25 Days the Grand East African Road trip
This 26 Days the Grand East African Safari takes to different national park destinations within Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. This East African safari trip starts from Uganda and ends in Tanzania with variety of activities such as Gorilla Trekking in Uganda, Game drives in all East African savannah parks, Cultural Experiences, Nature Walks, boat cruises and great migrations.
Day 1: Entebbe to Murchison Falls National Park
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park with Rhino tracking at Ziwa and lunch en-route. The drive northwards will take you via Luweero to Nakasongola and after tracking the rhinos you will continue to Murchison Falls National Park on of the oldest parks in Uganda. It is also bisected by the Victoria Nile which 45m over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the spectacular Murchison Falls. The river offers a great opportunity for a game drive and the regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes, while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents. Accommodation at Paraa Safari Lodge
Day 2: Game drive and boat cruise
Early morning game drive in the park searching for the animals, major species likely to be sited on the game drive includes elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, kobs, and on a lucky day even a lion can be sited. After lunch go for an afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of falls where you will disembark and take a hike to the top of falls, this is a rewarding adventure as the hike is relatives and takes you along the water fall through a forested hill with great views of the waterfalls. Accommodation at Paraa Safari Lodge
Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park to Kibale Forest National Park
This day starts with a morning breakfast and drive to Kibale, picnic stops en-route for lunch and stunning views of the scenery will spice up the drive, tea plantations are one of the friendliest to your sight en-route. Visit Bigodi swamp in the afternoon, this is a community project aimed at improving the livelihoods of the local people, a local guide will lead you on a developed 4.5 km trial through the swamp for approximately 3 hours where you can find several bird species including the great blue Turacos, Hornibils Kingfishers and also Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus, Red Tailed Monkey, Grey Cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, L’hoest Monkey, Vervet Monkeys can be spotted. Accommodation at Primate Lodge
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth N.P.
Kibale forest has over 1,450 individuals (Chimpanzees) protected within the park. At Kanyanchu, a community of chimpanzees has been habituated since 1991, allowing visitors an outstanding opportunity to Track these apes in their natural Habitat. Tracking starts at 7am with a briefing at Kanyanchu park headquarter where you will be allocated rangers to take you to the forest. An advance team already in the forest keep tracking the chimps and communicates with your ranger on the radio call. Tracking can last for 2 to 4 hours depending on how far the chimps could be feeding. Lunch at the lodge and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Accommodation at Elephant Plains Lodge
Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Morning game drives in the Kasenyi plains through the Savannah grasslands to Katwe Kob mating grounds. Most of the animals you are likely to find here include, herds of cape buffalo, impalas, kobs, sitatungas and lions when lucky enough. Return to the lodge for lunch and go for an afternoon launch cruise on the Kazinga channel will give you great views of several game including Hippos, Buffaloes, elephants and birdlife that queen Elizabeth National Park has to offer. Off the boat cruise and continue with a game drive in the park if time permits before returning to your lodge for an overnight at Elephant Plains Lodge
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi Gorilla Park
Morning game drives through Ishasha en-route to Bwindi Gorilla Park lunch en-route, arriving late in the afternoon and relax at the lodge contemplating on the Gorilla Trekking adventure the next morning. Accommodation at Four Gorillas Lodge
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking Adventure
Gorilla trekking starts at 8am after a briefing at the park headquarters, you will trek through the dense steep forest searching for the gorillas depending on where they were seen making nests the previous evening. The trekking can last 2-7 hours depending on how soon you find the gorillas, this is influenced by the location they stayed overnight. Trekking can be a tasking adventure, but coming to a facial close-up with these close relatives to human is a reward worthy to earn. Accommodation at Four Gorillas Lodge
Day 8: Bwindi Gorilla Park to Volcanoes National Park
After morning breakfast transfer to Lake Mutanda for a dugout canoe experience and transfer to Kyanika Border for emigrations before driving to Volcanoes National Park. This afternoon you may choose to relax at the lodge t to take a guided community walk. Accommodation at Ingagi Parkview Lodge
Day 9: Volcanoes National Park
Morning Golden Monkey tracking experience, visit to Iby’Iwacu Cultural village for a cultural experience, return to the lodge for a relaxation. Accommodation at Ingagi Parkview Lodge
Day 10: Volcanoes National Park – Kigali – Nairobi
Visit the twin lakes and take a boat ride experience enroute to Kigali. Upon arrival at Kigali , Lunch and a city tour with a visit to the genocide memorial. After which you will transfer to the airport in time to check in for your evening flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival at Nairobi, meet and greet with our representative and transfer to the hotel for an overnight at Serena Nairobi
Day 11: Nairobi – OlPejeta National Park
Depart Nairobi in the morning and drive through central Kenya to the lower slopes of Mt. Kenya to Sweet waters Game Sanctuary. Arrive at your accommodation in time for lunch. Have an afternoon game drive in this private sanctuary, with a visit to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only one of its kind in Kenya. You will also visit the Visitors Information Centre. Return to your hotel in time for dinner. Accommodation at Serena Sweet waters Camp
Day 12: OlPejeta National Park
Have an early game drive just before breakfast. This 90,000-acre private preserve has views of the peaks of Mount Kenya and offers game drives into the countryside many travelers never see. This game drive takes us to the protected and fenced refuge of black rhinos with its stunning forty specimens! In fact, Sweetwater boasts excellent game viewing with the highest ratio of game to the area of any park or reserve in Kenya. Moreover, the camp has its own private waterhole and salt lick so we’ll be guaranteed unprecedented close encounters. Whether it’s day or night game drives, camel trekking, lion tracking, al fresco dining, or relaxing by the pool, Sweetwaters is bound to be a delight. After dinner, we will have a night game drive. Accommodation at Serena Sweetwaters Camp
Day 13: OlPejeta National Park – Nakuru National Reserve
Depart Sweet after breakfast and drive to the floor of the Rift Valley—making a brief stop at Nyahururu Thomson Falls. It was named after Joseph Thompson, one of the first European explorers who walked from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in the 1880s. Proceed to Lake Nakuru National Park well in time for lunch followed by an afternoon game drive. Besides the flamingos that the lake is famous for, there are approximately 400 other species of birds visiting the lake. Also, many species of game can be found in the park including the introduced Rothschild’s giraffe, black and white rhino, waterbuck, reedbuck, lion, buffalo, leopard, baboon, and many species of plains game. Accommodation at Sarova Lion Hills
Day 14: Nakuru National Reserve – Masai Mara National Reserve
Depart Lake Nakuru after breakfast and drive further along the floor of the Rift Valley with scenic views of both Lake Elementaita and Lake Naivasha en route. The two lakes are on the Great Rift Valley and can be seen from afar on the main highway to Maasai Mara National Reserve. Arrive at Mara Sopa Lodge well in time for lunch. Have an afternoon game drive that introduces you to this vast game-filled reserve. Dinner and your overnight stay are at Mara Serena Safari Lodge.
Day 15-16: Masai Mara National Reserve
Spend the day in Masai Mara, Kenya’s most popular game sanctuary where you will have the best opportunity of spotting the Big Five—lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and elephant. Game drives are flexible, with the option of going out with picnic lunch boxes to spend the entire day in the park, or you do both early morning and late afternoon game drives. Get a Chance to visit a local Maasai village to see their nomadic lifestyle. The Maasai are famous for their bravery, as they have co-existed with the animals over the years. All meals and your overnight stay are at Mara Serena Safari Lodge. You will also get to enjoy Air balloon Safari and Champagne bush breakfast during your four days stay in Mara. Accommodation at Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Day 17: Masai Mara National Reserve – Nairobi
Have another early morning game drive in Masai Mara, then depart after breakfast. Drive back to Nairobi arriving at about 1:00 pm. Have some rest as your next adventure begins the following day. Accommodation at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Day 18: Nairobi – Amboseli
You will be met at the airport by our guide who will give you a briefing on the safari you are about to embark on. Drive to Amboseli and arrive at the lodge in time for check-in, then have a hot lunch and some time to relax as you enjoy the hotel’s amenities. At 4:00 pm you will depart for an afternoon game drive.
The Amboseli National Park captivates international attention with its free-roaming giant elephants along with lions, buffaloes, and leopards. The Observation Hill in Amboseli infuses a thrilling spirit of the holiday in visitors with its grand view of elephants, hippos, buffaloes, and marvelous Egyptian pelicans. The sumptuous snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park might just take your breath away for a moment. After the game drive, return to the lodge for dinner and your overnight stay at Serena Amboseli
Day 19: Amboseli Full day Experience
On this day, you can choose to go for a full-day game drive. Amboseli is known for its large elephant herds and views of the immense Mount Kilimanjaro, across the border in Tanzania. Because the vegetation here can get sparse during the dry months, the park offers wonderful opportunities for spotting animals. The birdlife is also abundant in Amboseli, especially around the swamp and marshlands of the park. You’ll find raptors and also water birds like pelican, crake, and kingfisher.
For even more wildlife viewing, we’ll take a ride up to Observation Hill. This vantage point will give us an overall vista of the entire park. Check out the swamps below where the elephants gather daily. You can also walk about the hill as it’s one of the few places in the park you can explore on foot.
You will have dinner and an overnight stay at Serena Amboseli
Day 20: Amboseli National Park – Lake Manyara
We will have an early breakfast departing the camp at 0730 Hrs. driving into the Amboseli National Reserve driving across the salty pan and towards the Kenya and Tanzania border. You will be assisted by your driver guide to cross the Kenya and Tanzania border and introduce you to your guide for the Tanzania section. We will then depart from the Namanga Border and drive towards Arusha town where you will have hot lunch and proceed towards Lake Manyara. You will arrive at your camp overlooking Lake Manyara arriving in the afternoon for rest and relaxation as the sun sets over lake Manyara. Accommodation at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Day 21: Lake Manyara – Serengeti National Park
After an early breakfast, you will depart from your camp and drive into the Lake Manyara National Park for your game drive. Lake Manyara National Park won’t let you down when it comes to wildlife spotting. There are over 500 bird species. Flamingos dot the lake surface, joined by a myriad of other water birds that are best spotted at the end of the dry season. The most astonishing encounter at Lake Manyara in the forest is the silvery-cheeked Hornbill and the palm nut vulture. All the large animals that roam the grassy flood plains are resident or migratory in or transiting the lake Manyara region. Although Lion, spotted Hyena serval, caracal, Leopard and Cheetah are more prolific in other parks, keeping an eye up will reap great sightings here. The narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favorite den for the Lake Manyara Tree Climbing Lions. The reason behind this peculiar behavior still remains a mystery to date. You will exit the Lake Manyara National Park at approximately 1130 Hours driving up the Rift valley escarpment and into the Karatu region for Lunch. After lunch, you will proceed towards the Ngorongoro Crater rim and further towards the Serengeti arriving at Serengeti in time for your evening game drive en route to your camp. Arrive at your camp in time for dinner and an overnight stay. Accommodation at Serengeti Serena Lodge
Day 22: Serengeti National Park
Be one of only a few fortunate people to glide in a Hot Air Balloon over the Serengeti Plains (available at supplementary cost by pre-arrangement). Floating silently above the awakening bush, while spotting wildlife and enjoying the amazing scenery of Africa, across rivers and over numerous small villages. We do an after-breakfast game viewing drive along the Segore River Circuit, which loops into the plains south of the Seronera River, and which is good for possible lion, Thomson gazelle, Topi, ostrich, and cheetah sightings. We will enjoy a relaxed picnic lunch at the Centre in the shade of the giant acacia trees. In the afternoon we will follow the Kopjes Circuit, which goes anti-clockwise around the Maasai Kopjes, which usually attract a number of lions and some formidably large cobras. Kopjes are weathered granite outcrops, scattered around the plains, most of which are miniature ecosystems, providing shade and drinking water in pools left in the rock after the rains. This makes the kopjes particularly good for spotting wildlife in the dry seasons – including lions, which like to lie in wait for animals coming to drink! Accommodation at Serengeti Serena Lodge
Day 23: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Crater
After an early breakfast, we will depart our camp and start a game drive en route as we head for the Ngorongoro Conservation area. We will descend 600m into this magnificent crater for a full-day game drive. We will enjoy a picnic lunch on the crater floor. We will later exit the crater and drive towards the Ngorongoro Highlands arriving at our lodge in the evening as the sun sets over the Horizon. Accommodation at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Day 24: Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world and is home to an estimated 30,000 animals including some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos. Supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. Another big draw card to this picturesque national park is its huge population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard. We shall spend yet another day of safari experience in the crater before returning to the Lodge for dinner and an overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Day 25: Ngorongoro Crater – Arusha
Have a morning game drive, afterwards, you will be taken back to the hotel for breakfast. Depending on the flight time, you will be transferred to Arusha Airport to catch your flight back home.