9 days (not including air travel)
Kenya is a truly magical safari destination. Nothing can compare to the splendor of the Big Five in their natural savannah and wooded habitats. Kenya’s Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru game parks are very popular safari destinations. With large herds of wildlife roaming the plains, vast wilderness, and picturesque landscapes, the two parks offer superb game viewing experiences. Uganda, described by Sir Winston Churchill as ‘The Pearl of Africa’ is no ordinary tourist destination. It is home to half of the slightly over 600 remaining gorillas in the world. A safari to Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru combined with a visit to Bwindi forest in Uganda, the home of the gorillas, the world’s largest primates, is the best African safari experience.
Day 1: Masai Mara
From Nairobi, we drive through the Maasai town of Narok and onwards to the Masai Mara arriving for lunch and afternoon game drive.
Accommodation: Ol Moran Tented Camp
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Day 2: Masai Mara
We spend all day on game drives in the Mara. The Mara Game Reserve is largely plains and the open grasslands are habitat to rich and varied wildlife such as lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, zebra, giraffe etc. There are also several species of birds. The annual migration of millions of wildebeest and antelope from July to September is a spectacle never to be missed by any visitor to the Mara.
Accommodation: Ol Moran Tented Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Lake Naivasha
Morning game drive in the Mara and depart after breakfast for a 4-5 hour drive to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake in the Great Rift Valley. Over 300 species of birds live around the Lake. The African fish eagle — one of the continent’s most loved birds, known for its graceful aerial skills and distinctive plumage — is among the birds that not only nest in the woodlands around the lake, but are major tourist attractions. Others include Pelicans, Herons, Storks, Kingfishers, Hammerkop, Egrets, Cormorants, Ibis, Red knobbed Coots, etc. There are also hippos in the lake. We take an evening boat trip to watch the birds and hippos.
Accommodation: Camp or lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Lake Nakuru
Drive for two hours to Lake Nakuru National Park for a full day’s game drives. Lake Nakuru is a soda lake and home to millions of pink flamingos and several other birds. It’s also one of the best places in Kenya to watch the rhino. There are also lion, leopard, buffalo, zebra, giraffe etc.
Accommodation: Camp or lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Jinja/River Nile-Uganda
Early departure for a 5-6 hour drive to Malaba border. Enter Uganda and drive on to Jinja for overnight.
Accommodation: Camp or lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6: River Nile/Kampala
Spend the morning on whitewater rafting adventures on the River Nile. Later transfer to Kampala.
Accommodation: Camp or lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 7: Bwindi National Park
Early departure for Bwindi Impenetrable Park, driving through the rolling hills known as the “Little Switzerland” of Kabale. We arrive at our base camp in the evening ready for our gorilla trekking adventure tomorrow.
Gorilla tracking can be a challenging activity as it sometimes involves climbing hills in the dense tropical forests. Physical fitness is therefore a virtue. Persons below the age of 15 are not allowed to track gorillas. No-one with a cold or flu or signs of other transmittable illnesses will be allowed to trek due to the risks posed to the families of gorillas.
Accommodation: Camp or lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8: Bwindi-gorilla trekking
After early breakfast, with your packed lunch go for a briefing at 08:00 hours before beginning the trek. Gorilla tracking is unpredictable, so it is difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. It may take 2-8 hours, and you should be prepared to walk a long distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas.
Accommodation: Engagi Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 9: Kampala
Breakfast and then transfer to Kampala with lunch en-route, arriving in the evening, drop off Entebbe airport
Meals: Breakfast and lunch