Are you interested in joining a group safari to visit the gorillas in Rwanda, Amboseli, St Jude's, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Masai Mara and Zanzibar? If so, you've come to the right place!
OPTIONAL: Gorilla Extension
Day 1: 15 Sept
Upon arrival into International Airport in Nairobi, you will be met and transferred to Eka Hotel. You will be booked into this hotel on a B&B basis, as the hotel has a few restaurants to choose from for your meals.
Day 2: 16 Sept
After an early breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the airport for your flight to Kigali, Rwanda. Upon arrival into Kigali, you will be met by our company representative and taken into downtown Kigali for a Kigali City Tour, which includes a visit to the Rwanda Genocide Memorial. The driver will also stop somewhere so you can have lunch on your own account.
Afterwards, you will head north on a scenic drive through the Rwandan countryside to Ruhengeri town-ship, at the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes. The drive will take approx 2 ½ hours.
You will arrive at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight. You will be booked into this hotel on a FULL Board rate (3 meals included).
Day 3: 17 Sept
After an early breakfast, you will drive to the Volcanoes National Park to be allocated a gorilla tracking group at 7am. You will get a briefing by your trackers, then you start the amazing adventure.
The critically endangered Mountain Gorillas are the largest living primates on earth. Numbering only about 700 individuals worldwide, this large hominid (who shares 95% of their genes with humans), is now listed on the IUCN Red List of critically Endangered Species due to habitat loss, poaching, disease and war. Upon sighting the gorillas, you will stay with them for a magical hour as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting and raising their young. Coming face to face with a giant silverback must truly be one of the greatest wildlife experiences on earth!
In the afternoon, you will tour the nearby Ex-poacher’s Village. An award-winning conservation initiative where former poachers were convinced to renounced their old ways and become conservation activists. Together with their families, they founded this little village and they now participate in eco-tourism showcasing the Rwandan culture. Visitors are taught about traditional skills like fire-making, archery, weaving, traditional medicine, architecture (totally unique grass thatched huts that were used for the kings), cultural dances…all in a very interactive, educational and fun way.
Meals and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge again on a Full Board basis.
Day 4: 18 Sept
After an early breakfast, you will drive to the Park HQ’s where you will be allocated to a Golden Monkeys tracking group at 7am. You will get a briefing by your trackers before you start tracking.
The beautiful Golden Monkey is restricted to the highland forest of the Virungas especially near bamboo. They share this habitat with their big brother the Mountain Gorilla, inhabiting a small area that overlaps the territory of one of the Gorilla families. Together, they face the same threats; snares, human encroachment etc. and are listed on the IUCN Red List of critically endangered species.
Tracking usually takes from 2 to 4 hrs. Once you reach the habituated Golden Monkey families, you will spend one hour with them as they go about their daily life; adult monkeys frolic in plain view, feeding on bamboo leaves and leaping from perch to perch while females carry their young, completely oblivious of on-lookers. Afterwards, trek back to base and drive to the lodge for a good shower and lunch.
Afterwards, trek back to base and drive to the lodge for a good shower and hot lunch. Afterwards, transfer to the airport for evening flight back to Nairobi.
Upon arrival into Nairobi, you will be met and transferred to Eka Hotel. You will be booked into this hotel on a B&B basis, as the hotel has a few restaurants to choose from for your meals.
END of Gorilla Extension
Day 1: 19 Sept
Upon arrival into International Airport in Nairobi, you will be met and transferred to Eka Hotel. You will be booked into this hotel on a B&B basis, as the hotel has a few restaurants to choose from for your meals.
Day 2: 20 Sept
At 8:30am after breakfast, you will be picked up in an extended safari land cruiser from the hotel by your Kenyan safari guide and driven to:
- Karen Blixen House
- Giraffe Center
- David Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage
The driver will show you somewhere to have lunch on your own account. Overnight at Eka Hotel again on a B&B basis.
Day 3: 21 Sept
After breakfast, you will be driven to the Amboseli National Park. Enjoy a game drive in the park!
Overnight at Ol Tukai Lodge.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (300ml) per person are also provided.
Day 4: 22 Sept
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in Amboseli National Park.
Amboseli is famous for its big game, its view of Mount Kilimanjaro and ‘floating’ elephants within the swamps.
Overnight at Ol Tukai Lodge again.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (300ml) per person are also provided.
Day 5: 23 Sept
After breakfast, depart for the Kenya/Tanzania border of Namanga for customs, immigration and vehicle exchange. You will exchange your Kenyan driver guide and car for your Tanzanian team. You will then be transferred to The School of St Jude.
Overnight at The School of St Jude.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided. 2 small bottles of water (300ml) per person are also provided.
Your meals will be provided as you will be either eating with western staff or with other visitors and our school cooks.
During your time at St Judes you will be assisted by one of the staff on the schools “visitor team”. Once we have confirmed your itinerary you will be put in contact with the schools visitor team so they can liase with you about what you would like to do for the few days that you are at St Judes.
Day 6/7/8: 24/25/26 Sept
There are three Schools of St Jude and two boarding campuses and so over the next few days you will see the campuses, the kids and staff in action. You may also like to visit the family of one of the students during your stay also.
Overnight at The School of St Jude again.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided.
Day 9: 27 Sept
At 7:30am after breakfast, you will be picked up from St Jude’s by your safari guide and driven to Tarangire National Park. Enjoy the wildlife!
Overnight at Kikoti Safari Camp.
Breakfast, lunchboxes and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (500ml) per person are also provided.
Tarangire National Park is almost 3000 sq km in size and is probably best known for its huge numbers of elephants and baobab trees. The name of the park comes from the Tarangire River which crosses through the park. Tarangire is especially spectacular during the dry season (June - November) as wildlife concentrations rival that of the Serengeti (since enormous populations of elephants and other animals are drawn to the Tarangire River as their only source of water). With its varied habitats and permanent water in the Tarangire River the park is home to over 2000 elephants and 500 bird species.
Day 10: 28 Sept
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive at Tarangire National Park.
Overnight at Maramboi Tented Camp.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (500ml) per person are also provided.
Day 11: 29 Sept
After breakfast, drive into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for an Ngorongoro Crater tour.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (500ml) per person are also provided.
Often called the eighth natural wonder of the world, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact crater in the world. About 2 million years ago the Ngorongoro volcano erupted, and its walls collapsed. The volcano floor sank to create a natural enclosure with its 600m tall walls. Now, at over 19 kilometres wide, Ngorongoro Crater is filled with great areas of acacia forest, hippo filled swamps and open grasslands. These different habitats contain over 30,000 animals – including elephants, warthogs, flamingoes, magnificent birdlife, the rare black rhinoceros and all the predatory cats. The Maasai can also be seen grazing their cattle alongside the buffalo and wildebeest.
Day 12: 30 Sept
After breakfast, drive to Serengeti National Park. Enjoy an afternoon game drive at the central part of the Serengeti.
Overnight at Kati Kati Tented Camp.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (500ml) per person are also provided.
The Serengeti National Park is the world's last great wildlife refuge as it contains an estimated three million large animals, most of which take part in a seasonal migration that is one of nature's wonders. The area covers 14,763 sq kms and the name Serengeti comes from the Maasai 'Siringet', meaning endless plains.
Day 13: 1 Oct
Option: Hot Air Ballooning in the early morning followed by a Bush Champagne Breakfast.
After breakfast, enjoy a full day game drive in Serengeti.
Overnight at Kati Kati Tented Camp again.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (500ml) per person are also provided.
The Central Serengeti offers superb game viewing all year round due to its abundance of resident animals. Specifically, the Seronera River Valley in the Central Serengeti is a ‘must see’ on every safari regardless of the month of travel. Game viewing in Central Serengeti is at its best during the dry season (June - November) as resident animals are more concentrated in the immediate area due to lack of water on the plains. Resident herbivores include impala, buffalo, hippo, warthog, topi, hartebeest and giraffe. Resident carnivores include lion and leopard.
Day 14: 2 Oct
After breakfast, enjoy another part of Serengeti before traveling towards the northern part of the park, since you will be headed to the Masai Mara in Kenya tomorrow.
Overnight at Simba Lodge.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (500ml) per person are also provided.
The endless plains of Serengeti are the setting for the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle - the 1.5 million wildebeest endless migration in search for fresh pastures. Each year this huge herd of wildebeest (along with over 200,000 zebra and gazelle) migrate in a clockwise direction around the Serengeti, up to the Masai Mara in Kenya and then back down to the Serengeti to have their young (over 8000 wildebeest are born a day, between mid Feb and mid March). Each year they trek over 2,500km and are constantly threatened and followed by some of Africa’s greatest predators. Depending on the time of your visit, your driver guide will be able to share with you where the herd’s current location is at.
Day 15: 3 Oct (Warning: This is a long day since you are going to Masai Mara in Kenya!)
After breakfast, enjoy an en-route game drive to Isebania Tanzania/Kenya boarder, where you will exchange your Tanzanian safari vehicle and driver for your Kenyan safari vehicle and driver. Proceed onto the Royal Mara Safari Lodge, which sits on the banks of the Mara River in the richest game view section of Kenya’s legendary Maasai Mara ecosystem (which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania-it is just separated by the Kenya/Tanzania border).
Overnight at Royal Mara.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (300ml) per person are also provided.
Day 16/17: 4/5 Oct
Enjoy two full days in the Mara North Conservancy. You will get a chance to do a wilderness walk and enjoy the Kenyan wildlife and hospitality! Typically around October, the migratory herd are around this lodge.
Overnight at Royal Mara again.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided. 2 small bottles of water (500ml) per person are also provided
Day 18: 6 Oct
After breakfast, enjoy an early morning game drive if time permits and then transfer to the North Mara airstrip for your flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival into the Wilson Domestic Airport, you will be met and taken somewhere to have lunch (on your own account) and then afterwards, you will be transferred to JKIA international airport for your flight to Zanzibar Island.
Upon arrival into Zanzibar, you will be met and taken to Kisiwa House in Stone Town for an overnight stay on B&B basis. We book people into Stone Town hotels on a B&B basis, as we find that clients like to wander around the many restaurants in Stone Town for their meals.
Day 19: 7 Oct
At 9am after breakfast, you will be picked up from the hotel by your Stone Town guide. He will take you on a City Stone Town Tour through fabled Stone Town, where history appears to stand still. With visits to the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum (People's Palace), Dr Livingston's House and the Arab Fort amongst others, it is a fascinating look at the essence of Zanzibar. You will see Zanzibar's bustling market, winding alleyways, ornately carved and studded doors, two cathedrals and countless mosques.
Afterwards, you will be taken back to Kisiwa House for a free afternoon.
Overnight at Kisiwa House again. Breakfast provided.
Day 20: 8 Oct
At 9am after breakfast, you will be picked up from Z Hotel and taken on a Spice Tour (which includes lunch), and then transferred to the Kasha Boutique Hotel, in the northern part of the island.
Overnight at Kasha Boutique Hotel on a Full Board basis (3 meals per day included). This hotel is on a quieter side of the island and so perfect for utter relaxation. (Let us know if you would like to stay somewhere where there is a little more action)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
The history of Zanzibar would not be complete without the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices which brought the Sultans of Oman. The Spice Tour does not only involve spices, but also organically grown herbs and a detailed description about their traditional uses in medicine cosmetics and cooking.
Day 21&22: 9&10 Oct 2013
Enjoy relaxing days at Kasha! (Let us know if you are interested in doing any diving or snorkelling)
Overnight at Kasha Boutique Hotel again.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
Day 23: 11 Oct
After breakfast, you will be picked up and transferred to the Zanzibar airport for your flight back to Dar es Salaam (or to Nairobi), so you can connect to your international flight home.
END OF SERVICE
This safari package includes:
• Transportation in a safari specific vehicle
• A professional English speaking driver/guide
• Park entry fees
• 2 small bottles of drinking water (500ml) per person per day
• Meals as per the itinerary
• Masai Mara/Nairobi Flight on Day 21
This safari package does not include:
• International flights and visa fees
• Personal Travel/Baggage Insurance
• Drinks outside the 2 bottles of drinking water mentioned above
• Tips for the driver guide and any porters at the lodges
• Unexpected increases in National Park/Lodge Fees by the relevant authorities
• Bank Fee/charges in sending your money to Tanzania and getting USD cash out in Tanzania
Note: Flight fares and schedules are current and subject to change with no prior notice.
