Safari in the Masai Mara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro
Crater. Cultural encounters with Masai & Kalahari
bushmen. Trek in search of the rare Mountain Gorilla,
kicking back on Zanzibar & Victoria Falls.
Daily highlights (as covered by Fully Inclusive Local Payment - see below) 01 Depart Nairobi, Lake Nakuru National Park – Game drive, BLD 02 Eldoret BLD 03 Kampala BLD 04 Queen Elizabeth National Park BLD 05 Chimpanzee Excursion/ Lake Bunyonyi BLD 06 Gorilla Trek/ Bunyonyi BLD 07 Gorilla Trek/ Bunyonyi BLD 08 Gorilla Trek/ Bunyonyi BLD 09 Kampala BLD 10 Jinja BLD 11 Jinja BLD 12 Jinja BLD 13 Eldoret BLD 14 Kenya, Great Rift Valley, Nairobi BL 15 Nairobi 16 - 17 Masai Mara National Reserve, Game Drives BLD 18 Nairobi BLD 19 Arusha BLD 20 Serengeti National Park, Afternoon Game Drive BLD 21 Serengeti, Morning Game Drive, Olduvai Gorge, Ngorongoro Crater Rim BLD 22 Ngorongoro Crater, Morning Game Drive, Arusha BLD 23 Maasai village walk, Pangani/ Moshi area BLD 24 Dar es Salaam BLD 25 Ferry to Zanzibar B 26 - 27 Zanzibar 28 Ferry to Dar es Salaam D 29 Mikumi NP, Iringa BLD 30 Chitimba BLD 31 Lake Malawi BLD 32 Malawi Beach, Village Walk BLD 33 Malawi Beach BLD 34 Livingstonia Beach BLD 35 Chipata BLD 36 Lusaka BLD 37 Waterfront, Livingstone, Victoria Falls Visit BL 38 – 39 Waterfront, Livingstone B
Day 1 – 8 Nairobi, Lake Nakuru, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Bunyonyi, Gorilla Trek We depart Nairobi for Kenya’s Great Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru National Park. Best known for its birdlife, especially flamingos Nakuru also contains good stocks of rhino, leopard, buffalo, warthog, baboon, antelope and lion! We continue north through the highlands to Eldoret before we cross into Uganda to the capital Kampala. After a night here we drive west to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We game drive in search of Uganda’s natural wildlife, pause to appreciate the views of Lake Edward before tracking Chimpanzee sanctuary at Kyambura Gorge. Seen in their natural habitat chimpanzees live in structured social groups but quite different to the gentle gorillas we see later in the trip. After game driving through QENP we continue to rural south-west Uganda and our camp beside Lake Bunyonyi, It is in this densely forested area that we trek in search of the gorillas. Local guides lead us through jungle into the hills. The trek can be demanding but the effort is forgotten when we finally find ourselves in the midst of a family of gorillas. We have a one hour ‘audience’ with these gentle giants, and you may be surprised at how close you can get and how human-like they are. We may spend several days in the area to allow time for everyone to complete the trek.
Day 9 – 12 Kampala, Jinja Returning to Kampala we have a night in the capital before continuing to Jinja. Situated near the source of the River Nile there is the opportunity to assist a local charity in building and improving community schools - roll up your sleeves and make a difference!
Day 13 – 14Eldoret, Nairobi From Jinja we cross back into Kenya stopping at Eldoret and driving along the Rift Valley to Nairobi where we prepare for the next leg of our journey.
DAYS 15 - 23 Masai Mara, Serengeti Plains From Nairobi we visit Kenya’s best-known game park, the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The park is renowned for its wildlife, including the Big Five, as well as its scenery. Continuing our big game park encounters we cross into Tanzania for a 3-day 4x4 excursion into the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Olduvai Gorge. Game viewing here is unrivalled and the wide Serengeti plains and deep Ngorongoro Crater promise an exciting backdrop to our safari. We spend time in Arusha, Tanzania’s ‘safari town’, nestling in the shadow of Mount Meru and visit a Snake Park and friendly Masai villages near to our camp.
DAYS 24 - 29 Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Lake Malawi Heading south we may glimpse snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro en route to the bustling port city of Dar es Salaam. From here we spend three days on the nearby island, Zanzibar. Soak up the Arabian atmosphere, relax on idyllic beaches and swim in crystal waters! Returning to the mainland we drive south west, via Mikumi National Park, towards Malawi.
NB Basic shared accommodation is included on Zanzibar however meals will be for your own account allowing you to experience some of the many different options available on Zanzibar. Please refer to the tour dossier for more information.
DAYS 30 - 39 Malawi, Lusaka, Livingstone, Victoria Falls Malawi is a small friendly country dominated by the enormous Lake Malawi, with its high escarpments and picturesque lakeshore and beaches. One popular stop is Kande Beach, a lakeside resort where you can swim, snorkel, scuba dive and take a guided walk into a local village. Leaving Malawi, we drive through rural Zambia to Livingstone near Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is one of Africa most exciting and enduring sights. There are many optional activities to enjoy in the region and an opportunity to visit the ‘Falls’ themselves. in the lake. Leaving Malawi, we drive through rural Zambia to Livingstone, and the Victoria Falls area. Victoria Falls is one of Africa most exciting and enduring sights - and there are various ways to view it - by helicopter, micro-light or light aircraft, but for the more sedate the view from the lookout points in the surrounding national park is equally inspiring. In addition to the mighty Zambezi, there is a range of 'adrenaline-pumping' activities available. White water rafting, bungy jumping, gorge swinging, horseback riding, elephant back safaris to name but a few.
Age: Our tours are designed to meet the expectations of adults in the 18-39 age bracket. If you are older, please enquire and one of our friendly consultants to ensure that you book a tour suited to your expectations
Included in Price: Fully equipped safari vehicle, camping and cooking equipment, all road tolls and vehicle taxes, all ground transportation, services of two crew, sleeping mattress, meals as indicated, Snake Park entrance, Maasai village walk, Malawi cultural village walk.
Not Included: Local Payment excursions, visas, travel insurance, International Flights, departure taxes, airport transfers, sleeping bag, optional activities, tips, drinks, items of a personal nature, meals on Zanzibar (3 nights) and meals in Nairobi (2 nights on days 14 - 15).
N.B. Each gorilla permit allows one trek. We stay in Bwindi or an alternative gorilla national park for the time necessary to allow everybody to trek once. The day to day itinerary may therefore vary if trekking goes over time. Optional activities can be arranged locally when not trekking. Gorilla and Chimpanzee Excursion (Nov12) US$560
Price GB£ 1725 Plus Local Payment (Mandatory) US$ 1340 - broken down as follows:
Food and Camping Lake Nakuru National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park Gorilla Trek Transfer Masai Mara Excursion Masai Village Walk Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Zanzibar Ferry and Accommodation Victoria Falls Visit
Optional Activities & Excursions:
Community School Project US$30 Village/natures Walk US $5 Mountain Biking US$10 Quad Biking US$80 White Water Rafting US$125 Bungy Jumping US$95 Lake Manyara Day Trip (min 2) US $200 3 day/ 2 Nights Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Excursion US $475 Arusha National Park (min 2) US$ 190 Zanzibar Spice Tour US$25 Scuba Diving US$150 Malawi village walk US$ 4 Malawi Horse Riding US$ 65 Livingstonia Day Hike US$ 5 Victoria Falls Bungy Jump US$ 130 White water rafting US$195 Helicopter/Microlight flights US$ 155 Livingstone Game Walk US$ 95 Lion Encounter US$150
N.B. Gorilla Viewing: To ensure we obtain gorilla permits, we may trek outside Uganda in neighbouring countries such as Rwanda, where gorillas have also been habituated for viewing. Trekking here involves a minimal detour from the described route.
Gorilla Trekking Excursion (Permits): The Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) sets the gorilla permit price and stipulates that permits must be booked and paid for in advance. We therefore collect your gorilla permit money at the time of booking, along with your normal deposit. The Gorilla permit price is quoted in US dollars but is paid in your local currency at a rate fixed by us. Whilst the price is correct at time of going to press (Nov 2012), We reserve the right to pass on any increase in fee if the UWA raises the price. Finally please note, the gorilla permit fee is not refundable if you cancel your booking.
