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| Viewing: Kenya & Uganda Wildlife Safari and Gorillas |
Package ID: 225 |
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| Kenya & Uganda Wildlife Safari and Gorillas |
21 Day overland tour encompassing some of the best wildlife viewing in Eastern Africa. Local payment of GBP£210.
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ITINERARY
We meet at the hotel at 9am on the first day of the trip. We recommend you arrive in Nairobi at least the day before, however if you're there with a few days to spare there's lots to see and do around the city. Close to the hotel is the National Museum, there are markets in and around Nairobi or you can venture further afield to Karen Blixen's house, Langata Giraffe Centre or even Nairobi National Park for a first glimpse of African wildlife.
WEEK ONE
Leaving Nairobi we descend into the Great Rift Valley and stop for a couple of nights at Lake Naivasha, well known for its hippo population that come ashore every night to graze. Close by is Hell's Gate National Park where you can hire bikes to take you around the park and see the herds of zebra, buffalo and antelope. There is some spectacular scenery here, red cliffs, grassy plains and rock towers made of hardened lava, the remains of ancient volcanoes. Also on the lake is Elsamere, once the home of Joy Adamson and Elsa the lion of 'Born Free' fame. Elsamere is now the centre of the Born Free Foundation and you can find out more about their work, see the rare colobus monkeys and take afternoon tea in the gardens.
We travel west out of the rift valley towards Uganda . Before leaving Kenya we stop at the town of Kisumu on Lake Victoria . In its heyday it was a bustling port, nowadays Kisumu is much quieter and a pleasant, laid back town to visit.
Travelling past Lake Victoria , we enter Uganda . Jinja is at the source of the River Nile and we can watch it begin its 4000 mile journey north from Lake Victoria through the Owen Falls Dam. Further upriver at Bujagali Falls you can go whitewater rafting on the White Nile 's tumultuous rapids or, if you're after a more relaxing time, just sit back and watch the local fishermen glide by in their dug-out canoes.
WEEK TWO
Passing through Uganda 's capital, Kampala , we head to the west of the country. This hilly region is characterised by terraced fields on steep slopes and we drive slowly up and downhill along the winding gravel roads. As the landscape changes from agriculture to forest, we reach the habitat of the mountain gorilla on the edge of the Ruwenzori Mountains .
In groups of 6 to 8 people with two guides we trek deep into the forest to find one of the gorilla families. The trek is an experience in itself, following your guides as they cut a path through the thick vegetation. The guides track the gorillas almost every day but even so, sometimes it can take several hours to find them. You will be rewarded though by the sight of these human-like giants playing with their young, feeding, grooming and staring curiously back at you. We spend an hour observing these amazing animals - remember to bring plenty of camera film.
As the groups going to the gorillas are small, it takes a couple of days for everyone to do the trek. Whilst others are searching for the great apes, you can take walks around the surrounding countryside or just chill out with a beer and a book. Leaving the slopes of the Ruwenzoris behind, we return to the farmers and their fields. We stop at Lake Bunyoni where local men in their dug-out canoes glide out of the morning mists.
WEEK THREE
Kampala is a lively city with plenty of places to eat out or have a beer and the open-air nightclubs are an experience not to be missed.
Back in Kenya we stop at Kembu Camp; a working farm in the old settlers area of Kenya From the camp we visit Lake Nakuru National Park which has the largest herd of black rhino in East Africa , over a million pink flamingos and more than 400 other bird species. 'Nakuru' means 'place of the waterbuck' in Swahili and these antelope abound in the park as well as impala, buffalo and warthog.
We spend two days visiting the Masai Mara Game Park , camping on the edge of the park with frequent forays into the park to spot the wealth of wildlife in this Eden on the plains. The sweeping plains evoke a picture of East Africa that most people hold in their minds and they are rarely disappointed when confronted with the real thing. We are likely to see amongst others, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, impala, buffalo, elephant and of course the big cats - lion, cheetah and if we're lucky, leopard
En route back to Nairobi we stop at lookouts with some amazing views over the Great Rift Valley.
Optional extras:
Gorilla Trek £200;
Whitewater rafting £60;
Hell's Gate and bike hire £20.
All prices are approximate and may change due to currency fluctuations.
Further options available in dossier.
Local payment of £GBP210 payable on day 1.
NB: This Overland Safari is not suitable for Children
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