East Africa Itinerary (How to Plan a 2 Week Multi Country Trip)

As I embark on my 100th country, my heart is full with the transformation that happens in one’s heart when they travel & explore the world. This East Africa itinerary is more than a travel plan — it is a reflection of how deeply a journey can shape the soul.

I was 20 when I first visited Africa on a mission trip to Mozambique. I remember how life altering it was for me that trip did to my heart & shaped my future. 

Decades later, I decided to embark on another journey into Africa that involved multi- country crossing on land. After a month of rigorous research, I found a company, Antique Safaris Adventures that offers private tours that included Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Congo & Burundi.

Though I opted not to spend a night in Congo, we were anticipating to experience Congo while hiking Mount Sabinyo where her peak is shared by the countries of Rwanda, Tanzania & Congo. 

After much discussion, the owner Geoffrey carved an excellent itinerary, where these countries were visited in a time span of two weeks, which included three Safaris, Two Boat Tours, & eight cultural experience tours that was amazing.

So, two of my very courageous friends Michele in Texas & Zuzanna in Croatia joined me on this life adventure. 

Our first safari game drive in Kenya. Traveled for over 25 hours, barely slept & ready to go! 

Planning your East Africa travel itinerary

Visas Requirements

The visas for these multi-country travels were quite a nightmare — especially for Kenya. The East Africa visa begins at the country of entry, which in our case was Kenya, and it included Uganda and Rwanda.

The process of obtaining the East Africa visa through Kenya was complicated and honestly made us quite upset, as we had to pay three times for the visa. My mistake was applying too early — three months ahead of time — and they issued the wrong dates. I requested a refund, but instead, they required me to reapply.

The recommended timeframe is 30 days before departure. The visa costs $150 and is normally approved within five days. The start date begins from the date of application, and they allow a 30-day window for you to arrive.

You will need:

• Proof of travel
• Hotel reservations
• A digital copy of your passport
• A passport photo

Unfortunately, I had to reapply again after they sent incorrect dates, which resulted in paying double for my visa.

Lesson learned: Apply within 30 days of travel and double-check your dates before submitting.

Kenya–Uganda Border Crossing

When we arrived at the border of Kenya & Uganda, they didn’t allow Zuzanna & I entry as our visa was not valid in their eyes. We had to reapply for an East Africa visa at the border again for $105 per person.

They would not accept our brand new $10 or $5 bills & demanded crisp $100 bills. Geoffrey had to exchange the money for us to get us what we needed. The process took about 45 minutes & I was grateful that we were the only ones there & the lines were not long. 

Kenya, Africa

We flew into Nairobi, Kenya, via Turkish Airlines, with a layover in Istanbul before a six-hour flight to Nairobi. It was an interesting experience — they didn’t turn the cabin lights off until two hours before landing.

We were served a hot meal, and then an hour later, they brought out a sandwich and cake, which was weird.

The arrival into immigration took us about 30 minutes wait time as we had a very slow agent. According to border control in Uganda, Kenya should have issued us the East Africa visa sticker at the airport which they did not.

There were hundreds of people in line but the movement was steady. 

Drive to Masai Mara from Kenya Airport

Geoffrey met us with opened arms & here began our five hour journey into Masai Mara Reserve. We have traveled for over 25 hours & went straight to our 8 hours safari 😂.

We tried to fall asleep in the car but it was too bumpy for us to get deep sleep. It takes about two hours from the entrance of Masai Mara to our beautiful lodge, Pride Inn. 

Accommodation in Kenya

Pride Inn Mara Hotel

The first hotel into Kenya was incredible & inviting. After a long two days of travel & safari, we were happy to spend a night at this hotel. This hotel is next to the Masai Mara Reserve where thousands from all over the world travel to experience the safari. 

Room

The rooms were very spacious. Keep in mind hotels in these lodges do not have air conditioning, always bring a portable fan with you if you need air circulation. Most of the hotels have a fan in the rooms & ours did too. 

The shower area was really cool & creative. Allow 5 minutes for the hot water to run. As for me, due to the heat, I enjoy the cold showers. 

The weather in Masai Mara was cooler. We actually needed a jacket at night. The service was excellent. Remember to always tip the hotel staff that serve you as it goes a long way for them, marking your appreciation. 

Our quick coffee break before our safari at the Pride Inn Restaurant. 

Game Drive Safari in Masai Mara, Kenya

This was my first 8 hour game drive experience. Our tour guide, Dan who is Maasai drove us the whole day as we played hide and seek with the animals. The drive is refreshing & breath-taking. 

The 8 hour safari drive did my heart a lot of good. It cleared a lot of the noise in my head.

The Maasai Warrior Tribe

The Maasai Warrior Tribe is a semi-nomadic, well respected tribe in Kenya & Tanzania. They have a deep & meaningful culture that involves nature & cattle. The Crown Jewels for the men is how many lions they have killed. The men wear red to deter the animals trying to harm. 

The Maasai homes are built by the women. The window is a small hole to deter animal attack at night. 

After visiting the Maasai Village, we drove five hours to our next stop to the Migori Town in the outskirts of Kenya. 

Odi Kidi Cottages

This is a quaint bed & breakfast that has a rustic feel. Unfortunately they did not have fans so we had to use our portable ones at night. 

Uganda Highlights

Border of Kenya & Uganda

We drove five hours from Pride Inn Lodge to the border. The border crossing took an hour because our East Africa Visa that came from Kenya was not accepted & we had to redo it at the border.

We also had complications with our US Bills where we had to go back and forth with the forex place next door. After the border crossing, we drove another two hours to take a boat ride to experience the Source of the Nile. 

The Source of the Nile Boat Ride 

Accommodations & Lodges

Afro Smile Guest House Lodge (Jinja, Uganda)

After an 8 hour drive, we arrived at a beautiful, rustic lodge owned by a nice Pakistani family. Gratefully there were fans in our room for air circulation & bed nets to deter the mosquitos.

It was here that the internet was cut off in the whole country due to the elections. We could not communicate. 

Lunch at Cafe Malete Stop

We had lunch at this tourist cafe. The food was very good & excellent. 

Murchison Waterfalls, Uganda

After lunch, we drove to Murchison Falls to experience the thunderous waterfall. It was a breathtaking experience. 

Bamboo Safari Lodge, Uganda

We did a night safari & got to see giraffes, buffalo, hyenas, antelopes, a lion & watching the sunset was a calming & inspirational experience. 

Morning Game Safari Drive in Murchison Falls, Uganda

This is on the way to our room where there are resting places for hippos at night where they come and rest and graze around the lodge. 

We took an early morning drive at 6:30am to catch some incredible views of the wildlife. This was different than Masai Mara, Kenya as we had to follow a path in the reserve, instead of the ability to drive up to the animals. We were blessed to see giraffes & elephants grazing close to the path. 

I really enjoyed standing the whole time for four hours as the views are so breathtaking at dusk. 

Murchison Falls Boat Ride

We did a three hour boat ride & it was a nice time as we got to see many elephants & hippos and some incredible birds. 

HB Hotel in Hoima, Uganda

After the boat ride, we returned to our lodge for lunch & drove two hours to Hoima, Uganda. We stayed at the HB hotel with air conditioning! Geoffrey, our travel guide picked this hotel last minute due to the elections & it was an excellent choice. 

Waited for an hour for my mushroom soon at the restaurant but we enjoyed the local views. 

Irungu Safari Lodge, Uganda

We then drove about four hours to our next lodge. 

Loved how they carried our bags. The food was also very delicious. 

Chimpanzee & Monkey Safari

Michele & Zuzanna did a four hour chimpanzee safari in the jungle. 

Breathtaking Drive for five hours to our next destination, Mount Sabinyo. We stopped at the roadside to hand out some candy to the local kids.

Ichumbi Hotel in Kisoro, Uganda

 This is a hidden paradise amidst the village life that can be scary for a new traveler.

We spent two nights here as Michele & Zuzanna hiked Mount Sabinyo, the top of the mountain where three countries meet – Rwanda, Uganda & Congo. 

There are a few excellent blogs online on the hike on Mount Sabinyo as it involves a full day hike of close to 9 hours to summit which involved three levels of summiting, and by 1pm, the descent has to be made to make it back on time.

Gorilla Safari in Uganda

Michele booked a gorilla safari 6 months ahead of time with Antique Safari Adventures.

A permit is USD 800, non refundable. The gorillas experience is mandatory in an African trip. Keep in mind you do have to hike to see the gorillas like below.

The hike to the gorillas may take 1-2 hours to the gorillas. Remember to bring some snacks & keep in mind you will be walking in mud deep in the forest. Bring your poncho in case it rains which most probably it will. The hike is worth it once you see the gorillas. 

The Equator Line in Uganda

We stopped at the Equator line where the line separates the Northern & Southern hemisphere.

Rwanda

The Uganda Rwanda Border

It took us 15 mins to drive from our hotel to the Rwanda Border. The whole border crossing experience took about 45 mins to an hour. 

 

Geoffrey dropped us off, we had to wash our hands & they checked our temperature. We then got our bags checked & x rayed. We then got our passports stamped at the Uganda side & we went over to the Rwanda side. 

The drive to Kigali from the border of Uganda reminded me of driving into Bosnia as it’s like a bowl & we kept circling the mountain down to the valley.

Cultural Experience in Rwanda

We had a nice cultural experience where the beautiful tribe danced for us & showed us how they lived. 

We then drove another hour plus into Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The roads were windy as we were driving around the valley.

Accommodation

Hotel Rwanda 

This is a significant hotel where the movie Hotel Rwanda was filmed. The story of how the hotel manager hid many families at this hotel during the genocide for days.

The hotel is luxurious & has excellent food. Highly recommend this place, amidst the travel in Africa. The next day, we went to a very impacting experience.

Rwanda Highlights

Rwanda Genocide History

In 1994, there was a civil war between the two tribes of the Hutus & the Tutsis. It was a horrible time in history where women were raped, children & men were slaughtered.

I remember my late Mother, explaining to me about the war over dinner one night in 1994 at our home in Malaysia. She was encouraging me to pray for the people that are being hurt.

Though I was only 14 then, I understood. As I walk these grounds, my heart was filled with gratefulness that I would one day experience this history & it made me miss my Mom even more.

Lunch at Arts & Craft Center, Rwanda

It was a long travel day so we got some good gifts at this cute place. It rained a lot so we had lunch at the coffee shop which was a nice local treat.  

Dereva Hotel, border of Tanzania & Rwanda

We drove two hours to Dereva Hotel as it borders Tanzania. The rooms were okay, it wasn’t the best hotel in our visit due to the cleanliness.

But on our second night after an 8 hour border crossing into Rwanda, we asked for a bigger room & they exceeded our expectations.

Tanzania & Burundi

Border Crossing from Rwanda to Tanzania

We drove two hours to the border. The border crossing took an hour plus as we had to leave Rwanda & enter Tanzania.

We had to also show our yellow fever vaccination. The whole process took us an hour with the leaving Rwanda & entering Tanzania. The officer was very friendly to us, he was glad we had our Tanzania visas. 

Border of Tanzania & Burundi

We later drove an hour plus to the border of Burundi. This was a once in a lifetime experience as it was chaotic, slow & intense. We had to show our yellow fever vaccination card at the gate, bribe the officers so we can be first in line.

The officer asked for more money. We then drove to the border, hired two runners to take us to get our visa. Paid the officer to do our visas & each of us also paid USD 40 for the visas. We then got into the building to exit Tanzania and enter Burundi.

We were very fortunate to be at the front of the line as a bus load of people came in seconds later. What took forever was registering the car to enter Burundi. They took about an hour to do that. 

Geoffrey, our guide & driver did excellent. He was calm & knew the ropes on what to do. 

Cultural Immersions in Burundi

We then drove another hour and half through some breathtaking views to the city of Gitega, Burundi.

This was the best excursion I experienced in Africa. The drumming was very authentic & heartfelt & they danced in bare feet! We then gave the kids some sweets which was a fun experience.

Market Shopping in Burundi

We stopped by a fruit market in a heavily Muslim populated area & the women wanted pictures with us. 

Accommodation

Jerusalem Gitega Hotel in Burundi 

This was one of my favorite hotels in Africa. It’s one person per room & it’s modern and I slept very well.

Burundi Highlights

Orphanage Visit in Gitega, Burundi

We visited Nice Hope House, an orphanage & a school for the children. It was a very impacting moment for us as we walked the grounds, we walked into some beautiful worship music.The children came & started hugging us. That was a very special moment that I will always remember.

I brought a luggage from the USA with me that included some clothing for the school. We also handed out candy to the kids & it was impacting to see them try their first lollipop.

Crossing the Border from Burundi to Tanzania & Rwanda

We spent over two hours at the Tanzania & Rwanda border because of the massive trucks blocking the roads. Gratefully, our driver Geoffrey was smart in maneuvering through those trucks. 

We then drove a few minutes to immigration & checked out of Tanzania into Rwanda. 

Even though we had our East Africa visas that included Rwanda, when we crossed the border back to Rwanda from Burundi, we had to apply for a transit visa.

Therefore we had to take 45 mins to apply for that visa by going to the Customs counter to pay $30 per person, then go to the bank that is next door, then go back to the immigration officer. We then waited a good 30 mins in line with the other trucks as they went through inspection.

They pulled us over to check our bags. So, the whole border crossing itself took us a good 3 hours. 

We spent 8 hours crossings borders today but it was an experience of a lifetime. There is something very special when we physically cross borders that makes our hearts feel alive.

Accommodation

Velvet Suites AirPort Hotel Kigali, Rwanda 

As our East Africa Pilgrimage comes to an end, we found a nice hotel close to the airport to rest for a few hours before our flight out of Rwanda that night.

Velvet Suites had excellent customer service. I was able to communicate with the front desk via what’s app before booking. We enjoyed lunch & dinner at this nice villa.

A few hours before our departure, because of the snow storm in the USA, Qatar Airlines in partnership with Rwanda Air cancelled Michele’s flight from Rwanda to Qatar, Qatar to Dallas, USA.

We spent two hours trying to get them to rebook her flight. The service desk at Velvet Suites went the extra mile in helping us with the communication.

After much discussion, they finally rebooked Michele to fly with us to Doha.

Departure from Kigali International Airport

Velvet Suites arranged an airport shuttle for us for $10 per person. We had get out of our cars and lay our bags out to be scanned by a dog. It was quite an experience. 

This was my first time flying Rwanda Air. They could not print our boarding pass to the next destination which was from Doha to Atlanta for me & Doha to Dallas for Michele. We waited for 40 minutes for a supervisor to show to help us.

International E-sim

 For this East Africa itinerary, I had Holafly & picked the Global plan. It was $80 for 13 days which included a world plan.

The only place it did not include was Burundi. The customer service was top notch but when I activated the plan four days prior to my travels it included the four days that I didn’t need. I reached out to them & they said it was an interface problem.

Uganda had their elections & internet was shut down for 5 days to avoid a revolution. I closed my sim down so I was not charged. 

Travel tips for Multi country Trips

1. Many things are unpredictable, go with the flow & allow time for border crossings, made to order meals in restaurants as they can take an hour, & shortages in food at restaurants. 
2. Remember to always tip the hotel staff, bell person, server & tour guide. A $1-3 tip goes a long way for these beautiful people. 
3. Always bring lollipops or hard candy for the kids that you will meet on the streets or cultural experiences. 

    4. Bring a portable square fan. Most  hotels abroad do not have air conditioning, so a portable fan will help with the air circulation in the room. 

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