Wildlife Wonders Safari

Bwindi | Samburu | Masai Mara

A 9 nights / 10 days journey combining some of the most spectacular wildlife encounters in East Africa, from Bwindi’s Impenetrable Forest in Uganda to Samburu and the Masai Mara in Kenya.

All inclusive from US$8,850 per person sharing (low season rate).
Valid from 3rd January-19th December 2019

SARUNI LODGES

Including: All-inclusive accommodation (Full board accommodation including soft drinks, beers, house wines and select non-luxury spirits), one complimentary Back & Neck massage (30 min) per room per stay at our Wellbeing Space, airport assistance, temporary Flying Doctors cover, shared day & night game drives in 4×4 vehicles, guided bush walks, bush meals, sundowner & picnic excursions, limited laundry service, cultural visits transfers, all internal flights and return airstrip transfers, conservation fees, VAT & taxes.

BWINDI LODGE

Including: All-inclusive accommodation (Unlimited consumption of all alcoholic and soft drinks except champagne), laundry services, any activities guests wish to do around Bwindi lodge as per the itinerary, meals as stated on the itinerary, return internal flight Entebbe – Kihihi – Entebbe, two gorilla permits and one complimentary massage per room booked.

This is an unforgettable wildlife safari offering you unrivalled encounters with Africa’s classic, rare, unique and diverse animals. 

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Discover the dense and ancient Bwindi rainforests, home to thriving families of mountain gorillas, and be enthralled by nature in all frames and forms.

Delight in the rugged, raw beauty of Samburu’s unending views and diverse ecosystem of unique wildlife, where enormous herds of elephant traverse the vast landscape and leopard den in the rocky outcrops.

Encounter the teeming open plains of the Masai Mara – a natural wonder of the world. Seek out Africa’s renowned Big Five in the most exciting wilderness in Africa, and witness the most remarkable natural spectacle on Earth, the Great Migration.

The Lodges

Bwindi Lodge, Uganda

Bwindi Lodge has eight comfortable and stylish ensuite bandas that overlook the forest canopy, each with a private terrace from which guests can watch birds and monkeys in the treetops. The main lodge building also looks out over the beautiful views of the forest, with both open and covered terraces providing ideal viewing platforms. A cozy fireside bar and lounge area enables guests to enjoy a drink while swapping stories of their gorilla tracking experiences. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was inscribed as a World Heritage Site ten years ago, and the 80,000 acre area is one of Africa’s richest ecosystems, providing habitat for some 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos and many endangered species like the mountain gorilla.

Activities and amenities: Gorilla trekking, payable extra activities: Bwindi Lodge Spa, waterfall walk, Munyanga River trail, Rushurra Hill/border trail, Muzabajirro Loop trail, Batwa cultural experience.

Saruni Samburu

Saruni Samburu’s six luxury villas are open and spacious, heralding spectacular views over Kenya’s Northern Frontier District and Mount Kenya in the distance. The warm and welcoming hospitality makes for an intimate and exceptional experience. The lodge is revered for its innovative, eco-chic architecture and interesting design and décor, as well as its Italian-inspired cuisine. Guests can enjoy the vast panoramas from the dining and lounge area, the infinity pool and the Samburu Wellbeing Space. Saruni Samburu is the only lodge in Kalama Conservancy, which borders Samburu National Reserve, with 200,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness to explore and enjoy exclusively. You are guided from start to finish by Samburu warriors who are passionate about their land and their culture, learning first-hand about their fascinating customs and traditions and gaining ancient, local knowledge about the land and the animals – a truly authentic experience.

Activities and amenities: day and night game drives, photographic hide, bush meals, guided walks, birdwatching, Samburu Wellbeing Space treatments (payable extra), picnics, two swimming pools, helicopter excursions (payable extra), Samburu cultural visits (payable extra), Saruni Shop.

Saruni Mara

Saruni Mara has one family villa, one private villa and five elegant cottages, and is the only small boutique lodge in the Mara, making it very intimate and exclusive. The beautifully decorated themed rooms have a luxurious and classic safari feel. The lodge is tucked away in a secluded valley in the private Mara North Conservancy, a prime and private game viewing area, which borders the Masai Mara National Reserve – the most renowned wildlife park in Africa. Enjoy the Italian-inspired cuisine and being immersed in nature from your private veranda, the Maasai Wellbeing Space and the open lounge and dining area. Maasai warriors will guide you throughout your stay, sharing their ancient wisdom and local knowledge of the area and the animals, their way of life and their secret corners of the most loved wildlife reserve in Kenya.

Activities and amenities: day and night game drives, bush meals, guided walks, birdwatching, Maasai Wellbeing Space treatments (payable extra), picnics, library, balloon safaris (payable extra), Saruni Shop.

Saruni Wild

Saruni Wild is a tented camp elegantly and comfortably furnished with all the necessary luxuries of a wild yet classic safari. The camp is located in the heart of the Masai Mara plains, on the border between Lemek Conservancy and Mara North Conservancy. Surrounded by tens of thousands acres of pristine, untouched wilderness, the camp has the most classic Masai Mara setting. The wildlife thrive right next to its tents. Enjoy endless views, fire-lit meals under the vast African sky, guided game drives led by Maasai warriors.

Activities and amenities: day and night game drives, bush meals, guided walks, birdwatching, Maasai Wellbeing Space treatments, picnics, library, balloon safaris, Saruni Shop.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1: Bwindi Lodge

  • Arrive at Entebbe airport where an Aerolink member of staff will assist you with the check in and transfer to your 07:45 am (arrival 09:30 am) or 12:30 pm (arrival 13:45 pm) domestic flight to Kihihi, check in time is one hour before the flight. Once at Kihihi you will be welcomed by your expert guide who will provide knowledge and assistance throughout your journey.
  • Transfer to Buhoma and Volcanoes Bwindi lodge (approximate transfer time of 2 hours). Rest and before dinner explore the lodge grounds with its clear mountain stream.
  • You can also visit Bwindi Bar, a new project funded by Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust, which provides practical hospitality experience to local disadvantaged youths. The bar serves a variety of teas, coffees, and delicious snacks that blend international and local tastes, whist giving customers an insight into local daily life in the community.
    Approximate Travel Times: Flying 1 hour; Driving 2 hours.

Day 2: Bwindi Lodge

  • After enjoying an early breakfast, you set off gorilla tracking. Trekking through the steep, densely forested hills and then finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Tracking in the Bwindi forest requires stamina and can often take most of the day.

Day 3: Bwindi Lodge

  • After enjoying an early breakfast, you set off gorilla tracking. Trekking through the steep, densely forested hills and then finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Tracking in the Bwindi forest requires stamina and can often take most of the day.

Day 4: Saruni Samburu

  • Transfer from Bwindi lodge to the Kihihi airstrip, approximate transfer time of 2 hours. Leave with the 09:45 am (arrive Entebbe at 11:25 am) Connect to your flight to Entebbe and connect with your international flight to Jomo Kenyatta Airport, Kenya. Saruni will greet you at arrivals, and transfer to you to Wilson Airport for your flight to Saruni Samburu – which is a beautifully scenic flight. Finish off your day with a massage and a sundowner on top of a hill with a breath-taking view – a fitting end to a day of travelling.

Day 5: Saruni Samburu

  • Early morning game drive into Samburu National Reserve to seek out the ‘Samburu Special Five’: the reticulated giraffe, the Grevy zebra, the beisa oryx, the Somali ostrich and the gerenuk, all rare species that occur only in this part of the country, and look for its well known larger wildlife including elephants, lion and leopard.
  • Enjoy a picnic lunch by the river before heading back to the lodge to relax for the afternoon.
  • Unwind with a complimentary massage at the Samburu Wellbeing Space or lounge at the infinity pools with a sundowner.

Day 6: Saruni Samburu

  • Continue to explore the wonders of Samburu with a morning game drive and after lunch head out on a nature walk discovering animals, plants and the caves in the local area with rock paintings, led by your skillful and knowledgeable Samburu guides.
  • Evening game drive in Kalama Conservancy, the 200,000-acre private wildlife conservancy in which Saruni Samburu is located, ending with a bush dinner under the stars in the middle of the wilderness, and a night drive back to the lodge. The Samburu warriors dancing, candles and fire under the vast African skies, make this a truly magical experience, and one of the highlights of your stay.

Day 7: Saruni Mara / Saruni Wild

  • Depart Samburu on your flight in the morning* and arrive in the Masai Mara an hour and a half later.
  • Game drive with a picnic lunch to enjoy under an acacia tree or by the river next to a pod of hippos, or head to Saruni Mara or Saruni Wild for some rest and an exclusive game drive later in the afternoon in Mara North Conservancy – over 30,000 acres of plentiful, protected land bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve. Enjoy a completely different and less-explored corner of the Mara ecosystem in total privacy, brimming with wildlife.

Day 8: Saruni Mara / Saruni Wild

  • Early morning game drive to look for the big cats and other predators of the Mara, returning to the camp or lodge for lunch and treatments at the Maasai Wellbeing Space.
  • In the afternoon, a game drive will take you to a special area where the largest tower of giraffe can be seen, followed by dinner at the lodge or camp and an optional night game drive.

Day 9: Saruni Mara / Saruni Wild

  • Walk through the valleys and plains surrounding Saruni Mara, accompanied by a vehicle, or a game drive up to the top of Kilileoni, the highest mountain in the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem – led by your skillful and knowledgeable Maasai guides.
  • In the afternoon you will discover more of Mara North and its neighbouring conservancies and experience first-hand what makes the Mara one of the most exciting wildernesses in the world.
  • Weather permitting, experience a bush dinner in the middle of nature under the vast African sky, with Maasai warriors singing and dancing around the fire.

Day 10: Departure

  • Visit the rhino sanctuary on the way to the airstrip and once again admire the hippos and the crocodiles of the Mara River.
  • The flight back to Nairobi leaves the Mara at 11:00 AM and arrives in Nairobi at 12:20 PM.
  • Transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with Saruni driver and vehicle. Depending on the time of your international flight, stop at the Talisman or Carnivore restaurant for dinner.

 

Note: The Saruni Tours team can modify and tailor this itinerary to suit your personal preference. Baggage allowance on internal flights is 15kg per person, preferably in small, soft bags without wheels. Seats on the schedule flights are subject to availability at confirmation. Rates with children or single occupancy are available upon request. *Flight times and durations may vary depending on airline and routing, and are subject to change. All guests travelling into Kenya with duty free plastic bags shall be required to leave the bags at the entry points and seek alternative carrier bags. We request that you do not carry plastic bags whilst visiting or working in Kenya as there are strict penalties for those caught with them.