just visit nairobi and go to the giraffe centre, you can start from there, we are about to have our winter so i don't know about going out on safari this time of year

>>2881130
I was aiming for september or october.

Wonder if Kenya / East Africa will ever become a cheap backpacker style destination. Seems like all the main tourism activities (safaris, mountain gorillas, Kilimanjaro) are all geared at rich boomers, costing thousands each

>>2881143
>Wonder if Kenya / East Africa will ever become a cheap backpacker style destination.
It already is if you have skill. Rent is like $50 a month in Nairobi

>>2879577
If anyone has been to or is in Kenya (as a white guy, of course) can tell me if it's easy to find a date with a Kenyan woman who you're in bed with within a day or two of meeting?

>>2881174
Isn't the whole point of Africa that it can be within hours to minutes of meeting with comical ease?

>>2881174
yes but you need to ask them to bring an hiv test with them, which is common in the sleeping with expats community. they might act shocked to try and save face but they will do it and the request won't cause them to back out of meeting or having sex. you might have to pay them back for the test and would be polite to offer, but they are available in all pharmacies so don't let her alleged inconvenience be an excuse for her not to tst in front of you. you should do the same for sex workers if you take that route.

>>2881143
Nope, the flies make east Africa non viable as a backpacker destination. Too many flies, everywhere, constantly. You can just go anywhere else and not be covered in clouds of flies.

>>2881184
Dont be stupid, just have the quick saliva tests in your apartment.

>>2879577
>Kenya seems the most accessible /
for casual travelers it is
Tanzania has a bit more options in terms of accommodations / tours, but also a little more expensive
Rwanda is better for luxury stuff
>cheapest option
that would be Uganda
which I'd personally prefer and is better if you're an experienced traveler and aim for best bang for buck
also Uganda has more variety if you're only there for Nature / National Parks

>have only touched it for egipt.
egypt is so much worse than anything East Africa kek

>As alternative I have heard good things about zambia and madagascar
no
don't do it
Zambia is okay, but boring (compared to east africa)
madagascar is outright chaos (unless you fly in to a luxury resort) and much more difficult + dangerous to navigate
>but both seem a pain in the ass to reach from europe.
eh it's okay
typically one more connection, if you fly through IST you might get a direct flight from there

>Extra points for cool diving spots
South Africa is No.1 for this for good reasons

for your purposes probably Tanzania
Pemba and Mafia Islands or Lake Tanganyika are the good spots
you probably want to split your vacation up into few days diving, few days safari (at least that's what I do)

other cool ones in no particular order
>Lake Malawi is absolutely awesome
>hammerhead sharks in Sudan
>Senegal N’Gor Island / Madeleine Islands / Goreé Island
>whales, sharks and turtles in mozambique
>Mozambique, safer than SA, there Benguerra / Medjumbe / Quilalea island and Tofu beach
that's excluding North Africa and South Africa

>I'm clueless about that part of the world so all recommendations will be useful.
what do you want to see specifically?

Serengeti / Masai Mara is great for a first time Safari
going from Kenya gives you a few days in Nairobi (which is a pretty cool city)
plus maybe another national park

also your budget?
and time of travel and duration? as this influences prices A LOT

>>2881143
>Wonder if Kenya / East Africa will ever become a cheap backpacker style destination
they already are
if you dare to...

your biggest expense will be National Park entries + drivers
as you typical are only allowed to enter by car with a local driver
Serengeti is $200/day for the entry alone
while parks in Uganda are only $10-40/day

even very basic budget Safaris are very hard to do below 100€/day

the backpacking part itself is really really cheap
>business hotels 10-20€/night
>local "hotels" <5€/night (but will be VERY shitty)
>long distance night buses for 2-10€ across whole countries
>literally impossible to spend like more than 5 for a local meal, Rolex is like 1€
>people are open, sociable and usually welcoming
>local sim with wallet is like 30min to set up
depending on the country, security is a minor concern with some precautions

navigating is the hard part
and lowering your standards of living
it's way less comfortable than shitty hostels in SEA

>>2881174
>If anyone has been to or is in Kenya (as a white guy, of course) can tell me if it's easy to find a date with a Kenyan woman who you're in bed with within a day or two of meeting?
extremely easy if you're average and european looking
HIV is common though
and be aware of extortion and steeling
but otherwise, you're gonna have hundreds of matches on tinder within days

>>2881154
Backpackers don't rent monthly. They move around and see the country.