Challenge:

Adventure

Destination:

*Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania

Departure Dates From:

12/05/2008

Duration:

5 weeks

Kitty:

£ 290

Kenya/Tanzania - Wildlife and Spice Island Safari, 33 days Nairobi to Zanzibar

Overland through 4 core game parks, camping and cooking with your group. View endangered mountain gorilla, visit an elephant sanctuary, mingle with local tribes in villages and markets, white water raft the White Nile, quad bike and relax on the palm fringed beaches of Zanzibar Island...

These trips depart once or twice per month. The trip costs £470, with a local payment of £290, this should be paid on the first day of your trip locally.

Itinery Days 1- 6 Kenya travelling to Uganda Nairobi - Predeparture meeting, visit to Samburu National Park, or Lake Baringo, with a visit to a Samburu or Pokot tribe, Jinja. Optional: Boat trip to the Ngempe fishing village

Days 7- 12 Uganda Lake Victoria, The Virungas, Kabale, Lake Bunyoni, Queen Elizabeth National Park - game drive and game cruise (only on departure dates when we do not visit the Masai Mara for the migration), The White Nile, Bujagali Falls. Optionals: Chimpanzee reserve, mountain gorilla trek, whitewater rafting, quad biking, horse riding, bunji jump.

Days 13- 22 Uganda journeying to Tanzania Lake Nakuru National Park, game drives, Rift Valley, Lake Naivasha, Elsamere, Masai Mara - game drives (7 May to 29 Sep), Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Park, Nairobi. Optionals: Hells Gate National Park and Maasai Cultural Centre or Crescent Island or Crater Lake Walk.

Days 23- 28 Tanzania Maasai Boma, Ngorongoro Crater, game drive, Mto Wa Mbu, Arusha, views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Dar Es Salaam. Optional: Serengeti National Park, hike to the base camp of Kilimanjaro (11 Jun to 15 Oct)

Days 29- 32 Zanzibar Island Optionals: 4 days on Zanzibar island visiting Stone Town, Prison Island, scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming with the dolphins, viewing the red colobus monkeys and other activities such as a spice tour.

KENYA

We leave Nairobi to camp our first night beneath Mount Kenya, before travelling the following day to the wilds of Samburu National Park with its fabulous herds of elephant. Whilst here we also visit local Samburu tribes people, traditional manyattas lining the road into the park. Alternatively we head across the Rift Valley towards Lake Naivasha and then on to Lake Baringo. Here in this beautiful environment, reknowned for its prolific bird life, we camp by the lake and the following day visit the Pokot tribespeople as well as spend time on the lake to meet Ngempe fishermen. African fish eagles can be hand fed. Hippo graze around our tents at night. Reaching Eldoret we stay at Raj's, reputedly 'the coolest bar in Africa' where we enjoy a relaxing night before crossing into Uganda to stay by the White Nile.

UGANDA

We travel via the capital, Kampala, to camp by Lake Victoria at Entebbe. Taking a Sesse canoe across the lake to Ngamba Island we can view the 32 chimps now living on the island. Often difficult to spot in the wild, the chimps at Ngamba are habituated to human contact having been orphaned and then returned to live in a more natural setting on the island. We have a great chance to watch their antics as they come in for their daily supplementary feed. Chimps live in communities with the males often forming coalitions to remain in dominance. In the wild they will work together to ambush bush pigs, and other smaller animals to augment their mainly vegetarian diet.

Crossing the Equator we head towards the South West region of Uganda and the home of the mountain gorillas.

The trek to view the mountain gorilla brings you face to face with this critically endangered species in its natural habitat. Under the charge of the older dominant male, the silverback, who can weigh up to 350 pounds, the families eat, sleep, groom and play the day away in lush jungle, their environment being described as a giant 'salad bowl'. They spend the day foraging for bamboo, wild celery, nettles and other vegetation. The trek is a once in a lifetime opportunity to view these gentle and intelligent primate.

Leaving the gorilla parks we head to a crater lake set amongst the misty hills of the Mfumbiro region, Lake Bunyoni. This tranquil lake offers an opportunity to canoe, spot otter and relax in one of the most peaceful settings on route.

On departures 22 Jan 08 to 26 Mar 08 and 18 Oct 08 to 22 Jan 09 we now travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives in the park and a game cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The game cruise allows us to see an immense amount of hippo as well as elephant play in and by the water ways. The park also has lion, leopard and jackal as well as Uganda kob and waterbuck amongst other animals of the plain. (On the other months upon arriving back in Kenya we take game drives in the Masai Mara when the famous migration of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson's gazelle have usually arrived in the Kenyan park from the Serengeti).

Before leaving Uganda we return to camp by the White Nile overlooking Bujagali Falls, for a days white water rafting amongst lush tropical vegetation on the world's longest river. Here we can also help out in a local school, take a village walk, go horse riding and quad biking.

KENYA

We spend a night upcountry at Kembu homestead, named after the intriguing chameleon, visiting in the local village during our stay.

And then to Lake Nakuru for a days game drives by the lake and amongst acacia forest. The park's alkaline lake supports hippo and migratory waterfowl and waders, particularly the beautiful greater and lesser flamingos. The park is also a sanctuary for black and white rhino, Rothschild's giraffe as well as defassa waterbuck, reedbucks, zebra, warthog and Grant's and Thomson's gazelle. Lion can be seen and if we are fortunate, we might spy a leopard.

We visit Elsamere, home to Joy Adamson, and now a conservation centre. Joy and George's time with Elsa the lion was depicted in the well known movie 'Born Free'. We enjoy afternoon tea at Elsamere whilst the black and white colobus monkeys feed nearby on the lawns. From Naivasha with its abundant birdlife, we cycle into Hells Gate National Park with its extraordinary volcanic scenery. Alternatively we hike to Crater Lake or take a walking safari on Crescent Island to stretch our legs and get up close to Africa's wildlife including giraffe, zebra and gazelle. On safaris departing 7 May to 29 Sep inclusive we now reroute automatically to visit in the Masai Mara when the migration has usually arrived.

It is a long bumpy ride out to the park but during these months a worthwhile one, to see large herds of zebra, wildebeest and Thomson's gazelle on their dry season pasture. Where the herds are the big cats are usually not far behind looking for their next meal so we also have a good chance of seeing lion in particular as well as other predators. Please note on these months, when we visit the Mara, we won't then visit Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Returning to Nairobi we have a night out in a local restaurant. We visit Sheldrick's Elephant Orphanage to see the special work being done to support orphaned baby elephants. And a visit to the Giraffe Park allows us the opportunity to hand feed the graceful giraffe.

TANZANIA

Across into Tanzania we visit the world famous Serengeti National Park. The vast plains are home to an immense array of wild animals - lion, cheetah, hyena, elephant, hippo, topi and giraffe to name just a view. The vast savannah ecosystem also combines with the Mara as the stage for the migration of the big herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson's gazelle who usually start to arrive back in the Serengeti by late November.

We then enter the world's largest extinct volcano, 18 kilometres across and 2,000 feet deep - the Ngorongoro Crater. With a range of different habitats from Lake Migadi, its rim tinged pink by flamingo, hippo pools, the Lerai Forest, open plains and hilly outcrops, abundant game roam the Crater floor.

On our return, passing traditional Maasai herdsmen tending their cattle, we stop over at Mto Wa Mbu to mingle with the locals and haggle for curios. With a little good fortune we might spy the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro on our journey south to Dar Es Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast. On departures 12 May to 7 Oct we also stop over for a days hiking to the base camp on the mountain. Alternatively local walks give us a good feel for day to day rural village life.

Leaving Dar we catch the ferry to Zanzibar for a few days in this magical destination.

We spend a night in the traditional capital to explore the winding, narrow streets of Stone Town with its colourful bazaars by day and to dine out at the bustling open air market for fresh seafood and snacks on the harbour front by night. With the sounds of African jazz, blues and island reggae, we enjoy fresh seafood and meals cooked with home grown spices. The following morning a spice tour introduces us to the fascinating history of the island. There is also time for a snorkel trip to Prison Island to view giant land tortoise. We then spend three nights in beach cottages with time to relax on miles upon miles of white beaches, enjoy beach volley ball and swimming in azure blue waters. Dolphin boat trips can be organised to also visit Jozani Forest's indigenous red colobus monkeys. Zanzibar also offers some of the best diving and snorkelling in Africa. Amongst colourful corals, a variety of fish species can be seen as well as whales, dolphins, huge rays and hammer head sharks. Zanzibar is the perfect island paradise to finish your safari.

Direct flights are available from Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar to Nairobi. There are also direct flights from Dar Es Salaaam to Johannesburg and other destinations.

COUNTRIES VISITED:

WHAT YOU GET:

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:

GROUP KITTY...

Your Group Kitty pays for:

All camping and accommodation whilst with the truck. Breakfast and dinner whilst with the truck. Some prepared barbecues and a contribution to a restaurant meal in Nairobi.

Masai Mara or Queen Elizabeth National Park with a game cruise, Nakuru National Park, Samburu National Park or Lake Baringo, Ngorongoro Crater.

Sheldrick's Elephant Sanctuary, The Giraffe Park and Elsamere for afternoon tea. Visits to the Samburu or Pokot tribes, as well as to a Maasai village.

Any remaining funds in your kitty are returned to you at the end of the trip.