11 Days Plains And Mountain Gorilla Trekking Safari

Depends on your arrival time, our driver guide will meet you at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport and transferring to the Willison airport for your flight to the Mara. Arrive in time for lunch, and then spend the afternoon exploring the Masai Mara’s vast wilderness on a game drive. A campfire and delicious dinner await you on return to Sanctuary Olonana

Wake before the dawn for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a Maasai Mara sunrise. After a quick cup of coffee, then head out with a picnic lunch to the Mara River, hoping to see a dramatic river crossing or two. During the season (July through October) expect to witness the wildebeests and zebras of the Great Migration streaming over the river in great numbers. It is quite some sight to see the massed herds take a leap of faith into the Mara or Talek rivers with the Nile crocs lying in wait for them. A campfire and delicious dinner await you on return to camp in the evening.

Since the movements of the Wildebeest Migration can be unpredictable, you will go for another full day game drive here in the Maasai Mara to increase your chances of witnessing the famous river crossing. Each year the entire herd must attempt the treacherous crossing of the Mara River, where they contend not only with strong currents, but also with the always hungry Nile crocodiles who call the river home. It takes a lot of patience and more than a little luck, but witnessing the dramatic river crossing is a bucket list worthy item.

For a particularly memorable and unforgettable experience, enjoy a surreal journey in a Hot Air Balloon over the Masai Mara plains, culminating in a Champagne breakfast. At 04:30AM you will drive to the launch site. Depending on the weather conditions, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you watch the balloons being prepared for take-off. Your pilot will give a safety briefing as well as explain what you can expect during the flight. The balloon crew will assist as you clamber into your balloon basket for take-off just before sunrise, at about 6:30AM. As you rise the Maasai Mara plains opens up before your eyes to feast on the golden sunrise, enchanting sceneries, plains-game below as the winds gently blows the basket deeper into the reserve. The pilot is at hand pointing out at the wildlife below with plenty of photographic opportunities unfolding. Soar silently with 360 degrees of spectacular savannah lasting approximately one hour, depending on wind conditions. Continue with a breakfast set up on the picturesque savannah plains of the Mara, typically under the shade of a single balanite tree. Sit down to a full bush breakfast in the Kenyan style, complete with eggs-to-order, sausages, fresh juices, fruits, cereals and, of course, sparkling wine. After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely game drive back to your lodge. After lunch, you’ll visit a maasai boma. Arguably the most iconic tribal group in all of Africa, the Maasai, who populate vast areas of Southern areas of Kenya are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Masai Mara. This nomadic, warrior tribe which once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya, still retain many of their traditions as they live largely untouched by modern day civilization, in areas surrounding Masai Mara.

Today, take breakfast overlooking the plains before flying to Nairobi. Our driver will be waiting to take you to the International Airport for your flight to Uganda. Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you’ll be assisted with your luggage and after transferred to Lake Victoria Serena Hotel for overnight stay .  Go for one-hour spa treatment for you to fully relax after your flight to Uganda.

After breakfast, you will drive to Entebbe airport for your small scenic flight to the Kihihi airstrip . Upon touch down you will be transferred to Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge for a leisurely evening .

Today, trek through the park’s dense vegetation; Vehicles have never penetrated this forest, and the going can be challenging with steep ascents and tangled trails. Trekking through dense forest with steep slopes means that participants do need to be physically fit however gorilla trekking groups are assigned on fitness levels, so you can request a shorter or longer hike dependent on your preferences. In a group of 8, you will set off in the jungle and your guides use their experience, knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate them. Once you have found the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend an hour with them. Keep your camera in silence and observe a 10 meters’ distance from the gorillas and keep your mask on at all times. It worth the slight physical discomforts, though, for the reward of a face-to-face encounter with one of the most endangered animals on the planet. Observe their subtle social interactions and remarkable behaviors closely resembling our own. Relax at the lodge after your lifetime changing experience back .

Have you wondered how often tourists get within two feet of a 600 pounds’ mountain gorilla without getting any harm? That intimidating giant beast could rip your arms out of their sockets in a flash.The Mountain gorilla habituation process involves spending time with a gorilla group every day and gradually winning over their trust. Researchers mimic their behavior, pretending to eat the same food as they do at the same time, grunting, and even beating one’s chest.  To become accustomed to the presence of humans, each gorilla group undergoes a lengthy habituation process of between 3-5 years, managed by a team of expert researchers, conservationists, trackers and rangers. Park rangers start the habituation process by spending a short period of time with the gorillas each day, maintaining a specific distance at the limit of the gorillas’ comfort zone. Every few months they gradually increase the time and reduce the distance until they are certain that the gorillas are ready for tourists to visit them. After your breakfast, you will drive to Rushaga where you are to have your Gorilla Habituation Experience. You will not get as close as yesterday. Perhaps the gorillas initially bound off to a hiding place; maybe they park themselves amid the thickest vegetation, or guard their infant fervently. What you do have now is time, allow the gorillas to settle. Find your own hideout and wait. As the initial shock subsides, the gorillas emerge. You stay tucked into the forest, silently watching the troop, recognize individuals and notice distinguishing features, a part of the research process. Gestures are shared as you watch in awe, interpreting the communication. Over four hours you become invisible. From the hideout, you enjoy a complete insight into gorilla behavior, one that is normally only reserved for qualified researchers. With four hours you do not just admire an entire troop of gorillas in their natural habitat, but come closer to understanding the world of the greatest apes on earth.Later on, head back to your hotel for meals and relaxation.

Known as the “Keepers of the Forest” the enchanting Batwa pygmies of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are a hunter-gatherer tribe that has lived side-by-side with the wildlife of this ancient park for thousands of years. Strap on your hiking boots for this full-day adventure and as it kick-starts with a 3-hour hike through the forest to a Batwa settlement with the help of a Batwa guide. Hear ancient legends and traditional songs and after a warm welcome, your 1-hour cultural immersion begins. Enjoy a lively music performance, learn about the Batwa’s fascinating way of life; from religion to their food gathering and hunting techniques, and interact with the tribesmen.

Afterwards, you will then fly to Entebbe and check in at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa.

Set out from the boat landing for a romantic sunset picnic cruise on Lake Victoria or pamper yourself with an Andean hot stone therapy or deep tissue back massage at the Maisha Mind Body & Spirit Spa.

Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort &Spa

After breakfast, relax at the lodge. Later, you will be transferred to the airport for your departing flight.