Day 1:
Leave the camp in Nairobi at 8:00am on the first day of the trip. It is recommended that you arrive in Nairobi at least the day before the trip departs; however if you're there with a few days to spare there's lots to see and do around the city. In Nairobi town is the National Museum and markets. Close to the camp are Karen Blixen's house, Langata Giraffe Centre, and Nairobi National Park for a first glimpse of African wildlife. Week 1:
Leaving Nairobi, a stop is made at the Rift Valley scenic lookout at 8,000 feet high, overlooking Mount Longonot and Lake Naivasha. You'll then pass from the dramatic landscape of the Rift Valley to the highlands and spend your first night near Nakuru, where you can end your day sipping beer at Kembu Campsite.
You have an early start, crossing over the Ugandan border at Malaba or Busia. The scenery changes to tropical rainforests and tea and sugar plantations. Catch a first glimpse of Lake Victoria on the route to Uganda’s capital city, your overnight stop.
Stopping for photos as you cross the equator, the journey continues southwest to Kabale town, gateway to the Mountain Gorilla Reserves. Spend this evening camped on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest Crater Lake in Uganda.
Climbing through lush terraced hills to Kisoro, there are panoramic views of this unique Ugandan landscape at every turn. From the road there are outlooks over three countries - Uganda, Republic of Congo, Rwanda; and the Virunga Mountains - Mountains of the Moon, the home of the rare mountain gorillas.
Kisoro is situated under the peaks of the Mufumbiro Mountains, making a stunning base for the next two to three days, which are set aside for trekking the famed mountain gorillas. In groups of six to eight people with two guides, you'll trek deep into the forest to find one of the gorilla families. The trek is an experience in itself, following your guides as they cut a path through the thick vegetation. The guides track the gorillas almost every day but, even so, it can sometimes take eight hours to find them. You will be rewarded though by the sight of these human-like giants playing with their young, feeding, grooming, and staring curiously back at you. An hour is spent observing these amazing animals - bring plenty of film.
As the groups going to the gorillas are small, it takes a couple of days for everyone to do the trek. While others are searching for the great apes, you can take in the local markets; walk to the nearby mountain lakes; or enter the Magahinga National park for a day hike up a volcano or a guided nature trail.
Still on a high from your time spent with the gorillas, the group will head back to Lake Bunyonyi, meaning “place of little birds.” It is known, not only for its water birds, but also for its freshwater crayfish population. Lake Bunyonyi is a great place to relax, or for the more energetic, you can canoe to one of the many islands dotting the lake, swim, or take in the scenery on mountain bikes. Week 2:
Return to Uganda’s capital. Kampala is a modern bustling city leaving you no shortage of things to see and do. You may wish to visit the National Museum, the Kasubi Tombs of the Buganda people.
Crossing the Owen Falls dam you'll arrive at Jinja, on the shores of Lake Victoria. Your campsite for the next few days above Bujagali Falls is a welcome break from traveling, and you'll have a lazy afternoon to put up tents on the grassy terraces overlooking the Nile River.
You can spend an action-filled day whitewater rafting down the Nile. As well as Grade V rapids, this river has a lot of bird and wildlife to view while drifting between the rapids. The rafting is rounded off with a sunset BBQ and drinks, before returning back to camp to re-live it on video.
There is no shortage of other activities in Jinja: head off on a quad bike, bungee jump, fish on Lake Victoria, take a guided village walk, or give up a day of your holiday to volunteer for the local community education project.
Leaving Uganda, the route heads back into Kenya and on to Nakuru Town, the capital of the Rift Valley Province. Spend the next few nights at Kembu Camp, a working farm. You can visit the local weavers and school, or take a tour of the farm.
Visit Lake Nakuru, viewing game in a park famous for its soda lake surrounded by thousands, sometimes millions of pink flamingoes. The park is home to over 400 species of bird, and you may spot leopard or black and white rhino amongst the zebra, waterbuck, impala, giraffe, and many more. Week 3:
Not far from Nakuru in the Rift Valley is Lake Naivasha. You’ll camp on the shores of the lake where hippos often come to graze in the evenings and black and white Colobus monkeys turn up in the early morning.
Close by is Hell's Gate National Park where you can hire bikes to take you around the park and see the herds of zebra, buffalo, and antelope. You can also wander in the predator-free reserve amongst African game. There is spectacular scenery here: red cliffs, grassy plains, and rock towers made of hardened lava and the remains of ancient volcanoes.
Also on the lake is Elsamere; once the home of Joy Adamson and Elsa, the lion of “Born Free” fame. Elsamere is now the center of the Born Free Foundation and you can find out more about their work, watch a video on Joy’s life, and take afternoon tea in the gardens.
Next, you’ll head south to Masai Mara National Reserve, camping on the edge of the park. The sweeping plains evoke a picture of East Africa that most people hold in their minds and are rarely disappointed when confronted with the real thing. Great game viewing is assured all year round. The Mara offers everything - amazing scenery and abundant wildlife, including the “Big Five.”
From here you return to Nairobi with the chance to feast at the renowned Carnivore Game Restaurant. Week 4:
Into Tanzania, you arrive in Arusha where you can take a side trip to the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. The trip involves camping for two nights in the parks amidst the animals. If you choose not to visit the park, you can wander the markets in Arusha town.
A day’s drive from Arusha brings you to Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast. Over the centuries, trade between Africa and Arabia has resulted in the blending of Arabs and Africans into a beautiful Swahili (coastal) culture with wooden sailing dhows crossing the ocean, coconut plantations, and fishing villages with mosques on the beaches. Week 5:
From Dar es Salaam you can take the ferry to Zanzibar Island. Here is the old stone capital of the Omani Sultanate, sandy beaches, spice tours, snorkeling, diving, and trips to other nearby islands. Zanzibar is a fascinating place to visit and you can stay for three or four days to take it all in. South through Tanzania, the route takes you through Mikumi National Park where you may see giraffe or elephant grazing beside the road. Week 6:
Crossing the border into Malawi, you reach the shores of its huge lake. The campsites and small resorts along Lake Malawi offer sandy beaches, swimming and snorkeling, waterskiing, horseback riding, or walking in the surrounding countryside. You will also find markets selling beautifully carved Malawi chairs, tables, and other souvenirs.
In Blantyre, the old capital of Malawi, you’ll get visas for the next leg of the journey. Enter Mozambique and spend the day driving through the bush, passing villages, mud huts, and small children who wave as they tend their herds of cows and goats.
In Zimbabwe you’ll visit the modern capital Harare, before going on to Gweru and the Antelope Park. This is the only place in the world where you can walk with lion cubs, and also swim with elephants and play polocrosse.
In Bulawayo town there is Rhodes Matopos National Park, here you can walk near wild white rhino, see bushman rock paintings, and see the fantastic view from Rhodes grave - the founder of modern Zimbabwe. Week 7:
Finally you’ll reach the Victoria Falls where the Zambezi River plunges 100 meters down a mile wide chasm, creating one of the most incredible natural wonders of the world. The local name for the falls is “Mosi-oa-Tunya” which means “the smoke that thunders” and you'll soon find out why. When the river is in full flow, the falling water causes a huge roar and sends a cloud of spray up to 500 meters into the air.
Stay in Victoria Falls Town in Zimbabwe, located above the falls where there is so much to see and do. Adventure activities abound - you can bungee jump, whitewater raft, and go game-viewing on horseback. More sedate excursions include canoeing, light aircraft or helicopter flights over the Falls, and the sunset cruise on the Zambezi. Of course, the Victoria Falls themselves are the main attraction and you can walk through the rainforest along the cliff opposite for an excellent view. Week 8:
Cross into Botswana, traveling along the edge of the Kalahari Desert to Maun. A small town on the edge of the Okavango Delta, Maun is also the starting point for the Mokoro trip. A Mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe and your transport into the Delta. As you glide through the waterways, you will see a fantastic array of wetland wildlife, birds in particular, and you are also likely to come across hippos or elephants taking a drink from the shore. You can go on a walking safari to look for giraffe, buffalo, and rare antelope. This overnight stay is a great wilderness experience.
Leaving the Delta behind, you’ll transfer to the airport to catch the flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. There are several operators who run excursions to the surrounding area and further a field to Durban and Cape Town. There is an international airport as well as flight, train, and bus connections to other South African cities. |
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