GENERAL INFO
TRAVEL IDEAS
- Captivating Kenya, 7 days
- East Africa Explorer, 12 days
- East Africa Safari, 14 days
- Essential Kenya Safari, 8 days
- Gorilla Encounter, 14 days
- Jambo East Africa, 9 days
- Karibu Kenya, 6 days
- Kenya Escapades, 3 days
- Masai Footsteps, 7 days
- Fly In Safari - Amboseli, 3 days
- Royal Concorde Safari, 8 days
- Mombasa, 4 days
- Zanzibar, 3 days
- Cape to Kenya, 41 days
- Value Kenya, 11 days
MORE EAST AFRICA
- Climb Mt Kilimanjaro, 7 days
- South East Adventure, 31 days
- Kenya and Tanzania Adventure, 13 days
STAYS OF DISTINCTION
Cheetah, the fastest land mammal
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Kenya Independent Travel ideas
Gorilla Encounter
14 days
This exciting holiday offers you a comprehensive insight into some of Eastern Africa’s best adventure attractions. Our unique itinerary has been carefully designed to maximise your experience in two weeks on safari. From Kenya’s ‘Great Rift Valley’ to flamingo enriched ‘Lake Nukuru’, crossing the Equator for game viewing at Queen Elizabeth National Park including chimpanzee trekking at Kyambura Gorge, the serenity of Lake Bunyonyi to adrenalin pumping activities at Jinja – the source of the Nile. The highlight of the tour being a very special wildlife encounter with the magnificent mountain gorillas, a truly unforgettable experience! This dynamically packed tour allows you to touch and embrace magical Africa leaving you with an everlasting desire to discover more of this dynamic and diverse continent.
Day 1. Nairobi – Lake Nakuru National Park
Kenya is East Africa’s most popular safari destination and has a long tradition of tourism and of welcoming visitors. We recommend you arrive at least the day before the tour departure in order to relax, check out the city and overcome any jetlag.
You depart Nairobi early on Day One and descend into the ‘Great Rift Valley’, an enormous cleft in the Earth’s surface stretching from the Red Sea to Madagascar but with particularly marked escarpments here in Kenya. You stop at a lookout point to take in the magnificent views.
Our overnight stop is near Lake Nakuru National Park, a relatively small park (by African standards) however prolific in wildlife, sited on the Great Rift Valley floor. The shallow soda lake attracts a huge variety of birdlife especially flamingos, which may gather in such numbers that (when viewed from above) they form a strikingly pink ‘fringe’ around the lake-shore. However Lake Nakuru is not simply a bird sanctuary, it is also home to buffalo, lion, rhino (black and white), leopard, warthog, baboon, antelope, and a variety of smaller animals. A delightful introduction to East Africa’s wildlife diversity that you search for in an afternoon game drive making use of local guides and smaller safari vehicles for a more intimate experience. Distance travelled: +/-190kms and approx driving day: Half day LD
Kembu Camp
Day 2. Lake Nakuru - Eldore.
From Nakuru you continue northwest and climb in altitude towards the town of Eldoret en route to the Ugandan frontier. You cross from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere today over the Equator, enjoy some time here learning a little about its significance and taking photos before moving onwards to Eldoret. The name ‘Eldoret’ is based on the Maasai word ‘Eldore’ meaning stony river due to the stony bed of the nearby Sosiani River. The town is the 5th largest in Kenya and is the fastest growing with a population of approx 194,000. You camp outside of the town in a unique campsite with the bar restaurant area is in a modern day cave with river streams, waterfalls and wooden bridges. Enjoy a sun downer around the warmth of the central log open fire. Distance travelled: +/-150kms and approx driving day: Half day BLD
Naiberi Overland Stop
Day 3. Eldoret - Kampala.
You cross into Uganda today, Winston Churchill’s ‘Pearl of Africa’, a country with beautiful natural scenery and a rich mosaic of tribes and cultures. Travelling through Uganda you will be captivated by its sheer overwhelming beauty and friendly people. Our first night you camp in the capital, Kampala which is an attractive hilly city, bustling with roadside traders, markets and busy matatu (mini-bus taxi) stands. Distance travelled: +/-380kms and approx driving day: Full day BLD
Red Chilli Camp
Day 4. Kampala – Queen Elizabeth National Park
From Kampala, you travel west towards Queen Elizabeth National Park, through the Equator again, through fertile green terraced hillsides, lush banana plantations, steep mountains and tangled forests with herds of Ankole cattle with their incredible long curving horns roaming the roads and paddocks. You camp a short distance from the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here you will have the opportunity to relax and unwind, take a walk in the surrounding areas and mingle with the local community. Distance travelled +/-350kms and approx driving day: Full day BLD
Hippo Camp(2 nights)
Day 5. Queen Elizabeth National Park
This morning you enter the Queen Elizabeth National Park and take in the magnificent views of the mountains that separate Uganda from central Africa as well as Lake Edwards and Lake George. You game drive in search of the Uganda Kob (a type of antelope) as well as elephant, lion, buffalo, spotted hyena, side stripped jackals, red tailed monkeys, leopard and hippo to name but a few. In fact Queen Elizabeth National park has over 500 species of bird and 100 species of mammals making it one of the most bio diverse national parks in the world. Nearby you visit the Kyambura Gorge for the trek to see the chimpanzees. Unlike their larger cousins the mountain gorilla, chimps live mostly in the trees and so our viewing is usually peering high into the forest canopy. However the experience of seeing man’s closest relative in the wild is a memorable one. You leave the national park and return to camp to retell some of our wildlife encounters around the campfire. Distance travelled +/- 0kms and approx driving day: Game drive only BLD
Day 6 Queen Elizabeth National Park – Lake Bunyonyi
Leaving your campsite, you make your way to the lush and stunning ‘Lake Bunyonyi’ (‘Place of many little birds’). This lake is 27km long, 7km wide and at an elevation of 1950 metres above sea level is surrounded by undulating hills between 2200m to 2478m high. With a depth of nearly 900m in parts this lake is the second deepest lake in Africa (the deepest being Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania). With twenty nine islands that can be visited by local boats, the lake is a great place to unwind, relax and explore on the days that we don’t trek to see the mountain gorillas. Distance travelled +/- 240kms and approx driving day: Full day BLD
Lake Bunyonyi Overland Stop (2nights)
Day 7 – 8 Lake Bunyonyi rest day or Gorilla trek day
Over the next two days the group will be split with one group trekking to the mountain gorillas while the others relax at Lake Bunyonyi on day 7 with the group activities reversed on day 8.
Lake Bunyoni - There are many activities to do here such as hiring canoes to visit some of the lakes islands, visit local tribes and villages, visit the local orphanage, bird watching and nature walks. Alternatively just relax around camp, catch up on the diary or postcards to home.
Mountain Gorilla Trekking - This region of Africa is home to the world’s remaining 700 mountain gorillas, many of which inhabit the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. (Occasionally you may travel into neighbouring Rwanda to trek for the gorillas.)
On the day of our trek you gather in the early morning to meet your local guide and tracker. Walking in small groups you trek into the thick rainforest. The trek can be demanding at times with uneven terrain and hilly rainforest but the privilege of spending time with a family of these gentle primates makes the effort well worthwhile. To many people, even those who stay in Africa longer than this two week tour, the day’s trek and time with the gorillas remains their most exciting wildlife encounter in Africa.
The usual procedure, once you have located the gorilla ‘family’, is to squat or sit down and simply observe them for around an hour – the time set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (the national body charged with controlling and maintaining the gorillas in Uganda). Gorillas are sociable creatures, living in groups between 12 and 20 individuals, usually led by an ‘alpha male’ (the ‘silverback’ - so called because of the silver hair on his back which grows once the male gorilla attains maturity). Most people find that the gorillas are remarkably human-like at close quarters – particularly in the social interaction between family members and in ‘play’ activity in which the young engage. Photography is permitted (although not with a flash and there are restrictions for those who wish to use a video camera.)
Your permit allows you one trek and gorilla viewing (time limited to one hour). However because the authorities maintain strict limits on the number of visitors allowed to view the gorillas each day we may spend several days in the area while all passengers in our group complete the trek and viewing. BLD
Day 9 Lake Bunyonyi - Kampala
Leaving Lake Bunyonyi you make your way back across the Equator (stopping for a photo opportunity if you did not stop en route to Queen Elizabeth National Park) through lush pasture lands and the northern reaches of Lake Victoria (largest lake in Africa) to Kampala where you will overnight. Kampala is a hotspot for great food and entertainment. If time allows, take the night out and try the local cuisines and enjoy the hospitality and friendliness of the local Ugandan’s. Distance travelled +/- 550kms and approx driving day: Full day BLD
Red Chilli Camp
Day 10 – 12 Kampala - Jinja
Leaving the capital you drive a short distance to Jinja and your camp on the grassy banks of the River Nile. It was in 1862 that the British explorer John Hanning Speke recognised Lake Victoria as the ‘source of the Nile’ settling a long running dispute about Africa’s (and the world’s) longest river. From this modest monument the Nile begins its 4132 mile course through Uganda, Sudan and eventually Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.
Your camp overlooks a dramatic set of rapids known as Bujagali Falls. It is here that you usually have the option to try rafting - an exciting day out for those enjoying the thrill of ‘white water’. There is also the opportunity to make some difference to local children at a local school project: ‘Softpower’ is a locally run voluntary programme aimed at building and improving schools in the Jinja area to which your contribution of a few hours of painting or plastering is always most welcome. Other activities at Jinja include mountain biking, quad biking, village walks and even bungy jumping! From Jinja, you move on to Uganda’s capital Kampala. Distance travelled +/- 80kms and approx driving day: Short day BLD
Nile River Explorers (3 nights)
Day 13 Jinja – Eldoret
After your refreshing stop at Jinja, we retrace our steps across the border to the Kenya’s frontier and onwards to Eldoret, where you will camp for the evening. Tonight you can celebrate the last evening of your Gorilla Encounter with your fellow travellers and exchange stories, emails and laughter around the camp fire one last time. Distance travelled: +/- 300kms and approx driving day: Full day BLD
Naiberi Overland Stop
Day 14 Eldoret - Nairobi
This morning you cross the Equator and make your way south to the capital ‘Nairobi’ where your tour ends. Distance travelled: +/- 250kms and approx driving day: Half day BL
DEPARTURES:
2013 – 09 Feb, 16 Feb, 09 Mar, 16 Mar, 06 Apr, 13 Apr, 04 May, 11 May, 01 Jun, 08 Jun, 29 Jun, 06 Jul, 27 Jul, 24 Aug, 31 Aug, 21 Sep, 28 Sep, 19 Oct, 26 Oct, 16 Nov, 23 Nov, 14 Dec, 21 Dec
2014 – 11 Jan, 18 Jan, 08 Feb, 15 Feb, 08 Mar, 15 Mar, 05 Apr, 12 Apr, 03 May, 10 May, 31 May, 07 Jun, 28 Jun
TOUR STYLE:
Overland Tour - Travelling on an overland is great fun, but it can also be challenging! This is a participation tour and your help will be needed in setting up the camp each night and assisting (usually on a rota basis) with the various day to day campsite duties, such as shopping, cooking and keeping the truck and camp tidy. But don’t worry it’s not all hard work and it’s a great way to meet the local people and get to know your fellow travellers. Your contribution benefits the success of the tour - most people find the greater their involvement, the greater their enjoyment of the whole trip.
Africa is an adventure destination and travelling here is not always predictable so be prepared to “expect the unexpected’ in difficulties or delays which might come our way! You will need to remain flexible, understanding and good-humored. “African time” can be difficult and frustrating for those who are used to a very structured life, so this is something to keep in mind!
PRICE INCLUDES:
All tour highlights and inclusions, 2- person dome tents, fully equipped safari vehicle, camping and cooking equipment, sleeping mattresses, service of two crew, all road and vehicle taxes, all ground transportation, meals as indicated.
PRICE EXCLUDES:
Local Payment, Activities and Excursions (optional), visa’s, travel insurance, flight departure taxes, airport transfers, optional activities, tips, drinks, sleeping bag and items of personal nature.
LOCAL PAYMENT:
Every Overland tour has a Local Payment amount which must be paid to your tour leader in Africa at the beginning of the tour. This is separate and in addition to the Tour Price which is paid before travel. Paid in the currency listed in the brochure or on the website (usually US dollars in clean un-torn post 2005 edition notes) that pays for food, park entries, activities and camping costs along the way with payment goes directly to the supplier. The local payment for this journey covers; food and camping, Lake Nakuru National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Gorilla Trek Transfer.
GORILLA & CHIMPANZEE TREK:
Depending on the availability of the chimpanzee and gorilla permits the tour itinerary may vary in day to day running order which is based on the brochure itinerary. From time to time we may have to trek on different days. If at any chance our Gorilla trek should be in another neighbouring country, eg Rwanda (instead of Uganda) this may entail extra visa fees although we shall endeavour to advise you before departure of any significant changes to the tour itinerary. Please take the above itinerary as a guide line only. This applies to day 5 – 8 of this tour.
ACCOMMODATION:
2-person dome tents with fly sheets, sewn-in ground sheets, zip-up insect screens and foam mattresses. We mainly use campsites, which usually have reasonable wash and shower facilities, electricity points and sometimes even a small shop, bar or swimming pool.
TRANSPORT:
24-seater, self contained, custom-built safari truck with onboard tables, plug sockets, freezer, water tank, library, i-pod jack, safety features and 70-litre individual lockers.
JOINING INFORMATION:
This tour starts in Nairobi. The pre-departure meeting is held at 18:00 on the evening prior to departure at the Boulevard Hotel. The tour departs at 08:00 on day 1 and ends in Nairobi in the late afternoon on day 14 at the same hotel.
