THE GORILLAS AND NORTHERN KENYA
ITINERARY
Day 1 - 3: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Arrive into Entebbe International Airport where you will meet a charter flight to take you to Kisoro.
Spend three nights in the Bwindi Forest as you trek for the Mountain Gorilla.
Clouds Lodge, 3 nights.
Day 4 - 8 : The North of Kenya
Fly by charter to Kenya clearing customs at Eldoret International Airport, before flying north to the Sedar Airstrip. Arrive at Koros in time for a late lunch. Settle into camp before heading out on the quadbikes to a sundowner location.
Fly to the Chalbi desert, landing at an Oasis - here you await the Sand Grouse collecting water. On to Kargi to visit the Gabra people, and a stop at the Karoli Springs where the Rendille people water their livestock. Fly over Mount Kulal and stop for lunch at South Island where you will meet the fishing boat. Sleep under the stars at the Koros fly camp.
The following morning fly up the eastern shore of the lake to the Turkana Basin Institute, a renowned archaeological site, here discover the many fascinating fossils. Next we land on Central island and at Sibiloi National Park to walk among the petrified forest. Return to Koros Camp for the night.
Final day in the north. Explore Lake Logipi and the Nabuyatom Crater. There are a number of rock art sites to discover.
Sundowners around the fire with the Samburu Tribe.
Koros Camp, 4 nights.
Day 9 - 11: Laikipia
Fly down the Suguta Valley, over crocodile pools, the suguta sand dunes and the hoodoo and painted valleys. Next we reach the Siali Crater where we meet the Pokot tribe. Continue on to the Borana Wildlife Conservancy. Spend time out on safari and tracking rhinos.
One morning fly up to Mount Kenya, fly around the peaks and land at one of the lakes for fly fishing and breakfast.
Arijiju Retreat, 3 nights.
Meet a charter plane to fly to Wilson Airport. A driver will meet you at the airport and take you into the Nairobi National Park, here you will spend some time at the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage with the baby elephants.
The rest of the evening will be spent at Hemingways Hotel, where you have a room and a lovely restaurant for dinner.
Travel to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home.
End of Safari
DAY 1 - 3
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST
Within the remote Kigezi highlands of south western Uganda, deep in the Virunga mountain range is the primeval forest of Bwindi - a region of tremendous beauty, best known for its endangered Mountain Gorilla.
Mountain Gorillas can only live in dense vegetation. Bwindi alone is home to half the worlds population of Mountain Gorillas. Coming face to face with a Mountain Gorilla is one of Africa’s most exciting wildlife experiences. Gaining an insight into the behaviour and family dynamics of one of the world’s rarest primates is nothing short of captivating. We will trek for two different groups of Gorilla over the three days in Uganda.
The Bwindi Forest overlooks the Virunga Mountains. They are a chain of eight volcanoes running along the borders of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, seven of which are found in the Virunga National Park and only two are active – Mount Nyamuragira and Mount Nyiragongo.
CLOUDS LODGE
Clouds lodge is where you will stay for three nights. It is located in the southern corner of Bwindi National Park, with the gorilla walking trails starting at the lodge. It is surrounded by rich vegetation and botanical gardens and has eight spacious and cosy cottages overlook the Virunga volcanoes.
Warm and welcoming, each cottage features a bedroom, en-suite bathroom with walk-in showers and their own separate lounges. Comfortable chairs on the outdoor verandas provide the perfect vantage point to admire the unforgettable vistas of the forest below. Blazing fireplaces create a cosy glow as the evening falls.
DAY 4 - 8
CHALBI DESERT
After breakfast set off into the Chalbi desert. Chalbi means bare and salty, believed to be a dried up lake. The hottest and most arid place in Kenya. This desert stretches 100,000 kilometers squared to the Ethiopian boarder.
On the northern edge of the desert lies an area of oases with groves of palm trees that attract sand grouse and other birds looking for food and water. We land here to watch these birds fly in. Next we move to the Karoli Springs. There is a chance to meet the Rendille tribe at the springs as they water their livestock.
KAROLI SPRINGS
Karoli Springs are a lifeline for the Rendille people who roam the Kaisut Desert. The water is slightly sailine, and only livestock can drink here. The Rendille are semi-nomadic camel herders that traditionally live in the deserts of northern Kenya. Strikingly colourful with traditional fabrics, beaded jewellery and immaculate head-dresses, the lives of the Rendille revolve around the natural cycle of the seasons, traveling en-masse with their enormous herds of livestock, following the rain in search of new pasture and water.
