MOUNTAIN GORILLAS AND WILDEBEAST MIGRATION
Tour
September 1st through September 15th, 2012
Secure your spot now
Join professional wildlife photographer Piper Mackay on an adventure of a lifetime to photograph the great migration and the Mountain Gorilla’s. You will have an unforgettable close up encounter with mountain gorilla families and experience the last greatest migration on earth. There are two things everyone should experience at least once in their life: 1. Stand on the great plains of the Masai Mara in awe of the mystery of the last major animal migration on our fragile planet. 2. Walk along with the great giants, the critically endangered mountain gorilla’s and know you have just had a truly great experience.
What makes this safari unique?
Most safari’s either offer a photographic wildlife safari or Trekking with Gorilla’s and this safari is offering both. Africa is a magical and unique continent that many people dream of experiencing. It can be a tough decision to choose between a safari (hoping to return again) or the incredible opportunity to trek among the mountain Gorilla’s whose numbers are shrinking at an alarming rate. I have worked hard with my outfitter to be able to offer both of these unique experiences on one trip. This safari will focus on photographing the critically endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda, the herds of elephants and zebras in Amboseli, the diverse wildlife roaming the great plans of the Masai Mara, and the great migration. If we are lucky, we will whiteness the migration crossing the Mara River. Mix this with the luxury accommodations and you will have more than hundreds of great photographs, but an experience of a lifetime. Piper is a professional photographer with a lot of experience photographing African wildlife. She will be shooting alongside you at all times and will be able to provide assistance or answer questions about camera settings, exposure, equipment or anything else that may arise. This is a unique opportunity for all of us to share our knowledge and experience with each other. Because of this unique location and the luxury accommodation this tour is open to everyone and not just photographers.
SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS
- Two private treks to photograph the endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. An encounter with the mountain gorillas is perhaps one of the most dramatic and thrilling wildlife experiences possible.
- Expert guides will accompany us for the gorilla treks. We will also have the services of trackers (who will locate the gorillas) and porters to help carry gear.
- We have private 9 passenger 4X4 Land Cruisers with only 3 people per vehicle. Every person will have their own row with 2 window seats available for the best viewing and photographic opportunities.
- Luxury accommodations in a small private tented camp and Beautiful African lodges.
- Experiencing the greatest migration on earth.
- Safari is limited to 7 participants, plus Piper
THE ITINERARY
Day 1. September 1, 2012
Depart on your adventure of a lifetime
Day 2. September 2, 2012
Arrive Nairobi, Kenya and transfer to our comfortable hotel.
Day 3. September 3, 2012
Today you will awake slowly to the exotic bird calls in an amazing new world with the aroma of coffee brewing. You will meet in the main dining room for breakfast and have a safari briefing with your guide. You then hop into your Land Cruisers, and depart for Amboseli National Reserve, known for its amazing herds of Elephants and Zebra’s roaming through the dusty plains creating stunning photographic opportunities. On a clear day you will see Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.
Day 4. September 4, 2012
Rise early today for a quick cup of coffee and biscuit before heading out for our morning game drive. Every morning the herds slowly begin to come down from the mountains and cross the plains of Amboseli on their way to the marshes centrally located in the national park. Our focus here will be to capture these amazing herds with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. We will return to our beautiful lodge for lunch, which is located next to the marsh area where all the herds gather during the day. There will be time to relax, lay by the pool or download images before heading back out on our afternoon game drive.
We return to lodge in the evening and meet for famous sundowners, overlooking the plains of Amboseli and exchanging exciting stories of what we experienced that day.
Day 5. September 5, 2012
We rise early today taking a picnic box breakfast with us as we will do our early morning game drive and then head directly to the airstrip where we will board our flight to the crown jewel of Kenya, the Masai Mara. We will be met by our drivers and transferred to our intimate private camp discreetly tucked away in a riverine forest on the seasonal Olare Orok River. This camp offers the authentic safari experience as it may have been a hundred years ago and is why I really enjoy it. The luxury tents have spacious verandas overlooking the Olare Oroke and its numerous hippos. There are no fences and Maasai warriors protect the camp.
We will enjoy a deliciously prepared lunch and settle in before departing for our afternoon game drive in one of the richest wildife area’s of the Mara, and one of my favorite. We will return that evening for sundowner cocktails around the cozy campfire under the African stars and all its sounds of nature. There is no better way to experience Africa than by spending a few nights under canvas and no better way to photograph than by camping in the middle of the migration
Day 6-9. September 6-9, 2012
Rise early today. As the cool, fresh air fills your lungs you’ll feel invigorated and rejuvenated, ready for another great day on safari. This unique location is whiteness to the wildebeest Migration. There is an abundance of wildlife such as lion, leopard, cheetah and elephants. Roll down the windows or stand up through the customized roof hatch and enjoy this unhindered 360 views, and the possibilities for what lies ahead.
We have 4 full days in this amazing location. This photographic safari is especially timed for the annual wildebeest migration which is known as the “greatest wildlife show on earth” attracting all the predators and an opportunity to photograph the wildebeest crossing the Mara river making this a wildlife photographers dream.
Day 10. September 10, 2012
We rise early this morning for one last game drive before departing for Nairobi where you will have the afternoon free to catch up on email, relax by the pool, take a sana, shop or arrange a private visit to the elephant orphanage.
Day 11. September 11, 2012
We arise early for our transport to the airport for our flight to Rwanda. Arriving in the AM., we will be met by our new guides and journey through the beautiful terraced hillsides that characterize so much of Rwanda’s landscape, gradually climbing to the base of the awesome Virunga volcanoes to the Gorilla Mountain Lodge. We will have a briefing of our gorilla trek prior to dinner.
Day 12. September 12, 2012
This will be one of the most amazing experiences you will have in your lifetime. Trekking with the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virungas is a magical experience. If you are lucky you can get to the Gorillas, spend an hour with them, and be back at the base in time for a late lunch and then be able to enjoy the local people and beautiful scenery. Some gorilla families however are more elusive, and trekking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy (photography of the Gorilla’s is best in light mist and cloud cover).
Day 13. September 13, 2012
Go gorilla trekking again! This time to see a different group. After we finish our trek we will have a quick shower and lunch at our lodge and then depart for Kigali. This will allow us time the next morning to explore Kigali before departing on our journey home.
Day 14. Sept 14, 2012
After breakfast we will have a city tour of Kigali and a visit to the genocide memorial museum. Lunch is on our own today as some of you may want to have a traditional lunch in the city and others may want to eat back at the hotel. We will depart early afternoon for our flight back to Nairobi where we will meet our connecting flights home.
Day 15 September 15, 2012
Arrive home
GORILLA TRACKING INFORMATION
The gorillas you will track in Volcanoes National Park will belong to one of the five ‘habituated’ family groups; The Susa Group (38 individuals), The Sabinyo Group (11 individuals), Group Thirteen (18 individuals), the Amahoro A group (15 individuals), or the Umubano Group (8 Individuals). Eight permits per day are issued for each group which means there are only 40 individuals per day that can visit these gorilla’s making this an extraordinary opportunity to be one of them.
The gorilla permits are in extremely short supply, and are often booked as much as 18 months in advance. Only persons over the age of 15 are allowed to track the gorillas.
Through the Diane Fossey foundation (Gorilla’s in the Mist) , these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually made them used to the presence of humans which allows a few privileged visitors to interact with them briefly in the wild. They are by no means tame and are still completely wild animals and can only be visited by humans for an hour a day at the most.
Experienced guides will accompany you on your tracking, many of whom have been involved in the habituation process themselves. These professional guides will brief you in detail on your arrival on the various aspects of “gorilla etiquette”.
Gorilla tracking is a year-round activity, with no season. The rain forest is moist, and it rains very often in the Volcanoes National Park, even in the dry season. Over cast skies and mist are the best photographic conditions for photographing these black primates against a lush green forest.
Tracking commences every morning from the park headquarters at 8:30 AM. The gorillas cover large distances overnight, and they are never consistently in one area. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts. Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 8 hours before returning to camp.
The Verunga Vlocano range, ranges in elevation from 5500’-9000’. The treck usually begins along a trail through farmland but soon turns into following the guide and tracker through the dense jungle growth. It can be moderately strenuous which means participants do need to be physically fit to enjoy the treck. However, this does not mean you have to be able to climb mt Everast or run marathons to make the treck. If you maintain a regular cardiac exercise schedule 3 times a week you should be fit enough for this amazing opportunity. The pace is slow to moderate and the guides are accommodating and helpful, offering a hand when necessary.
Once the gorillas are located, we will be allowed a maximum of one hour with then. After this we will return to the park headquarters and our camp.
THE COST
The cost of this all-inclusive safari is $9,750 per person for deposits made prior to May 1. Due to the 50% increase for gorilla permits, cost of this trip for deposits made after May 1 will increase to $10, 450.00
The price is based on double occupancy, single Room supplement is $1,500 if available. Due to the limited number of spaces available, if a solo guest is willing to share and we can match with another guest of the same gender, we will do so. If a solo guest is unwilling to share, then a single supplement will be charged (up to, but not exceeding the full sharing cost). If we are unable to match a solo guest with another guest of the same gender, then the single supplement will be charged.
The same rate applies for each participant regardless of whether they are doing photography and participating in the workshop, or not. This fee includes all in-country ground and air transportation as well as hotel accommodation (double occupancy) and all meals and guide services.
Please note: We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, cultural, or wildlife migrations) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. We reserve the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participant.
PRICE INCLUDES:
- Inter Africa flight to Amboseli, Masai Mara, Nairobi to Rawanda (round trip)
- First class accommodations
- Two gorilla trekking permits
- Guaranteed row and window seat in private 4X4 Land cruisers
- All National Parks and Game Reserves entrance fees
- All meals (except lunch on Sept 14) and non alcoholic beverages
- Membership to the Flying Doctors Service while on Safari
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Visas
- Travel Insurance
- Personal purchases (including curious, spirit liquors, telephone calls, internet laundry, etc.
- Gratuities
- Optional extra activities ( balloon rides, walking safaris, etc)
- Pre- and post –safari tours
- Meals or accommodation before or after the safari (except as noted in the detailed itinerary)
- International flights, to and from the continent of Africa.
What Do I Do Next?
The group size is very small for this unique tour and a few spots are spoken for already. If this exciting trip has your name on it; If this is something you have always really wanted to do then now is the time to register and secure your spot with a $2000.00 deposit and a completed registration form. Remember, space is very limited and when the spots are spoken for, that’s it.
Registration Form (PDF ~430 KB)