28 Day Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda & Burundi Gorillas & Big Five Trip
Overview
In the backdrop of Ambosli NP Kenya sits Mount Kilimanjaro which is to give you an excellent opportunity to watch wildlife on game drives at the same enjoying the panoramic views of Mount Kili. Proceed to the renown Masai Mara home to variety of wildlife including The “ Big 5” (Lions, Leopards, elephants, Buffaloes & Rhinos), Wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, cheetah & numerous bird species. Cross the borders into Uganda/Rwanda for gorillas, Chimpanzees & Golden Monkey Trekking before moving on further to Burundi where you’ll enjoy the unique world famous drumming experience. On the course of the trip visit Lake Nakuru NP, Queen Elizabeth NP, Murchison Falls NP, Volcanoes NP,
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Lake Bunyonyi, Water Rafting at Jinja & the remote Kidepo Valley NP offering the complete African experiences.
Included/Excluded
- Meals ( 27 Breakfasts, lunches & Dinners)
- Accommodation listed on the itinerary or similar
- Roundtrip Transfers in a standard 4X4 Safari Van
- Rhino trekking permit
- Park entrances fees
- White water rafting
- Game drives
- English speaking guide driver.
- 1X Gorilla Permit
- Gitega National
- Park entrances fees
- 1X Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
- Cultural experiences
- Game drives and boat trips
- Golden Monkey Trekking Permit
- Price excludes all other things of personal nature like the bar bills, visas, gratitudes, personal insurance, porter hire among others
Tour Plan
DAY 1: Nairobi/Amboseli National Park
Our guide will pick you up from your Nairobi-based hotel at 7:00am or earlier for a short and easy drive to Amboseli National Park. You will arrive in time for lunch. After that, relax before the afternoon game drives starting at 3:00pm, where you will see herds of wildebeest and zebras, proud lions, skulking hyenas, a variety of antelopes, and some of Kenya's largest herds of elephants, all set against the startling backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro. Overnight at Nyati Safari Camp or similar
DAY 2: Amboseli National Park
Today, we will spend a whole day in Amboseli National Park. For the absolute best views of Kilimanjaro, you must wake up for the sunrise. The early morning sun casts Kilimanjaro in a fantastic light, turning its snow pink and its mountainside a deep purple that has to be seen to be believed. It makes a remarkable setting for your breakfast. After breakfast, depart for the park and enjoy a full-day game drive exploring Amboseli National Park. Enjoy your packed lunch at the observation hill inside the park. Overnight at Nyati Safari Camp or similar
DAY 3: Amboseli National Park/Masai Mara National Reserve
Following an early morning breakfast, our representative will pick you up from your hotel in Nairobi ready to hit the road and journey through the Great Rift Valley to the one of the most famous national parks in Africa and Kenya’s premier wildlife reserve.
Stretch those legs and take in your surroundings before heading on a late afternoon wildlife safari drive with excellent chances of seeing the “big five”. This natural environment coupled with the park’s varied wildlife provides a spectacular safari experience. Overnight at Sankale Camp or Similar
DAY 4: Masai Mara National Reserve
Grab those cameras and jump in the safari vehicle with your driver/guide to spot wildlife in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Listen to your guide describe the African bush as you traverse one of the world’s top safari destinations. Masai Mara is known for its abundance of big cats and wildebeest. Overnight at Sankale Camp or Similar
DAY 5: Masai Mara/Lake Nakuru National Park
Awake to the sounds of the bush as your alarm clock before jumping in your 4x4 safari vehicle. Today, we will be heading to Lake Nakuru, known for harbouring flocks of pink flamingos and a rich variety of bird species.
Later, we will go on an afternoon wildlife game drive through the area. Overnight at Hillcourt Resort & Spa or similar
DAY 6: Lake Nakuru National Park
Another day, another chance to see more wildlife and live your African safari dream. After an early morning breakfast head out for a safari drive around Lake Nakuru keeping your eyes wide open in search of buffalo, impala, and the elusive leopard. Overnight at Hillcourt Resort & Spa or similar
DAY 7: Lake Nakuru, Kenya/Jinja, Uganda
It’s time to cross another country off of those travel lists as you cross the border from Kenya into Uganda. Drive along reminiscing on inside jokes and experiences from the trip heading to Jinja, Uganda. Also known as the capital of adventure. Overnight at 2 friends Hotel or Similar
DAY 8: Whitewater Rafting adventure/Jinja
While most people come to Uganda for the chance to go gorilla trekking & Chimpanzee Trekking, other activity often ends up being a surprise highlight: white water rafting on the River Nile. Even first-time rafters report that spending a half or full day paddling & plunging down the river, crashing through deep rapids or gliding over silky green sections of calm water, is exhilarating. A riverside barbecue half way through or at the end rounds off the experience & in fact the whole experience of rafting rounds out a trip to Uganda, too, complementing the awesomeness of hanging out with gorillas with the adrenaline of plunging down the longest river in the world.
After your Early morning breakfast, transfer to the start point for your whitewater rafting adventure for a half day or full day. After the experience return back to the hotel for chill out & relaxing while going through the experience in pictures. Overnight at 2 Friends Hotel or similar
DAY 9: Jinja/Sipi Falls/Mount Elgon National Park
After a leisurely morning breakfast, Visit the source of the river Nile and then drive to the Eastern Uganda towards Sipi Falls. Found at the foothills of Mountain Elgon just at the edge of Mount Elgon National Park. The falls are one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Eastern Uganda. Overnight at Sipi River Lodge
DAY 10: Abseiling/rock climbing/Coffee Tour Experience/Sipi Falls
Sipi Falls offers an unrivaled opportunity in Uganda for hiking & trekking some of the country’s most stunning topography, taking in commanding views, & authentic encounters with the area’s local residents.
The main attraction to the area is, of course, the stunning collection of three waterfalls known as Sipi Falls. But simply viewing this natural wonder from a far is not enough. To truly experience Sipi Falls, you’ll want to get up close and personal.
That means Abseiling down & hiking the breathtaking route that weaves its way through the three falls, taking in stunning vistas & every day life of local farmers & herders. After a leisurely breakfast, you will go for Abseiling & rock climbing which would be followed by coffee tour experience ending a day with fascinating adventures. Overnight at Sipi River Lodge or similar
DAY 11: Sipi Falls/Moroto/kalamajong traditional Village experience
After an early morning breakfast transfer to Moroto, you will participate in the Karamojong traditional village experience with the option to stay a night in a traditional hut in the village. A Manyatta is a traditional homestead where the Karimojong still live life like their ancestors & conduct cultural traditions that have been passed on for many generations. You will be introduced into the culture by taking you to the beating heart of the community & invite you to participate in daily life activities. From preparing local foods to celebrations, this will be an unforgettable journey. Overnight at KaraTunga Guesthouse or similar
DAY 12: Moroto/Kidepo Valley National Park
An early morning breakfast transfer to Kidepo valley National Park. The 1,442 square kilometres national park in the Karamoja region in northeast Uganda. Kidepo Valley NP is rugged savannah dominated by the 2,750 metres Mount Morungole & transacted by the Kidepo & Narus rivers. It’s a true gem with huge abundance in wildlife. It remains a true rendition of tourism in Uganda but remains unknown to many! Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge or Similar.
DAY 13: Kidepo Valley National Park
After an early morning breakfast, you set off for a 2-3 hour morning game drive to Kidepo Valley National Park in search of lions, cheetahs and leopards. Returning to the lodge to enjoy the mid-morning with an open swimming pool that has sight of the wildlife from the lodge. The lodge offers a viewing platform for wildlife and often at night you will hear the lions and hyenas. Lunch will be served following an evening game drive. Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
DAY 14: Kidepo Valley National Park/Karamajongo Community/Cultural Tour
Full Day in Kidepo Valley Park – Cultural visit Kidepo is a wildlife bonanza with another game drive. In the afternoon, you will visit the nearby village of Karamojong. The Karamojongs are related to the Masai in Kenya and were mostly nomadic pastoralists. However, they have been recently introduced to farming and agriculture. Learn more about the culture and their cultural dance here. Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge or similar
DAY 15: Kidepo Valley National Park/Murchison Falls National Park
Early Morning after breakfast will be followed by a transfer to Murchison Falls National Park long journey, great experience. Leaving one of the most rated park in Africa feel like you stay more days and immediately you start planning for when to return to Kidepo Valley National ParK, our former client to Kidepo. Overnight at Gipir & Labongo Safari Lodge or similar
DAY 16: Murchison Falls National Park
Wake up for an early morning sumptuous breakfast so that intrepid explorers can begin with an early game drive in the peninsula between the Victoria & Lake Albert Nile. Catch the highest concentration of wildlife in the wilds of Murchison Falls. After lunch take a magnificent boat cruise to the base of the majestic Murchison Falls. The earth literally trembles to one of the world most powerful falls of natural water while crocodiles soak up the sun with their vast jaws menacingly agape. After this experience return to the lodge. Overnight Gipir & Labongo Safari Lodge or similar.
DAY 17: Murchison Falls National Park/Budongo Forest
Early morning breakfast & will be followed by a boat cruise downstream the river to the delta searching for the rare shoe-bill stock, afterwards proceed to visit the dramatic murchison Falls and this will be followeed by a transfer to Budongo Forest for Chimpanzee Trekking Experience . Overnight at Kabarega Resort Or Similar
DAY 18: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch/Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Wake up for an early morning sumptuous breakfast and then meet with your rancher guide to take you through the rhino tracking briefing. Thereafter transfer with car to closes spot where rhino are nearby the trail, begin the tracking and after the rhino tracking experience transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Overnight at Twin Lakes safari Lodge or Similar
Day 19: Queen Elizabeth National Park
An early morning breakfast and then head out for a game drive which will be followed with a boat cruise safari and then followed with a transfer to Ishasha southern Sector. Overnight at Ishasha Pride Lodge or similar
Day 20: Queen Elizabeth National Park - Lake Bunyonyi
Today we shall have the farewell game drive with In ishasha sector that’s famous for tree climbing lions and to be followed with a transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Overnight at Lake Bunyonyi Overland Camp or similar
Day 21: Lake Bunyonyi - Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
A leisurely morning breakfast and a boat trip to the famous island like punishment island & upside down island where your local guide will be telling stories about what transpired in African tradition society. This is to be followed with a transfer to Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel or Similar
Day 22: Gorilla Trekking, Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla NP
An early morning breakfast will be followed with a transfer to the ranger station ahead of gorilla Trekking experience. After registration and you’ve been a located a gorilla family and a lead guide, go through the trekking briefing and transfer by car to the trailhead for commencing the trekking. Once gorillas have been found, you’ll be allowed to stay with them for an hour and return to the car park to drive back to the Lodge. Overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel or similar
Day 23: Bwindi/Mgahinga Gorilla NP, Uganda - Volcanoes NP, Rwanda
Following a leisurely morning breakfast, visit the Batwa Community to learn about the Batwa/Pygmies Society and will be followed with coffee tour experience which will again be followed with a transfer to Volcanoes NP. Overnight at Garden Place Hotel & Coffee Shop or similar
Day 24: Volcanoes National Park/Kigali
An early morning breakfast will be followed with a transfer to Volcanoes National Park a head of Golden Monkey Trekking. Begin with registration and be allocated a ranger guide to lead you for the golden monkey trekking and after this experience get time to visit the Gorilla Museum at Ellen Degeneras Campus of the Dian Fossey. This will be followed with a transfer to Kigali and on arrival visit the Kigali genocide memorial. Overnight at StepTown hotel or similar.
Day 25: Rwanda/Tanzania/Burundi
Following an early morning breakfast, transfer to Gitega Burundi. The roadtrip will be taking us through Rwanda/tanzania border and then Tanzania/Burundi to proceed further to Gitega. Overnight at Tripotel Hotel Gitega or similar
Day 26: Gitega/Bujumbura
After breakfast, visit the drum sanctuary to learn about the Burundi tradition with their unique drumming, visit the national museum and then transfer to Bujumbura. Overnight at Club Du Lac Tanganyika Hotel or Similar
Day 27: Bujumbura/Rusizi National Park
Rusizi National Park’s wetlands forms an ideal habitat for hippos, water-adapted Sitatunga antelope, & a wide variety of birds. Taking a boat trip on the Rusizi River and Lake Tanganyika, there’s time to visit a nearby fishing village. Later, we explore a little-known and intriguing African capital. Learn about pre- and post-colonial history, and some of the challenges Burindi has faced. The city tour includes the outskirts of Bujumbura, and this will offer a glimpse of daily life. Visits include the Cathedral of Regina Mundi, and we pass the monument of the unknown soldier, the mausoleum of Prince Louis Rwagasore and Unity Monument, then ending with Musee Vivant. Overnight at Club du Lac Tanganyika or similar.
Day 28: Bujumbura/Departure
Depending on your outbound flight, after a leisurely breakfast transfer to the airport targeting for your outbound flight marking the end of the trip. End
Request Quote
Communication via WhatsApp to make arrangements went very smooth with Aron being quick and clear in his responses.
Aron drove us most of the time, but we also had a ride with driver Barnice. Every time they were in time, most of the times even early to make sure we could leave whenever we wanted. The service was more than just a private taxi service: Aron told us many interesting things about Uganda and let us taste some local food. That really made our trip more colourful and interesting.They know a lot of good places all over the country, like restaurants and accomodation. Although we organized our trip by ourselves, that was still an advantage. Above that, Aron uses his business in Uganda to help other Ugandans as well.
We would definitely recommend to travel with Safari 2 Gorilla Tours.
Jon Peters
USA
In my iniitial email to him I had explained that I'm Kenyan and would be travelling to Rwanda from Nairobi, Kenya. As an east African citizen I thought this information was useful in terms of national park fees and so on; little did I know that it would affect my whole Gorilla trek experience.
I'd settled the balance of my invoice in November 2019 and Aron emailed to confirm full payment. I never heard from Aron again except when I emailed him to find out the arrangements for when I arrived in Rwanda. At the time I didn't think much of it as I'd read so many glowing reviews of Aron and his tour company; his attentive nature, professionalism and general good nature. A fortnight or so before my arrival I'd still not heard from him so I emailed to find out the itinerary for when I arrived in Rwanda - nothing. Just a curt response confirming that he had the number for my hotel and presumably (Aron did not confirm) that he would call me at my hotel to arrange a time to pick me up from my hotel.
I arrived at the hotel, following a 10 hour flight from London on Friday, 24 January to find there was no message was left by Aron advising when I'd be picked up the following day. On Saturday, 25 January at about 9 am the receptionist knocked on my door to inform me that a driver had arrived to pick me up and drive me to Uganda. As I'd not had any advance information of this arrangement I was not ready; i hadn't showered or eaten breakfast. And so we did not set off until gone 10 am. This was the first poor service i'd received.
I'd paid for a 3-day Gorilla trek etc which included on the first day a visit to the Rwanda Genocide memorial. When the driver set off we'd been driving and passed a sign to the memorial site, after almost an hour I asked if we were still going to the memoial site, and only then did the driver inform me that due to the late departure he had decided to postpone the visit to the memorial until the return leg of my three day trip. The second poor service i'd received.
Bwindi national park is in Uganda and so I was driven through Rwanda to Uganda via a land border, an eight hour journey that ordinarily shouldn't have taken that long. The third poor service.
During the drive Aron maintained constant communication with the driver - whose name escapes me - and not once did he ask the driver to pass the phone to me so that he could speak to me. By that I mean even welcoming me, asking me how my trip was, finding out if there was anything I needed, any issues or problems with the trip I'd paid for. The fourth poor service I received
When we arrived at Rushaga camp each visitor at dinner was assigned a table with the name of their guide on it; stupidly I immediately thought Ohhh so Aron had sent a driver to pick me up from Rwanda and that now I was going to meet him! How wrong i was. When i sat down expecting to meet Aron who should turn up? but the driver! Cheekily I asked if he was Aron and offended he curtly replied no!. When i asked what happend to Aron he informed me that Aron had been in constant communication throughout the day! When I asked why Aron hadn't even said hello or welcomed me he just said that Aron was on another tour. At that moment I realised what was happening and why. In Aron's eyes I was a black African tourist that yes, had paid for the same service and support that my white counterparts had received but due to his low perception of me and fellow black Africans I did not warrant the same service, attention, or even respect. I did not speak to the driver again for the rest of the evening. I was surrounded by fellow travellers that were accompanied by guides who made them feel welcome, valued and respected; they sat together sharing stories from their travels whilst I and the driver sat silently. Even as I tried to get the driver to understand how insulted and disrespected I felt he just didn't get it. A part of me feels if i was white he wouldn't have found it so hard understanding how poorly I'd been treated. But as a black African what reason did I have to complain? The fifth poor service I'd received
On the second day i was due to visit Mgahinga national park almost a two hour drive away. As debrief started at 8 am we arranged to leave Rushaga Gorilla camp by 6 am; arranging to meet for breakfast at 05:30 am. 06:00 am the driver was nowhere to be found. Finally at 06:30 he appears in the dinning room feigning an alarm malfunction. I had to demand an apology from him. The sixth poor service i'd received.
We arrived at the national park at 08:25. I was the only black tourist and when I asked the guide to summarise the debrief he audibly commented that as I'd arrived late he'd not be able to repeat it for me. Cynically I felt that If I was white he'd problably have ignored the fact that the driver had got me to the debrief late and still gone through the key points. The seventh poor sevice I'd received.
I could go on and on but I won't. I think you get the gist. I never once spoke to Aron, met him or communicated with him during my time in Rwanda and Uganda. I left Rwanda on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 and have delayed posting this review until now to see whether or not I'd hear from Aron. I haven't and I know I never will.
I would never recommend this company to anyone regardless of who you are. I pity and despise racists and would never support a business that openly discriminates against black Africans.
Would absolutely recommend Safari 2 Gorilla Tours! Thanks Aaron and Martin for an unforgetable trip!
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