Masai Mara & Gorilla Adventure
Overview
Highlights
- Explore the masai mara national reserve
- View diverse wildlife in search of the "big five"
- Spend two nights in a safari camp
- Admire a family of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat
- Trek to see chimpanzees in uganda
- Keep your eyes peeled for the plentiful elephant and hippo populations in queen elizabeth national park
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Your G for Good Moment: Amani Ya Juu Lunch
- NairobiYour G for Good Moment: Nyamirambo Women's Centre
- Local Lunch
- KigaliYour Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
- Masai Mara National Reserve wildlife safari drives
- Safari camping experience
- Guest farm stay near Kibale National Park
- Chimpanzee trek
- Bigodi Community lunch
- Queen Elizabeth National Park wildlife safari drives
- Guided gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Visit to Kigali Genocide Museum
- All national park fees and trekking permits
- Internal flight
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Itinerary
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.
Journey through the Great Rift Valley on the way to one of the most famous national parks in Africa. Enjoy a late afternoon wildlife safari drive in the hopes of spotting the "big five".
Travel from Nairobi, through the Great Rift Valley on to Kenya's premier wi...
Enjoy an early wildlife safari drive when animals are most active. Opt to visit a Masai village, learn to dance like a warrior, stop in the manyatta (family compound) and learn about this nomadic culture.
Opt to go for a balloon safari for a new perspective over...
Enjoy a final wildlife safari drive before the journey back to Nairobi.
Enjoy one more safari drive in the Masai Mara. Visit the G for Good supported Amani Ya Juu for lunch. In Nairobi there's some time to buy local handicrafts or check out a bit of the city.
Travel from one bustling East African capital city to another. Relax in Kampala and await the second part of this epic adventure.
Take the scenic route to Fort Portal at the edge of Kibale National Park. Spend the night on a guest farm listening to the sounds of monkeys and birds.
Accommodation in Fort Portal is on a farm in simple furnished tents with shared bathroom facilities.
Explore the evergreen rainforest and trek to spot chimps in the morning or afternoon. Enjoy a traditional lunch in the Bigodi Community.
Opt to venture deep into the wetlands to spot more wildlife on a guided walk through the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.
Continue on to Queen Elizabeth NP, stopping at the equator. Head out on a wildlife safari drive in the afternoon. Keep your eyes peeled for warthogs, elephants, buffalo, five different species of primates, and hippos.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is characteriz...
Take an early morning wildlife safari drive and enjoy lunch inside the park. Opt for an evening cruise along the Kazinga Channel.
Enjoy a wildlife safari drive with possible sightings of buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, lions, leopards, hyenas, giant forest hogs, and elephants.
Enjoy the scenic drive south, with views of forests, volcanoes and lakes. Spend the night on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Accommodation at Bwindi Impenetrable NP is in simple furnished tents/rooms with ensuite bathroom facilities.
Rise early for the tour's main highlight – gorilla trekking!
Head into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to meet the park ranger/guide for orientation. Embark on the trek, which can vary in length and difficulty, depending on the location of the gorilla family t...
Cross the border into Rwanda, then head to the capital city, Kigali. Visit the genocide museum to learn more about the dark history of this fascinating country. Enjoy lunch at the G Adventures supported Nyamirambo Women's Centre. Tour ends on arrival at hotel.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with G Adventures.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Tour Operator
G Adventures is an adventure travel pioneer offering the planet's most awe-inspiring selection of affordable small-group tours, safaris and expeditions. Our award-winning trips embrace authentic accommodation, exotic cuisine and local transport to put travellers on a first-name basis with the planet’s people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife.
Adventure travel is more than a vacation. It’s a chance to get to know your world better by putting yourself on a first-name basis with the people, places, and things that make it worth exploring. This is your planet. Come and get it.
All G Adventures tours share a common love of adventure, but life-altering experiences come in a variety of flavors. Here are some of the Travel Styles we offer:
"Comfort": “Adventure travel” doesn’t have to mean “roughing it.” Comfort tours offer the genuine experiences you want with more extras, frills, and upgrades.
"Classic": An unbeatable mix of uncommon experiences, insider access, cultural contact, and all the must-sees and -dos, Classic is adventure perfected.
"Active": Why just see the world when you could bike, hike, kayak, and multi-sport it? Why, indeed. Active tours keep travellers who like to move on the move.
"Yolo": You’re only young once. Make the most of it with Yolo tours, fun-filled and fast-moving adventures designed just for travellers aged 18 to 39.
"Family": Just because you settled down and had kids doesn’t mean your adventuring days are through. Family makes our big planet small enough for all.
"Local Living": Want to get under the skin of some of the most gorgeous and out-there places? Local Living tours grant access that even locals don't have.
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No matter what kind of traveller you are, we’ve got a tour (or a dozen) that’ll fit you just right.
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Logistics
Accommodation
Transportation & Flights
Transportation & flights
Important Notes
1. ACCOMMODATION Much of the accommodation on the Uganda/Rwanda portion is in simple furnished tents with shared bathroom facilities. Please remember that this is a developing area and as such, accommodations/service may not be of similar standard to which you are used to in your home country. As well, interruptions in electricity and water can be common. We appreciate your patience and understanding, as well as your sense of adventure. Please be aware that properties we stay in with only two stories may not have elevators installed and climbing the stairs with your luggage will be necessary. 2. SLEEPING BAGS Sleeping bags can not be rented on any of our Africa overland or safari trips 3. AGE RESTRICTIONS - Gorilla Trekking Please note that all passengers must be aged 15 years or older (prior to start of travel) to go on this tour - there are no exceptions to this as it is for safety reasons and strictly controlled by the Government. 4. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT This trip is rated a level 4 physical requirement - travellers should be in excellent physical condition, without any heart problems and prepared to spend strenuous days in humid rain forests, steep terrain and high altitude trekking for chimpanzee and gorillas, as well as other primates. Please ensure you meet the requirements as described under "physical rating".4. TRAVEL DAYS Travelling can be difficult, as long drives and poor road conditions are the rule as opposed to the exception in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. A safari is about travelling to see animals, so we travel to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, and once there, we spend the majority of the time viewing wildlife while driving in the park. This translates to a lot of driving. Despite this, the diversity and scenery of the African landscape, the local culture and abundant wildlife are all well worth the experience. 5. COMBO TRIP Please note that this tour is a combination of two G Adventures tours in two different countries. Due to local regulations, your local staff (driver/guide, cook) and vehicles will change halfway through the trip, and your group CEO and fellow passengers may also change. 6. YELLOW FEVER Please be advised that it will be required to show a yellow fever certificate upon entering Uganda and Rwanda and it may be required for Kenya. Please check in with your local health expert for advice on Yellow Fever and other inoculations required for this area. 7. LUGGAGE COMPLICATIONS It occasionally happens that luggage on international flights into Nairobi does not arrive, especially with, but not exclusive to, major airlines out of London-Heathrow or Schiphol (Amsterdam). Please be aware that this may happen, especially if you have a tight connection in either of these centres, are flying with different airlines with a connection, have a last minute flight change or re-route, or fly from or connect through another African centre. Please be prepared and keep all important documentation and valuables on your person. As well we recommend a change of clothes in your hand luggage. If unfortunately this does happen, and your luggage does not arrive, you should be entitled to a limited initial compensation from your airline. In Nairobi, the arrival of lost luggage normally takes between 48 and 72 hours after the initial plane’s arrival. The airlines technically should be responsible to forward your luggage to you, to your hotel or elsewhere in Kenya. You may find that your tour will begin, and you still have not received your luggage. Considering that the customer service standards in Kenya are different from home, and that we find that the airlines are not always pro-active in helping luggage in its care be reunited with its owner, it is recommended that you purchase locally a few needed items, begin your tour, and hire someone locally to persist with the your airline to retrieve your luggage. Your CEO or local representative will be able to help you organize this, and once your luggage is retrieved, it should be able to be forwarded to you – depending where you are. Please note that any costs that you may incur for luggage retrieval or sending luggage are not the responsibility of G Adventures, though we will always strive to assist you in any way possible. You should always keep all receipts and documentation, and contact your airline or insurance provider for reimbursement. 8. FLYING THROUGH LONDON-HEATHROW TO EAST AFRICA? Please note that regardless of the rules in other centres, travellers flying from, or connecting in, London-Heathrow are currently only permitted one carry-on piece of luggage and one small personal bag (purse, laptop-size bag, briefcase) on board on flights to Nairobi. If you arrive to the security gate with 2 pieces, you will be forced to check-in one of them, which may result in complications noted above. This policy is in place as of the time of writing, though local rules and regulations may indeed change. It is thus advisable to contact your airline directly for the most up-to-date information. 9. ELECTRICITY The power supply in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda is nominally 240VAC, 50hz. Variable voltage, spikes and sporadic, unexpected, unscheduled power cuts of varying duration can be expected. 10. WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS G Adventures can never guarantee the sighting of wildlife, especially when it comes to mountain gorillas. However, the mountain gorilla trek is organized to ensure success. Before heading into the jungle, our local guides receive coordinates from trackers on the whereabouts of the gorillas, and the trackers stay with the gorillas until the group arrives. 11. MIGRATION Tanzania and Kenya The Seronera Plains, which lie in the southeast of the National Park and extend into the western Ngorongoro Conservation Area, form the main ungulate calving grounds of the Serengeti. The wildebeest typically disperse into the Seronera plains during the short rains, which fall in late November or early December, before calving in January, and staying put until the end of the long rains from January to early May. Towards the end of April the wildebeest start to congregate on the southern plains in the preparation for the 800km northward migration. The major obstacle faced by the wildebeest on this migration is the crossing for the Grumeti River through the western corridor, which typically occurs from June into early July. From July to October, the ungulates disperse again, with about half of them crossing the Mara River into Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve and the remainder spreading out through the northern and western Serengeti. By late October the animals have generally started to plod back southward to the Seronera Plains, to arrive there in late November when the cycle starts all over again. 12. ILLNESS Please note that if you are unwell with anything contagious, even a common cold, you may be denied any of the treks to ensure the safety of the gorillas and chimps. This is a national park regulation, and trekking permits will not be refunded if you are denied entrance due to illness. 13. CAMERAS As it is very dark and damp in the jungle; please ensure your camera equipment is appropriate for such conditions and that you bring dry bags to protect it. 14. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four areas; Rushaga, Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhija. Depending on permit availability your group could be tracking gorillas from different areas of the park, it is all still part of Bwindi.
Meals
Shopping for food will be done before the trip departs, fresh vegetables and fruit will be bought along the route from supermarkets, local shops and markets. Breakfasts will generally be cereals, if time allows a warm breakfast may be prepared. Lunches will be either en route, in the wildlife park, or in camp, and will be light meals such as sandwiches or salads. All evening meals will be hot and will consist of a variety of continental and local dishes. Meals will be prepared by the crew with assistance from you if you would like to help cook, this is not compulsory. Vegetarian meals and other dietary requirements need to be specified prior to arrival. We do however ask you to wash your own dishes. Please note all bottled drinking water will be at your own expense.
Dossier Disclaimer
The information in this trip details document has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and the operator. The itinerary featured is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in the brochure. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Sometimes it can be a small change like adding an extra meal along the itinerary. Sometimes the change may result in us altering the tour for the coming year. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the most rewarding experience. Please note that our brochure is usually released in November each year. If you have booked from the previous brochure you may find there have been some changes to the itinerary. VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure that you print a final copy of your Trip Details to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans.
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