Compare Gorillas & Masai Mara - Camping by Exodus Travels vs Glimpse Of Gorillas by Indus Travels

Day 1 Start Nairobi; overnight in hotel

The adventure begins in Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. This evening’s welcome briefing is the perfect opportunity to meet your guide and get to know your fellow travellers. Accommodation: Kenya Comfort Suites (or similar)

Day 2 To Masai Mara; late afternoon game drive

After loading our things onto the vehicle, we depart Nairobi and travel approximately seven hours into the Masai Mara, a vast grassland teeming with life. Here wildebeest, gazelles, topis, zebras and buffalo abound in the rolling savannah, and never far away lay the predators: cheetahs, lions and hyenas. Between mid-August and late October, one of the greatest spectacles on Earth takes place in the Mara: the annual migration of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles and zebras trampling across the long grass. Nothing is guaranteed on safari, but with the help of our brilliant guides you should see and learn a huge amount about the Masai Mara wildlife as we drive through the park this afternoon. Accommodation: Mountain Rock Camp (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 3 Full day in the Masai Mara

Enjoy a full-day game drive in the Masai Mara to increase our chances of encountering many of the wildlife species in the reserve. We find a quiet spot inside the park to enjoy lunch by our vehicle, looking out across the plains. There is also an optional hot-air balloon safari at sunrise, which includes champagne and breakfast. Accommodation: Mountain Rock Camp (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 4 To Lake Nakuru National Park; afternoon game drive

We depart the Masai Mara in the morning after breakfast and drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, one of the finest small parks in Kenya, where we have an afternoon game drive. The park is widely known for having an impressive population of black and white rhinos, which are relatively easy to spot in the open savannah. Fever trees line the park and are a well-known spot for leopards to laze in, while one of the most impressive sights is the vast flamingo population. Owing to flooding, the alkaline content of the lake has changed in recent years; as a result, the flamingos no longer tend to be found in such large numbers, but this can change depending on the rainfall. Accommodation: KWS Campsite (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 5 Morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park; to Eldoret

This morning, we once again go in search of wildlife on a game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. After lunch inside the park, we have a journey of around three hours as we drive to Eldoret, one of the larger cities in Kenya, where we spend the night. Accommodation: Green Wood Campsite (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 6 To Jinja, Uganda

Today there is a drive of about 155mi (250km) to Jinja, which should take about eight hours, including a border crossing into Uganda. The crossing can be slow but we leave plenty of time for this and you’ll no doubt find the experience interesting! On the shores of Lake Victoria, Jinja is the adventure capital of Uganda. The area is most famous for grade IV and V white-water rafting excursions but there are plenty of other adrenaline-fuelled activities here. Accommodation: Adrift Camp (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 7 Free day for optional activities

Today is free to choose from a range of optional activities. White-water rafting in Jinja is considered to be among the best in the world, with a half- or full-day route that varies from quiet pools and forested islands to thunderous rapids and drops. There are several grade V rapids to navigate including Big Brother, Overtime and Silverback. If rafting doesn’t appeal, you can visit the source of the White Nile, one of the two major tributaries of the Nile. Accommodation: Adrift Camp (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 8 To Murchison Falls

We leave Jinja and drive to Murchison Falls National Park (six hours), the largest national park in Uganda, with rolling grasslands and wooded savannah. Tomorrow, we visit the top of the falls, where the river narrows from 165ft (50m) to crash through a 23ft (7m) gorge, falling 150ft (45m) to the rocks below. A truly impressive sight! Accommodation: Red Chilli Murchison (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 9 Full day in Murchison Falls

We have an early morning game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. We transfer by ferry to the north side of the Nile where we embark on our game drive. The area is home to elephants, giraffes, buffalo and Ugandan kobs, plus the predators: lions and leopards. After lunch, we travel by boat up the Nile, passing hippos and crocodiles, searching for elephants and waterbuck that come to the river to drink. The cruise lasts about three hours and we travel upstream to the bottom of the falls, stopping near the Devil’s Cauldron, the place where the water bursts through the narrow gorge and creates an outstanding rainbow. Accommodation: Red Chilli Murchison (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 10 Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest

We depart early this morning for Budongo Forest, home to the largest number of chimpanzees in Uganda; we go on a trek in search of chimps and other wildlife. The walking is fairly easy due to the well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain. While trekking in the depths of the lush green forest, we are surrounded by bird song and hope to see velvet and colobus monkeys, wild pigs and, of course, chimpanzees. Once a chimp family is found, we have an hour with these fascinating creatures, to watch them interact and play with each other. Accommodation: Red Chilli Murchison (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 11 To Queen Elizabeth National Park

Today, we have a long drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), which goes south along the eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains, where we can see the glaciated peaks, weather permitting. We gently descend into the Great Rift Valley and QENP. The park resides in a fertile, equatorial area and has beautiful scenery. It is the most popular and accessible savannah reserve in Uganda. It is primarily associated with grassy savannah plains, but this impressive park also includes leafy rainforests, dense papyrus swamps and natural volcanic crater lakes. As a result, it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 bird species. Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Campsite (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 12 Spend a full day in Queen Elizabeth National Park

We explore QENP on a game drive this morning, searching for elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, hyenas, jackals, topis, kobs, bush bucks and various others. In the afternoon, there is an optional boat trip of about two hours along the Kazinga Channel to view one of the largest concentrations of hippos in the world (reported to be about 30,000) and other game with excellent birding. The game drive continues in the afternoon for those who do not join the boat trip. Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Campsite (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 13 To Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

We have a final early morning game drive in QENP and depart after breakfast, heading for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site and home to mountain gorillas. The journey is 185mi (300km) and takes five to six hours, including stops. Accommodation: Casa Gorilla Lodge & Campsite (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 14 Trek to see mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

You will probably remember today for the rest of your life as we spend a full hour in the company of a family of mountain gorillas! Owing to the terrain and need to explore to find the gorillas, our trek doesn’t follow a path; instead, our guides cut a route through the undergrowth. After a safety briefing, we are assigned to a gorilla family group and begin our trek. Expect a minimum of three hours of walking on irregular terrain; steep ascents and descents over muddy slopes are the norm. Strong footwear is essential and we recommend hiring a local porter to help you carry your bag/camera equipment and provide a steady, supportive hand (porters are arranged and paid for locally on the day). Seeing wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is an experience you will never forget. An adult male can weigh up to 430lb (195kg), a female up to 220lb (100kg), and a male can reach 5ft 7in (1.7m) tall. They are almost exclusively vegetarian and quite destructive eaters, which makes them unpopular with the farmers lower down the mountain as they have been known to wreck a whole field of crops just to eat one plant. For this reason, and poaching, the gorillas are very carefully protected. Gorillas are gentle creatures and are not known to attack unless very severely provoked. The family groups we trek to see are habituated to human presence but to prevent over familiarisation our time with them is limited to one hour. If the permits for gorilla families close to where we stay are unavailable, there may be more permits for other areas of the park, although this will mean a longer drive to the start of the trek. Accommodation: Casa Gorilla Lodge & Campsite (or similar) – full-service camping

Day 15 Early morning departure to Kigali airport

We depart early in the morning and transfer to Kigali airport. Our trip comes to an end in the afternoon when we bid our group goodbye.

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will proceed to clear with your immigration requirements. You will me met and transferred to your hotel by one of our representatives who will, later in the day, take you through the safari itinerary.

Overnight in Kigali

After an early breakfast, you drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The drive is a full day taking approximately 5 – 6 hours, enjoying the breathtaking scenery on the way. Arrive at your hotel for lunch and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. If you wish, you can join the optional community visit (included).

Overnight in Bwindi area

Today you set off on your Uganda gorilla tracking adventure in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest Reserve – home to half of the world’s total mountain gorilla population. While trekking through the dense forest you’ll have the opportunity to view the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of the Gentle Giants of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park surely is the most exciting and poignant wildlife encounter that Africa has to offer. Well-trained guides lead you to the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the tracking begins. The gorillas, whose continuous search for food requires a nomadic lifestyle, determine the duration of the hike. The trek can take between one and six hours, sometimes more, at elevations in excess of 7,500 feet and over rough terrain. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is invigorating, and the beauty of the forest and its inhabitants are fascinating. When the gorillas are encountered, any fatigue is quickly forgotten. Observing a wild gorilla family in its natural habitat and on its terms, is considered by many naturalists to be the most profound natural history experience in the world. Few who have had this rare privilege would disagree. It is important to recognize that these gorillas have only recently been habituated to tourists. Their curiosity is obvious, but they have only begun to grow accustomed to humans. Each strictly regulated 60-minute visit passes all too quickly, and you depart leaving the gorillas to their fragile existence. After time with the gorillas and a picnic lunch, you return to camp with hopefully a few unforgettable memories of a rare and wondrous experience. If the gorilla groups are relatively close, you’ll also have the chance to hike nearby forest trails to obtain a better understanding of the forest and its other inhabitants. These hikes provide the opportunity to observe smaller primate species and regional, endemic birds.  After this captivating and unforgettable experience you will head back to your Uganda safari lodge. 

After breakfast, mid-morning at your leisure, check out and drive back to Kigali.You will be dropped off at the Kigali International Airport for your onward flight.