Gorillas & Game

The best overland safari in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda!

What more could you ask for on an African overland safari tour than the chance to visit world-famous game reserves, stunning lakes and to trek to meet one of our closest relatives? Mountain gorillas are endangered but are making a comeback in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, where they are protected and roam the forests in small family groups. Join a trek to visit a silverback and his harem of females, their juvenile offspring and perhaps a cheeky infant or two.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 to 1 - Arrive Nairobi
The first day of your tour is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities. In order to allow time to relax and see some of the sights you may wish to add pre tour accommodation. On arrival please ask at the reception for information on when the pre departure meeting will be held.

Nairobi takes its name from a small stream known by the Masai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which means "the place of cool waters". The capital and largest city of Kenya, Nairobi was founded in 1899 but the area the city was built on was little more than a swamp land until the East Africa railways built a small camp by the Nairobi River. The town quickly developed into the administrative nerve centre of the Uganda Railway and is now a busy, modern metropolis with a thriving cultural scene.

During your stay in Nairobi you can visit some of the markets -City Market, Village Market, Masai Market (on Tuesdays), perhaps visit the Arboretum, Kenya Railway Museum or Karen Blixen Museum, then take a moment to visit the National Museum. You'll find the city comes to life at night with a lively music scene, while there are many cafés and international restaurants to choose from.

Day 2 to 3 - Masai Mara National Reserve (or free time)
The Masai Mara National Reserve covers an area of 1,800 square kilometres and is one of the best known and most popular game parks in Africa. The Mara, as it is known locally, lies in the Great Rift Valley and you will spend the first afternoon on an exciting game drive with the chance to see many of Africa's most famous wild animals.

All members of the 'Big 5' game animals can be found here, including lions, elephants, Cape buffaloes, leopards and if you're very lucky, rhinoceros. The reserve is also home to large herds of wildebeest, zebra, impala, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, giraffe and antelope, which attract carnivores such as cheetahs, hyenas, jackals and even the elusive leopard, so there is certainly plenty to see. Hippopotamus can be seen at the Mara River and birds come in every size and colour, with storks, horn bills, falcons, eagles, hawks and vultures among them, as well as Kenya's national bird the lilac-breasted roller.

The reserve is particularly famous for the Great Migration, the annual movement of wildebeest, zebra, eland and gazelle which proceeds along a 600 kilometre route from Tanzania's Serengeti to the Masai Mara and back again, via the Mara River. The herds are colossal and the wildebeest in particular can number into the millions, which makes for an awe-inspiring sight as they thunder across the plains and valleys. The Great Migration starts around July in the Serengeti and the herds leave the Masai Mara to return to the Serengeti in around October or November each year.

During your stay in the Mara you will have the opportunity to visit a Masai village. The tall, red-robed Masai are distinctive for their unique customs and striking traditional dress, including intricate beaded jewellery, which makes them one of the most easily recognised ethnic groups of Africa. Despite the urgings of the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments to settle in fixed areas, the Masai prefer to maintain their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, driving their cattle to grazing areas and water. We will visit a local Masai village to experience what life is like in a traditional community and perhaps learn how the Masai construct their dwellings from locally sourced materials.

Make sure your memory cards are empty and your batteries are charged before you go. We will camp overnight near the park surrounded by the sounds of the African wildlife.

Day 4 to 6 - Eldoret – Jinja (after March 2012 ONLY. If travelling before see note in text*)
The city of Eldoret is located in western Kenya on the Uasin Gishu Plateau west of the Great Rift Valley and was originally known as '64', because it was located 64 miles from the newly built Uganda Railway railhead at Kibigori. The city is now known for its many great athletes and the Dorino Lessos Creameries Cheese Factory which produces over 30 different types of cheese. We will spend a night in Eldoret before moving on to Uganda.

As well as being close to the source of the Nile, Jinja is Uganda's extreme sports hub, so it's time to get into some adrenaline-fuelled optional activities. A popular option is white water rafting on the longest river in the world, the Nile, which begins its 6,500 kilometre journey to the Mediterranean Sea on the west side of Jinja. You can also go quad biking to local villages along the riverbank, and bungy jumping to a height of 44 metres. You may also have the option to visit an orphanage or to do some community work with Soft Power, a local charity committed to improving the educational facilities with Uganda. Your tour leader will be able to give you more information about this.

*Please note: If you are travelling on this tour before March 2012 you will do the loop through Uganda and Rwanda from Eldoret to Nairobi in reverse to that written here. Instead of going from Eldoret to Jinja you will go to Kampala then Kabale and so on. It is important you remember that you will need a visa for Rwanda that begins on the third day after Eldoret, not the fourth as published here. You will be visiting the same places and doing the same things only on different days to those advertised here.

Day 7 to 10 - Kabale – Musanze – Lake Bunyonyi
Kabale is a market town and a transportation hub as the main road through to Kigali runs through it. We will stop and spend a night there as we make our way towards Rwanda.

On our drive to Musanze we will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, built to commemorate the horrific 1994 genocide, in which an estimated one million Rwandans died, with a further two million fleeing into exile. The memorial centre is a powerful tribute to those who perished and visiting is a very moving experience.

Next we will be based in Musanze to trek to visit the rare and beautiful mountain gorilla. The natural habitat of the endangered gorilla is the Virunga Mountains, a range of volcanic peaks and rainforest which covers parts of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. There are around 700 gorillas left in the wild and they are relatively evenly distributed across the borders. We will visit a family of gorillas on the Rwandan side of the range in the Parc National des Volcans, where there are currently eight groups ranging in number from 7 -37 individuals. Mountain gorillas are very social and are typically active during the day so during a visit you may see them foraging, nursing, grooming each other, playing chase and resting. A gorilla family group typically contains one male silverback leader, one or two younger males, three or four sexually mature females and from three to six juveniles and infants and it's wonderful to watch them interacting together.

The day of your trek begins at the ORTPN offices with a briefing before being transferred by 4WD to where the trekking begins. Our guides will track gorilla spoor and look for signs of the gorillas' last movements. Gorilla trekking is unpredictable and the distance can vary as gorillas may move very little or travel some distance while foraging for food. Trekking can be physically demanding at times and the weather can be very changeable, but the once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing these magnificent animals in the wild will be entirely worth the effort. It is possible that you may be lucky enough to come within arm's length of these beautiful creatures if they approach you, but you are required to maintain a distance of seven metres from the animals at all times. Please note that your time with the gorillas is restricted to 60 minutes to safeguard the families from too much human contact. Further information can be found in the gorilla trek information sheet.

After Musanze we head to picturesque Lake Bunyonyi, where you can enjoy a cruise on the lake, perhaps take a swim and enjoy a guided visit to a local village. Meaning 'place of many little birds', Lake Bunyonyi is about 29 kilometres long and 7 kilometres wide, dotted by 29 islands. Look out for Uganda's national bird, the crested crane, among the 200 other bird species in the area.

Day 11 to 13 - Kampala – Nakuru
Heading on we will make our way to Kampala, Uganda's bustling capital city. There are numerous craft markets to explore as well as some lively restaurants and bars. We will spend an evening here and you can use your free time to get a feel for city life, try some typical Ugandan cuisine and catch up on emails.

In the morning we depart for Nakuru, which lends its name to both the lake and the national park that surrounds it. Driving across the top of the Great Rift Valley we admire the spectacular views along the way before dropping down into the valley itself. The Great Rift Valley stretches around 5,000 kilometres from Lebanon to Mozambique but Nakuru is the best place along its entire length to view it. We arrive in the afternoon with time for you to explore the town and visit the local craft market.

The following morning we will take a full day game drive in minivans to view more wildlife than your memory card can handle including leopards, lions, cheetahs, zebras, buffalo, Rothschild giraffes and white rhinos. Lake Nakuru offers one of Africa's most spectacular wildlife sights, with a legion of thousands, sometimes millions of pink flamingos feeding along the shores. The birds take their vibrant pink colour from the algae and shrimp which they feed on at the water's edge. There are 400 other bird species which can be seen in the area including terns, stilts, ducks, herons, pelicans, kingfishers, cormorants and more. At Lake Nakuru National Park the critically endangered black rhino population is experiencing some success and is slowly increasing due to a breeding program.

Day 14 to 15 - Naivasha – Nairobi
Lake Naivasha is the second largest freshwater lake in the Great Rift Valley and is a great place to enjoy a boat cruise or take a half day trip to the green crater lake for a guided bush walk. From our campsite you will be able to hear and maybe spot hippo wallowing in the fresh water and enjoy the many different species of birdlife found in the thick papyrus and forests of acacia trees fringing the lakeshore. You may also see colobus monkeys and giraffes near the lake.

You will have plenty of free time to explore the nearby Hell's Gate National Park which is home to a profusion of game and birdlife. Being mindful of the buffaloes you can enter this park on foot and is one of the rare parks in Africa where you can explore by mountain bike. Whether you choose to cycle or walk, this park offers a unique experience as you can explore the dramatic scenery at your own pace. Towering cliffs, volcanic peaks, gorges and natural hot springs and geysers can be seen here. Gazelle, zebra, baboons are common sightings and birds of prey are of special interest, particularly the lammergeyer. You may also like to visit Elsemere, the former home of the late Joy Adamson, who became famous for her relationship with the lioness Elsa in the film Born Free. At Elsemere you can look around the house and have a cup of tea in the garden while watching the delightful colobus monkeys in the trees overhead. We will camp overnight before heading back to Nairobi the following day.

Once you have returned to the bright, busy capital, you may enjoy a meal at the famous African buffet restaurant called Carnivores, where meat is served from Masai spears until you can eat no more and raise your flag in surrender!

Day 16 to 16 - Depart Nairobi
Your adventure of a lifetime comes to an end today, please confirm with the reception the check out time. If you have a late flight or have lengthened your stay by adding post tour accommodation you will have more time to explore the sights.

The itinerary listed above is to be used as a guide only. Occasionally we may need to update this document and it may be different to the information printed in our current brochure. Tour leaders may need to make adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances during the tour. It is very important that you visit our website and review a copy of this dossier as close as possible to your departure date in case of changes that may affect your plans. Any last minute changes may also be posted in the latest news section of our website.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

Tour Availability

Wed 02 Nov 2011 Thu 17 Nov 2011 USD 2,640.00
Sat 19 Nov 2011 Sun 04 Dec 2011 Closed
Wed 07 Dec 2011 Thu 22 Dec 2011 USD 2,640.00
Sat 24 Dec 2011 Sun 08 Jan 2012 USD 2,640.00
Sat 14 Jan 2012 Sun 29 Jan 2012 USD 2,640.00
Wed 01 Feb 2012 Thu 16 Feb 2012 Closed
Sat 18 Feb 2012 Sun 04 Mar 2012 Closed
Wed 07 Mar 2012 Thu 22 Mar 2012 USD 2,640.00
Sat 24 Mar 2012 Sun 08 Apr 2012 USD 2,640.00
Sun 15 Apr 2012 Mon 30 Apr 2012 USD 2,640.00
Sat 28 Apr 2012 Sun 13 May 2012 USD 2,640.00
Thu 24 May 2012 Fri 08 Jun 2012 USD 2,640.00
Wed 06 Jun 2012 Thu 21 Jun 2012 USD 2,640.00
Mon 02 Jul 2012 Tue 17 Jul 2012 USD 2,640.00
Sun 15 Jul 2012 Mon 30 Jul 2012 USD 2,640.00
Fri 10 Aug 2012 Sat 25 Aug 2012 USD 2,640.00
Thu 23 Aug 2012 Fri 07 Sep 2012 USD 2,640.00
Tue 18 Sep 2012 Wed 03 Oct 2012 USD 2,640.00
Mon 01 Oct 2012 Tue 16 Oct 2012 USD 2,640.00
Sat 27 Oct 2012 Sun 11 Nov 2012 USD 2,640.00
Fri 09 Nov 2012 Sat 24 Nov 2012 USD 2,640.00
Wed 05 Dec 2012 Thu 20 Dec 2012 USD 2,640.00
Tue 18 Dec 2012 Wed 02 Jan 2013 USD 2,640.00

Tour Prices

Tour Price Per Person$2,640.00

Discounts

Without Masai Mara NR deduct: $-250.00
Without Gorilla Permit Deduct: $-510.00
Without Carbon Offset$-20.00

You can combine any two of the following rewards to get up to 10% off the price of your tour.

5% 3+ Person Offer - 3+ people on same tour $-131.00
5% 2+ Tour Offer - One clients books two tours or more $-131.00
5% Early Booking Discount - Book 6 months in advance $-131.00
5% Loyalty Reward - Repeat Client $-131.00

Supplements

No supplements.
Additional Prices (Optional)

Pre-tour Accommodation Price Per Person Per Night (Single Room) $70.00
Pre-tour Accommodation Price Per Person Per Night (Twin Room) $44.00
Pre-tour Accommodation Price Per Person Per Night (Dormitory End) $15.00
Post-tour Accommodation Price Per Person Per Night (Single Room) $70.00
Post-tour Accommodation Price Per Person Per Night (Twin Room) $44.00
Post-tour Accommodation Price Per Person Per Night (Dormitory End) $15.00
Arrival Transfer Price Per Booking Per Unit $53.00
Departure Transfer Price Per Booking Per Unit $53.00

+44 0208 689 1600