Fantastic Kenyan wildlife and the endangered Mountain gorillas
Lions in the Masai Mara
We start with a journey through the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha, which has a good diversity of wildlife and a healthy hippo population, and on to the prolific Masai Mara for an exceptional two days of game viewing.
The Masai Mara is home to an astonishing amount of wildlife, including lions, cheetahs and at certain times of the year, the wildebeest migration. Our next stop is Lake Nakuru National Park, which is home the endangered White and Black rhinos, elusive leopard and in season, a million flamingos.
Crossing into Uganda, we have a free day at Jinja where there is the option of various activities, including an exhilarating day's rafting on the Nile, followed by a guided nature walk at Lake Mburo National Park.
Finally we head into Rwanda for the highlight of the trip - the opportunity to see the Mountain Gorillas. This close-up encounter is arguably the most sensational wildlife experience of them all and is a wonderful end to a remarkable trip.
What makes this trip responsible?
The US $500 in Uganda and $750 in Rwanda per person gorilla permit fee contributes vital income directly towards preserving these magnificent creatures. The mountain gorilla's survival is dependent on money - money to pay for anti-poaching programs in need of personnel, weapons, ammunition and transport; money to pay for maintenance of the national park – the gorilla's natural habitat; money to make sure that those involved with protecting the gorillas are paid enough not to be tempted by bribery from would be poachers.
15 days Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda safari, Gorillas & Masai Mara
Trip highlights: Game drives in seach for mammal species including lion, cheetah, leopard, bat-eared fox, giraffe, buffalos, elephant, antelopes — as well as almost 500 bird species. (walking safari, game drives, cultural exchange), track gorillas
Itinerary -
Day 1
After meeting the group flights, we head northwest out of Nairobi, eventually dropping down the escarpment of the Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha. In the afternoon we visit Elsamere, the former home of Joy Adamson, now a conservation centre where you can enjoy afternoon teas on the lawn and watch the Colobus monkeys.
Day 2 / Day 3
In the morning we drive into the Masai Mara using 4WD vehicles for two incredible days in one of the most famous ecosystems in the world. In and around the reserve, plains game including wildebeest, gazelle, topi, zebra and buffalo abound, and never far away are the predators; cheetah, lion and hyena. Nothing is guaranteed on safari but we hope to see the three-foot-tall Secretary bird stalking snakes and rodents through the grass, impala jousting furiously or vultures homing in on carcasses. On both nights we stay in a permanent camp in the Masai Mara.
Day 4
After a morning game drive, we drive to Kembu Farm, near Njoro where there is an opportunity to do a farm walk this afternoon.
Day 5
In the morning we drive to Lake Nakuru National Park (45 mins), a small park that is home to an amazing variety of animals. We game drive around the dazzling soda lake, sometimes home to thousands of flamingos. We will see plenty of animals, maybe even the elusive leopard and we have an excellent chance of spotting rhino, of which there is a healthy population here. There is a stunning view from the top of the hills above the lake, and here we may see the Rock hyrax; this tiny creature is the elephant's nearest relative! We camp in the park.
Day 6
This morning we enjoy another game drive in the park. Following a quick shop in Nakuru town, we then drive towards Eldoret, the fourth largest city in Kenya and we will spend the evening in a campsite just outside the town.
Day 7
Today there is a long drive of about 250km across the border into Uganda. The border crossing can be slow but we leave plenty of time, and it can be an interesting experience. Once over the border we drive to Jinja, were the Victoria Nile meets Lake Victoria and we camp beside the Nile.
Day 8
A free day to enjoy several optional activities. The rafting here is amongst the best in the world with several grade five rapids providing an exhilarating experience. We also see some typical village life along the river. Alternatively there is the opportunity for an excellent village walk, a vibrant community project known as Soft Power which supports education, a visit to the Source of the White Nile, quad biking or even bungy jumping!
Day 9
Leaving Jinja early, we head through sugar plantations and Mabira Forest before reaching the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda's capital city. As we battle our way through a frenzied traffic system, we can look forward to a refreshing stop at the equator. We continue west, away from Lake Victoria before turning off to Lake Mburo National Park. This is one of the smallest parks in Uganda at only 260km2, but boasts an impressive 313 different bird species, and is famous for its richness in biodiversity. It has about 68 different species of mammals. The common ones are zebra, impala, buffalo, topi and eland, plus the rare roan antelope. We may also be lucky enough to spot leopard, hyena and jackals. Depending on time we will take a guided walk in the park either this afternoon or the following morning. The campsite tonight will be very basic.
Day 10 - 11
The scenery changes as we head south into hilly country. There are very few towns as most people live in rugos - family compounds. We follow the main road southwest to a scenic camp at Lake Bunyoni. Here we have a day to relax, enjoying the impressive landscape and excellent bird life.
Day 12
Today we head to Ruhengeri and Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda or Bwindi impenetrable Forest as this is the best places to see the gorillas.
Day 13
Owing to the very nature of the terrain and the need to explore in order to find the gorillas, there are no paths to follow in Parc National des Volcans as is Bwindi and our guides will occasionally need to cut a way through the undergrowth. At times there are some steep ascents and descents over muddy slopes, so strong footwear is essential. You must expect a minimum of three hours walking to find the gorillas. Despite the challenging terrain, the jungle scenery makes the walking very interesting, and to be close to the gorillas in their natural habitat is an experience you will never forget. An adult male can weigh up to 195kg, a female up to 100kg, and a male can reach 1.7m in height. The gorillas are almost exclusively vegetarian and are quite destructive eaters, which makes them unpopular with the farmers lower down the mountain slopes, as they have been known to wreck a whole field of crops just to eat one plant. For this reason, and also because of poaching, the gorillas are very carefully protected. We can venture to within three metres of the gorilla families with reasonable safety as, in spite of their reputation, they are gentle creatures and are not known to attack unless very severely provoked. Also, we do not venture any closer because the gorillas are very susceptible to human disease - please note that anyone with a cold or any similar ailment may not be allowed near the gorillas.
Day 14
We drive to Rwanda's small and attractive capital, Kigali. Rwanda is a country widely remembered for the genocide of 1994 in which over a million people were killed. There is a moving and disturbing museum that commemorates this time in their history. However, Rwanda is trying to look forward as well as back and Steady Safaris clients can help bring money into the area by spending time in the market here and sampling the local restaurants.
Day 15
End Kigali or Return to Entebbe.
Essential Information
Trip Profile
Travel by specialist safari vehicle land cruisers, 4WD in Masai Mara and on foot in search of gorillas!
Accommodation
11 nights full-service camping, mid-range hotel and luxury in variety of campsites, some quite basic, with 6 nights in permanent tented camps with shared facilities, nights standard hotels with en suite facilities.
Food
Forward itinerary (Nairobi to Kigali): all breakfasts, 13 lunches and 14 dinners included. Reverse itinerary (Kigali to Nairobi): all breakfasts, 13 lunches and 13 dinners included.
Reality Check
We offer a full service camping safari therefore tents will be erected and meals will be prepared for you unless you wish to help! We have our own cook who shops, prepares and cooks all camping meals.
Transport is in a specialist safari vehicles, with good all-round visibility plus 4WD in the Masai Mara. There will be several early morning starts especially to view the wildlife, and a few long drives. Although the distances are not that great, some of the roads are quite poor and bumpy especially after the rainy season. We include breaks for toilet facilities, shopping, photos and meals.
The spectacular scenery and glimpses of village life when travelling make the journeys more enjoyable but come prepared with a sense of adventure and a sense of humour for a holiday of a lifetime.
Normal group size and age
Normally 8 to 18, plus leader and appropriate local staff Minimum age 18.
