The safari takes you to 3 countries that are found within East Africa, including Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania where you will be able to visit these conservation areas with unique wildlife such as the big five animals (lions, leopards, elephants, Rhinos and buffaloes), gorillas, golden monkeys among others with great sightings of wildebeest migration in case the safari takes place during the month of migration.
Visit places like Dian Fossey graveyard and Karisimbi Research Centre, genocide memorial Centre of Rwanda among others. Gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, game drives and nature walk are the main activities carried out during this safari.
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes N/P from Kigali
Welcome to Rwanda, this country is considered to be the cleanest in the world and at peace despite the previous wars of 1994. The guide driver will pick you from Kigali International Airport and transfer you to Volcanoes national park in Northwestern Rwanda consisting of an evergreen bamboo forest with grassland areas, swamp and heath. The park is in the Virunga Mountains which inhabits mountain gorillas hence gorilla trekking becomes the main activity done in this park.
Volcanoes n/park is home to Dian Fossey graveyard, burial grounds of the primatologist who was killed by poachers in 1985. There is a lot of wildlife in this park not only the gorillas but also golden monkeys, forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, duikers, spotted hyenas, bush-bucks among others. The rolling hills as you find your way to this park are eye-catching and on arrival, you will check into e safari lodge.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Visit Karisimbi Research Centre
Start this beautiful day with breakfast at the lodge and thereafter, the driver guide will take you to the park offices where you will be able to attend the briefing exercise. The briefing is so important and during this time, you are required to display your gorilla trekking permits and COVID-19 tests that show you are negative in 72 hours, you are told to keep a distance of 7-10 meters from gorillas, you are not supposed to feed the animals among others like the use of flashlight cameras is prohibited.
A gorilla family will be found after a good time of walking and hiking and you will have only an hour with them as you watch their behaviors and movements. After the trek back to the offices where you left your driver guide to take you back to the lodge for your lunch. The whole experience takes about 2 to 6 hours while in the forest. After lunch, head to the park for briefing and then hike to Karisimbi research station where you will be able to learn and enjoy the stories of the female primatologist Dian Fossey who saved a big number of mountain gorillas. And in the evening return to the lodge for dinner.
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking
Like the previous day, you will embark on briefing and then the dos and don’ts will be told after breakfast. These among others are the use of flashlight camera is highly emphasized as the golden monkeys enjoy it and tend to come closer, you are not allowed to enter the forest in case you have infectious diseases, do not feed world animals among others.
Cross-checking the trekking permit is done at this point. After, head to the forest where you will be able to find these golden monkeys as they jump from one tree to another. Take memorable photos and then enjoy the rest 9f an hour in their presence. After trekking, you will return to the lodge and have leisure time.
Day 4: Drive back to Kigali for a flight to Tanzania
Drive through the rolling hills of Rwanda as you head to Kigali city, depending on your scheduled time, you can visit the Rwanda genocide memorial ground and hear stories on how innocent souls died during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
The photos and names are displayed on one of the walls. Thereafter fly to Arusha Tanzania where you will meet our tour representative, to offer you a quick briefing and then transfer you to a hotel where you will spend a night.
Day 5: Transfer to Ngorongoro conservation area
Head to Ngorongoro craters from Arusha Tanzania a journey taking 3 to 4 hours’ drive. The area has the largest volcanic caldera name Ngorongoro craters hence the name originates.
The area inhabits different animals that you can enjoy while on your visit and among others include lion, rhinoceros, leopards, elephant and Cape buffalo among others. On the arrival, you will take lunch embarking on the evening game drive where you will be able to spot these different animals.
Day 6: Transfer to Serengeti National Park
Transfer to Serengeti with a morning game drive in Ngorongoro craters where you will be able to spot more of the wildlife us the ones you spotted last day. Serengeti is the finest national park in Tanzania where you will be able to enjoy wildlife. The park hosts wildebeests migration and it’s where migration starts after birth.
The park is listed among the world UNESCO heritage sites and this is because of the diverse wildlife, found in the river like Grumeti River, Naironya River, Nanyuki River, Mbalageti River and the famous Seronera River. The rivers inhabit crocodiles and hippos. They are the sources of water for these animals.
Day 7: Full day in Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti plains offer a lot of wildlife in form of the mammals, birds, trees, reptiles among others and this will be discovered during this day of game drives. The game drivers will start early in the morning, with a stop at break time for breakfast another one at lunchtime while the last one takes place at dinner in the evening.
Spend most of the hours in this park as you partake in numerous game drives exposing you to different animals such as herds of buffaloes, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and many antelope, such as eland, topi, Kongoni among others and birds like red-throated tit, Rufous-tailed Weaver, grey-crested helmet shrike, and Schalow’s Turaco among others. Enjoy this great day of adventuring in the Serengeti savannah plains
Day 8: Cross to Masai Mara National Reserve
Cross to Kenya through the Isebania border and this will be after breakfast from the park lodge. Masai Mara is a national reserve in Kenya with variety of wildlife such as Masai giraffes, elephants, buffalos, cats, but sightings of smaller predators like bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, lion, leopards, buffalos, elephants among others.
Wildebeests can be traced here and very common in the month of their migrations. When you take this safari in that period, you will witness some of them being killed by predators like lions, leopards, crocodiles as they cross the Mara River. On the arrivals, you will embark on an en-route game drive to be able to spot more than the listed animals.
Day 9: Full day of game viewing in Mara plains
Spend the whole day searching for different wildlife in this savannah plain of Mara and some parts of the park are being used by the Masai people to graze their cattle since they are believed to be the earlier settlers of this park before it was turned into a conservation area.
The plains inhabit different animals that will be spotted and among others include, cheetah, leopards, zebra, and Masai giraffe, elephants, buffalos, cats, but sightings of smaller predators like bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal and spotted hyena. The breakfast and lunch will be taken in from the game drives of the day. Meet the Masai with their unique culture of dressing, body piercing among others.
Day 10: Transfer to Nairobi and fly back home
On this day, you will be served breakfast and after take a game drive through the park plains spotting more of the wildlife. Find the way out of the park to Nairobi and you will be dropped at the airport any time depending on your flight schedule. This marks the end of a 10 day volcanoes, Masai Mara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro safari.
