Uganda

Uganda is the most affordable place to see mountain gorillas, and it has more of them than any other country. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the south-west holds roughly half the world's population, with smaller numbers in neighbouring Mgahinga.

A gorilla trek means a walk of anything from one to several hours through steep rainforest, followed by one hour with a habituated family. Permits cost US$800 for foreign visitors and sell out months ahead in the dry seasons, so they should be the first thing booked.

Uganda also has the highest number of primate species in East Africa. Kibale Forest is the best place on the continent to track chimpanzees. For savanna wildlife, Queen Elizabeth National Park offers boat trips on the Kazinga Channel among hippos and elephants, and Murchison Falls has the Nile forcing itself through a seven-metre gap in the rock.

Distances are long and roads slow, so allow at least a week for a circuit, or fly to Kihihi or Kisoro for gorillas alone. The southern sectors of Bwindi can also be reached from Kigali in four to five hours. June to August and December to February are the driest months.