Game Parks & Gorillas

Itinerary

Days 1-2 Nairobi, Kenya – Nakuru– Eldoret.

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 and the Ugandan frontier.

 

Days 3-4 Kampala, Uganda to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Our first stop overnight in Uganda is the bustling capital Kampala. We then head west through fertile countryside to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here we enjoy a game drive in search of Uganda’s natural wildlife, pausing to appreciate the gorgeous views of Lake Edward.

 

Day 5 Kyambura Gorge to Lake Bunyonyi.

Today we get to track chimpanzees in the sanctuary at Kyambura Gorge! It’s an amazing experience to see chimpanzees in their natural habitat, and their structured social groups are quite different to the gentle gorillas we see later in the trip. Afterwards we continue to rural south-west Uganda and our camp beside Lake Bunyonyi.

 

Days 6-9 Bunyonyi Gorilla Trek to Kampala.

Here in this densely forested area, local guides can lead us through the jungle into the hills on a trek to see a family of gorillas in the wild. 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 demanding, rewarding and memorable trek. We then return to Kampala for a night.

 

Days 10-12 Kampala to Jinja.

We continue to Jinja, situated near the source of the mighty River Nile. Here, as well as time to relax there is the opportunity to assist a local charity in building and improving community schools – a chance for us to really make a difference! Our camp overlooks a dramatic set of rapids and rafting is one of the many optional activities here.

 

Days 13-14 Eldoret to Nairobi, Kenya.

We pass through Eldoret and the Rift Valley once again as we make our way back to Kenya, where we can replenish supplies in Nairobi.

 

Days 15-18 Nairobi to Maasai Mara.

After a day to relax in Nairobi, we travel to Kenya’s best known reserve, the Maasai Mara. The Mara’s rolling grasslands, broad horizons and abundant wildlife offer a stunning visual representation of what you might think of as ‘classic’ Africa. The annual migration of wildebeest and zebra, between July and October, is a particularly impressive sight. We return briefly to Nairobi for an overnight stop.

 

Day 19 Nairobi to Arusha, Tanzania.

We cross in to Tanzania and make for Arusha, also known as ‘safari town’, setting up camp a few miles out of town. During our time here we can visit a local Maasai village, and also the Meserani Snake Park.

 

Days 20-22 Arusha – Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Crater.

We switch to smaller 4x4 vehicles and drive west via Olduvai Gorge to Tanzania’s famous Serengeti National Park, where we game view by day and camp in the middle of the reserve at night, when the wildlife is free to roam past! From the Serengeti plains we climb the steep sided Ngorongoro Crater and make camp on the rim. Ngorongoro is spectacular and the surrounding area is a World Heritage Site, offering unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities.

 

Days 23-24 Arusha – Pangani – Dar es Salaam.

We journey past Mt Kilimanjaro and the Pangani area en route to the Indian Ocean coast. Here we spend a night in Tanzania’s main port city, Dar es Salaam, which is the departure point for Zanzibar.

 

Days 25-28 Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam.

We take the ferry to the ‘Spice Island’ of Zanzibar. Once an important spice trading centre and an infamous transit post for the slave trade, it’s now known as a relaxing paradise getaway. We have three nights to enjoy Zanzibar’s many treasures at our leisure. ‘Stone Town’ is the capital and entry point to the island, and many people choose to spend a night here to explore amongst the gorgeous Arabic architecture. For those preferring simply to relax, there are palm-fringed shores and warm blue ocean waters waiting to be enjoyed on the northern beaches! We then return to ‘Dar’, where our unforgettable journey comes to an end.