Gorillas & Masai Mara - Camping

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Day 2

The group flight usually arrives into Nairobi this afternoon and will be met
and transferred to the start hotel. Land Only clients should aim to arrive at
the hotel this afternoon. This evening's welcome briefing is the perfect
opportunity to meet your guide and get to know your fellow travellers.
Accommodation: Kenya Comfort Suites or similar
*Standard Hotel*

Day 3

After loading our things onto the overland vehicle we depart Nairobi and
travel approximately 7 hours into the Masai Mara, one of the most famous
ecosystems in the world. This vast grassland is teeming with life; plains
game including wildebeest, gazelle, topi, zebra and buffalo abound in the
rolling savannah, and never far away lay the predators; cheetah, lion and
hyena. Between mid-August to late October one of the greatest spectacles on
Earth takes place in the Mara - the annual migration of thousands of
wildebeest, gazelle and zebra trampling their way across the long grass.
Nothing is guaranteed on safari, but with the help of our brilliant guides
you should see and learn a huge amount about the Masai Mara's resident
wildlife as we game drive through the park this afternoon.
Accommodation: Mara Springs Camp or similar
*Full-service Camping*

Day 4

A full day game drive in the Masai Mara to increase our chances of
encountering many of the wildlife species found in the reserve. We find a
quiet spot inside the park to enjoy lunch by our vehicle, looking out across
the plains. There is also an optional Hot Air Balloon Safari in time for
sunrise (including champagne and breakfast).
Accommodation: Mara Springs Camp or similar
*Full-service Camping*

Day 5

We depart the Masai Mara in the morning after breakfast and drive to Lake
Nakuru National Park, one of the finest small parks within Kenya, where we
have an afternoon game drive. Protected by an electric fence, the park is
widely known for its impressive population of Black and White rhino which are
relatively easy to spot on game drives in the open savannah. Fever trees line
the park and are a well-known spot for leopards to laze in, whilst one of the
most impressive sights is the vast flamingo population. Owing to flooding the
alkaline content of the lake has changed in recent years and as a result the
flamingos no longer tend to be found in such large numbers, but this can
change depending on the rainfall.
Accommodation: KWS Campsite or similar
*Full-service Camping*

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Day 6

This morning we once again go in search of wildlife on a game drive in Lake
Nakuru National Park. After lunch inside the park, we have a journey of
around 3 hrs as we drive to Eldoret, one of Kenya's larger cities, where we
spend the night.

Accommodation: Green Wood Campsite or similar
*Full-service Camping*

Day 7

Today there is a long drive of about 250km to Jinja, which should take about
8 hours, including a border crossing into Uganda. The border crossing can be
slow but we leave plenty of time for this and you'll no doubt find the
experience interesting! Located on the shores of Lake Victoria, Jinja is the
adventure capital of Uganda and the source of the River Nile. The area is
most famous for grade IV and V white-water rafting excursions but there are
plenty of other adrenaline fuelled activities here.
Accommodation: Adrift Camp or similar

*Full-service Camping*

Day 8

Today is free to choose from a range of optional activities. White-water
rafting in Jinja is considered to be amongst the best in the world, with a
half or full day route that varies from quiet pools and forested islands to
thunderous rapids and drops. There are several grade V rapids to navigate
including 'Big Brother', 'Overtime' and 'Silverback'. If rafting doesn't
appeal, you can visit the source of the White Nile.
Accommodation: Adrift Camp or similar
*Full-service Camping*

Day 9

We leave Jinja and drive to Murchison Falls National Park, a journey which
should take us 6 hrs.  Murchison Falls N.P. is the largest of Uganda’s
national parks and covers an area of 5081 sq kms, with rolling grasslands and
wooded savannah. Tomorrow we visit the top of the falls, where the river
narrows from 50 metres to crash through a 7 metre gorge, falling 45 metres to
the rocks below. A truly impressive sight!
Accommodation: Red Chilli Murchison or similar
*Full-service Camping*

Day 10

This morning we have an early morning game drive in search of wildlife in
Murchison Falls N.P.  We transfer by ferry to the north side of the Nile
where we embark our game drive.  Murchison Falls N.P. is home to elephants,
giraffe, buffalo and Uganda kobs, as well as the predators: lions and
leopards. After lunch we travel by boat up the Nile, passing hippos and
crocodiles, searching for elephants and waterbuck that come to the river to
drink. The cruise lasts about 3 hrs, and will travel upstream to the bottom
of the falls, stopping near the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’, the place where the
water bursts through the narrow gorge and creates an outstanding rainbow. 

Accommodation: Red Chilli Murchison or similar
*Full-service Camping*

Day 11

We depart early this morning for Budongo Forest, which is home to the largest
numbers of chimpanzees in Uganda; we will go on a trek in search of
chimpanzees and other wildlife.  The walking is fairly easy due to the
well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain. Whilst trekking in the
depths of the lush green forest, you will be surrounded by bird song and hope
to see both Velvet and Colobus monkeys, wild pigs and of course the
chimpanzee.  Once a chimpanzee family is found, we will have an hour with
these fascinating creatures, to watch them interact and play with each other.

Accommodation: Machison River Lodge or similar

*Full-service Camping*

Day 12

Today we have a long drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP). The drive
goes south along the eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains, where, weather
permitting, we can see the glaciated peaks. We gently descend into The Great
Rift Valley and QENP. The park resides in a fertile, equatorial area and has
beautiful scenery. It is Uganda’s most popular and accessible savannah
reserve, with a total area of 1978 square kilometres. It is primarily
associated with grassy savannah plains, but this impressive park also
includes within its boundaries leafy rainforests, dense papyrus swamps and
natural volcanic crater lakes. As a result it has one of the highest
biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of
95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.
Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Campsite or similar
**Full-service Camping**

Day 13

This morning we will explore QENP on a game drive in search of wildlife
including elephants, lions, buffalo, leopard, hyena, jackal, topi, kob, bush
buck and various others. In the afternoon there is an optional boat trip of
about two hours along the Kazinga Channel to view some of the largest
concentration of hippo in the world (reported to be about 30,000) and other
game with excellent birding. The game drive will continue in the afternoon
for those who do not join the boat trip.
Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Campsite or similar*
Full-service Camping*

Day 14

We have a final early morning game drive in QENP and depart after breakfast,
heading for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is a UNESCO World
Heritage site and home to the Mountain gorillas. The journey is 300kms and
takes 5-6 hours including stops along the way.

Accommodation: Casa Gorilla Lodge & Campsite or similar*
Full-service Camping*

Day 15

You will probably remember today for the rest of your life as we spend a full
hour in the company of a family of Mountain gorillas! Owing to the nature of
the terrain and the need to explore to find the gorillas, our trek doesn't
follow a path and instead our guides will cut a route through the
undergrowth. After a safety briefing, we are assigned to a gorilla family
group and begin our trek. You should expect a minimum of three hours walking
on irregular terrain in order to find the gorillas; steep ascents and
descents over muddy slopes are the norm. Strong footwear is essential and we
recommend hiring a local porter to help you carry your bag/camera equipment
and provide a steady, supportive hand (porters will be arranged and paid for
locally on the day).
Seeing wild Mountain 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. They are almost exclusively vegetarian
and 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. Gorillas are gentle
creatures and are not known to attack unless very severely provoked. The
family groups that we trek to see are habituated to human presence but to
prevent over familiarisation our time with them is limited to one hour. The
minimum distance that we must keep is 8 metres - we are not permitted any
closer because gorillas are very susceptible to human disease. Please note
that anyone with a cold or any similar ailment may not be permitted to join
the trek.
Accommodation: Casa Gorilla Lodge & Campsite or similar
*Full-service Camping*

Day 16

This morning there is the option of getting a second gorilla permit, though
due to the limited number of permits, this should be obtained at time of
booking. For those who choose not to go on a second gorilla trek, there are
other walks which you can do nearby or you can relax, reminiscing about the
previous day’s encounters.

In the afternoon, we cross the border into Rwanda and head to Kigali (those
on the second gorilla trek will typically be transferred separately).

Please note that on some departures, due to availability of permits, we may
have to swap these two days over with the free day (and optional second
gorilla trek) on day 14 and the included gorilla trek on day 15 or we may
have to split the group to trek with gorillas across both days.

Accommodation: Beausejour Hotel or similar

*Comfortable Hotel*

Day 17

Our trip comes to an end today after breakfast where we bid Rwanda and our
group goodbye.Those on the group flights will be transferred to the airport
for the flight to London.

Day 18

 Arrive London.