african adventure safari, uganda gorilla trek, beach and safari with Acacia Africa

DAYS 1 - 8
Lake Nakuru, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Bunyonyi, Gorilla Trek
We depart Nairobi for Kenya’s Great Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru National Park. Best known for its birdlife, especially flamingos Nakuru also contains good stocks of rhino, leopard, buffalo, warthog, baboon, antelope and lion! We continue north through the highlands to Eldoret before we cross into Uganda to the capital Kampala. After a night here we drive west to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We game drive in search of Uganda’s natural wildlife, pause to appreciate the views of Lake Edward before tracking Chimpanzee sanctuary at Kyambura Gorge. Seen in their natural habitat chimpanzees live in structured social groups but quite different to the gentle gorillas we see later in the trip. After game driving through QENP we continue to rural south-west Uganda and our camp beside Lake Bunyonyi, It is in this densely forested area that we trek in search of the gorillas. Local guides lead us through jungle into the hills. The trek can be demanding but the effort is forgotten when we finally find ourselves in the midst of a family of gorillas. We have a one hour ‘audience’ with these gentle giants, and you may be surprised at how close you can get and how human-like they are. We may spend several days in the area to allow time for everyone to complete the trek.

Day 9 – 12
Kampala, Jinja
Returning to Kampala we have a night in the capital before continuing to Jinja. Situated near the source of the River Nile there is the opportunity to assist a local charity in building and improving community schools - roll up your sleeves and make a difference!

Day 13 - 14
Eldoret, Nairobi
From Jinja we cross back into Kenya stopping at Eldoret and driving along the Rift Valley to Nairobi where we break in preparation for the next leg of our journey.

DAYS 15 - 23
Masai Mara, Serengeti Plains, Arusha
From Nairobi we visit Kenya’s best-known game park, the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The park is renowned for its wildlife, including the Big Five, as well as its scenery. Continuing our big game park encounters we cross into Tanzania for a 3-day 4x4 excursion into the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Olduvai Gorge. Game viewing here is unrivalled and the wide Serengeti plains and deep Ngorongoro Crater promise an exciting backdrop to our safari. We spend time in Arusha, Tanzania’s ‘safari town’, nestling in the shadow of Mount Meru and visit a Snake Park and friendly Masai villages near to our camp.

DAYS 24 - 29
Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Southern Tanzania
Heading south we may glimpse snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro en route to the bustling port city of Dar es Salaam. From here we spend three days on the nearby island, Zanzibar. Soak up the Arabian atmosphere, relax on idyllic beaches and swim in crystal waters! Returning to the mainland we drive south west, via Mikumi National Park, towards Malawi.

NB Basic shared accommodation is included on Zanzibar however meals will be for your own account allowing you to experience some of the many different options available on Zanzibar. Please refer to the tour dossier (available below) for more information.


DAYS 30 - 39
Lake Malawi, Zambia, Victoria Falls, Livingstone
Malawi is a small friendly country dominated by the enormous Lake Malawi, with its high escarpments and picturesque lakeshore and beaches. One popular stop is Kande Beach, a lakeside resort where you can swim, snorkel, scuba dive and take a guided walk into a local village. Leaving Malawi, we drive through rural Zambia to Livingstone near Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is one of Africa most exciting and enduring sights. There are many optional activities to enjoy in the region and an opportunity to visit the ‘Falls’ themselves.

DAYS 40 - 46
Chobe National Park, Greater Kruger, Johannesburg
Crossing into Botswana we stop at Kasane and enter Chobe National Park. Here we take a relaxing afternoon river cruise, where we may see elephant and hippo as well as an abundance of birdlife. Heading south we skirt the Kalahari and enter South Africa, to make our way towards Kruger National Park. Enjoy game drives in the park and an exciting night drive in an adjoining private game reserve. Our final journey takes us through the Mpumalanga province to Johannesburg - South Africa’s largest and most vibrant city - where the tour ends.

Permit information

Each gorilla permit allows one trek. We stay in Bwindi or an alternative gorilla national park for the time necessary to allow everybody to trek once. The day to day itinerary may therefore vary if trekking goes over time. Optional activities can be arranged locally when not trekking.

Gorilla viewing

To ensure we obtain gorilla permits, we may trek outside Uganda in neighbouring countries such as Rwanda, where gorillas have also been habituated for viewing. Trekking here involves a minimal detour from the described route.

Gorilla trekking excursion

The Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) sets the gorilla permit price and stipulates that permits must be booked and paid for in advance. We therefore collect your gorilla permit money at the time of booking, along with your normal deposit. The Gorilla permit price is quoted in US dollars but is paid in your local currency at a rate fixed by Acacia. Whilst the price is correct at time of going to press (July 2010), Acacia reserves the right to pass on any increase in fee if the UWA raises the price. Finally please note, the gorilla permit fee is not refundable if you cancel your booking.