SAFARI IN UGANDA & KENYA
ITINERARY
Day 1- 2: Mount Kenya, Laikipia
Arrive into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport a representative will assist you through customs and find your luggage. Your helicopter and pilot will be waiting to take you to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
E-biking, rhino tracking, guided walks, horse riding and game drives are some of the many activities offered on Lewa.
The following morning we will fly up to Mount Kenya to fly around the peaks and land at one of the lakes for fly fishing and breakfast.
Sirikoi Tents, 2 nights.
Day 3 - 4: Northern Kenya
Take off for 7am with a packed picnic breakfast, fly up through the Suguta Valley, over crocodile pools, over the sand dunes to Lake Logipi. Continue on to Lake Turkana the largest permanent desert lake in the world. We land on South Island for lunch where we meet the fishing boat, spend the day out on the boat, catching Nile Perch. Camp out under the stars at Porr on the Eastern shore of the lake.
The following morning fly to the Chalbi desert where we land at an Oasis to watch the Sand Grouse and potentially meet the Rendille tribe as they water their livestock. Fly into Koros camp, spend the day by the plunge pool before heading out on the quad bikes to a sundowner location. Return to Koros camp for the night.
Koros Camp, 2 nights.
Day 5 - 6: Kidepo National Park
Fly up the west side of Lake Turkana to Lodwar Airport, clear customs out of Kenya and into Uganda at Kidepo.
Fly into Kidepo National Park to Apoka Lodge. Game drives from the lodge.
Apoka Lodge, 2 nights.
Day 7 - 8: Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast set off to Murchsion Falls, arriving in time for lunch. Spend the afternoon out on a boat before returning to the lodge for the evening.
Set off early in the morning for a scenic flight of the falls, fly into the park to meet a vehcile for a game drive and picnic breakfast.
Optional afternoon falls boat trip.
Nile Safari Lodge, 2 nights.
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Fly to the Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Crater Lakes.
Spend the afternoon searching for chimpanzee's.
Ndali Lodge, 1 night.
Day 10 - 11: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
The last stop in Uganda is Clouds Lodge, fly via Lake Albert and the mountian of the moon stopping at Mweya for breakfast and a boat trip down the the Kazinga Channel.
The following day will be spent trekking for gorillas straight from the lodge.
Clouds Lodge, 2 nights.
End of Safari
Fly to Entebbe International airport for your flight home.
KENYA
DAY 1 - 2
LEWA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY
- LAIKIPIA -
There is no landscape in Kenya, outside of National Parks, more crucial for the future of elephants than Laikipia. 7,000 elephants are protected by private and communal landowners and a network of inspiring conservation organizations. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is amongst this area, with 68,000 acres of conservation area. Home to the Black and White Rhino and a number of other endangered species, this conservancy is dedicated to the sustainable conservation of wildlife, habitat and building local livelihoods.
MOUNT KENYA
Iconic in shape and size, Mount Kenya is situated in the heart of Kenya, on the equator - its highest point ‘Batian’ reaches 5,199 meters. The snowy peaks can be seen on clear days from as far as Mt Kilimanjaro some 300 kilometers away. As you spend time at Arijiju, Mount Kenya will become a daily view, which makes it even more exciting to explore.
We will fly around the peaks of the mountain and land at Lake Alice or Lake Michaelson for a picnic breakfast. Almost inaccessible and well off the beaten track, they offer an exciting morning of fly fishing.
SIRIKOI LUXURY TENTS
Sirikoi has eight luxury tented rooms with a sitting area, leading on to its own private open deck.
Breakfast, lunch and supper are served at the deck overlooking the watering hole where you will often spot elephant and other plains game. The pool is a welcome escape from the heat of the day, the perfect place to lounge around in the afternoons.
Take an afternoon walk around the vegetable garden, where you will meet the resident giraffes who love a tasty orange.
DAY 3 - 4
- NORTHERN KENYA -
THE SUGUTA VALLEY & LAKE TURKANA
Within the Suguta Valley are the extensive and empty sand dunes, which adds to the incredible diversity of the landscape. The strong winds cause the dunes to constantly change. The Hoodoo and Painted Valleys are spectacularly interesting parts of the Great Rift Valley, geologists have been fascinated with this area studying ancient sediments and fossil remains, and pieced together the history of a lake that rose and fell multiple times over the past 18,000 years.
The largest alkaline desert lake in the world lies in Northern Kenya. One of the most remote and hostile places on Earth, with black volcanic rocks and soaring daytime temperatures. The lake covers an area of 6,405 kilometeres squared and stretches 290 kilometers in length. The lake is known for its striking turquoise color, leading to its nickname, the "Jade Sea."
The collapsed volcano of Nabuyatom lies at the southern end of Lake Turkana. Surrounded by jade waters, this is the most iconic feature on the lake’s shore.
THE CHALBI DESERT
Chalbi means bare and salty, once thought to be a dried up lake. The hottest and most arid place in Kenya. This desert stretches 100,000 square kilometers to the Ethiopian boarder. On the northern edge of the desert lies an area of oasis with groves of palm trees that attract sand grouse and other birds looking for food and water. The desert has areas of salt that are used by pastoralists as natural salt licks.
The southern part of the Chalbi is home to the Rendillie people, whislt the eastern part towards the Ethiopian boarder is home to the Gabra people.
KOROS CAMP
What started as a simple family base, has evolved into a unique six bed thatched cottage camp for the ultimate private retreat. In a remote and unspoilt spot, Koros Camp is nestled away amongst acacia trees and semi arid scrubland at the northern end of the South Horr valley.
The camp has a large open airy mess tent, with plenty of seating area to seek shade in the heat of the day. The plunge pool is perfect for cooling off and sunbathing on the built in beds.
FISHING ON LAKE TURKANA & QUAD BIKING
The Lake sustains multiple species of fish, including Nile Perch - much sought after by avid anglers.
Exploring the arid landscape by quadbikes is a thrilling way to traverse the sandy luggas and rocky hillsides, whilst spotting a variety of wildlife - small and large!
UGANDA
DAY 5 - 6
KIDEPO NATIONAL PARK
Situated in the far north east, Kidepo is Uganda’s most remote national park. The pristine wilderness with rolling savannah grassland and rugged spectacular mountain landscape has a constant source of ground water.
An astounding 475 bird species are found here - including some of the rarest such as the Rose Ringed Parakeet and Claperton’s Francolin. Kidepo has 80 mammal species, 28 of which are found in no other park in Uganda.
APOKA LODGE
Apoka has ten semi tented cottages, each with its own bathroom and veranda, and looking out onto the savannah landscapes.
Raised on decks the rooms have wooden floors, canvas sides and large four poster beds. The interiors are crafted locally and add to the charm of this beautiful lodge. The open plan mess area with the bar, lounge and dinning area is also raised on a wooden deck with uninterrupted views over the water hole.
DAY 7 - 8
MURCHISON FALLS
The Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest conservation area, through which flows the River Nile from its source at Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. Located in the heart of the Park is an area where the entire Victoria Nile is forced through a narrow six meter gap creating one of the most powerful forces of water.
We will take a boat trip on the Nile, backing onto Murchison Falls National Park. It is a magnet for wildlife - elephant, buffalo, Nile crocodile, and has one of the world’s largest concentrations of hippos. Birdlife is thrilling, and particularly unique are the shoebill stork, African Skimmer, Papyrus Gonolek and Black bee-eater.
NILE SAFARI LODGE
A family owned lodge located on the southern bank of the mighty River Nile, easily accessible to the vast wilderness of this much sought after National Park. The eight bandas are built of local wood and grass thatch. Full of charm, the lodge is furnished simply with stylish touches. The rooms are spacious and airy, with private viewing decks, large double beds and en-suite bathrooms with a ‘monsoon’ shower and freestanding bathtub.
The main living areas focus on comfort, space and outdoor living – with ample decking, a fire pit and choice of places to relax. The service and food is a priority, and despite the remoteness of the Lodge, produce is fresh and meals are always delicious.
DAY 9
QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
The Crater Lakes region of Western Uganda lies in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountain range, sitting on the border between Uganda and the Congo. These crater lakes are believed to have been formed 8000 years ago. As these volcanoes erupted lava and ash spread across the surrounding areas leaving a large basin behind. They offer great places for swimming and nature trails, with an incredible variety of birds.
The shimmering waters of Lake Albert, a fresh water lake lying between two parallel escarpments, supports thousands of people that depend on commercial fishing activities. Small fishing boats dock for the night, and nets are untangled, repaired and laid out for the morning.
We will fly over the Kibale forest, a tropical rainforest home to a fascinating diversity of animals. It is one of the most beautiful and stunning forests in Uganda, with Africa’s highest diversity and density of primates. It is home to red tailed monkeys, colobus monkeys, olive baboons and chimpanzee's.
Lake Katwe is known for its salt production, producing high quality salt for many years. The lake is located just north of Lake Edward on the outskirts of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
NDALI LODGE
You will spend one night at Ndali Lodge, perched on the rim of an extinct volcano, in which lies the breath-taking Lake Nyinambuga. Ndali is a family run business, with eight en-suite cottages. The cottages are thatch, wood and stone build, all made from locally sourced materials. Each en-suite cottage has a double or twin bed, plenty of changing room, a seating area and private veranda.
From here we will trek the Kibale forest in search of chimpanzees. There are also many lovely walks around Ndali estate, and the neighbouring vanilla plantation.
DAY 10 - 11
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.
After trekking for Gorillas, spend an evening exploring 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 two 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 shower and separate lounge. 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 evening falls.
