:: Sample Holidays - suggestions to whet your appetite

GORILLAS AND THE BEACH - Sample 12 night itinerary, including an absolute highlight of African travel - gorilla trekking in Uganda - and a taste of the Kenyan Swahili coast

	Fly overnight from London to Entebbe. By road to Lake Mburo National Park. Overnight at Mantana Tented Camp. Drive on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Buhoma Homestead for 3 nights. Drive to Kampala and overnight at Emin Pasha Hotel. Drive to Entebbe and fly via Nairobi to Lamu. By boat to Kipungani Explorer for 5 nights. By boat to Lamu airport. Fly via Nairobi, overnight to London. From £4,682 per person sharing including gorilla permit
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After meeting your guide you will enjoy a wonderfully scenic drive to MBURO NATIONAL PARK, an extension of the Tanzanian plains with big herds of impala, eland and other ungulates and the only zebras to be found in Uganda. Overnight at Mantana Tented Camp and take a guided bush walk before heading off through the highlands to Kabale with views of the triangular peaks of the Virunga volcanoes of Rwanda and the Congo along the way.

The road then drops down into a valley, to the rainforest of BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK, best known as the home of the mountain gorilla. The bird life and primates in Bwindi are quite superb and there is an incredible diversity of flora. Your base for the gorilla trek will be the comfortable Buhoma Lodge where your beautifully appointed room has a verandah with views of the forest

The trek to find the gorillas normally takes about two hours and does require a degree of fitness due to fairly steep, muddy paths. You will be going deep into the rainforest passing beneath tree ferns and orchids and climbing over roots and around vines. Afterwards, piping hot showers, a fireplace to provide warmth in the cool evenings, and a large comfortable bed will ensure a good night’s rest after a tiring day’s trek.

Your second full day in the area can be spent walking easier trails, maybe along the Munyaga or Ivi rivers which are recommended for bird watchers or other more strenuous hill trails will afford rewarding views or take you to waterfalls.

Drive back to KAMPALA and perhaps visit the Theatre Craft Market to buy souvenirs and local crafts. Overnight at the special boutique hotel, Emin Pasha, before flying on to Kenya the next day.

On the sheltered, western coast of LAMU ISLAND, the spacious cottages of Kipungani Explorer are built from local woods and palm frond matting with simple yet comfortable furnishings. The rooms are open-fronted for guests to enjoy the sea breezes and wonderful African sunsets.

The lodge is designed for relaxation with plenty of colourful cushions, hammocks and sun loungers around the swimming pool. But if you need some activity, dinghy sailing, wind surfing, water skiing, snorkelling and scuba diving are all on offer or take a fascinating trip into Lamu town. A sunset dhow cruise will round off this wonderful holiday.

and what about?
	It is possible to fly straight to Bwindi, landing at Kayonza airstrip, less than an hour’s drive from Buhoma Lodge. Another flight could take you totally off the beaten track to Kidepo Valley National Park in the remote north of Uganda, an area of outstanding panoramic scenery with a good variety of game and over 200 species of birds. Apoka, an originally designed lodge, is set in this dramatic landscape and offers guests exclusive game viewing opportunities.

:: Sample Holidays

Pearls of Uganda

Sample 10 night itinerary, privately-guided game viewing including gorilla trekking and chimpanzees..read more

Walk in the Wild

For those who wish to keep their feet on the ground and yet see fantastic game: walk with elephants in West Kilimanjaro and view game in the Serengeti in Tanzania before trekking to see mountain gorillas in the Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda...read more