Day 1: Kigali, Rwanda, to Kisoro, UgandaMeeting up in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, our first day’sjourney takes us through mountainous and lush winding roadsacross the border into Uganda. On our journey we can see thevolcanoes of the gorilla parks.

The pre-departure briefing today introduces you to arrangementsfor the first days of the tour, including an introduction totravelling overland and the upcoming activities. For most, thebig highlight is the trek to see the critically endangeredmountain gorilla.

The afternoon can be spent in the local markets, canoeing onLake Mutande and in preparations for the gorilla trek. Otheroptions are to head out on a coffee tour or to visit a local Batwa(Pygmy) village.

Distance: 136 kmsEst. Drive Time: 5 hours (depending on the border)Meals: X1 Dinner

Optional excursions: Coffee tour or Batwa (Pygmy) village visit orLake Mutande.

Days 2 - 3: Kisoro to Musanze, RwandaA gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the first bighighlight of our trip. Mountain gorillas are only found in thisregion, in the thickly forested Virunga Volcanoes, along theborders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic ofCongo, and in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest andMgahinga National Park. The current estimate is that there areabout 1,000 remaining mountain gorillas.

For the trek we are divided into trekking groups to head off earlymorning for the misty, lush slopes of the volcanoes of the gorillapark. Our hike in search of the mountain gorillas takes usthrough local farms which back onto the national parks, beforeheading into their forest home. Usually found on the groundthey live in family groups of up to 35 individuals led by oneolder dominant adult male, a silverback, named after the swathof silver hair that adorns his otherwise dark fur. The familystructure of a gorilla group often also includes several otheryoung males, known as black backs, as well as females andtheir offspring. When we find the group usually after a fewhours’ hiking we are allowed an hour with them during which wesit and enjoy their company as they feed, sleep and while theday away. The young ones particularly might be seen swingingfrom vines and trees and can be very curious as to their dailyvisitors.

There are also other different nature and/or cultural activitiesavailable in your free time in Kisoro. You can opt to head out tosee the Batwa and/or spend time in a local orphanage. Explorethe local town or find out about rural coffee production on acoffee tour. Otherwise in the lower reaches of the forest take aguided morning trek to see the golden monkeys.

We return to Rwanda - “the Land of a Thousand Hills” on daythree. Our next camp, in Musanze, is involved in very simplecommunity based projects including basket weaving and bananabeer making.

Alternatively a cycle tour in the local area can be arranged.

Distance, Day 2: 0 kmsEst. Drive Time, Day 2: 0 hoursDistance, Day 3: 51 kmsEst. Drive Time, Day 3: 3 hours (depending on the border)Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Optional excursions: Mountain gorilla trek Bwindi ImpenetrableForest (Uganda). Or golden monkeys trek or orphanage visit.Batwa (Pygmy) village visit or coffee tour. Lake Mutande. Basketweaving. Banana beer making.

Note: If you wish to trek the gorillas in Rwanda please let usknow at the earliest prior to booking.

Days 4 - 5: Musanze to KigaliThose wishing to head out on the steep trek to see DianFossey’s grave spend time today in the Rwandan forest. DianFossey was a fierce supporter of gorilla conservation and spentmuch time with the gorillas, as remembered in the film ‘Gorillasin the Mist’ starring Sigourney Weaver. On the trek you can alsovisit the grave of one of Dian’s favourite gorillas, Digit - and theKarisoke Reseach Centre.

If you are not trekking we head off early, making our way to thecapital Kigali, a very European style city. For those trekking atransfer is arranged for later in the day through to Kigali.

We spend the next two nights in Kigali, the modern capital ofRwanda. A country that has had a turbulent history, Rwanda hasnow moved rapidly forward in an attempt to put their pastbehind them. We honour and reflect on this past during a visitto the Genocide Memorial in the capital Kigali. Some also taketime to visit the Nyamata Church Memorial, a Women’s Centre,Hotel des Mille Collines (well known from the movie HotelRwanda) or wander in the local markets.

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Equator

TANZANIA

UGANDA KENYA

Nairobi

Kilimanjaro

Lake Victoria

Lake Tanganika

The VirungasMountain Gorillas

Zanzibar IslandStone Town

DEMOCRATICREPUBLIC OF

CONGO

Dar Es Salaam

Mt KenyaKampala

Masai Mara

Musanze

Tiwi Beach

RWANDA

Key THE ROUTE GAME PARK SHUTTLE to Nairobi ADD ON Zanzibar Island ✈ flight required

✈

Lake Naivasha

Arusha

Ngorongoro CraterSerengeti Kigali Grumeti

Kisoro

Distance, Day 4: 115 kmsEst. Drive Time, Day 4: 3 hours Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Optional excursions: Trek to Dian Fossey’s gravesite, GenocideMemorial and Museum, Nyamata Memorial.

Days 6 - 7: Kigali to Mwanza, TanzaniaWe take the road to the Rusomo border today to cross intoTanzania, heading off the beaten track for the next few days.

Arriving into the small town of Nyakanazi late in the afternoon,we check into a simple African guesthouse for the evening. Thisfirst night in Tanzania is the chance for a traditional rural Africanexperience, and we receive a warm welcome from the villageand owners of the guesthouse.

Next day’s adventure finds us on back roads heading for thesouth side of Lake Victoria to our camp in the city of Mwanza,which we reach by ferry. Our camp is set by the Lake.

Distance over two days: 535 kmsEst. Drive Time, Day 6: +/- 10.5 hours (depending on theborder) incl. lunch stopEst. Drive Time, Day 7: 9 hours incl. ferry journey, lunch andshopping stopMeals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Day 8: Mwanza to Bunda, TanzaniaReaching Bunda we prepare for the next exciting part of thetour, our entry into the world famous Serengeti National Parkand Ngorongoro Crater -ecosystems boasting the Big Five. There is time this afternoon to stretch our legs on a hill walknear camp offering wonderful views.

Distance: 156 kmsEst. Drive Time: 3 - 4 hours incl. lunch stopMeals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Optional excursion: Hill walk.

Day 9: Bunda to Ngiri, central SerengetiWe pass through the Grumeti Reserve on our drive to IkomaGate where we enter the Serengeti in our overland truck forgame drives. The famous migration often passes this area yearin, year out in search of fresh grazing anytime from late Aprilthrough to August.

The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest national park. Home to TheBig Five, it is famous for the annual migration when more than200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join thewildebeest’s trek. Even when the migration is quiet, theSerengeti is home to resident large herds of buffalo, elephantand giraffe, as well as thousands upon thousands of eland, topi,kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle. Hippo pods can be foundlazing in water pools, and the park is also home to the big cats– lion, leopard and cheetah and has fabulous birdlife includingostrich and secretary birds.

On our slow game drive through the park this afternoon weregularly have wonderful viewing including of the big cats andmuch other wildlife.

Distance to Ikoma Gate, Serengeti: 160 kms Est. Drive Time: 5 hours to Ikoma Gate incl. slow transit throughGrumeti. Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activity: Afternoon game drive, SerengetiNational ParkVehicle for game drive: Overland truck

Day 10: Ngiri, Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater, Simba CampWe are up early this morning for further game drives across thediverse ecosystem of the Serengeti before travelling aroundlunchtime into our next wildlife paradise. For the best vantagepoint though to see the sun rise, a balloon safari can bearranged in advance.

The Ngorongoro Crater is designated as a natural and culturalWorld Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve due to thebiodiversity and range of animals represented across this eco-system and because of the extraordinary record of humanevolution at the site, which spans such a vast area. A stop overcan be arranged at the Olduvai Gorge Museum time and roadconditions permitting.

Maasai live across this region as well, surrounded by the wildanimals of the African bush. We drive past traditional Maasaibomas, with zebra and giraffe in the background. We can stopover to visit a Maasai village and school en route to enjoy sometraditional dancing. Maasai warriors perform mesmerizingsequences of leaping movements with songs designed to workthe group into a state of trance.

By late afternoon we are on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, some2,000 metres above sea level.

We make our camp at altitude tonight, on the Crater rim, sobundle up as temperatures drop!

Distance: 161 kms Est. Drive Time: 5 hours Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activity: Morning game drive, Serengeti.Afternoon slow transit drive, Ngorongoro Conservation AreaVehicle for game drive: Overland truck

Optional excursions: Balloon safari, visit to a Maasai Boma,Olduvai Gorge Museum depending on road conditions. Pleasenote if you wish to visit Olduvai Museum you must let the officeknow prior to the tour departure.

Day 11: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcaniccaldera. Forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 squarekilometres, with sides up to 600 metres deep, it is home toapproximately 30,000 animals at any one time. The Crater rimis over 2,200 metres high and experiences its own climate.

We descend early morning to the floor of the Crater to gamedrive in customised land cruisers with a local guide. Here we can find rhino, hippo, lion, elephant, hyena, buffalo, zebra,impala, wildebeest, cheetah, monkey, ostrich and flamingodepending on the season.

Following our morning game drives we travel to Arusha andcivilisation, hot showers, as well as supermarkets! There isusually time for some market shopping for items such as TingaTinga paintings, beaded jewellery, carvings and other local craftson the way.

A barbecue is prepared for our last dinner together as we recallour safari stories of the last 11 days.

Distance: 195 kmsEst. Drive Time: 3 - 4 hoursMeals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activity: Morning game drives, NgorongoroCraterVehicle for game drive: 4x4 landcruiser with pop up roof

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Note: Transfers can be organized to Nairobi, or Arusha andKilimanjaro airports, the following morning. Please let us knowwhat you need before departure and we will make thearrangements for you.

Please note safari itineraries are given as a guide only. A safari is a journey and true journeys in Africa unfold andare of an adventurous nature. The unexpected can arise, sodo allow for this. Feel free to give us a call about your safariplans. We look forward to your further enquiries.

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Updated 5/06/19