A short scheduled flight from Nairobi sees you on the acacia studded grassland plains of the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve. Home to some of Africa's iconic wildlife and site of the annual river crossings of wildebeest and zebra that occur seasonally during the great migration.
You will spend 4 nights in the Mara experiencing game drives in search of wildlife. It is a year round destination although the summer months are often considered the best time to visit and the 'long rains' of November through December less so.
Daily game drives go out from camps in search of lions and leopards, herds of plains game and elephants, beautiful birds and elegant giraffes. Private vehicles are usually possible at additional cost for those that want a little more exclusivity.
There is a great choice of camps for all budgets from luxurious tented camps with full en suite facilities to simple bush camps, still with walk-in tents and open air showers. All provide cosy beds and areas for relaxing and watching game with a chilled beer or gin & tonic in hand.
Easy connections take you to Kigali, the hilly capital of Rwanda and passing through the city you will climb through the hills to head north to Kinigi, impressive Volcanoes National Park eventually coming in to view before you reach your destination. The next morning you first visit the park headquarters where you assigned a group for your gorilla trek. Heading out it is often a short drive then at walk through farmland before you reach the park boundary and head upwards. Sometimes it will be steep but you have plenty of time and there are porters to help you. Somewhere, higher up on the slopes you will meet your trackers who have already found your group of gorillas. Take a moment and then come face to face with these majestic animals in their natural environment. After what seems all too short a time your hour with the gorillas ends and you trek back to your starting point with a head full of memories of the gorilla family you just visited.
Conservation of mountain gorillas has been a success story and permit costs ensure continued resources are allocated to protecting the species.
