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(Driving time: approx 3 hours; game drive times variable) We depart Nairobi after breakfast and head north, driving along the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley to your accommodation at Lake Nakuru just before lunch. After lunch you will head out to Lake Nakuru National Park for an afternoon game drive. The centrepiece of the park is the lake itself. Lake Nakuru is a soda lake which is home to massive numbers of flamingos - up to two million on occasion - and thousands of other birds. It has been described as the world's greatest ornithological spectacle and, at times, the lake is literally a sea of pink. In addition, the park itself also boasts substantial numbers of other species, including waterbuck, reedbuck, kudu and gazelle. Leopards are also to be found here, providing good chances for sightings (although there are no guarantees!). Perhaps we may also be fortunate enough to encounter one of Africa's most endangered animals - the rhinoceros. There is quite a good chance of seeing white rhinos, whilst black rhinos may prove to be more elusive. After spending the day in the park, we return to our lodge for the night.
(Driving time: approx 2 hours) This morning you will enjoy a short game drive on Soysambu Conservancy before departing the park and heading to the East Africa Mission Orphanage, just outside Nakuru. Here we meet the children who call this orphanage home. They love to practice their English skills and also are excited to know more about the world - be warned they will have lots of questions for you! The East Africa Mission Orphanage looks after more than 100 children ranging in age from just a few days old to 15 years years of age. The complete needs of the children, including full school education, are provided for by the orphanage. This orphanage is actually the result of the dream of one family, who arrived in Kenya in 1997 with nothing more than two suitcases each. It is a charitable institution, registered with the Kenyan Government for the purposes of caring for the thousands of homeless orphans, that would end up either dying a premature death through malnutrition, walking the streets in search of food or turning to prostitution as a means of survival. The orphanage is taking up the challenge to reach out to these children before they have to fend for themselves out in the streets. We are proud to help support the efforts of this family and their incredible orphanage, and is excited to be able to take clients right into the orphanage itself! After lunch at East Africa Mission Orphanage, we then make our way to the nearby freshwater Lake Naivasha – the second largest lake in Kenya and the highest of the lakes (1884m) in the Great Rift Valley. We stay overnight in a house that contains much history. 'Elsamere' is the former home of the writer, Joy Adamson. 'Born Free' was written in 1960 and did much to bring the issue of African wildlife conservation into the mainstream. The house is a veritable museum that dedicated to the works of Joy and George Adamson, and of course there are many photos of Elsa – the lioness that started it all! It's also a great place to enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea, with the lake as a serene backdrop. We get to enjoy a boat trip on the lake, where we look out for some of the many resident hippos that live on the waters.
(Driving time: approx 2 hours; game drive times variable) We head south-west to our next destination, the Masai Mara - arguably one of the finest game reserves in Africa. The area is known for its rolling green plains and riverine woodlands, and amongst the many species of game, we may be lucky to observe black-maned lion, leopard and cheetah. These predators find an abundant food supply in the massive herds of wildebeest, zebra, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle that roam the grasslands. We arrive at the park in time to enjoy lunch and settle in. In the afternoon we embark on a game drive, pausing to enjoy sundowners prior to heading back to camp in the early evening. As dusk falls we may see a variety of animals in the vicinity and listen to the sounds of the African night from our lodge. The next day we explore the park on morning and afternoon game drives and witness the wonderful procession of wildlife that inhabit this area. Wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are plentiful and, with luck, we may spot the predators keeping a casual eye on their movements. Elephant, giraffe and eland are also commonly sighted, along with plenty of bird life.
(Driving time: approx 7 hours) We leave the Masai Mara behind and cross into Tanzania before heading for the shores of Lake Victoria. This lake is immense; at around 70,000 square kilometres, it is Africa's largest lake and borders three countries - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Scattered throughout the lake are more than 3000 islands, many of which are inhabited, some of which are now wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. The lake plays a pivotal role in supporting the millions of people who live around its shores in one of the most densely populated regions on earth, as the local economy is almost entirely on fishing and tourism. Lake Victoria is also widely thought to be the main source of the Nile with rivers from western Kenya, northern Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda all gathering here to begin the long journey through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt.
(Driving time: approx 3 hours; game drive times variable) We drive to Serengeti National Park. The Serengeti, which means 'endless plains' in Masai, is Tanzania's largest park, covering an area of 14,700 square kilometres. Its main claim to fame lies in the fact that it is home to over three million animals including a multitude of plains animals that provide for the greatest wildlife spectacle in the world. A unique phenomenon is the annual migration. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra trek the route annually, in some places simply grazing, in other places rushing madly across rivers and plains. The game most likely to be seen in the Serengeti in addition to the wildebeest and zebra are gazelle, lion, cheetah, warthog, hyena, hippo and ostrich. In all there are more than thirty-five species of plains animals, as well as a great profusion of bird life. The landscape changes within the park from the vast treeless central plains to thick scrub and forest in the north. Linking these areas is the savannah, dotted with acacia trees and magnificent rock outcrops. Perhaps the ultimate way to go game viewing, a hot air balloon safari over the great plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara is an unparalleled experience. Shortly before sunrise you take off and rise slowly into the air to drift along in near silence, carried by the breeze. You'll watch the sun climb over the edge of the earth and turn the grasslands golden, at times climbing high to clear the tree canopy, and the view will open up to reveal the vastness of the savannah stretching away on all sides. Sometimes you'll descend to get a close-up look at the wildlife, passing silently above the herds as they graze on undisturbed. . Hot-air ballooning in east Africa offers an unforgettable way to see a truly spectacular part of the world and we strongly recommend booking this activity prior to departure. We enjoy a further full day of game drives on Day 8.
(Driving time: approx 3 hours; game drive time variable) After an early morning game drive we depart for the Ngorongoro Crater. Upon arrival we check into our accommodation on the rim of the crater, overlooking arguably the world's greatest natural theatres.
(Driving time: approx 3 hours; game drive time variable) In the morning we descend to the crater floor, where we hope to see some, if not all, of the 'Big Five'. Ngorongoro Crater is indisputably one of Africa's most beautiful nature reserves and is certainly one of the most spectacular settings found anywhere. It is the largest intact crater in the world and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. Geologically, Ngorongoro is the remnant of a volcano that blew apart, leaving a flat plain area ringed with steep walls. The Ngorongoro volcano, before it exploded and collapsed 2 million years ago, was one of the world's tallest mountains. Unlike the Serengeti and Masai Mara, the migration in the Ngorongoro Crater is scant, as it has an abundant year-round food and water supply, and the walls of the collapsed volcano discourage migration. Animals within the Ngorongoro Crater are less shy of people and safari vehicles, so it's easier to view the animals up close. Views from the rim of the crater are sensational. On the crater floor, grassland blends into swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland and hills. The Masai are permitted to water their cattle at the permanent lake and can be seen leading their animals in and out of the crater. The most commonly seen animals are lion, wildebeest, zebra, eland, bushbuck, cheetah, jackal, buffalo, Grant's gazelle, Thompson's gazelle and black rhinoceros. In the afternoon we travel through the Ngorongoro Highlands to the quaint town of Mto Wa Mbu. Here we embark on a cultural program with local guides. We explore nearby villages and learn about the various aspects of life here, with plenty of chances to interact with the local people along the way. There is a chance to try your hand at some Masai dancing! We then continue to Lake Manyara where our lodge awaits. The lodge is perched on the top of the escarpment, with unparalleled views overlooking Lake Manyara National Park.
(Game drive time variable; flying time: approx 90 minutes) We enjoy a morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park before returning to Arusha where we farewell some member of our group who may be leaving us in Arusha, in time for lunch. We transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport to take our afternoon flight to Kigali, capital of Rwanda (flight not included). On arrival at Kigali Airport we are met by our local representatives and transferred to our central hotel.
(Driving time: approx 2 hours) The morning is free for you to check out Kigali. If the group prefers, we can explore the sights on a city tour today rather than on our final morning. There is also the option to try a local Rwandan lunch of tilapia (fish), 'mizuzu' (fried plaintains) and of course the favourite local brew, Primus. (Lunch is at own expense). In the early afternoon, we embark on a drive through the verdant rolling hills of Rwanda. Our accommodation is located in the Kinigi region, approximately 17km from Musanze town (formerly Ruhengeri). The lodge itself is brand new and is nestled on the scenic lower slopes of Sabyinyo Volcano - one of five volcanoes located in the Parc National des Volcans.
This morning we have a very early start driving to the park headquarters where we are briefed on our gorilla trek by the guides of Parc National des Volcans. This 13,000 hectare national park protects the Rwandan sector of the Virunga Mountains and include a range of six extinct and three active volcanoes that straddle the border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bamboo forest is interspersed with alpine moorland, grassland and marshland. In this park, there are seven different gorilla families - Group 13, Sabinyo, Amahoro, Umubano, Susa, Kwitonda which has recently arrived from the DRC and are now settled in Rwanda and the Hirwa group, newly formed from different habituated families. Gorilla trekking is highly controlled with only 56 gorilla trekking permits available each day. Once a trekking group encounters one of the gorilla families, only one hour is granted in the presence of the great apes before trekkers must leave the family, however reluctantly. The trek can be strenuous and may reach altitudes of almost 3000 metres above sea level. Depending on weather conditions, some of the paths can be slippery and these paths themselves can change depending on the location of the gorillas. Hence it is very hard to predict how long we need to walk for, but a very good level of fitness is recommended for everyone taking on this trek, as it may take anything between 40 minutes and five hours to reach our designated gorilla family. The trackers have already set out and located the gorilla family by the time we start our trek, so our actual time of walking can usually be predicted when we set off. Generally the time spent walking is not as long as for a similar activity in Uganda. All this may seem like hard work, but the end result is one you are sure to cherish forever, as to stand so close to these amazing animals is indeed an emotional experience. As lunch can only be taken upon return to the hotel, it is recommended that you bring a few snacks to keep you going throughout the morning. At the end of the day the comforts of the hotel beckon, along with a chance to reflect on what is sure to be a truly memorable day.
(Driving time: approx 2 hours) Today is a day of various trekking options. We may choose to visit another gorilla family, see the rare golden monkey or take a hike up to the grave of Dian Fossey and the remains of the Old Karisoke Research Station. It is strongly advised that these options are pre-booked and confirmed at time of purchase of the main tour, in order to ensure availability. Gorilla trekking permits in particular can be booked out many months in advance. For those who loved the book and/or movie 'Gorilla's in the Mist', the Dian Fossey Trek is a good option. Over the course of the morning you follow in Dian Fossey's footsteps on our way to her grave, as well as the graves belonging to many poached gorillas including famous Digit. You are guided around the area where Old Karisoke Research Station was set up by a park guide. Although very little of the station remains, the setting is incredible and one can imagine the incredible life that Dian Fossey led in these isolated mountains. For a more leisurely but equally unique experience, trekking in search of golden monkeys is highly recommended. In June 2003 the nationals parks department first allowed permits to walk the trails in search of these rare and engaging primates. This walk takes you to the edge of the forest and watching these unique monkeys play and interact is a mesmerising experience. Please note that the roads leading to both of the above treks are not in the best of conditions, so be prepared for rough and bumpy rides! We then travel back to Kigali late in the afternoon or early in the evening. Accommodation tonight is either at the Novotel Kigali or a hotel of a similar standard. Dinner tonight is at your own expense and can be enjoyed at one of the many good nearby restaurants.
This morning we are taken on a city tour of Kigali, including the Genocide Museum which was opened in 2004 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide. Whilst the genocide occurred as a result of a complex series of factors, it can only be seen as an absolute tragedy to Rwanda and its people. Time spent at the museum is sure to be emotionally moving, but it is an important way to understand the sheer courage and resilience of the people of this beautiful, tiny nation. We are then transferred to Kigali International Airport, arriving there about midday. Any additional post-tour accommodation in Kigali or individual departure transfers are not included and must be pre-booked. Please note that your international departure flights from Kigali today should not be booked to depart before 1pm.
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