cost from $ 200 per person and High End Luxury Safari Cost from $600 per person per day.

South Africa is one of the famous African Safari country with Kruger national park being the most visited of all parks. Other destinations to visit while in Kruger are Madikwe Game Reserve, Cape Town etc.

• Kruger National Park entry is R540 per adult per day, and R267 per child per day. This national park offers various safari activities such as game drives, guided walking safaris, mountain biking, bush braai, bird watching and Golf etc.
   
• Mala Mala Game Reserve entry fee is R310 per vehicle and R140 per person per day. Mala mala is destination for big5 safari that offers luxury accommodation.

Uganda Safari Cost From $ 300 per person per day.

Budget Safari Cost from $ 330 per person per day and $700 per person per day for luxury safari.

Uganda is the least crowded of all African destinations; it is suitable for budget, midrange and luxury. Uganda offers amazing safari experiences such as tracking mountain gorillas, watching over 1,000 species of birds, Game drives in Murchison falls, Tracking of Chimpanzees, boat safaris, Batwa cultural experience and white water rafting etc.

• Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park is $800 per person per trek. This is the best mountain gorilla trekking national park in Africa and whole world!
• Murchison Falls National Park entry fee is $45 per person per day. The is the place to view magnificent, powerful waterfalls, game drives, Nile boat cruise, birding etc.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park entry fee is $40. Take boat safari to Kazinga channel, game drives; see tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, bird watching etc.

Traveling without a tour leader can be an amazing African safari holiday experience that allows you to discover more unique tourist’s spots of personal interest. Here we have outlined essential tips to help you through your journey:

1. Research Your Destination

Doing deep research of destination of interest is very essential while travelling without tour leader. It is important to Understand local traditions, way of life, culture and believes. In addition, check latest travel advisory for the destination of interest, this is very important for your safety.

2. Plan Your Itinerary

Know what you need to see and experience and plan of your itinerary accordingly by listing key tourist’s sites and experiences you do not want to miss. It’s also important to research about public transportation option if you are not renting a car, Book safari lodges or Hotels in advance mostly during high seasons.

3. Stay Organized

Be organized by the use of mobile applications for easy navigation such as google maps and local guides and translation. In addition, take good care of your travel documents (like copies of your passports, visa approval letters, insurance) is advisable to keep your documents digitally and physically to avoid any unnecessary loss.

4. Connect with Locals

Always Ask for Recommendations from local people, you can do this at your early stage of planning by contacting any reputable tour company and ask for advice and recommendation for sites to visit. Stay InTouch and Engage with local people during your stay, be friendly and gentle and follow local news. Also try to learn some basics of local languages for fun and better experience.

5. Be Flexible

Be flexible by plan adjustment; always be willing to changing your itinerary based on several conditions such as weather, local events, or new recommendations from expert.

6. Stay Safe

Stay safe by knowing the Emergency Contacts, be Familiar with local emergency numbers and know the location of the nearest police station or embassy, in addition, Keep your belongings and be aware of your surroundings.

Conclusion;

Traveling without a tour leader can be an amazing experience and allows greater personal growth of travel experience, but it is challenging to plan a trip in some destination. Please do not try to travel without a leader if you know that you are not capable to handle tasks, for that case you will need to hire local tour operator to organize a holiday for you. Need assistance with Uganda safari? Then reach out to us.

When it comes to planning African safari, everyone wants to get in touch with a reliable and experienced safari consultants. Here we are introducing to you the best African safari consultants for Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Oima Paul

Safari Consultant

When it comes to Uganda safari consultation then Oima Paul is the right person to talk with. He is the founder and CEO of Four Crane Safaris, Ugandan based local Company specializing in Gorilla trekking, cultural tours, game drives, boat safaris etc, Four Crane Safaris is also recognized as the best tour company in Uganda. Oima Paul has been in safari business for 11 years and he is always committed to simplifying complicated task of safari planning by ensuring that his clients understand what they are paying for and what they expect from trip.He provides quality holiday safari services at affordable pricing which is impossible for other safari companies to match. He his always transparent over everything.

Nelson Nyamai

Safari Consultant

Nelson Nyamai is a prominent personality in African safari consultation with over 16 years of experience. He is the Founder of Terminal Tours Kenya where he provides quality safari services, including Wildebeest migration in Masai Mara. His dedication to providing practical advice makes him one of the best safari consultant in not only in Kenya but also in East Africa and Africa at large.

 

 

Safari Sammy

Safari Consultant

Safari Sammy is Rwanda based safari consultant who is dedicated in ensuring that travelers understand what Rwanda offers and what to expect. He is committed in organizing authentic safari experience in Rwanda. He is the founder and CEO of Serenity Adventure Safaris, a Rwandan based local tour company where he provides quality services to travelers.

Vincent Steven Ashayo

Safari Consultant

Vincent Steven Ashayo is considered one of the best safari consultants in Tanzania; he is the founder of Spirit of Tanzania. Vincent has over 5 years’ experience of planning Tanzania safaris. He is the right person to contact when looking for Wildebeest migration experience in Serengeti.

When it comes to the safari experience, what comes to every travelers mind is Wildebeest migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara and gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable national park. The combination of the two safari activities come up with mixture of memorable Kenya and Uganda safari. However, apart from Gorillas and Wildebeest experiences, there other safaris destinations in both Kenya and Uganda as follows,

• Kibale Forest national Park in Uganda: considered the best reserve in Africa to view chimpanzees, Kibale forest located in West southern Uganda, bordering Queen Elizabeth National park, and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. There are two sectors where chimpanzee tacking is done in Kibale and that is Braiga and Kanyanchu.

Braiga Sector has the newest Chimpanzee family that was habituated few years ago and now available for visitors to track.

Kyanyanchu sector is the oldest of all; it is where most of Chimpanzee tracking takes place.

• Amboseli National park in Kenya: This national park is the home to the big number of Masai giraffes, African bush Elephants, cape Buffaloes, blue Wildebeest, Zebras, lions, Impalas, cheetah etc.  Amboseli National park offers great views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

• Nairobi National park in Kenya: Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya, this is the only African city with national park with over 400 bird species, and it is the home to largest number of rhino.

• Queen Elizabeth National park in Uganda: The second largest national park in Uganda and named after the queen of England. Queen Elizabeth national park is the only the only place where tree climbing lions are found. A view of kyambura gorge while on your hotel is breathtaking experience.

• Lake Mburo National Park: If you are looking for foot guided safari, then Lake Mburo is the right place for your next safari. Lake mburo national park has large number of birds, zebras, Giraffes etc.

Conclusion;

When planning for Kenya and Uganda safari, it is mostly recommended to combine Bwindi impenetrable national park, Kibale forest national park and Masai Mara Game reserve for the superb wildlife African safari experience. We at Four Crane Safaris will assist you to organize a memorable safari to Kenya and Uganda.

Most people are wondering why most travelers flock to Uganda all year round, here we are revealing the secret why most travelers come to Uganda, one of them are  budget Uganda safaris which are affordable to most budget travelers.

Here we have listed the four destinations where one can find the best Uganda safari experiences at affordable price;

3 Days Safari to Murchison Falls national Park

 Murchison falls is the largest national park in Uganda and located in north Western Uganda, its known for its powerful waterfalls, big number of hippos, Gazelles, elephants etc. Murchison falls offers most affordable Uganda budget safaris. The park has budget lodges that offer non self-contained rooms to suit budget travelers need. Fort Murchison Lodge, red Chilli Rest Camp, and Ikorom Safari Lodge are the best Budget lodges in Murchison falls national park.

4 Day Safari to Kidepo Valley National

Another affordable budget safari in Uganda is a trip to Kidepo; it is in north Eastern part of Uganda. The only isolated national park in Uganda. Though reaching their take the whole 12 hours’ drive but it worth it. Kidepo has the best wilderness experience and is considered the best national park to visit in Uganda.  Kidepo Savannah Lodge is the only best budget safari lodge in this national park.

3 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park

This national park has the largest number of animals such as hippos, lions, buffaloes, Elephants etc. that can be seen while on game drive and during boat safari. The Bush lodge and Engiri Lodge are the lodges that offer budget accommation options in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

2 Days Safari to Lake Mburo

This is the most affordable Budget Uganda safaris, Lake Mburo national park is the nearest national park to Kampala or Entebbe and it is the only national park where foot safari takes place. Activities include game drive, boat safari, walking safari etc.

Conclusion;

Uganda has other affordable budget safari destinations such as Bwindi impenetrable national park and Kibale forest national park. Combination of these budget safaris will make up a memorable safari experience.

Kampala is the capital and commercial city in Uganda, it is considered the best city in East Africa to live in.

It is located in central Uganda, bordering Wakiso, Mukono and Mpigi District. The main common languages spoken are English, Luganda, Ateso, Kiswahili, Runyankole, and Luo languages.

There are several things to do while touring Kampala capital city and it includes visiting the following places;

Kabaka Palace

This is the Buganda king palace and it is the oldest and biggest palace in Uganda, this palace is located at the center of Kampala city and costs only $10 per person for entry. You will learn Buganda tribe culture and get to visit the place of Armoury built by Idi Amin with help of Israelites, which later he turned into torture chamber; it was built with 5 inches electrified metallic door.

Uganda Martyrs Shrine  

This is the historical religious site where the 32 Christians who refused to denounce their faith were murdered by burning in June 1886 by orders of Kabaka Mwanga the second. Thousands of Christians gather here from whoever the world each year 3rd June to commemorate the lives of those who lost their lives.

Kasubi Tombs

This is the royal burial site for Buganda Kingdom; there are four royal tombs in Muzibu Azaala Mpanga which is the main building. The site was former palace of Buganda King built in 1882 and converted into royal burial site in 1884.

Uganda Museum

This is the largest and oldest museum in Uganda, located in at center of Kampala just next to Uganda wildlife Authority headquarters.It displays past and present Uganda natural historical heritage.

The sites listed above are few summery, there are many other things to do while in Kampala such as Baha’i Temple, Visiting local markets, Sightseeing tours, visiting Parliament of Uganda etc.

Wildebeest Migration in the African continent is known by many as the World Cup of Africa. This migration happens in Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara game reserve and this is the main reason many tourists flock to venture into Kenya and Tanzania for the wildebeest Migration safari experience that happens around mid-year.

How it Works;

How Does The Great Migration Work?

Migration is the movement of animals such as wildebeests, and zebras in search of water and green pastures. Wildebeest migration normally starts in July to October every year.

Can The Migration River Crossings Be Predicted?

Crossing river migration cannot be predicted as some of the wildebeest arrive at the river and start swimming immediately, some arrive and hang around for some time but some arrive and turn back immediately that is why no one can predict the migration river crossing.

What Month Is The Wildebeest Migration?

Wildebeest migrate all your round but the best months are June, July, August, September, and October, this is when the biggest number of wildebeest migration happens.

Where Does The Great Migration Start?

Because wildebeest migration happens year-round, the start and endpoint of this journey is unknown.

Why Do Wildebeest Migrate?

The wildebeest Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania is caused by a lack of water and grass, therefore the reason why Wildebeest migrates is to look for water and pasture.

What Months are the Wildebeest Migration in Kenya?

Wildebeest migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara starts in July every year and goes for 3 to 4 months till the end of October.

When to go for Great Migration in Tanzania?

Wildebeest's great migration in Serengeti National Park takes place between May and December. Wildebeest in Serengeti migrate towards the Masai Mara game reserve in a clockwise direction before returning to the Ngoro Ngoro conservation area.

Does Migration happen in Uganda?

Uganda does not have great wildebeest migration, most safari tours made in Uganda are primate-focused excursions such as gorillas and chimpanzees.

Uganda is known for its incredible wildlife experiences such as gorilla trekking, game drives, boat safaris, and chimpanzee trekking, this has contributed to the growth of many beaches with most of them located in the Entebbe area.

Below is the list of 5 best beaches in Uganda;

1. White Sandy Beach

 Located just a few minutes’ drive from Entebbe International Airport and opposite the luxurious protea hotel opposite the UN base. This beach receives large numbers of visitors mostly over the weekend. While on white sand, you will be surrounded by a peaceful and scenic environment, and experience fine African food, luxury dining, and entertainment with Uganda music.

2. Lido Beach

This is one of the oldest beaches in Uganda and is also located in serene Entebbe city, a few kilometers away from the airport, it’s also near to white sandy beach. This is the perfect place for family gateways during weekends and Christmas holidays. Lido Beach has several sports activities that will keep you active all day long.

3. Spennah Beach

This beach is known as Party Beach, one of the most visited beaches in Uganda, most parties are held over the weekends in Spennah Beach such as birthdays, weddings, engagements, and introduction parties.

4. One Love Beach

owned and operated by a musician who is now a politician known as Bobi Wine it’s among the most visited beaches in Uganda and it’s located in Busabala. The activities done on this beach include volleyball, playing football, sunbathing, etc.

5. Lutembe Beach

This beach is ideal for relaxation, it is an amazing place for bird watching since it is near to Lutembe wetland, I home to hundreds of birds, and is also known as a bird Sanctuary.

Conclusion:

There are several beaches in Uganda that one can choose for relaxation holidays. Most of them are located in Entebbe, Kampala, Sseses island, and Jinja source of the river Nile.