Uganda & Kenya with Luxury & Style (8 Days): A Sample Itinerary

ID #: DT-UK-8-6-11-10-RAIJ


 
Leopard
Gorilla

DavidTravel Itinerary Highlights include:

Let yourself become one with nature in Uganda and Kenya as you leave your everyday routine behind. Experience the exhilaration of spectacular game drives, wondrous nature walks and magical starlit nights. Uganda, “the Pearl of East Africa,” glistens in the sun as you explore one of the most exciting destinations on the African continent. Your remarkable game drives focus on this world of primates where you’ll view a variety of monkeys, bush babies and chimpanzees. In Kenya, gaze at the shimmering sunsets and bask in the light of the rising moon. Encounter breathtaking vistas of rolling savannahs and acacia woodlands teaming with giraffe, wildebeests, ostriches, gazelles, waterbuck and the elegant gerenuk. And be ever wary of the predators – hyena, cheetah, lion and the elusive leopard. There’s something astounding to see no matter where you look.

• Enjoy a 4WD or walking safari of the Maasai Mara and spot the Big Five animals

• Take a forest walk to explore Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to 11 types of primates

• Explore Bwindi and take a full day gorilla trekking adventure

• Immerse yourself culturally while visiting a local village and meeting the inhabitants

Overview:

Winston Churchill called Uganda 'the pearl of Africa', presumably basing his opinion on the country's great natural beauty. From the moment the visitor lands at Entebbe's international airport, with its breathtaking equatorial location on the forested shore of island-strewn Lake Victoria, it is clear that Uganda is no ordinary safari destination.

Dominated by a century-old botanical garden alive with the chatter of acrobatic monkeys and colorful tropical birds, Entebbe itself is the least obviously urban of all comparably sized African towns. Just 40km (25 miles) distant, sprawled across seven hills, there is the capital Kampala. The bright modern feel of this bustling, cosmopolitan city reflects the ongoing economic growth and political stability that has characterized Uganda since 1986. Since the late 1980s, the nation has managed to move on from the abyss of civil war and the economic catastrophe of the Idi Amin days.

Uganda is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle. In this lush country, one can observe lions prowling the open plains, track chimpanzees through the rainforest undergrowth, then navigate tropical channels teeming with hippos and crocs before setting off into the misty mountains to stare deep into the eyes of a mountain gorilla.

Kenya is regarded by many as the ‘jewel of East Africa', and has some of the continent's finest beaches, most magnificent wildlife and scenery, and an incredibly sophisticated tourism infrastructure. It is a startlingly beautiful land, from the coral reefs and white sand beaches of the coast to the summit of Mount Kenya, crowned with clouds and bejeweled by strange giant alpine plants.

Between these two extremes is the acacia-studded rolling savannah, which is home to game parks such as Amboseli, the Masai Mara, Samburu and Tsavo; the lush, agricultural highlands with their sleek green coat of coffee and tea plantations; and the most spectacular stretch of the Great Rift Valley, the giant scar across the face of Africa.

Above all, Kenya is a place for safaris, and one-tenth of all land in Kenya is designated as national parks and reserves. Just about every African plains animal is present. Over 50 parks and reserves cover all habitats from desert to mountain forest, and there are even six marine parks in the Indian Ocean.

Kenya also has a fascinatingly diverse population with around 40 different tribes, all with their own languages and cultures. Major tribes include the Kikuyu, the Luyia and the Luo, but the most famous are the tall, proud, beautiful red-clad Masai, who still lead a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of cattle-herding along the southern border.

A mixture of African and Asian, the unique Swahili culture can be found along the balmy coast, where for centuries it became prosperous on the profits of commerce from the trade winds that carried ocean-going dhows (sailing boats) across the Indian Ocean to Arabia and Persia.

Kenya does have some downsides as a tourist destination. There is enormous pressure to buy anything and everything, often at ridiculously inflated prices, and even taking a photograph in the local market is likely to incur a cost. But despite this, the people are friendly and the tourist trade is supremely well organized and professional. For those in search of a little adventure, this can be an ideal holiday destination.