East African Experience – 2 nights Loisaba | 2 nights Amboseli | 3 nights Masai Mara | 1 night Kigali | 2 nights Volcanoes National Park | 6 nights Ethiopia
Overview
Tanut was referred to me by clients who had previously travelled with us at Pembury Tours. Their priorities were to see East Africa, focussing on Kenyan wildlife and a Gorilla Trekking adventure in Rwanda. After a few emails back and forth, we decided to add on Ethiopia to their tour which allowed them to experience various cultural tribes and historical sites the highlight of which was the Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela. They had a wonderful time on safari and were thrilled that they saw the whole big five which was important to them to see. They were very moved by the Gorilla encounter as everyone who does this is and Ethiopia provided them with many interesting cultural experiences. This group enjoyed their trip to East Africa and I look forward to hearing from them again.
Trip Highlights
- Loisaba Conservancy
- Big Five Game Viewing
- Mountain Gorilla Trek
- Cultural Village Visits
- Masai Mara National Park
- Abundant Birdlife
- Comprehensive Ethiopia Tour
- Historical Landmark Tours
Itinerary
On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport, you will be met in the arrivals hall by our representative, who will lead you to clear customs and immigration formalities and proceed to the arrivals lounge. You will be assisted to your transfer vehicles and from here, you will be transferred to Wilson Airport to catch your scheduled flight to Laikipia. Upon arrival at Loisaba Airstrip, you are met by your driver and transferred to your lodge for your two night stay.
You arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon engage in various game activities offered by the camp. Loisaba is made for adventure; guests enjoy complete freedom to choose how they spend their time so the only barrier is your own imagination. Trek through the bush with camels, mountain bike down the escarpment, raft, horseback-ride or drive through the wild canyons of the two great rivers that span the vast property.
Flight Time: Wilson Airport to Loisaba – 1 hour
Loisaba is not just a holiday destination of peerless beauty and infinite variety. It’s a practical project in sustainable land-use. The property is untamed bush but also a working cattle farm; it conducts important wildlife research and – crucially – works closely with the community who have defended this land for generations. Guests see Africa as it was before fences were invented. Here there are no game park rules, no caged animals and none of the constraints of western life. Like the wildlife we nurture, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Bush buck, cattle and buffalo share the same water-holes in a symbiotic relationship whereby the dividends from ranching and tourism pay for the protection of the wider environment and its often endangered inhabitants. A full day of activities, including horse riding, camel rides, walking safaris, mountain biking, river rafting and night game drives.
This is the grassland area, which forms the bridge between Kenya lush south and parched north. As you drive to your lodge watch out for herds of impalas, Grant gazelles, and African buffalo as you enter Laikipia Area.
After breakfast at your camp, you will be transferred to Loisaba Airstrip to catch your scheduled flight back to Nairobi. On arrival at Wilson Airport, you will be transferred to a restaurant for lunch (not included) before you are transferred back to the airport to catch your afternoon flight to Amboseli National Park.
On arrival at Amboseli Airstrip, you will be met by your camp driver guide who will transfer you to your camp with a game drive en route. This park is situated at the foothills of the Majestic Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa. You will be able to view wildlife against the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Flight Time: Loisaba Airstrip to Wilson Airport – 1 hour 25 minutes
Flight Time: Wilson Airport to Amboseli Airstrip: 1 hour 20 minutes
Morning and afternoon shared game activities which also includes a game drive to view wildlife against the backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro. The park offers a wide variety of wildlife but the principal attraction is its vast herds of elephant within the park. The bull elephants here have some of the largest tusks in Kenya. Other game includes: zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, leopard, caracal and serval cat. The park boasts a rich bird life such as ibis, egret, avocet, common and saddle-billed stork, secretary bird, heron, vultures, ducks, and geese.
After breakfast at your camp, you will be transferred back to Amboseli Airstrip where you will catch your scheduled flight to Masai Mara National Park. On arrival at Keekorok Airstrip, you will be met by your lodge driver guide who will transfer you to your lodge. You are now in Maasai country, where sedentary crop farming gives way to nomadic cattle herding. Red-clad, spear-wielding Maasai warriors tend their multi-coloured herds among the wild animals of the Loita Plains, admirably unimpressed by the presence of large predators. Masai Mara Game Reserve is expansive and perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitors may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. After checking in at your camp, you will depart for a shared afternoon game drive.
Flight Time: Amboseli Airstrip to Keekorok Airstrip – 1 hour 15 minutes
The Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya covers an area of 1 510 square km. This vast protected landscape is one of the top wildlife destinations in Africa, and is Kenya’s flagship conservation area. It has fenceless borders with a number of private conservancies, as well as with Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, forming the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The lack of fences allows one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth to make place unfettered – the great migration.
The Masai Mara was named for the Maasai people who inhabit the area, and for the Mara River, which flows through this great reserve. In addition to the abundant wildlife in the reserve, no Masai Mara safari would be complete without a cultural experience with the Maasai people.
Game viewing in the Masai Mara is excellent all year around thanks to the diverse population of resident game, including the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – plus popular species like zebra, giraffe, hyena, eland and gazelle. The Mara’s big cats are even the stars of a popular wildlife TV series.
From July to November, the wildebeest migration, reaches the Mara – the sheer number of wildebeest arriving in the area is staggering. The migration is a dramatic mass movement of almost 2-million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle in a seasonal annual cycle driven by rainfall. To reach the Mara’s fresh grazing, wildebeest make dramatic river crossings, facing enormous crocodiles to feast on the Mara plains and regain their strength. November’s short summer rains trigger the last leg of the migration, when the wildebeest move south to their Serengeti calving grounds. The calving season also happens in the Mara between December and January. Known as the green season, it’s a time when surface water is plentiful and wildebeest, zebra and antelope give birth to their calves, foals and fawns. With so much easy prey around, it is also a good time for predators to raise their cubs and pups, making for wonderful photographic opportunities.
Today you are transferred to the Airstrip from your lodge. Here you check in for your flight from Masai Mara to Wilson Airport. Upon arrival at Wilson Airport, you are met by your driver and transferred to Jomo Kenyatta Airport for your flight to Kigali. Upon arrival at Kigali Airport and disembarking from the aircraft you will be met our representative, who will assist to clear customs and immigration formalities and proceed to the arrivals lounge. Thereafter, you will be transferred to your hotel, where you spend the night. The evening is at leisure.
Flight Time: Keekorok Airstrip to Wilson Airport: 40 minutes
Flight Time: Wilson Airport to Kigali: 25 minutes
After breakfast at your hotel, your driver will meet you and from here you depart for the Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcans). You are transferred to your hotel in Ruhengeri, which is main base town for the Gorilla Trekking. The drive is through beautiful rolling hills, awesome landscape, bypassing coffee, tea and banana plantations on a comfortable paved road.
Your journey takes you through the beautiful terraced hills that characterise much of Rwanda’s landscape and then climbing gradually to the base of the spectacular volcanoes of the Virunga range. The evening is at leisure.
“The land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is a green undulating landscape of hills, gardens and tea plantations. It offers tourists a one-of-a-kind journey – home to one third of the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas, one third of Africa’s bird species, several species of primates, volcanoes, game reserves, resorts and islands on the expansive Lake Kivu, graceful dancers, artistic crafts and friendly people.
The magnificent Virunga Mountains are situated in the Northern Province of Rwanda on the border of the DRC and Uganda. These mountains consist of six volcanoes, 125 square kilometres of mountain forest, and are home to the famous gorillas.
The Volcanoes National Park was first gazetted in 1925 as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Bisoke and Mikeno Volcanoes, intended to protect the gorilla from poaching. It was the very first National Park to be created in Africa. There are many activities to be enjoyed in this area apart from Gorilla Trekking in the Volcanoes National Park. This area is home to numerous caves, a number of cultural and community tourism initiatives, as well as being an excellent location for bird watching.
The Mountain Gorillas survived thanks to Dian Fossey, a researcher who was buried at her research centre alongside these Mountain Gorillas to which she dedicated her life. The trail leading to her tomb and Karisoke Research Centre is a beautiful yet challenging 1 hour 45 minute hike up steep slopes where orchids, birdlife and even occasional Mountain Gorillas can be seen.
Today you will set off early after breakfast for the park headquarters where you will register for the gorilla trekking. Once you`ve been assigned a group and have had a briefing from your guide you will be driven to the trailhead where you will start the walk.
Your trek will take anywhere from an hour to five hours to reach the gorillas – depending on which group you`ve been assigned. The terrain changes from farmland to bamboo forests, into stinging nettles and rainforest before you will find the gorillas. Trackers leave before the tourist groups to locate the gorilla groups so your guide should know where to take you, and once you`ve found the group you will have one hour with them.
The bamboo forest will drip around you as you first hear the breaking of bamboo signaling the group is near and then you will be face to face with one of the most delightful and fascinating creatures in the world. After an hour’s viewing you will make the trek back to the reception.
After your Gorilla Tracking Tour, you will meet your guide and from here, you are transferred back to your hotel, and the evening is at leisure.
After breakfast at your lodge, your driver will meet you in reception and from here you depart for Kigali, which takes around 3½ hours. You have a few stops en route to admire the views and the landscapes of this scenic route. You will be dropped off at Kigali Airport to catch your onward flight. You are met at the airport by our representative and from here transferred to your hotel in Addis Ababa, where you spend the night.
Flight Time: Kigali to Addis Ababa via Burundi – Approx 5 hours
In the morning after breakfast, your guide will meet you in reception and transfer you to the airport. You depart and fly north to Lalibela. On arrival, your guide will meet you in arrivals halls and from here you depart for your tour.
You visit the first group of the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibela which are carved out of living volcanic tuff with super architectural skill that the world has never seen, yet elsewhere. UNESCO registers these churches as world heritage. Among churches of this group Bete Medahine Alem (house of the Redeemer) is the largest with 5 aisles, 72 pillars, vaulted dome and molding decoration. Bete Mariam (house of St. Marry) is the most decorated among the rock-hewn churches.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Your driver will meet you and from here transfer you to the airport. Your flight departs to Arba Minch. You arrive and will be met by your driver and from here transferred to the hotel, where you enjoy lunch. The afternoon includes a visit to the Dorze people en route. Among their very interesting cultures are their houses built from bamboo way of life and cultivation of the false banana (from which they extract their local bread, called Kotcho).
Flight Time: Lalibela to Arba Minch via Addis Ababa – approx 2 hours 5 minutes
After breakfast this morning, your guide will meet you and from here you are taken on a boat trip excursion on Lake Chamo to see some crocodiles, Hippos and a lot of water birds. From here you depart and drive to Turmi, and on the way a visit the Konso tribe village. Konso tribe is known for their unique social life structure and practicing the agriculture terracing. You will also visit Key Afer market.
This morning after breakfast, you have an excursion to Omorate, where you visit the Dasenach tribes across the Omo river by wooden local boat. You return to Turmi in the afternoon and visit the nearby Hammer tribe village, and there is also the possibility to see special occasion ceremonies like a wedding and ritual.
This morning you depart after breakfast and drive to Jinka via Demaka village. In the morning, you have an excursion to Karo village and then back to Demaka and visit colourful market of Hammer tribe at Demaka village. You arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon.
In the morning, you have an excursion to Mursi tribes village .Mursi tribes is the most famous tradition includes the lip plate worn by the women. The origin of this tradition is not known but the Mursi themselves consider it as something that makes them distinguish from the surrounding tribes. You then drive back to Jinka and transfer to the airport for your flight. On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport, you have a few hours at the airport before your flight home.
Flight Time: Jinka to Addis Ababa – approx 1 hour 10 minutes
Flight Time: Addis Ababa to Nairobi – approx 2 hours 10 minutes
Loisaba Conservancy: Loisaba Tented Camp
Perched on the edge of an escarpment, Loisaba Tented Camp is designed to capitalize on unhindered views across Laikipia’s mottled landscape all the way to Mt Kenya. All accommodations and main areas enjoy a breathtaking vantage point over an expansive panorama.
African-themed sophistication and style is the flavour of Loisaba Tented Camp. Spacious and airy tents are custom-built with large floor-to-ceiling doors and windows, high ceilings and polished wood floors. The tent suites are adorned in chic Africana furniture with a modern European twist.
The inviting main areas of Loisaba Tented Camp include a large open dining area, separate open lounge and bar, a large wooden decking area for outside dining, relaxing and enjoying the view, and one of Africa’s most picturesque infinity pools.
Spacious and airy tents are custom-designed with large floor-to-ceiling doors and windows, polished wood floors, stylish modern furnishings and wide verandahs. The bathrooms are luxurious with flush toilets, double-basin vanity and solar-heated hot water cascading from a rainfall shower to deliver a revitalizing cleanse after an action-packed day. Each tent enjoys an expansive view over the Laikipia plains.
Amboseli National Park: Kilima Safari Camp
Kilima Camp is located in Kenya on the western border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Kilima Camp has been built on a private concession bordering the current boundary, the official perimeter of the Mara Triangle Wilderness Area (one of the tree contiguous administrative areas forming what is known as the Masai Mara National Reserve also called the Masai Mara).
Kilima offers 72 tents, all set towards Mount Kilimanjaro. The tents and lodges at Kilima Safari Camp include a four-poster bed with a mosquito net. All rooms have a seating area and a private bathroom. Some include a claw-foot tub.
The spacious central main building is Kilima Camp’s meeting place where guests gather to eat, drink, talk, play games, read, or just enjoy the view before or after a safari in the Maasai Mara (game drive). Our two new restaurants are divided by a very nice new built bar lounge with fantastic views of the Mara River and Mara plain. One of the new restaurants has a new inbuilt fire place where one can relax with a drink after dinner. Both restaurants will cater for buffets. Before and after dinner, relax by the camp fire, or at our very special bush bar, or around one of the sundowners and listen to the magical sounds of the African bush.
Masai Mara National Park: Entumoto Safari Camp
Entumoto is a private tented safari camp elevated in the hills of the Rift Valley, commanding breath-taking views and sunsets over the Mara plains. The camp has a private conservancy to give you a more intimate and exclusive safari experience as well as direct access into the Masai Mara reserve. With no fences between the park and the conservancy all the animals you get in the Mara have free reign to come in and out of the conservancy – which is especially exciting during the Great Migration. Entumoto means meeting point in the local language Maa, which fits well as the camp is situated where the plains meet the hills and where two valleys come together.
Entumoto Main has four family and three double en-suite tents. The family tents include two double or twin rooms, two bathrooms and a central lounge with a fireplace – comfortably furnished with a table and two divans (which can double as beds). Each tent has its own veranda where you can enjoy an early morning coffee, relaxing afternoon on the sofas or a sundowner in the evening… and remember you are in the African bush so keep your eyes peeled for wildlife in the camp. All tents have electricity, hot showers, double sinks, dressing gowns, hot water bottles and breath-taking views over the conservancy.
The main guest area consists of a sitting area, dining area, bar, fire, library, games cupboard and veranda with views of the endless game-filled countryside. Beautifully handcrafted artefacts, bespoke antiques, lavish sofas, books and candlelight will transport guests back to the heyday of the romantic classic safari. We serve all meals in the dining area and pre dinner drinks and snacks in the lounge.
Kigali: Onomo Hotel
ONOMO Hotel Kigali is located in the Nyarugenge district, situated a few minutes from the city center and a short 9kms drive to the international airport.
The hotel features 109 modern and comfortable rooms, including 10 suites with separate lounge areas and kitchenettes as well as attractive views of the Kiyovu valley. There are 2 accessible rooms as well as twin bedded and family rooms. All rooms offer a comfortable work space, complimentary broadband wi-fi access, electronic lap top sized safes, separate shower and toilet, flat screen TV and a wide choice of DSTV and Canal+ channels to choose from.
Staying in shape and exercise are important to us all and ONOMO Hotel has a fitness room with a variety of equipment for use as well as an outdoor swimming pool, or simply relax by the pool or on the terrace area and enjoy an afternoon tea.
The Hotel has an open reception, meeting and food and beverage area where design and concept combine to offer the ONOMO urban village, a place to relax, meet and enjoy a cocktail as well as a choice form our ‘ONOMOtaste’ menus offering pan African ingredients prepared in a modern and tempting style.
Ruhengeri: Ingagi Park View Lodge
Ingagi Park View Lodge is a privately owned facility located on a panoramic angle of the five peaks of the Virunga Volcanoes in northern Rwanda; the home to the Mountain Gorillas. This unique style of Eco lodge is placed on a strategic landscape in the foothills of the Mount Bisoke and Karisimbi, one of the volcanic mountains that make up the Virunga Massif. The lodge is about five minutes to the park ranger station and on about 10 minutes’ drive to the main entrance of the Volcanoes National Park where gorilla trekking starts. It is placed in an area of around three hectares and due to its privacy, it has only eight spacious chalets in a form of your own natural house.
Addis Ababa: Jupiter International Hotel Bole
Jupiter International Hotel Bole is a 4-star hotel located in Addis Ababa, 2 km away from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, 4.4 km from the UNECA Conference Centre, 5 km from the National Palace and 5 km from the Addis Ababa Stadium. A number of embassies can be found within the surrounding area.
The 40 guest rooms at Jupiter International Hotels Bole are among the capitals largest, designed to ensure your utmost comfort, safety and convenience. The modern rooms are decorated in natural colours and offer a view of the city. Each room comes fitted with a flat-screen satellite TV, desk, minibar and a safe box. The suite bathrooms offer a bath or shower, with free toiletries.
Free WiFi is offered and free private parking is available on site. Guest service agents are stationed at the airport 24 hours a day and a free shuttle service is provided to and from the airport. The hotel features a restaurant, bar and 24-hour front desk.
The restaurant features a variety of delicious dishes and guests can enjoy a cocktail at the bar and lounge.
Lalibela: Mountain View Hotel
A cliff-hugging, architectural complex at an altitude of 2680 meters offering panoramic and spectacular all round mountain views is an ultimate source of admiration to nature. Mountain View Hotel is a perfect choice of stay for all your Lalibela trips. The art portrayed on the architecture of the hotel is comparable to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.
The spacious rooms offer an extensive balcony to enhance viewing the magnificent mountain tops touching the horizons. Quite magical at sunset. All Rooms sizeable beds, bathroom with shower, some with bathtubs, reading / dressing tables, wardrobes, safe locks, and more. Facilities offered at mountain view Hotel include; Wi-Fi, Complementary Breakfast, Restaurant and bar, events catering, guided tours, sunset view terrace and more. The suites are furnished with a comfortable king size laid with white linen offer with framed artwork on the walls.
Rocky pillars with glass form The Mountain View Hotel Restaurant with authentic character. The restaurant serves both traditional Ethiopian cuisines and international dishes presented by friendly staff. The bar is stocked with drinks, local beers and wines that you can enjoy while you stay. The terrace is an extension to restaurant where you can enjoy a breakfast, a snack during the day or dinner as you catch the sunset.
Arba Minch: Haile Resort
Arba Minch is the home to Ethiopia’s two largest Rift Valley lakes, beautiful landscape (God’s Bridge), 40 springs Nechisar National Park, crocodile ranches, crocodile market and the highland of Dorze village on its doorstep. The city is also the gateway to the Omo Valley and Konso on the Southern circuit.
Arba Minch is a 107 room four star resort located at a grand view overlooking the twin lakes of Abaya and Chamo along the beautiful evergreen vegetation and chain of mountains that form the most beautiful pattern. Arba Minch is an all-inclusive concept that provides five star services to its guests.
Our new resort features food and beverage outlets on view points, complete health club and wellness centre, conference and wedding venue, outdoor activities with kids play ground and several other facilities.
Turmi: Paradise Buska Lodge
Situated in the heart of Southern Ethiopia in the Omo Valley, Buska Lodge is an unpretentious eco-lodge offering travelers the best accommodation and meal service in this region. Buska Lodge overlooks the plains of Buska Mountain and has been constructed to blend beautifully in to the natural surroundings. Buska Lodge offers the rare opportunity to learn about and experience the culture and traditions of the local Hammer community offering a rare glimpse into the cultures of the Omo Valley.
The Hammer are famous for their Evangadi dance and “Bull jumping” ceremony where a young man who wants to marry jumps over a line of bulls in order to show that he is worth to the pride’s family. The Hammer share traditions and rituals with surrounding people like the Tsemai, Ari, Karo, and Bena.
This well designed lodge is ideally located offering comfortable and relaxed visits to the main Omo valley tribes namely, Hammer, Karo, Dassenech, Bume, and Benna. Covering a total of 30,000 sq. meters area, Buska Lodge’s compound is a fascinating green area with about 120 species of plants.
In addition to the 25 standard bed rooms, the lodge also has 10 roofed camping islands for those who prefer camping. We provide camping gear including spacious water proof tents, sleeping mattresses, cooking huts, and more. Two restaurants that serve European and Ethiopian cuisine. Meals are served based on standard menu. In case of 20 or more clients, the lodge serves buffet. Among other things, the lodge is highly reputed for its variety of delicious meal service. One of the two restaurants is accommodated with bar and Ethiopian coffee ceremony service. The bar offers different liquors.
Jinka: Eco Omo Lodge
Eco-Omo Safari Lodge is a unique lodge located in Jinka, in the heart of the Omo Valley, just outside the town and bordering the Neri River on the way to Mago National Park. The lodge is based on 4 hct of green area and has a coffee plantation, vegetable and herb garden and fruit trees like banana, mango, papaya, oranges, lemon etc which all make part of our restaurant menu. The lodge is eco-friendly, based on low impact concept, constructed using as much as possible natural materials and at the same time creating a good harmony with nature.
The rooms are high quality tents placed on wooden platforms, which in turn are covered with a second roof made of grass. The lodge has 20 Safari tent rooms with en-suit bathroom, with either twin or double beds. All beds have large mosquito nets. The bathrooms have hot and cold water. There are also eight other rooms with common showers. There is 24hrs electricity from town and a 33KVA backup generator. Rooms have electric dividers and power is 220V. The lodge has a campsite for the more adventurer traveller with common bathroom and shower facility.
The Omo valley has been preserved till now thanks to its geographical position. Here are found 18 diverse tribes untouched by modern civilization. The nature, often endemic to this part of Ethiopia, offers magnificent attraction for bird watching and trekking activities.
Loisaba Conservancy: Daily Safari Activities at Loisaba Tented Camp
Loisaba is a 57,000 acre wildlife conservancy and working ranch located in Northern Laikipia, Kenya, East Africa. The two permanent rivers and abundant permanent springs make Loisaba attractive to wildlife throughout the year. As a haven for over 260 bird and 50 mammal species, guests can spend time with towers of endangered reticulated giraffes, herds of elephants and endangered Grevy’s zebra, prides of lions, cheetahs and elusive leopards. African wild dogs, thought for many years to be extinct in the region, are once again being sighted at Loisaba. If you are interested in learning about or meeting with our research partners, please do let us know. Safari activities on offer include:
Game Drives:
One of the best ways to view the wildlife at Loisaba is from a safari converted Land Rover on a game drive. Whether you choose to go out early in the morning or later on in the afternoon, a KPSGA (Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association) qualified guide will take you across the open plains, through the central scrub area or along the river.
Horse Riding:
Experience the unique exhilaration of riding on the plains with a herd of zebra,walking gently through a graceful forest of giraffe or past a herd of elephant. On horseback it is possible to get unusually close to wildlife and our stable of horses have all been reared from birth in the bush so are quite accustomed to its presence. We do, however, require a reasonable degree of riding skill.
Walking:
A great way to view the stunning diversity of Loisaba is on foot. You will be accompanied by traditional Samburu guides whose knowledge of local flora, fauna, cultural and history is unmatched.
For a unique cultural experience, spend an afternoon down at the traditional Masai village – a great experience see how the Masai live, watch them dance and view some of their beadwork.
Loisaba Conservancy’s Anti Poaching Unit:
Loisaba Conservancy has its own dedicated anti-poaching team, comprising of four sniffer dogs – Warrior, Machine, Memusi and Nanyokie – and their human handler team. Visit the team and learn about their day to day training and activities, and also view an anti-poaching demonstration in action.
INCLUDED IN PRICE Amboseli National Park: Daily Safari Programme at Kilima Safari Camp
Game viewing at Kilima can be enjoyed by car, on foot or horse back and is superb all year round. On board of one of the specially designed and equipped open sided 4×4 safari vehicles, you will explore the wilderness of the Masai Mara and its African wildlife.
Oloololo Gate, the entrance to the Masai Mara National Reserve and the Mara Triangle is at the foot of the Siria (also called Oloololo escarpment) and is just a fifteen to twenty minute drive away from the camp. Kilima Camp is the perfect base from which to start your safari game drive and explore the Masai Mara plains and its abundant wildlife. The Mara Triangle is the most preserved and unspoiled part of the Masai Mara with very few camps and lodges, resulting in the lowest density of visitors and cars in the greater Masai Mara.
What makes the great reputation of the Masai Mara National Reserve is undoubtedly the great migration. This natural phenomenon is one of the most spectacular that nature has to offer us in the world. Although the great migration is one of the most popular attractions of the reserve, the Masai Mara is undoubtedly one of the best African destinations for wildlife viewing regardless of the season. Furthermore over 300 African bird species have been recorded in the reserve making it an ideal destination for birding enthusiasts.
INCLUDED IN PRICE Masai Mara: Daily Safari Programme at Entumoto Safari Camp
“Safari” meaning journey or adventure is exactly what you can expect at Entumoto. Sharing the experience of being so close to the wilderness and its abundance of wildlife is what it is all about for us. We’ll give you a real understanding of the Masai culture and offer you an experience you will never forget.
The vast Masai Mara is home to some of the most abundant wildlife populations in the world. Sightings of the “big 5” on game drives are almost guaranteed, while from camp the horizons are always busy with plains game. There are several prides of lion in the area, and it is even possible to see the more elusive leopard, who have established their territories around the camp. The Maasai driver-guides are professional with excellent local knowledge, which they always enjoy sharing with our guests.
Your day will be planned by your driver-guide, who is in the best position to know where the animals are that day, including where the last crossings were made, whether there are new resident lions in the area or nomad lions passing through. Working in the area they love and know so intimately, they are the experts. Our location is central and our position offers some of the Mara’s best game-viewing, right from your own tent.
INCLUDED IN PRICE Ruhengeri: Mountain Gorilla Trek
The Mountain Gorilla is an endangered species with an estimated number in 2010 of 790. Thanks to the work of zoologist Dian Fossey and the success of the movie “Gorillas in the Mist”, their plight has caught the imagination of the world. On a gorilla trekking safari, it is possible to enter their habitat with a skilled gorilla guide and spend a short time in the company of a gorilla family. Sitting within a small family group of some of the closest relatives to humans is one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences and a gorilla safari is a ‘must’ for serious wildlife enthusiasts.
An hour spent with a Mountain Gorilla family is a very tranquil, relaxing and therapeutic experience, allowing us to realise how simple life really can be, and just how complicated we humans have made our own lives. Contrary to the “King Kong” myth of an aggressive, savage beast, gorillas are social animals that are rather shy, peaceful vegetarians with a strong family structure.
Gorilla Trekking is carefully monitored and only a certain number of permits are issued every day, which means advance booking is necessary. One permit gets you one hour with the Gorillas. Your gorilla guide will give you a briefing before the trekking commences. Tracking the gorillas through the forest requires patience and stamina, sometimes walking uphill for a few hours in the mud and wet, but the effort is well rewarded when you come across these gentle creatures in their natural habitat.
INCLUDED IN PRICE Ethiopia – Lalibela: Visit The Rock Hewn Churches
The small town of Lalibela in Ethiopia is home to one of the world’s most astounding sacred sites: eleven rock-hewn churches, each carved entirely out of a single block of granite with its roof at ground level.
Of Lalibela’s 8-10,000 people, over 1,000 are priests. Religious ritual is central to the life of the town, with regular processions, extensive fasts, crowds of singing and dancing priests. This, combined with its extraordinary religious architecture and simplicity of life, gives the city of Lalibela a distinctively timeless, almost biblical atmosphere.
The roofs of the Lalibela churches are level with the ground and are reached by stairs descending into narrow trenches. The churches are connected by tunnels and walkways and stretch across sheer drops. The interior pillars of the churches have been worn smooth by the hands of supplicating worshippers. The rock-cut churches are simply but beautifully carved with such features as fragile-looking windows, moldings of various shapes and sizes, different forms of crosses.
INCLUDED IN PRICE Ethiopia – Arba Minch: Visit to Dorze Village
The Dorze are very industrious and are well educated, comparatively speaking. The literacy rate is estimated to be 45%. They are “cousins” of the Gamo tribe, but consider themselves superior to the Gamo. The Dorze are largely Orthodox Christians, while the Gamo are largely Protestant Christians.
The Omotic Dorze people are famous for their beehive shaped huts which are constructed with vertical hardwood poles and woven bamboo. According to the Dorze this towering re-locatable structure can go as high as 12 meters and last from 60-80 years. Traditionally the bamboos that are used as frames for the huts are cut during moonlight. For insulating the roof of the hut is thatched with banana leaves, grass and the outer layer of bamboo stems are used. Over time termites will destroy the base of the hut. After some time when the bottom is rotten and full of termites the whole structure will be lifted, the bottom cleaned and relocated in a different place of the same compound. This practice explains why the hut is first built so high. The older the house the shorter the height.
Ethiopia – Jinka: Visit to Omo Valley Villages
Konso Tribe:
The Konso, also known as the Konsita, are the Lowland East Cushitic-Speaking ethnic group primarily in habiting south-central Ethiopia. The Konso speak the Konso language (also known as affa xonso ) as the Mather tongue. Konso is divided into four dialects:Kholme,Duuro,Fasha and Karatti. It is sharea close lexical similarity with Dirashe. In entire Africa, these people are known by their hard working which revealed on their agricultural land. The Konso cultural landscape is characterized by extensive dry stone terraces bearing witness to the persistent human struggle to use and harness the hard, dry and rocky environment. The terraces retain the soil from erosion, and collect the maximum of water, discharge the excess, and create terraced field that are used for agriculture.
Mursi Tribe:
The Mursi live in the South West of the Lower Omo Valley, numbering less than 9,000. These Nilo- Saharan linguistic groups live in an oblong shaped territory between the Mago and Omo River, and they are the most recognisable tribe in Omo Valley. It said that, the Muris women are one of the last groups in Arica to cut the lower lip in order to wear large pottery or wooden lip-plate. When a Mursi girl reach’s the age of 13-14, she is most likely cur her lower lip and a small wooden plug will be inserted. Then she will be given a new identity- she become as Bonsai, which indicate a girl becoming a woman. When the lip stretched over the year time by inserting bigger wooden plugs, and in the end replaced by bigger lip –plate made of a clay , which characterized her as a mature woman alluring for marriage and bearing a children. This lip plate has its own other symbolic value, representing the strength and self-esteem, and as the same time, as their concept of beauty.
The Hammer Tribe:
The Hammer Tribe numbering approximately 46000 people live in the rugged terrain of the South-Eastern Ethiopian Rift Valley in an area covering about 4900km2. The mountains rise to the North until they vanish almost completely in the clouds that cover the cool highlands of Gofa and Gamo, and to the South they slope down to seemingly endless plains that vanish from view in the haze that hovers over the hot Omo valley. The Hammer people are pastoralists and twenty five different clans share this semi-nomadic life.
Tanut & Friends, Thailand, 26th August 2019
Thank you for checking in. Yes, we had a great time in Africa! Lots to see and many new cultural experiences. Kenya: We loved Loisaba and the choice of the Elewana camp was the best. The guide was a great choice – thank you for introducing this place to us when there was no availability in Lewa. We appreciate the options you gave us. Masai Mara: This experience was very good too. Entumoto Camp was very unique and we had a very good guide Abraham. He ensured that we saw all of the big five – mission accomplished! Rwanda: Gorilla trekking was a very good experience, the young are very cute and the experience was very moving. Ethiopia: Everything here was good and as we were already very tired from quite a long trip, we were grateful for the rest during the day in between activities and cultural visits. Overall this tour was fun and eye-opening for all of us. The Vamoos app was very good and was useful especially with flight alerts. Thank you again Kerry!