Uganda - Burundi - Rwanda

If you have 8 weeks in those three countries, then that is plenty of time to look around - in fact, you may have too much time. If you are into adventure sports, then Jinja and the surrounding areas is the place to be - white water rafting, bungee jumping, quad-biking. Also have heard that Lake Bunyonyi and the Mountains of the Moon are beautiful as well, but have not visited there.

For Rwanda, the essential stop is the mountain gorillas - not sure of the latest situation, but two years ago it was the preferred sighting area when compared to Uganda. Though a very dark place in history, the genocide memorials are well worth visiting. If this type of thing interests you, then you must travel south of the country to see the infrequently visited Murambi Genocide Memorial (near Gikongoro) - it is not something you forget easily.

Haven't visited Burundi, but I believe that there is not much to do outside of the capital city of Bujumbura, partly due to the security situation and possible restrictions on travel

I'd strongly recommend a side-trip into Tanzania to see the Serengeti, the finest place on the continent to watch the African animals.

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Well, if you wish to broaden your horizons, then Serengeti is a must and so should be Ngorongoro Crater. If you keep heading east you are in the area of Kilimanjaro which has plenty of outdoor activities. Zanzibar in Tanzania also gets positive reviews but haven't been there myself. The only thing about this itinerary is that you have to backtrack.

However, if you follow this itinerary - Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda - you could visit Lake Nakuru in Kenya first (to see rhinos and flamingos) Nairobi, swing into Mombasa, then onto Zanzibar, Mt Kili, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and then onto Rwanda. Be careful of Burundi, it does have nice people, but it doesn't have the best reputation for safety. If you travel in this order, you will have a wise travel head by then and will be able to decide if you do want to visit Burundi as your second last country. The advantage of Burundi is that when you head into Rwanda, you are very close to the Murambi genocide memorial.

I was quite nervous about East Africa the first time I went in 2008, but loved it so much I returned this year. One word of caution - be very careful in African cities after dark - I found no issues anywhere during the day, but night can be a different matter. You will need to modify your evening behaviour a bit - such as the idea of walking to the pub alone at night in Ireland. Kampala is safe by African standards (note that it is by African standards and not Irish standards) and I found no issue in Kigali either. Nairobi is another matter entirely and after dark, moving around the city should only be done in taxis. Reply to this

Doubt you'll end up alone the entire trip, especially if you are confident to any degree and can approach other people. There are clusters of young backpackers in Kampala and Jinja, and you'll also find that in Nairobi and northern Tanzania (and I believe Zanzibar as well). There will be at least someone who is journeying to the same place as you are going.

I didn't meet many young backpackers in Rwanda (though did meet a few other travellers) but that is at the end of the journey, so you will not mind too much by then. Reply to this