Gorillas & Masai Mara

16 days - from $2630

Fantastic Kenyan wildlife and the endangered Mountain gorillas
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.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Start Nairobi; overnight in hotel. 2 Transfer to Lake Naivasha; visit Elsamere, former home of Joy Adamson. 3 Into 4WD vehicles for drive to Masai Mara; late afternoon game drive. 4 Full day in the Masai Mara. 5 To Kembu Farm. 6 To Lake Nakuru N.P.; afternoon game drive; camp in park. 7 Morning game drive; to Naiberi River; camp near Eldoret. 8 To Jinja, Uganda. 9 Optional day's rafting, bungee jumping,visit to Bujagali Falls or walks around local villages. 10 To Lake Mburo N.P.; guided afternoon nature/bird walk; camp in park. 11-12 To Lake Bunyonyi; at leisure with excellent birdlife and good scenery. 13 To Ruhengeri, Rwanda. 14 Visit to see the gorillas in Parc National des Volcans. 15 To Kigali; afternoon free for shopping, to visit the Genocide Museum and to explore this small and attractive city. 16 End Kigali.

Mode of travel: Travel by specialist overland vehicle, 4WD in Masai Mara and on foot in search of gorillas!
Group size: Normally 8 to 18, plus leader and appropriate local staff
Accommodation: 11 nights full-service camping in variety of campsites, some quite basic, with 6 nights in permanent tented camps with shared facilities, 3 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.
Local Taxes: Gorilla Permit US$500 paid uk (approx sterling figure quoted, confirmed with final balance) - CAD CAD $586.25
Optional Single Supplement: from $253.75
Trip Reference: AYU
Reverse Itinerary: trips that run in reverse are specified with an 'R' in the dates and prices table below.
Notes: Migration season: August to October
Trip Reference: AYU