Combine two of East Africa’s most iconic experiences during your one-week tour in Kenya Rwanda. Follow wildebeest during the Great Migration as they travel through the Maasai Mara accentuated by the surrounding theater of wildlife. Trek through volcanic forests to discover the beauty of active gorilla troops.
Tracking mountain gorillas in the Virunga’s ranks high on almost every traveler’s bucket list of must-do experiences. And the reality seldom disappoints. Gorillas are more closely related to humans than any animal other than chimpanzees, and the sheer bulk of these charismatic apes – a silverback might weigh 200kg – is deeply impressive. Meanwhile, the very fact that tourists can routinely approach gorillas to within a few metres pays testament to their remarkable peaceable temperament. True, the hike up can be hard work.
You will be climbing steep slopes, through tangled vegetation, at an altitude of above 2,500m – and it isn’t called rain forest for nothing. But the reward, a magical hour spent in the company of nature’s archetypal gentle giants, is quite simply one of the world’s most exhilarating and emotionally charged wildlife encounters.
You cannot miss out on gorilla guardians (better known by its former name of Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village), the flagship for a community project that project that provides employment as niche farmers, beekeepers and the like to about 1,000 local villagers.
It also offers tourists a fascinating and enjoyable programme that culminates in a traditional Intore drumming and dance routine set in a fantastic wood-and-thatch replica of a traditional Rwandan palace.
Masai Mara is the most famous and popular safari destination in Kenya, if not anywhere in Africa. The appeal of the Mara and adjacent private/community conservancies isn’t difficult to explain. Its mosaic of rolling hills, open grassland and acacia woodland supports a quite incredible profusion and variety of wildlife. The reserve truly blossoms between August and October, when the legendary wildebeest migration – perhaps the world’s most breathtaking wildlife spectacle – crosses into Kenya from Tanzania.
This journey will give you a better understanding of the different areas within the greater Mara ecosystem. Although you could spend months in the Masai Mara, 10 days will give you the ultimate Greater Masai Mara experience, with time both inside and outside the reserve. This safari concentrates on the Mara confluence inside the reserve, Mara North, Olare Orok and Naboisho conservancies.
