Join us on our next East African Adventure
**December 30th 2024 - January 18th 2025
Rwanda . Uganda . Kenya . Tanzania
Small group tours for women
DAY 1. ARRIVE RWANDA B-Breakfast L-Lunch D-Dinner
Welcome to Africa!
After your arrival this afternoon, we will head to our hotel accommodation where you will have some down time before we meet up for a group welcome dinner. (D)
DAY 2. RWANDA - UGANDA
We start our day with a visit to The Kigali Genocide Memorial. It is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. It honours the memory of the more than one million Rwandans killed in 1994 through education and peace-building.
This afternoon enjoy the scenic drive from Rwanda, 'The Land of a Thousand Hills' to Uganda. Along the way we will pass through beautiful landscape dotted with tea plantations, before arriving at Lake Bunyonyi where you will spend the next few nights in tented lodge-style accommodation. (B, D)
DAY 3.KABALE/LAKE BUNYONYI
After a leisurely breakfast by the lake, we will head to a remote village to spend time at a local school. Be prepared to have your heart stolen by these beautiful children. After spending time with the kids this morning, we will enjoy a lunch prepared especially for us. We will sit with the women and share stories before rejoining the children, where we will experience first hand, the African way of life. (B, L, D)
DAY 4. KABALE/LAKE BUNYONYI
This morning, spend some time chilling by the lake reading a book, or if you choose, partake in one of the many optional extra activities available here at Lake Bunyonyi.
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swimming, canoeing, boat-motor hire
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bird watching
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mountain biking
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fishing
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community walks
This afternoon we will sit together with some local village women, who will show us how they make their hand woven baskets and paper beads. These items are the women's only source of income, empowering them and enabling them to support their families. (B, D)
DAY 5. KABALE - GORILLA TREK
A Gorilla Trek within the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a highlight for many who visit Uganda. No other wildlife encounter in Africa matches the astounding experience of spending time sitting face-to-face with the magnificent rare mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. (B, L, D)
**Application times for Gorilla tracking permits are recommended at least 12 weeks in advance of high seasons to ensure you do not miss out. Confirmation by Sept 30 2018 is required if you plan to partake in this activity.
**If you feel this activity is not for you, don't worry, while others head off on their trek, we can plan an enjoyable day locally. * Your gorilla trek is included in your tour cost. An alternative total tour price will be worked out for you if you choose not to participate in gorilla trekking.
DAY 6. KABALE - KAMPALA
This morning we will bid Kabale farewell as we head off bright and early for a full days drive to Kampala. On this drive, keep an eye out for the wildlife! We will stop half way for a relaxing lunch and a spot of souvenir shopping. Stand at both sides of the world with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one foot in the southern hemisphere and witness the strange phenomenon of water draining clockwise and anticlockwise only metres apart, on either side of this imaginary line. We will arrive in Kampala late afternoon where we will spend the night in hotel accommodation. (B, D)
DAY 7. KAMPALA - TORORO
Today we will be up early, to head to a small remote village just out of Tororo, eastern Uganda. We will break the trip for lunch in Jinja, which sits along the northern shores of Lake Victoria, near the source of the White Nile. Our journey then takes us through Mabira Forest, where cheeky baboons will pose for photos with their babies, hoping to get a treat from passers by. After a humbling welcome, we will spend 2 nights living among the locals and experiencing real village life and the wonderful culture and beautiful people of this region. Accommodation will be in a small mud-brick house within the village. (B, D)
DAY 8. VILLAGE
Today we will visit the local school where the children learn. We will then set off on a village walk where we will be welcomed into traditional thatched roof, mud hut dwellings, meet families and have the opportunity to sit a while and hear about their lives. Tonight we will enjoy a dinner under the stars, where we will recap our unforgettable day! (B, L, D)
DAY 9. VILLAGE - KAMPALA
After a delicious breakfast, we will say our goodbyes and head off to Kampala. Tonight we will dine at a cultural restaurant and enjoy amazing food while we are entertained with some traditional dancing. Hotel accommodation. (B, D)
DAY 10. KAMPALA - NAIROBI
Bright and early this morning we leave beautiful Uganda and the friends we have made, as we fly to Nairobi, Kenya. This is your day for free time as you choose. Maybe a few hours by the pool with a good book, or an afternoon snooze. If relaxing is not for you, as an optional extra we can arrange a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum, former home of Danish Author Karen Blixen, 'Out of Africa', before we head out to dinner.
Apartment accommodation. (B, L, D)
DAY 11. NAIROBI - ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE - GIRAFFE CENTRE
This morning we head to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where you will meet and interact with baby elephants who are rescued and rehabilitated before being released back into the wild.
This afternoon we will visit the Nairobi Giraffe Centre. You'll have the opportunity to get 'up close and personal' with the residents here!
If time permits, we will visit the Kazuri Bead Factory. KAZURI, which means “small and beautiful” in Swahili, began in 1975 as a tiny workshop experimenting on making handmade beads.
(B, L, D)
DAY 12. NAIROBI - ARUSHA, TANZANIA
It's farewell to Kenya today, as we are up bright and early this morning for our bus trip to Tanzania. Sit back and enjoy the ride as you take in some of the sights along the way. We will break the trip with some souvenir shopping, arriving in Arusha in the afternoon.
Depending on our arrival time to Arusha, a cultural walk can be arranged to give you a feel for the town. Overnight stay at hotel accommodation. (B,L,D)
DAY 13. 7 Day Safari – Tanzanian Highlights
Arusha to Karatu Safari-Day 1
Today we start our Safari departing from our accommodation around 8.30am. We will visit the Masai market first thing in the morning, followed by a stop at Shanga. Shanga is a heart-warming project based in Arusha, Tanzania, employing over 55 Tanzanians with disabilities to make beautiful jewellery. We can also get a cappuccino to go. http://www.shanga.org/
On our way we will visit the village of Mto wa Mbu, where you can either tour the Banana Beer Factory or take a cultural bike ride/walk through the village.
Overnight The Junction Campsite Karatu (B, L, D)
*During your safari, any camping accommodation includes set up, pack up and a personal chef. So sit back and enjoy!
DAY 14. Karatu to Lake Eyasi Safari-day 2
Lake Eyasi – Bushman & Blacksmith
Today we will travel to Lake Eyasi where you will be introduced to the local tribe of blacksmiths and see how they make jewellery and weapons. We will then visit the Hadzabe Tribe, where you will be given a fascinating insight into the way of life of the last hunters and gatherers who live off the land and speak with their tongues. From here we will drive straight to the South of Serengeti to stay overnight and experience the sounds of the African wilderness. Camping accommodation.
(B, L, D)
DAY 15. Serengeti Safari day 3
Serengeti
Up early for a game drive through the South of Serengeti. Have a relaxing lunch and then enjoy an afternoon game drive through the vast Savannahs. Make sure your camera is fully charged with lots of space because there will be plenty of animals to capture along the way!
Overnight Serengeti. Camping accommodation.(B, L, D)
DAY 16. Serengeti Safari day 4
Serengeti
After another amazing night spent in the wilderness of the Serengeti, nodding off to the sounds of the local wildlife, you will awaken to the chatter of the early birds. After a relaxing breakfast, venture out through the savannahs in search of the 'big five', or relax and take in the splendor of this magnificent land. Tonight you can sit back and enjoy your last night on the Serengeti, while you are taken care of by your own personal cook. There's no better way to relax, than dining under the African stars. Lodge style accommodation. (B, L, D)
**As an optional extra, today you can choose to experience the serengeti from above. Take an early morning hot air balloon ride across the sweeping plains and witness the animals from a different perspective. *Early booking required.
DAY 17.Serengeti to Ngorongoro Safari day 5
Ngorongoro Crater
Drive back from Serengeti into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We make our way through the gates to descend into the Ngorongoro crater and explore the crater floor. This incredible utopia will have you spellbound from the minute you lay eyes on it from above. Try your chance at spotting the elusive Black Rhino. The only animal you won’t find in the crater is the giraffe, as it cannot walk down the steep rim edge! We will enjoy our lunch today, inside the crater witnessing nature at its finest. Overnight: The Junction Campsite (B, L, D)
DAY 18. Lake Manyara Safari day 6
After breakfast we head to Lake Manyara. Keep a lookout in the trees. You may be lucky enough to spot the tree-climbing lions local to this area. Here, you will have the best opportunity to get up close to the elephants that make Lake Manyara home. Make sure your camera is at the ready to capture these magnificent creatures and their precious babies. Many varieties of monkeys also make Lake Manyara home and can be found parading in troops with their babies on their backs. From here we drive to Tarangire National Park through gorgeous little villages.
Overnight Safari Lodge accommodation overlooking Lake Tarangire (B,L D)
DAY 19.Tarangire National Park Safari day 7
Enjoy our last early morning game drive through Tarangire Park. Most well known for its abundance of elephants where you can see up to 150 in one place, it's an experience you will never forget. Animals will flock here in the dry season in search of water, knowing this is one area where the river does not dry up.
Return for overnight at Arusha. Hotel accommodation. (B, L, D)
Day 20: TANZANIA - AUSTRALIA
Today you bid farewell to Africa and begin your journey home. (B)