Kenya & Uganda Gorilla Overland: Forests & Wildlife Spotting

• Arrive at anytime.
• Prepare for tomorrow’s early morning by checking out the Hotel Boulevard Bar with your newest friends. Travelling can take a lot out of you so sit back, fill those food and drink needs, and spend a chill night becoming familiar with your group and CEO.

• Hit the road and journey through the Great Rift Valley today on the way to one of the most famous national parks in Africa and Kenya’s premier wildlife reserve.
• Stretch those legs and take in your surroundings before heading on a late afternoon wildlife safari drive with excellent chances of seeing the “big five”. This natural environment coupled with the park’s varied wildlife provides for a spectacular safari experience.

Grab those cameras and jump in the safari vehicle with your driver/guide to spot wildlife in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Listen to your guide describe the African bush as you traverse one of the world’s top safari destinations. Masai Mara is known for its abundance of big cats and wildebeest (see if you can capture a picture of one)!

• Awake to the sounds of the bush as your alarm clock before breaking down camp and jumping in the Lando. Today, the group is heading to Lake Nakuru, known for harbouring flocks of pink flamingos and a rich variety of bird species.
• Along the way you’ll stop for lunch at Café Ubuntu, a G Adventures-supported project that trains and employs local women and mothers of children with disabilities. You’ll get to explore the craft centre, meet some of the women who create what you see, and sit down for a delicious farm-to-table meal.
• The group will stop for the afternoon at the safari lodge inside Lake Nakuru National Park then you will be going on a late afternoon wildlife drive to try and spot the resident rhinos in the area.

Another day, another chance to see more wildlife and live your African safari dream. After your morning safari drive around Lake Nakuru keeping your eyes wide open in search of black and white rhino, buffalo, impala, and the elusive leopard the group will bump along in the Lando sharing photos of your day on the road to Eldoret.

It’s time to cross another country off of those travel lists as you cross the border from Kenya into Uganda. Drive along reminiscing on inside jokes and experiences from the trip before camping in Kampala (the country's capital) where you will arrive in the late afternoon.

• Even though you get to do something pretty awesome everyday you’re going to cross the equator today in the Lando (which we think is a pretty cool thing to be able to add to a travel resume) and head off to Lake Bunyonyi.
• The name Bunyonyi means ‘place of many little birds’ and it is undoubtedly the loveliest lake in Uganda. It’s winding shores encircle 29 islands and its surrounded by steep terraced hillsides that will have you wondering if you are somewhere in Asia. But the best part is that Lake Bunyonyi is a croc and hippo free lake (unlike many lakes in East Africa) so you can swim in its crystal-clear waters as much as you like… such bliss!

• Today’s the day that some of your dreams may just come true because you are going on a guided mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (so insanely cool!) So get ready to embark on an unforgettable hike deep into the jungle through volcano forests alongside a park ranger to search for mountain gorillas. The treks can vary in length and difficulty so be prepared for a challenge, but know that if you spot these majestic creatures (we share 98% of our DNA with them) it will all be worth it.
• Note: Ugandan authorities are fiercely protective of this natural treasure, and currently permit only a maximum of eight people, per day, to visit a given gorilla family. The group will be split into different sub-groups for the trek, and depending on the number of travellers, different sub-groups may do their trek on different days.

Let’s give Lake Bunyonyi some love today. Explore this magical place as the morning mist rises off of the gently lapping waters. With tons of optional activities to choose from like, swimming, hiking, canoeing, bird watching, or a motorboat tour of the lake there’s no time to be bored. Then relax together at the lodge in the evening talking about your group gorilla experiences.

• Sit back, relax, and watch the Ugandan countryside slip past on today’s journey to Kalinzu Forest Reserve further north in the country.
• The forest reserve is part of Queen Elizabeth National Park and is characterized by open savannah, large area of swamp around Lake George, and the extensive Maramagambo Forest in the southeast. There’s a lot of landscapes to experience so what are you waiting for? Get started!

• You know that saying, “the early bird gets the worm” well in this case the early bird gets to see chimpanzees. Get up early for an included chimpanzee tracking excursion and explore the verdant Kalinzu Forest Reserve with a ranger while being on the lookout for these chimpanzee families.
• Afterwards, the group will visit tea plantation before setting off to Lake Mburo. Once you arrive there you can choose to book an afternoon boat cruise on the lake, or explore the local area on foot.

• Head back across the equator today in the Lando; Uganda is one of the few countries in the world where you can cross this imaginary geographical line on land.
• Observe how water swirls in opposite directions on either side of the equator and then stop to enjoy a meal at the G Adventures-supported AidChild Equation Café & Gallery. With full stomachs and even more full hearts the group will continue on to Jinja, the adventure capital of Uganda.

Pre-book your rafting adrenaline rush on the checkout page to include the Jinja River Rafting optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

• Today is a bit of a travel day but you won’t mind because you could use the rest, (besides it’s the perfect time to post those Instagram photos that everyone at home is dying to see.)
• The group will be leaving Uganda and crossing over into Kenya for a night out in Eldoret. Hang out together as a group, maybe grab a drink somewhere and reminisce on the epic(ness) of your trip thus far.