Gorillas, Game Parks & Beaches

Gorillas, Game Parks & Beaches

Gaze out over a sea of flamingos at Lake Nakuru, Contribute to a community project in Kenya, Spy on Kibale Forest's resident chimps, Meet Rwanda's gentle giants on a gorilla trek, Spot the Big Five in the Serengeti National Park, Go on safari through the Ngorongoro Crater, Pay a visit to kids at the Amani Children's Home, Discover the scenic sights of Tanzania's Usambara Mountains, Experience bliss on Zanzibar's tropical beaches

Be amazed by the astoundingly diverse beauty of East Africa's landscapes: verdant highlands, steamy rainforests, tropical beaches and waving grasslands that sprawl into the horizon. Travel on safari through the game parks of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zanzibar. Try to spot the animals that make them their home including lions, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, giraffes, flamingos, chimpanzees and the rare mountain gorillas of the Rwandan rainforest. Along the way, meet local people whose friendly smiles and sense of community are inspiring. The wonders of East Africa will remain vivid in your memory long after this tour ends.

Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1.

You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting; please ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If your flight arrives too late, we recommend that you consider arriving a day early and book a night's accommodation prior to the trip so you are able to attend. If you are going to be late please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your kitty, insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting so please ensure you have all details on hand to provide to your leader.

Nairobi - which takes its name from a Maasai phrase meaning 'place of cool waters' - has a cosmopolitan atmosphere. There are plenty of good bars and restaurants, while markets and shops have most things you could want or need, as well as various arts and crafts from the region.

If you arrive early, you can head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum (author of Out of Africa) or Bomas of Kenya where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village.

Stay in a simple hotel with swimming pool, restaurant and en suite bathrooms.

Optional Activities

Bomas, Nairobi - USD10.00Carnivore Restaurant, Nairobi - KES2000.00Karen Blixen museum, Nairobi - USD14.00Nairobi National Park safari walk, Nairobi - USD20.00National Museum, Nairobi - USD10.00

Meals Included

1 Breakfast

Accommodation

Hotel (1 nt)

We first drive north-west past great views of the Rift Valley, Lake Naivasha and Elementaita to Lake Nakuru National Park, situated in the heart of the Great Rift Valley (170 km, approx 3-4 hrs).

Stop along the way in the town of Gilgil where we'll learn more about the Saidia Children's Home Project. This project isn't just about the children - they also have a 'Grannie' project which helps elders too. More info is on their website: www.saidia-gilgil.org.uk/.

 

Lake Nakuru National Park's small and compact area, based around a flamingo-filled lake, makes it a great location for spotting wildlife. Along with the other members of the Big Five, Lake Nakuru harbours many rhinos and will be the best chance to get a great picture of these magnificent beasts.

 

Arrive in time for a short evening game drive along the shore of the lake.

 

Tonight's campground is beautifully located - but it's very basic, having drop toilets and basic showers.

 

Included Activities

Accommodation

In the morning of Day 3 we have time for an early morning game drive before returning to camp for brunch.  We then drive to Eldoret (200 km, approx 5-6 hrs). One of Kenya's fastest growing towns, Eldoret is home to some of Kenya's most famous runners due to its high altitude.

 

Camp on the outskirts of Eldoret.

 

On Day 4 we cross the border into Uganda and travel on to its capital city, Kampala (390 km, approx 8-9 hrs). With a population of over 30 million, Uganda is one of the five countries that make up the East African Community. It's a country of great cultural diversity and in recent years has been one of the most progressive in the region in terms of health education relating to HIV. Once the heart of the Buganda Kingdom, Kampala is a bustling city spread over several hills and valleys.

 

Camp on the outskirts of the city.

 

Accommodation

In the morning of Day 3 we have time for an early morning game drive before returning to camp for brunch.  We then drive to Eldoret (200 km, approx 5-6 hrs). One of Kenya's fastest growing towns, Eldoret is home to some of Kenya's most famous runners due to its high altitude.

 

Camp on the outskirts of Eldoret.

 

On Day 4 we cross the border into Uganda and travel on to its capital city, Kampala (390 km, approx 8-9 hrs). With a population of over 30 million, Uganda is one of the five countries that make up the East African Community. It's a country of great cultural diversity and in recent years has been one of the most progressive in the region in terms of health education relating to HIV. Once the heart of the Buganda Kingdom, Kampala is a bustling city spread over several hills and valleys.

 

Camp on the outskirts of the city.

 

Accommodation

After breakfast, we drive to Kampala City. If time allows, it's a great place to wander around on foot, exploring many of its markets and shops.

Our journey to Kibale Forest National Park takes approx 6-7 hrs. If there is time beforehand we may be able to wander the streets of Kampala and witness the colourful market scenes.

 

The main attractions of Kibale are the park's 500 chimpanzees, which have been habituated to human visitors. More closely related to humans than any other living creature, the chimpanzees are a delight to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees.

 

We'll take a 2-4 hour walking safari that gives us the amazing opportunity to watch the way the chimps feed, climb trees, respond to humans and care for their young ones. It's a phenomenal experience and a real highlight. This is a guided walk through thick hilly jungle. You'll need to take water bottles, raincoats, good walking boots and perhaps a walking stick. There's plenty for you to see and do in this beautiful area, including walks to villages, tea plantations, rivers, lakes or just relaxing around the campsite.

 

Camp in a basic campground that has showers and flush toilets.

Included Activities

Chimpanzee Trekking Kibale National Park

Accommodation

After breakfast, we drive to Kampala City. If time allows, it's a great place to wander around on foot, exploring many of its markets and shops.

Our journey to Kibale Forest National Park takes approx 6-7 hrs. If there is time beforehand we may be able to wander the streets of Kampala and witness the colourful market scenes.

 

The main attractions of Kibale are the park's 500 chimpanzees, which have been habituated to human visitors. More closely related to humans than any other living creature, the chimpanzees are a delight to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees.

 

We'll take a 2-4 hour walking safari that gives us the amazing opportunity to watch the way the chimps feed, climb trees, respond to humans and care for their young ones. It's a phenomenal experience and a real highlight. This is a guided walk through thick hilly jungle. You'll need to take water bottles, raincoats, good walking boots and perhaps a walking stick. There's plenty for you to see and do in this beautiful area, including walks to villages, tea plantations, rivers, lakes or just relaxing around the campsite.

 

Camp in a basic campground that has showers and flush toilets.

Included Activities

Chimpanzee Trekking Kibale National Park

Accommodation

Our journey to the Queen Elizabeth National Park takes approx 5.5 hrs.  We take a game drive on our way to the camp then take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, well-known for pelicans, eagles and other wonderful birdlife, as well as its healthy population of hippos.

 

Stay at a basic camp on the grounds of a lodge which has drop toilets and basic showers.

 

Included Activities

Accommodation

Our journey here takes approx 6-7 hrs. If time allows, one of the best ways to admire the landscape is from on the lake itself by hiring a traditional dugout canoe (mokoro). They can be hard to master at first but great fun.

 

Our campground has flush toilets with basic showers.

 

Optional Activities

Accommodation

We first cross the border into Rwanda and travel via Kigali to Ruhengeri (200 km, approx 6-7 hrs).

 

Rwanda's capital, Kigali, is a great place to explore on foot - from its market areas to the infamous Hotel Rwanda. Visit Kigali's very moving genocide memorial. We may visit the memorial on the way to Ruhengeri or on our return.

 

We allow two days for gorilla visits as you are assigned a trekking group/time on your permit. The group may be split up into different trekking groups during the day, or even over two days, depending on the time of permit issue and group size. There is a maximum group size of eight on each gorilla visit. No more than eight per day can visit any one habituated family and visits are strictly controlled to minimise the possibility of disturbance or transmission of disease to the animals. Tracking gorillas in the dense forest can sometimes be wet, muddy and uncomfortable. The terrain is by no means easy either, so it can be pretty strenuous and often humid, but the sheer thrill in coming across a habituated group of gorillas, dominated by a great male silverback, more than outweighs any difficulty. You need to be prepared and fit enough to walk up to 4 hours - up and down hill. We can usually get very close to the mountain gorillas, who are placid and gentle, and watching their movements is like seeing a mirror image of yourself. Your visit with the gorillas will last one unforgettable hour.

 

When you are waiting for, or have completed, your gorilla visit, your leader will provide you with options and ideas on how you can spend your time in the area around Ruhengeri.

 

Stay in dormitories at a local church mission.

 

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

We first cross the border into Rwanda and travel via Kigali to Ruhengeri (200 km, approx 6-7 hrs).

 

Rwanda's capital, Kigali, is a great place to explore on foot - from its market areas to the infamous Hotel Rwanda. Visit Kigali's very moving genocide memorial. We may visit the memorial on the way to Ruhengeri or on our return.

 

We allow two days for gorilla visits as you are assigned a trekking group/time on your permit. The group may be split up into different trekking groups during the day, or even over two days, depending on the time of permit issue and group size. There is a maximum group size of eight on each gorilla visit. No more than eight per day can visit any one habituated family and visits are strictly controlled to minimise the possibility of disturbance or transmission of disease to the animals. Tracking gorillas in the dense forest can sometimes be wet, muddy and uncomfortable. The terrain is by no means easy either, so it can be pretty strenuous and often humid, but the sheer thrill in coming across a habituated group of gorillas, dominated by a great male silverback, more than outweighs any difficulty. You need to be prepared and fit enough to walk up to 4 hours - up and down hill. We can usually get very close to the mountain gorillas, who are placid and gentle, and watching their movements is like seeing a mirror image of yourself. Your visit with the gorillas will last one unforgettable hour.

 

When you are waiting for, or have completed, your gorilla visit, your leader will provide you with options and ideas on how you can spend your time in the area around Ruhengeri.

 

Stay in dormitories at a local church mission.

 

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

We first cross the border into Rwanda and travel via Kigali to Ruhengeri (200 km, approx 6-7 hrs).

 

Rwanda's capital, Kigali, is a great place to explore on foot - from its market areas to the infamous Hotel Rwanda. Visit Kigali's very moving genocide memorial. We may visit the memorial on the way to Ruhengeri or on our return.

 

We allow two days for gorilla visits as you are assigned a trekking group/time on your permit. The group may be split up into different trekking groups during the day, or even over two days, depending on the time of permit issue and group size. There is a maximum group size of eight on each gorilla visit. No more than eight per day can visit any one habituated family and visits are strictly controlled to minimise the possibility of disturbance or transmission of disease to the animals. Tracking gorillas in the dense forest can sometimes be wet, muddy and uncomfortable. The terrain is by no means easy either, so it can be pretty strenuous and often humid, but the sheer thrill in coming across a habituated group of gorillas, dominated by a great male silverback, more than outweighs any difficulty. You need to be prepared and fit enough to walk up to 4 hours - up and down hill. We can usually get very close to the mountain gorillas, who are placid and gentle, and watching their movements is like seeing a mirror image of yourself. Your visit with the gorillas will last one unforgettable hour.

 

When you are waiting for, or have completed, your gorilla visit, your leader will provide you with options and ideas on how you can spend your time in the area around Ruhengeri.

 

Stay in dormitories at a local church mission.

 

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

To reach Lake Mburo we have to re-cross the border with Uganda. It's possible for most nationalities to purchase a re-entry visa at this land crossing but please check before travelling. We then head to Lake Mburo (420 km, approx 9-10 hrs).

 

The flora of Lake Mburo National Park is acacia woodland, different to most other parks in East Africa, which means its fauna is also different to other reserves. There are five lakes within the park which are home to hippos, crocodiles and a variety of waterbirds, while the papyrus swamps provide cover for the sitatunga antelope and red, black and yellow papyrus gonalek. This small park is less well-known among tourists so it's much quieter than some of the more famous East African parks.

Accommodation

Before we leave for Jinja there is time for a two-hour guided walking safari through the Lake Mburo National Park allowing us to see some of the animals and spectacular birdlife. We then travel from Lake Mburo to Jinja via Kampala, stopping en route at the equator (340 km, approx 7-8 hrs).

 

We camp at a scenic riverside retreat with showers and flush toilets.

 

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Before we leave for Jinja there is time for a two-hour guided walking safari through the Lake Mburo National Park allowing us to see some of the animals and spectacular birdlife. We then travel from Lake Mburo to Jinja via Kampala, stopping en route at the equator (340 km, approx 7-8 hrs).

 

We camp at a scenic riverside retreat with showers and flush toilets.

 

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Our journey back to Nairobi is 670 km split between two days of approx 7-8 hrs. We stop overnight in Eldoret.

 

As this is a combination trip, your group leader and the composition of your group may change at this location. There will be a group meeting to discuss the next stage of your itinerary, meet your new fellow travellers, and collect the next part of your kitty.

 

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Our journey back to Nairobi is 670 km split between two days of approx 7-8 hrs. We stop overnight in Eldoret.

 

As this is a combination trip, your group leader and the composition of your group may change at this location. There will be a group meeting to discuss the next stage of your itinerary, meet your new fellow travellers, and collect the next part of your kitty.

 

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Our journey to Arusha involves and early departure early in our overland truck, on a drive of about 8-9 hours (300 km). The trip includes a border crossing from Kenya into Tanzania so be sure to have your passport handy.

 

Our campsite is in Meserani, on the outskirts of Arusha, and has flush toilets and showers.

 

Meals Included

Accommodation

It takes 1.5hrs to reach Mto wa Mbu where we participate in a local community village programme. A small village community, Mto Wa Mbu offers an excellent way to get a close-up look at life in an African town away from the main tourist trail.

 

Join the local community with a guided stroll around the farming areas - including visits to a kindergarten, milling machine, local homes and farmlands. This is a great way to have fun and find out more about the life of the locals. You'll also have the chance to look around the town and visit the local market. You may wish to indulge in a spot of shopping - wood carvings and local artworks are the specialities of this area.

 

Depending on the following day's schedule, we may stay here for the night or travel further west ( 40 minutes ) to the village of Karatu.

 

Stay at a campsite with flush toilets and showers.

 

Included Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

To enjoy the Serengeti at its best we have to leave the truck behind and put our camping and personal gear into six-person jeeps. The wide, open plains of the Serengeti - green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season, and home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators - are perhaps the quintessential image of Africa. Flat and rolling with long grasses and dotted with acacia trees, the plains get their name from the Maasai word Siringitu - 'the place where the land moves on forever'.

 

Game viewing in the Serengeti is amazing and as you camp out at night, don't be surprised to hear lions in the distance as you recount your wildlife sightings from the day. In normal circumstances, we would expect to see the Big Five during our stay in the Serengeti.

 

Our campsite is within the Serengeti itself so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep. The bush camp is quite basic with drop toilets and cold showers.

 

For an unforgettable experience, you might like to do an optional sunrise balloon ride over the Serengeti. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and must be arranged in advance. Please enquire when booking your trip to secure this optional activity.

If you have pre-booked this activity, you'll be picked up and driven to the launch site where you receive a safety briefing from your pilot and help inflate the balloon. You'll then float over the Serengeti as the sun comes up gaining an overview of the immensity of the Serengeti, seeing the abundance of wildlife in their early morning activity and sometimes descending to tree height for amazing wildlife photography opportunities. Upon landing, you'll be treated to a five-star bush breakfast before being returned to your accommodation.

 

You'll notice many Maasai villages in the region of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. While it's of course fascinating to visit different cultures, past experience has shown that these villages exist primarily as tourism businesses offering somewhat contrived performances of their traditional ways. You'll be charged an entry fee of approx US$20-35 and the Maasai will try very hard to sell souvenirs to you. While many clients still enjoy the experience, others have found it artificial and uncomfortable. We recommend our travellers bypass this activity as our Kenyan colleagues observe that it negatively impacts the Maasai culture and travellers' perception of this culture.

 

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

To enjoy the Serengeti at its best we have to leave the truck behind and put our camping and personal gear into six-person jeeps. The wide, open plains of the Serengeti - green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season, and home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators - are perhaps the quintessential image of Africa. Flat and rolling with long grasses and dotted with acacia trees, the plains get their name from the Maasai word Siringitu - 'the place where the land moves on forever'.

 

Game viewing in the Serengeti is amazing and as you camp out at night, don't be surprised to hear lions in the distance as you recount your wildlife sightings from the day. In normal circumstances, we would expect to see the Big Five during our stay in the Serengeti.

 

Our campsite is within the Serengeti itself so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep. The bush camp is quite basic with drop toilets and cold showers.

 

For an unforgettable experience, you might like to do an optional sunrise balloon ride over the Serengeti. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and must be arranged in advance. Please enquire when booking your trip to secure this optional activity.

If you have pre-booked this activity, you'll be picked up and driven to the launch site where you receive a safety briefing from your pilot and help inflate the balloon. You'll then float over the Serengeti as the sun comes up gaining an overview of the immensity of the Serengeti, seeing the abundance of wildlife in their early morning activity and sometimes descending to tree height for amazing wildlife photography opportunities. Upon landing, you'll be treated to a five-star bush breakfast before being returned to your accommodation.

 

You'll notice many Maasai villages in the region of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. While it's of course fascinating to visit different cultures, past experience has shown that these villages exist primarily as tourism businesses offering somewhat contrived performances of their traditional ways. You'll be charged an entry fee of approx US$20-35 and the Maasai will try very hard to sell souvenirs to you. While many clients still enjoy the experience, others have found it artificial and uncomfortable. We recommend our travellers bypass this activity as our Kenyan colleagues observe that it negatively impacts the Maasai culture and travellers' perception of this culture.

 

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Our drive from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater  takes approx 3 hrs. After a picnic lunch, we descend onto the floor of the crater where we make the most of our time in the crater, spending between four and five hours exploring this area. Ngorongoro is home to some 30,000 animals including endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor offers excellent game viewing all year round and the photographic opportunities here are unrivalled.

 

Departing the Crater late in the afternoon, we return to our campsite at Karatu for an evening relaxing at the campsite's bar reliving our safari experience.Our campsite tonight has flush toilets and showers.

With red dirt streets, green hills in the distance and plenty of smiling children, Karatu is a small town near the gateway to the Ngorongoro Crater.

 

Included Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Our journey, high onto the slopes of Kilimanjaro via Moshi is 270 km, approx 5-7 hrs.

 

Meet the very special kids of the Amani Children's Home in Moshi. Amani supports street children, giving them a safe place to stay and educational and emotional support. Check out the new school, which has been built with the help of donors, and be inspired by this project which is changing these children's lives. For more information on this project visit www.amanikids.org.

 

We then drive on to the village of Marangu where we set up camp for the night. Our camp ground is basic with flush toilets and showers and situated on the lush green slopes of Kilimanjaro.

Included Activities

Accommodation

Before we leave for the mountains we take a walking tour of Mshiri Village, the base for the Village Education Project, and witness the day-to-day life of the Chagga people, long established as crop-growers on the fertile slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Walk around their shamba (farm) and have the chance to sample the local Chagga food, which is very filling. For more information on the Village Education Project visit www.kiliproject.org.Visit nearby waterfalls and stop to admire the view of the plains below. If the weather is clear, get a view of Kilimanjaro - the magnificent snow-capped mountain and Africa's highest peak at 5,895 m (19,340 ft).

 

Then it's time to get off the well-beaten track and head into the remote Tanzanian mountains (265 km, approx 7 hrs). The Usambara Mountains are a lovely unspoilt area of Tanzania. Unlike the coast and the north, very few tourists visit this area so it has a freshness that can be hard to find elsewhere.

 

Explore the beautiful Usambara Mountains and experience this area's gentle hospitality on a visit to some of its small communities. From our base, we'll organise a walking trip out to the beautiful Irente viewpoint. We recommend you pack some water and snacks in a day pack for the trip. On our way back, visit a local cultural and ecological project based at Irente farm and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Our base is the old German colony of Lushoto where we stay in the grounds of one of the earliest hotels in Africa. Our campsite has flush toilets and showers.

 

Included Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Before we leave for the mountains we take a walking tour of Mshiri Village, the base for the Village Education Project, and witness the day-to-day life of the Chagga people, long established as crop-growers on the fertile slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Walk around their shamba (farm) and have the chance to sample the local Chagga food, which is very filling. For more information on the Village Education Project visit www.kiliproject.org.Visit nearby waterfalls and stop to admire the view of the plains below. If the weather is clear, get a view of Kilimanjaro - the magnificent snow-capped mountain and Africa's highest peak at 5,895 m (19,340 ft).

 

Then it's time to get off the well-beaten track and head into the remote Tanzanian mountains (265 km, approx 7 hrs). The Usambara Mountains are a lovely unspoilt area of Tanzania. Unlike the coast and the north, very few tourists visit this area so it has a freshness that can be hard to find elsewhere.

 

Explore the beautiful Usambara Mountains and experience this area's gentle hospitality on a visit to some of its small communities. From our base, we'll organise a walking trip out to the beautiful Irente viewpoint. We recommend you pack some water and snacks in a day pack for the trip. On our way back, visit a local cultural and ecological project based at Irente farm and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Our base is the old German colony of Lushoto where we stay in the grounds of one of the earliest hotels in Africa. Our campsite has flush toilets and showers.

 

Included Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Its a long travel day that brings us to Dar es Salaam (380 km, approx 9-11 hrs).

 

The camp is on the grounds of a hotel and has flush toilets and showers. Feel free to jump in the ocean and have a swim.

 

M