Welcome & Overview PDF

 

day-1-maasai-maraDay 1-2: Maasai Mara

After leaving Acacia Camp at 8:30AM, we stop at the breathtaking Rift Valley overlook. Learning about Kenya’s history, we then travel to the gates of the world-renowned Maasai Mara, the northern-most point of the Serengeti ecosystem. After a short game drive, we arrive at our camp deep in the heart of the Mara. Staying in permanent tents, we spend the night listening to the calls of the African wild.

The following morning we are up early to begin a day of game-driving through the Mara. We stop for lunch along the Mara River where one may opt for a walk along its banks to see the pods of hippos and massive crocodiles for which the Mara is known.

The late afternoon allows time for overlanders to visit a Maasai village to see how these fascinating pastoralists survive alongside African wildest animals.

Day 3: El Doret

We drive to El Doret, passing through Kericho and its enormous tea plantations. We set up camp near the border with Uganda. At night we enjoy the huge, eclectic bar at our campsite.

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Day 4: Kampala

We cross the border into Uganda and cruise to Kampala, Uganda’s capital. We shop and prepare ourselves for our adventure to the gorillas. We spend the night at the eclectic campsite Red Chille. For those who want to experience Kampala’s culture, its colorful night-life awaits.

Days 5-8: Gorillas and Lake Bunyonyi

These days are spent on the breath-taking shores of Lake Bunyoni, a crater lake over 2700 feet deep! As each group awaits their turn to see the gorillas, the others may experience such adventures as fishing, canoeing, village tours, or just relaxing next to the lake. Those whose turn it is to see the gorillas, will trek through the dense forests of the Virunga mountains to find the legendary creatures.

Day 9: Kampala

We return to Kampala to experience civilization’s amenities once again. We shop to prepare ourselves for the next portion of the trip. For those who missed Kampala’s nightlife, they will have a second chance to experience it.

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Day 10: Jinja

Those who want to try their hand and will at conquering the Mighty Nile, have their chance in Jinja. Those electing not to raft have an assortment of activites to choose from: Softpower community volunteering, quad-biking in the hills around Jinja, horse-riding, or just relaxing at Adrift’s campsite on a cliff overlooking the Nile.

Day 11: Nakuru

A long day of driving arrives us at our campsite adjacent to Nakuru, Kenya’s fourth largest town. The campsite is on the premises of EAMO (East African Mission Orphanage) where we get to interact with the children living there

Day 12: Lake Nakuru National Park

We spend the day game-driving through one of Kenya’s premiere game parks where we have the possible privilege of seeing both the black and white rhino, four of the Big Five, and Nakuru’s resident flamingo colonies. After our game drive we head to Crayfish Camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha.

Days 13: Lake Naivasha

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At Lake Naivasha a number of activities await. Hiking a crater lake, horse-riding through Hell’s Gate National Park, boating amongst the hippos of Naivasha, and having High Tea at Elsemere (the former home of Joy and George Adamson of Born Free repute) are some of the extraordinary activites one may do here.

Day 14: Nairobi

Arriving in Nairobi around 10:30am gives passengers the chance to experience the hustle and bustle of Nairobi’s biggest and busiest city, do some shopping, and prepare for the next ten days on the road. Some will depart here as others prepare for the continuing trip.

Day 15: Arusha

Arriving in Nairobi around 10:30am gives passengers the chance to experience the hustle and bustle of Nairobi’s biggest and busiest city, do some shopping, and prepare for the next ten days on the road. Some will depart here as others prepare for the continuing trip.

We depart the Comfort Hotel at 9:30 am. We cross the border into Tanzania and learn about the country’s colorful history and the Serengeti. We arrive at Meserani Snake Park in the early evening and set up camp. For those brave enough to do it, we have an informed tour of the park and its reptile denizens.

Day 16: Arusha and Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After a morning shopping for supplies in downtown Arusha and a visit to the Arusha Cultural Center, we head out in 4x4s to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. After a short game drive through the Montane forest on the Crater Rim, we reach the beautiful Simba campsite overlooking the Crater itself. We spend the night in the fenceless campsite listening for the sounds of grazing buffalo, zebra, and the Crater Rim’s many other denizens.

Day 17: Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti

We arise early and head down into the Crater. We spend up to six hours covering the Crater floor hoping to catch a glimpse of the Crater’s permanent citizens: Wildebeast, Lions, Huge tusker elephants, hippos, zebras, and the resident black rhinos that inhabit the Crater floor.

After lunch in the Crater, we drive the dirt roads west from the Crater highlands to the vast, endless plains of the Serengeti. We game drive for another several hours to our campsite by the Seronera River.

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Day 18: Serengeti to Arusha

We awaken early, have breakfast, and once again game drive for several hours until lunch time. We then head back to Arusha and Meserani Snake Park. Over dinner, we reminisce about our great Serengeti adventure.

Day 19: Arusha to Pangani

After stocking up on supplies in Arusha, we travel past the town the of Moshi which acts as the gateway to Kilimanjaro. Weather permitting we may catch a glimpse of the majestic mountain. We pass through the vast sisal plantations at the foot of the Usambara and Pare mountain ranges between which we find our campsite.

Day 20: Dar es Salaam

We drive to the bustling city of Dar and stop for supplies and snacks to prepare for our exciting trip to Zanzibar. We then continue on to our beautiful seaside campsite on the peninsula next to the city.

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Days 21-23: Nungwi

We take the ferry in the morning to Stonetown where we check into our hotel and sign up for a host a possible activities. We enjoy Stonetown’s treasures and then travel north on the island of Unguja to its northernmost point and the village of Nungwi. Just relaxing on the white sand beaches or doing more water activities like diving, snorkeling, fishing, or sailing are all possible on Nungwi’s palm-studded, white-sand beaches.

Day 24: Stonetown

Our trip finishes. Those who return to Dar will leave on the 12:00pm ferry to catch a flight from the mainland. Others may be catching their flights to Dar from Zanzibar itself.