memories for a lifetime
The Very Best of Rwanda
Details about the safaris
What's included
Many travelers have described gorilla trekking as something near a spiritual experience. Kigali is only a 90 minute flight from Nairobi, and quality time with the great apes in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is a superb way to finish an African safari. Rwanda is also working to make Akagera National Park a premier destination — a home to giraffes, lions, leopards, elephants, antelopes and a variety of birds.
Our safaris are 100% customized, with private guides and vehicles. This means not having to share your guide and vehicle with strangers. We can tailor your trip so that you visit several reserves in multiple countries or, if you want to combine relaxation with wildlife viewing, we can arrange for you to spend your entire safari in one location. If you are particularly interested in a particular species, e. g. birds, elephants, or big cats, we’d be pleased to design a trip for you that focuses on that interest.
Transportation
After you arrive in-country our guides and representatives will assume full control of your travel. Your transfers are entirely our responsibility, and your safari will be conducted in a six passenger Land Cruiser, customized to open at the top for optimum game viewing.
Accommodations
Your camps, lodges and transit hotels will be arranged in advance with the cost incorporated into the price of your safari package.
Food & Beverages
All your meals are included in the package price unless otherwise indicated. Some, but not all, lodges charge separately for drinks and laundry. You will be advised in advance if your accommodation bills them separately. All the cuisine at our camps and lodges is first rate, and the bill of fare should accommodate any diet and suit any taste.
Sample Itinerary
From the high elevations of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the dusty plains of Amboseli to the rain forests of Rwanda, this itinerary has something for everyone.
Note: all of our safaris can be customized to conform to the preferences of the traveler.
Day 1
Arrive Kilimanjaro airport in Arusha, Tanzania. Overnight in or near the city
Day 2
Depart after breakfast for the transit to Ngorongoro Crater. Arrive at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater at your pre-selected lodge in time for lunch. Then descend into Ngorongoro Crater for half day of game viewing. The Crater is one of the world’s true geological marvels. It is a volcanic caldera, about 12 miles across, with steep walls and an open plain on its floor. The wildlife viewing there is incomparable. It is a Garden of Eden in microcosm, with elephants, lions, hippos and a variety of animals on the hoof.
Day 3
A full day of game viewing in Ngorongoro Crater. We recommend an early departure with boxed breakfasts and a picnic lunch. The animals are most active before the sun clears the precipitous walls, and the Lerai Forest, the one wooded area on the Crater floor, makes an excellent stopping point for a cup of tea and some morning food. Your lunch will be taken at the hippo pool, with a limited area to walk around and the ability to access one of the Park’s few washrooms. Ngorongoro Crater is a “must see” for any visitor to northern Tanzania. Note: Ngorongoro Crater offers one of the few opportunities to see a black rhino in all of Tanzania.
Day 4
Sleep a bit later on this day and depart the Crater en route to Tarangire National Park, arriving in time for lunch. This less frequented reserve has much to offer. Its rolling hills and ancient baobab trees form a landscape that is unique in this part of Tanzania. Tarangire is home to large herds of elephants, several lion prides, leopards, cheetahs, baboons and some of the most interesting bird life in Africa. Enjoy nearly a full day of game viewing.
Day 5
A full day of game viewing at Tarangire National Park.
Day 6
Leave Tarangire after breakfast for Arusha town. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before departing for the 90 minute drive to the Kenya border, crossing at Namanga. Enter Amboseli National Park an hour later and game drive in to your camp or lodge.
Day 7
A full day of game viewing at Amboseli National Park. Amboseli is a uniquely beautiful reserve. Its skyline to the east and south is dominated by Kilimanjaro, and the runoff from the mountains finds its way through the fissures in the rock and ultimately concentrates on the plain, forming a marshy area in what might otherwise be a desert. This marsh and its vegetation are visited daily by the elephants on a fairly regular schedule. It is certainly one of the very best locations in all of Africa for elephant viewing.
Day 8
Another full day at Amboseli.
Day 9
Depart for the airstrip after breakfast to catch your flight to the Masai Mara via Nairobi. The Mara is one of Africa’s most spectacular safari destinations. The gorgeous rolling hills and open grasslands are punctuated by the Talek and Mara Rivers in addition to a number of unnamed streams. The Mara offers the best opportunity to see the big five – leopard, lion, Cape buffalo, elephant and rhino – within the confines of a single reserve. Its standing as Kenya’s most popular safari destination is well deserved.
Day 10
A full day of game viewing in the Mara.
Day 11
Another full day of game viewing in the Mara.
Day 12
Depart for the airstrip after breakfast for en route Nairobi to catch your outbound flight to Kigali, Rwanda. Arrive Kigali in the late afternoon or evening and overnight in the city.
Day 13
Depart early for Musanze, spending the afternoon and evening at leisure. Overnight in the city.
Day 14
Rise early for breakfast and depart for the trailhead at Volcanoes National Park. After your indoctrination briefing, don your trekking gear and head into the forest to visit one of the reserve’s gorilla families. Spend one full hour with the gorillas before beginning your outbound trek. Enjoy a late lunch in Musanze and then begin the drive to Kigali to catch your homeward flight.
End of services.
Map details
Destination
An hour with the gorillas is like sitting quietly with a close and loving family. You will see firsthand the deep bonds of affection that bind these gentle animals as a unit, and you will be privileged to observe the behaviors and expressions that so closely mirror our own. A visit to Rwanda – Land of a Thousand Hills – is a memorable way to cap an East African safari.
Finish your East African safari with two days of gorilla trekking at Volcanoes National Park.
Stroll through the mountain villages near Musanze and visit with the locals.
Extend your trip to the revitalized Akagera National Park and see Rwanda’s mini-Serengeti.
Tour Kigali’s restaurants and museums and learn about the challenges the Rwandan people have overcome to make their country one of Africa’s cleanest and most beautiful.
Our Recommendation
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