From the shy gorillas to the charming golden monkey; noisy chimps to the singing birds; A historical Musanze cave to a lovely canopy; the hide to find lions to the vibrant cultures; The rolling hills to the still waters, each day gets better in this 17 Days Primates & Wildlife of East Africa Safari.
We have only picked destinations with a variety of flora and fauna and they are; Volcanos National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda; Queen Elizabeth national park and Semuliki Valley National Park in Uganda; Masai Mara national park in Kenya, and Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro in Tanzania. The 17 Days African Primate Trekking & Wildlife Safari in East Africa starts in Rwanda and ends in Tanzania.
Detailed 17-Day Trip
Day 1: Pick up and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After landing at Kigali international airport, our smartly dressed company representative will gladly pick you up for this amazing adventure. He will brief you on the different trip formalities, before hitting the road to volcanos national park; home to the rare mountain gorillas.
The drive lasts for 2-3 hours; with great views of undulating hills and flourishing plantations. You will retire at the lodge with dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking
After a yummy breakfast meal at the lodge, you will exit the lodge for the park headquarters for document verification and briefing. The park rangers who intern escort you deep into the jungle for the search, explain the trekking rules, as well as allocating members to the different gorilla families. Gorilla trekking lasts for 1-8 hours, depending on the direction the apes have taken, as well as your trekking speed.
A maximum of one hour is given to you to love on the apes, take photos and ask the relative questions before returning to the lodge for lunch, refreshment, dinner and overnight at sunset.
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking and Musanze cave exploration
After breakfast, you will again return to the park for briefing and a 1-5 hour exciting golden monkey trekking experience. Golden monkeys spend most of their time skipping from one tree branch to another; and by doing so leave the views with a hard task of capturing the best photos, in addition to their movements.
Nonetheless, the one hour will be good enough for you to take photos and ask all questions, before returning to lunch. After that, a visit to Musanze caves, for a 2-hour exploration. The day’s program comes to a close with dinner and a nap.
Day 4: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
At daybreak, you will brighten your day with a yummy breakfast meal and then check out of the lodge for a transfer to Nyungwe national park; home to over 13 primate species. There will be lunch on the shores of Lake Kivu before proceeding to the park for refreshment, and a late dinner meal, before a nap.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
From your bed to the park after a lip-smacking breakfast meal. Thereafter a 3-4-hour exciting chimpanzee trekking experience follows; with the park rangers helping you identify the different park residents coming your way; notably the monkeys, and birds, Trekking lasts for about 1-4 hours, with an additional hour left for you to listen to the sweet sounds from the chimps, as well as watch their exciting movements.
After chimpanzee trekking, you will have a lunch break, and then spend the evening exploring the freely suspended canopy on the treetops. You will return to the lodge for dinner and a nap.
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
At the last sip of coffee, you will check out of the lodge for a transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda. Queen is the most visited national park west of the Republic of Uganda and gifted with a variety of flora and fauna.
The drive has a lunch stopover, but also with plenty to admire, notably the rolling hills, plantations and scattered homesteads. You will arrive at the lodge late in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Game drive and boat cruise
For the 3-4-hours after the first meal of the day, all the attention will be dedicated to a game drive, exploring the flora and fauna in the Mweya peninsular and the different regions of the park. Some of the prey, predators, and birds to look out for include; elephants, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, and several other Antelope species, crested cranes, gene fowls, and the Turacos.
After the game drive, lunch is next and then a 2-3 hours’ boat cruise at the giant Kazinga channel, where you will watch the hippos, crocodiles, and several others.
Day 8: Transfer to Semuliki National Park for birding
After early morning breakfast, you will transfer to Semuliki national park; a two-hour drive to a true birders’ haven. The transfer also enables your eyes to capture the beautiful backdrop of the snowcapped mountain Rwenzori. You will arrive and check-in to your lodge for lunch, followed by a rewarding evening of nothing but nonstop birding watching and a visit to the hot springs; also with a good collection of birds. Thereafter, return to the lodge for dinner and a nap
Day 9: Return to Entebbe airport. Fly to Nairobi, Kenya
After breakfast, you will checkout for a 6-7-hour drive to Entebbe international airport, but with an en-route stopover at the equator point for photography, lunch and to watch the thrilling demonstrations. From Entebbe to Nairobi, you will be welcomed by our company driver guide who will brief you and take you to your hotel for dinner and a nap.
Day 10: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve
Start this day with a breakfast meal at the lodge, and the checkout for a 6-hour drive to Masai Mara national park; traversing rolling hills, and breathtaking sceneries. You will have a stopover at the Great Rift Valley for photography, and then the other at Narok trading center for lunch. Arriving at the lodge will be late in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Full-day game drive
Brighten your day with a glass of Juice, and then followed by a full day game drive in territories occupied by a variety of animals; notably wildebeests, elephants, zebras, buffalos, cheetahs, several antelope species and rhinoceros among others. Thereafter lunch and afternoon experience at the bank of the Mara River and then eventually return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Cross from Masai Mara to Serengeti National Park, Northern Tanzania
On this day, breakfast will be served first thing, before checking off the lodge for a full day drive to Serengeti national park; home to the annual wildebeest migration in Tanzania. You will have a lunch break and then a game drive entrances to the park through to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Full-day game drive
Kick start this day with a cup of coffee and then transfer to the Seronera region for a rewarding game drive; looking out for lions, leopards, cheetah, elephants, buffalos, zebras, and wildebeests. More is encountered once this day collides with the annual wildebeest migration. You will have your lunch in the wild, whereas dinner and a nap at the lodge.
Day 14: Maasai Encounter
Start this day with a hefty cup of coffee, and then visit the Masai warriors; spending the entire day with them, while enjoying the local dances, feasting on the local cuisine, and dressing like them. The Maasai people depend on cattle for everything and take visitors through their way of life, and local architecture. You will return to the lodge for dinner and a nap at sunset.
Day 15: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater – Olduvai Gorge
After greeting your intestines with a warm cup of coffee, you will check out of the lodge for a transfer to Ngorongoro crater; one of the most visited destinations in Tanzania, with the largest land caldera on earth. On the way, you will stop at Olduvai Gorge, to uncover the ancient history of fossils regarded as those of the very first occupants of the earth. Proceed with the drive to the park for lunch, and then the rest of the evening relax at the lodge, while waiting for dinner and overnight.
Day 16: Game drive and afternoon crater hike
At daybreak, you will greet your intestines with a warm cup of coffee, thereafter proceed for a rewarding game drive in the vast Ngorongoro crater. On a lucky day, you can sight all the African big 5 mammals; Rhinos, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and lions, in addition to several others; wildebeests, zebras, and hippos.
More fun comes in after lunch as you hike the larges caldera in the world; be a beautiful landscape, several animal hideouts and primates make up the moments. Sunsets signal the end of the day, and so a sunset game drive to the lodge for dinner and a nap.
Day 17: Departure
After a sunrise breakfast meal, there will be a one-hour guided nature walk, before checking out for a drive to the airport for your departing flight.
End of 17 Days Primates & Wildlife of East Africa Safari.
