Day 1: Kigali
Murakaza neza! Welcome to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city. You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, where you’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. Your accommodation for the next two nights is no ordinary hotel – the Hotel des Mille Collines is famous for sheltering and consequently saving more than 1000 people during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. If you arrive in Kigali early, maybe start exploring at your own pace. Head to Nyamirambo, the Muslim quarter, to try some giant grilled tilapia, or stop by a local cafe and discover why Rwandan coffee is considered some of the world’s best. Tonight, you’ll join your leader for dinner at an East African restaurant popular with the locals. Enjoy live music, cocktails, great views and an authentic shared dining experience full of regional flavour.
Day 2: Kigali
This morning, head out of the city for a sobering visit to the Ntarama Church. The local guide will explain how this memorial marks the spot where 5000 people were tragically slaughtered during the genocide. Reminders of lives lost remain in the church, including clothes and even bones. Continue to the Nyamata Genocide Memorial Centre – a former church where an incomprehensible 50,000 people were murdered. Your leader will discuss how the Tutsis sought refuge in churches, only for them to turn into death traps. Then, visit the Genocide Museum – a powerful yet confronting experience and important in understanding the tragedy and the resilience of the Rwandan people. This afternoon, re-energize with a local lunch and try traditional Rwandan and Ugandan dishes before taking a tour of the city and Kimironko market with your leader. The evening is then free for you to explore at your own pace.
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, depart Kigali and head across the border to the Bwindi National Park in Uganda. Arrive at the Gorilla Heights Lodge – your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three nights. Sitting high on the Nteko Ridge, the lodge offers great views of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is home to half of the world’s 800 mountain gorillas. Gaze out across the jagged Virunga Mountains that straddle Uganda's border with Congo and Rwanda. Each cottage has a private balcony overlooking the forest canopy and is solar-powered. This evening, a field veterinarian from the Gorilla Doctors will join you at your lodge for a behind-the-scenes look at their work. This organization is dedicated to saving the mountain and eastern lowland (Grauer's) gorilla species using veterinary medicine and science. They provide medical interventions to protect the animals from human-induced or life-threatening trauma or disease. You'll learn more about their fascinating work during this exclusive experience.
Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Rise early and head to the park headquarters where you’ll be briefed on today's gorilla trek by the Uganda Wildlife Authorities. The trek can be strenuous, wet and uncomfortable at times but the incredible biodiversity of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the chance to see rare mountain gorillas makes it worthwhile. It’s recommended that you invest in the help of local porters who can carry your pack and provide expert, local one-on-one assistance along the trek. Not only does it make for a more comfortable trek, but it also provides valuable employment opportunities to locals. Gorilla trekking is highly controlled. When you encounter a group of gorillas, you’ll be able to stay with them for one hour – watch them swing from trees, groom each other and play, all under the watchful eye of a giant silverback. Have a picnic lunch in the wilderness of the rainforest.
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the terrace overlooking the forest. This morning, you are free to do as little or as much as you like. For those seeking another encounter with the mountain gorillas, there’s the option for a second day of trekking. Later this afternoon, experience The Buniga Batwa Cultural Trail. The indigenous Batwa tribes, once forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers, were displaced in 1991 when the forests became protected national parks, leaving them conservation refugees. The Buniga Batwa Cultural Trail offers a glimpse into their traditional way of life. With your local guide and translator, you’ll walk through the forest as they teach you how they used to forage for food, trap animals with snares made from branches, and make tools and medicines from nature. Watch as they demonstrate their traditional hunting and fire-making techniques and learn how they built their huts and ‘nests’ in trees to protect children from dangerous animals. Afterwards, join your group and leader for dinner in the terraced restaurant surrounded by mountain views.
Day 6: Kigali
After breakfast, we'll depart the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and begin the journey to cross back over the border into Kigali (approximately 4 hours). After arriving at the capital, your afternoon is free to relax or explore.
Day 7: Nairobi
Transfer to the airport and fly on an unescorted flight to Nairobi. You will be collected from the airport for a short transfer to your hotel, where you will meet your local leader and small group for a 6pm welcome meeting. If you arrive before this time, you could spend the afternoon browsing the artistic and cultural displays at Nairobi Gallery, or lounging by the pool at your home for the night – a swish central hotel complete with bold pan-African art, a sauna and steam room, and super friendly staff. After your meeting, head out with your leader and fellow travellers to a colourful local restaurant offering traditional favourites with a modern touch. Sharing food is a big part of the culture here and a great way to get to know your new travel companions – enjoy sharing platters and tasty sides like samosas, fried plantains and tilapia.
Day 8: Lake Naivasha / Lake Nakuru
Today, we head off to the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where our first stop will be in Elsamere, the former home of the writer Joy Adamson, whose 1960 book 'Born Free' helped bring wildlife conservation into the mainstream. The house is a veritable museum dedicated to the works of Joy and George Adamson, with many photos of Elsa, the lioness that started it all. Embark on a boat trip on Lake Naivasha, the highest of all lakes in the Great Rift Valley and home to many a hippopotamus. Later, enjoy a high tea lunch on the very grounds Joy cherished for so many years, with the lake as a serene backdrop. After lunch, continue to your Lake Nakuru lodge, arriving in the early evening. From your lodge you’ll enjoy remarkable views of Lake Nakuru and the surrounding national park, alive with the call of birds and rich in wildlife. What better way to take it all in than from your lodge’s infinity pool.
Day 9: Lake Nakuru National Park
This morning you will visit Lake Nakuru National Park by four-wheel drive vehicle (4x4) – the park’s lake is its stunning centrepiece. Mornings can be cold here so it's important to bring warm clothes. You might see why this great soda lake has been described as the world's greatest ornithological spectacle; great seas of flamingos often turn the landscape a sweeping shade of pink. Flooding in recent years has unfortunately caused a decline in birdlife, however the park boasts substantial numbers of other species, including waterbuck, reedbuck and gazelle. Leopards are also to be found here, and the chances of sighting one are significant. Return to the lodge and take some time out for lunch, then head back out for another afternoon game drive. Keep your eyes peeled for one of Africa's most endangered creatures, the elusive black rhinoceros. While white rhino sightings are fairly common, spotting a black rhinoceros is a real treat.
Day 10: Maasai Mara National Reserve
Head southwest to the Maasai Mara, one of the finest game reserves in Africa. Cross the Great Rift Valley and pass by the remote region of Loita Hills, home of the Maasai people. This is one of the few places where they still practice their traditional way of life with little influence from the western world. Stop at Tepesua Village where you’ll be welcomed by Maasai Warriors through traditional song and dance. Meet your Maasai hosts, take a walk to the community village and enjoy a fascinating talk full of insights into this ancient culture. The village offers support, safety and economic growth through the ‘Tepesua Widows Income Project’, where widowed women sew eco-friendly handicrafts to sell to visitors and locals. Learn about village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home and cattle enclosure. Move on to Zebra River Camp, your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three nights. Here, you can watch blazing sunsets and share stories over the bonfire – or cocktails in the plush lounge area – before retiring to your luxury digs. Tented rooms feature ensuite bathrooms, large, comfortable beds and private verandas offering fabulous views of the surrounding wilderness.
Day 11: Maasai Mara National Reserve
Explore more of the park by 4x4 today with further game drives from morning to the afternoon. We depart for an early morning game drive with our packed lunch at hand since we will drive to the furthest part of the park. Witness the wonderful procession of wildlife that inhabits the area. Wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are plentiful, and you might even spot predators keeping a casual eye on their movements. Elephants, giraffes and elands are also commonly sighted, along with plenty of bird life. The area is known for its rolling green plains and riverine woodlands, and amongst the many species of game, a black-maned lion, leopard or cheetah might appear, with some luck. As the sun starts to set, stop and take a moment to soak it all in with a drink in hand – there are few better ways to wrap up a day of wildlife spotting in one of the world’s most captivating places. As dusk falls, a variety of animals might be visible in the vicinity of your camp also. We return to camp late in the evening with time to freshen up before dinner.
Day 12: Maasai Mara National Reserve
The morning is yours to do as you wish. You may like to sit back with a cup of coffee on your private deck, keeping an eye out for animals in the reserve, or forgo a sleep-in in favour of an early morning game drive or walking safari. If you’d like to see the Maasai Mara from a different perspective, a sunrise hot air balloon ride is a truly memorable experience. Balloon rides can be booked ahead of time or on the ground (subject to availability) and the suppliers are committed conservationists, with a portion of the profits from every flight going straight to worthy conservation projects within the park. You will be collected before dawn and glide through the sunrise, sometimes at tree height, making the most of the amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you'll ascend to get an overview of the enormity of the Maasai Mara plains and the early-morning movements of the teeming herds. In the afternoon, regroup for another exciting 4x4 game drive in the park.
Day 13: Nairobi
Say goodbye to the Maasai Mara and return to Nairobi. You can expect to arrive in the late afternoon, at which point your adventure will come to an end. Please do not book any international flights departing from Nairobi International Airport before 8pm this evening to allow for any unexpected delays. If you would like to extend your stay in Nairobi, additional accommodation can be booked in advance (subject to availability).
