Trip Leaders
Adrian Binn
John Overfield
and Local Guides
2009 Dates
August 24 - October 2
2009 Cost
$TBA from Nairobi, Kenya
Prices per person, double occupancy.
Limit 12 participants. Much of tour is in national parks where by necessity you have to stay in the vehicles, though there will be some walking on all days. On most days there is a siesta break in the middle of the day. Everyone is guaranteed a window seat in vehicles with pop-up roofs and with no more than four clients per vehicle there’ll be plenty of space.
Full payment required 120 days prior to departure date.
Price based on double occupancy. If a single room is preferred, a single supplement fee of $TBA will be assessed.
EAST AFRICA: Mega Safari
With rising air travel costs we thought why do three trips when you can do one! This tour is designed to give you the very best opportunity to experience and to photograph the incredible mammal and bird fauna to be found throughout East Africa. In the Mara the Wildebeest and Zebra migration will be in full swing. Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards will be just part of a pantheon of mammals including Elephants, Rhinos, Buffalo, Eland and herds of Gazelle, Impala and scimitar-horned Beisa Oryx. We’ll search for less frequently encountered mammals such as Serval, Ratel, beautiful Greater Kudu, Spot-necked Otter, Grevy’s Zebra and Giant Forest Hog. Everywhere pulsates with life, from the acacia-dotted savannah-scapes of arid Samburu, perhaps Kenya's finest mammal reserve and home of the strange long-necked Gerenuk, to the emerald green depths of Uganda’s forests and the papyrus-lined shores of Lake Victoria where we’ll seek the enigmatic Shoebill. The soda lakes of the rift valley are rimmed in a sea of pink flamingos. Ngorongoro’s spectacular crater is filled with herds of animals and their predators. Nearby Manyara offers an avian spectacle, and a very good chance of seeing Aardvark, Wild Cat and Crested Porcupine on a night game drive. We’ll come face to face with Bwindi’s Mountain Gorillas, an experience you will never forget. Kibale’s Chimpanzees lead us a merry dance through forests home to a dozen species of monkey, beautiful Narina Trogon and Red-headed Bluebill, and simply stunning butterflies such as the Red Glider, Mocker Swallowtail and Mother of Pearl. Over five hundred bird species will be seen during the holiday - from brightly-coloured Sunbirds and Wattle-eyes, through a dazzling array of Bee-eaters, Kingfishers and Rollers, to magnificent Martial Eagles, Great Blue Turacos, Kori Bustards and the national bird of Uganda, Grey-crowned Cranes.
If forty days of unadulterated wildlife is too much then you can join this tour for separate Kenya, Tanzanian or Ugandan sections, or indeed pair them up! However you visit, this tour will be a once in a lifetime experience with extraordinary opportunities to see, study and photograph some of East Africa’s finest fauna up close!
Kenya only (16 days): Aug 24 - Sept 8
Tanzania only (14 days): Sept 6 – Sept 19
Uganda only (16 days): Sept 17 – Oct 12
Kenya & Tanzania (27 days): Aug 24 – Sept 19
Tanzania & Uganda (27 days): Sept 6 – Oct 2
Information
Focus
Mammals and Birds. Photography.
Included in the Price
All internal flights. Accommodation, transport and meals in East Africa. Services of your leaders. Please note; your flight to East Africa, items of a personal nature including insurance, visas, drinks and tips are not included.
Group size
Minimum group size is 4 and the maximum is 12. Only one leader will accompany a group of 6 or less.
Accommodation
In Kenya and Tanzania a very good standard throughout. We’ll stay at the excellent Serena lodges in Samburu, the Mara, at Manyara, and overlooking the Ngorongoro crater. We also stay at Lion Hill Camp (a lodge) in Nakuru, Baringo Country Club, Old Tukai Lodge in Amboseli, and a high quality tented camp at Tarangire. The standard is more variable in Uganda. We stay at the wonderful Paraa Lodge in Murchison and Mewya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth NP, both a very good standard, whereas Buhoma Lodge in Bwindi, Primate Lodge in Kibale and Mantana Tented Camp in Mburo are a little more basic but comfortable nonetheless. All rooms, other than tents, on the tour have en suite facilities and air-conditioning or ceiling fans.
Climate
Generally sunny and warm to hot. Though the dry season, thunderstorms are not infrequent in the afternoons and rain can sometimes be more prolonged, especially in Ugandan rainforests.
Suggested Variations
Kenya only: 16 days. Tanzania only: 14 days. Uganda only: 16 days. Kenya + Tanzania: 27 days. Tanzania + Uganda: 27 days. Please contact us for further details.
After Booking
You will receive confirmation of your place and a detailed information pack will be dispatched to you about twelve weeks before departure. Trip reports and bird and mammal checklists are available.
Tour Summary
Day 1
Fly to Nairobi
Days 2 - 4
Naivasha & Nakuru
Days 5 & 6
Baringo & Bogoria
Days 7 – 10
Samburu
Days 11 – 14
The Masai Mara
Days 15 - 17
Amboseli
Days 18 – 20
Tarangire
Days 21 – 23
Ngorongoro
Days 24 & 25
Manyara
Day 26
fly to Kampala, Uganda
Days 27 – 29
Murchinson Falls NP
Days 30 - 31
Kibale Forest NP
Days 32 – 34
Queen Elizabeth NP
Days 35 & 37
Bwindi NP
Day 38
Lake Mburo NP
Days 39 & 40
Kampala and to UK
Dates and Prices
All dates based upon departure from UK:
The Mega Safari (40 Days): Aug 24 – Oct 2, 2009
Cost: TBA