Kenya & Rwanda Photo Safari - August 2013

On your arrival in Nairobi, you will be met by our local representative, who will assist you across the terminal and to check in at the hotel. We will meet up as a group and dinner will be at a restaurant at Ole-Sereni (cost of which is included).

Ole-Sereni Hotel offers guest 134 exquisitely furnished, air-conditioned rooms and suites spread over three floors. Guests will have the opportunity to relax and unwind at the Roof top heated swimming pool that overlooks the park, the Gymnasium and Aerobics Room or the Sports Lounge. One could also enjoy special therapies and treatments at the Massage Centre. The Sauna & Steam Facility and Unisex Salon are other places guests can visit to pamper themselves. .

On the morning of the 10th our group will transfer back to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where we will catch our scheduled flight to Kigali, Rwanda.

On arrival in Kigali, we will be met by our local representatives, who brief us and then take us to a tour of the Genocide Memorial in Kigali. The Genocide Memorial and Museum is a powerful experience and will give us a perspective on the tragedy that occurred here in 1995. Our subsequent days in Rwanda will certainly astound you in that this country has made such a reversal and now is one of Africa's model nations. Afterward our tour of the museum we will proceed by road to Ruhengeri and Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, which we will occupy exclusively for the next three nights.  Dinner at the lodge.

The lodge is situated in the foothills of the mighty Virungas, the chain of 15,000-ft volcanoes stretching through Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Accommodation comprises five double cottages, two suites and one family suite. All are stone buildings with Rwandese terra cotta tile roofs, and feature large sitting areas, fireplaces, stylish en-suite bathrooms finished with Venetian plaster, a dressing room and a sheltered veranda. Heat exchangers in the fireplaces provide a plentiful supply of hot water.

The main lodge building comprises reception, sitting room with snug area, dining room, library / games room, a responsible tourism / community awareness room, shop and bathrooms. Two patio areas afford wonderful and dramatic views to the Virunga Volcanoes and the surrounding lowland farmland.

11 August
• Early breakfast and drive to the park offices, where we will have a briefing by our trackers and then drive to the beginning of the trail.
• From there we will begin our trek up the path to meet up with the gorillas -- (see important information on gorilla trekking below).
• Upon sighting the gorillas, we will stay with them for a magical hour before returning to the base where our driver will be waiting for us.
• Lunch at the Lodge.
• This afternoon we offer an optional tour to the ex-poachers' village, where we will learn about the traditional methods of fire-making, archery, traditional medicine, traditional dances and other local customs.
• Dinner back at the Lodge.

12 August
• Up early again for our second morning up to see the gorillas, this time a different family of gorillas will be visited.
• Lunch at the Lodge.
• This afternoon we have the option of a visit to the nearby local markets or a scenic drive to visit the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.
• Dinner back at the Lodge.

13 August
• Our third and last morning of gorilla trekking, where we will visit yet another family of gorillas.
• Lunch at the Lodge.
• This afternoon we drive to Kigali for our overnight at the Serena Hotel.

GORILLA TRACKING INFORMATION
The gorillas you will track in Volcanoes National Park will belong to one of five 'habituated' family groups, The Susa Group (38 individuals), The Sabyinyo Group (11 individuals), Group Thirteen (18 individuals), the Amahoro A Group (15 Individuals), or the Umubano Group (8 Individuals). Eight permits per day are issued for each group. Gorilla groups tend to move around a lot and their home ranges often overlap.

For many years, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually made them used to the presence of humans and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them briefly in the wild.

The gorillas are by no means tame. They are completely wild animals, which even now tolerate human presence for an hour a day at most. Experienced guides will accompany you on your tracking, many of whom have been involved in the habituation process themselves. These guides will brief you in detail on your arrival on the various aspects of 'gorilla etiquette', but the information contained in this set of guidelines is to help you arrive for your track well prepared and ready to enjoy this unique opportunity to the full.

Visitors may track for as many days as they like, on purchase of the required number of gorilla permits. The permits are in extremely short supply, and are often booked as much as 18 months in advance. Only persons over the age of 15 are allowed to track the gorillas.

Gorilla tracking is a year-round activity, with no season as such. The rain forest is moist, and it rains very often in Volcanoes National Park, even in the dry season. Tracking commences every morning from the park headquarters at 8:30 AM. There is a daily maximum of 8 visitors to each gorilla group, and each group is accompanied by a guide and by porters who will carry your shoulder pack for you. The gorillas cover large distances overnight, and they are never constantly in one area. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas' habits and information from the previous day to locate the group's whereabouts.

Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before returning to camp. The terrain is extremely difficult, with steep trails (often steeper than a flight of stairs) covered in dense vegetation that gives the park its name. In addition, the altitude of 5200 feet and more means participants do need to be physically fit to enjoy the track.

Once the gorillas are located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. After this, you will return to the park headquarters and your camp.

Tonight we will stay at the Kigali Serena and dine at one of its restaurants.

Ideally located on one of Kigali's most charming boulevards, the five-star Kigali Serena Hotel is built around a polished granite atrium, which showcases the very best of Rwandese cultural art. Relaxed yet elegant, the hotel centres on the Executive Lounge and Bar, which opens onto a wide sun deck overlooking the newly refurbished swimming pool. Also overlooking the pool, the popular Milima Restaurant offers a wide range of all-day buffet choices, while the relaxed Sokoni Café offers inside and outside pool side seating.

We will dine this evening at a local and authentic Rwandan cuisine restaurant (cost included).

The following day we will have the opportunity to do a brief driving tour of Kigali and a visit to the very nice Craft Market, where authentic curios such as African masks and other artworks are available.  Shipping to your home is easily accomplished, so bring some extra US Dollars if you'd like to get something at a good price and take it back with you.

Lunch will be at a local restaurant (cost included) before we transfer back to the airport for our flight back to Nairobi.

On arrival in Nairobi, we will be met and transferred back to Ole-Sereni Hotel, where we will overnight before heading on to the Masai Mara the next day.

Dinner is again at the hotel (at your own expense).

On the morning of the 15th we will be transferred to Wilson Airport, where we will catch our private charter flight to Mara Plains Camp.

Mara Plains Camp is located on the northern border of the Masai Mara Game Reserve in the Olare Orok Conservancy. Rarely a night passes without lion roaring nearby, while leopard are regularly found to wander through the camp and cheetah have established territories on the savannah off the main area.

The Camp is situated along the banks of the Ntiakntiak River, a seasonal river with some permanent hippo pools near the camp. With 10 luxury guest tents the camp is very exclusive and giving you a real in the bush experience. The tents are very spacious and have private verandahs along the length of the tent, providing a secluded and private 'space' for you to relax and enjoy the beauty of this African wilderness. Each tent has en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. Food is excellent with fresh baked bread and high quality meals prepared by the camp Chef.

Our choice of camps gives us the heretofore unavailable opportunity of doing off-road driving in the exclusive Olare Orok Conservancy where predators and wildlife are prolific. We will also make at least two, perhaps more day trips into the Masai Mara Conservancy to photograph wildlife there, as well as the dramatic river crossings along the Mara River from inside the Reserve. The ability to off road is exclusive to the Olare Orok and we have found this to be of huge value to us for photographing our subjects. For our full-day expeditions into the Mara, lavish picnic boxes with cold drinks are provided.

For the next six days we will have exclusive use of the camp, as well as four private vehicles at our disposal day and night.  Since we have the entire camp at our disposal, there are no set camp schedules or meal times. Plans are tailored around the whims of the day, and as the wildlife dictates.

Typically, we rise just before dawn, have a quick bite, and head out at first light to see what has happened overnight. We look for tracks and signs of nocturnal activity, perhaps heading in the direction of the lion calls and hyena laughs we heard from bed. The big cats are usually quite active in the early hours. As the sun begins to rise in the sky, and the heat mounts, we head back to our mid-day resting post, Mara PLains Camp for a brunch and a bit of a siesta. Or, if guests prefer, it’s a lovely time sit quietly and bird along the river. Our guides will introduce us to the abundant bird life and can help you identify trees and local plant species, or sharpen our wildlife tracking skills.

In the late afternoon, as the sun wanes, we are off again in search of wildlife. It’s a time to savor the African sunset with refreshing sundowner drinks and snacks before continuing our drive as nocturnal animals become more active with dusk. A hearty dinner awaits us back at camp, whenever its time to return. We share stories of the day around the campfire and under the stars. So goes another blissful day in Africa.

We will also have the opportunity to visit a local Masai village (or "Enkang" in Maa) to learn more about the traditions and culture of the surrounding community and photograph the people and their village.

Hot air balloon safaris are available (at extra cost). This is a very early morning activity, giving stunning views of the sunrise, the landscape and a sense of the sheer size of the Masai Mara region.