inspiration

rwanda, uganda & kenya: gorillas to samburu

Private Safari
From $18,320 pp
2 guests
12 nights

trip highlights

  • In Mgahinga you track the Nyakagezi gorilla family and the golden monkeys that move through the bamboo, in a park that receives far fewer trackers than Bwindi.
  • Serian sits on private conservancy land in Mara North, so each booking comes with its own 4WD, a dedicated guide and a spotter, with drives that carry on after dark.
  • The Mara North Conservancy holds big cats in high density year-round, and from July to October the great migration moves through the wider Mara.
  • At Kitich Camp in the Mathews Range you explore on foot, through forest holding more than 350 recorded bird species and over 150 kinds of butterfly.
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Giraffes and zebras drinking at riverbank during golden hour, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya

From the Virungas to the Mathews Range

The route begins in Kigali, Rwanda’s ordered capital, before crossing to Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where a single habituated gorilla family lives beneath three Virunga volcanoes. From there it moves to Kenya’s Mara North Conservancy, private land beside the wider Mara, then north to the forested Mathews Range, a walking country of rivers, fig trees and cycads. It ends on the edge of Nairobi.

You travel by road and air transfer between the regions, with guided gorilla and golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga, private 4WD game drives in the Mara and forest walks in the Mathews Range. The stays run from a five-star city hotel to hand-built stone bandas, marquee tents above a river and a forest camp, closing at a 1930s manor house with resident giraffes.

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Daily Itinerary Breakdown

Kigali, Rwanda's Ordered Capital

You arrive in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, spread across ridges and valleys and widely regarded as the cleanest city in Africa. There is time to settle after the flight, and the city rewards a walk through the textile stalls of Kimironko Market or a quiet few hours at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Set on Boulevard de la Révolution, the Kigali Serena is the city's established five-star address, built around a polished granite atrium that displays Rwandese art, roughly twenty minutes from the airport.

Mgahinga, Gorillas Beneath the Volcanoes

On the edge of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park you track the Nyakagezi family, the single habituated gorilla group here, along with the golden monkeys that move through the bamboo. Because the park holds just one gorilla family and receives far fewer trackers than Bwindi, the forest feels unhurried. A short walk from the park gate, the lodge has eight circular bandas hand-built from local volcanic stone under thatch, each with a fireplace and a private veranda angled toward Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhavura. Praveen Moman opened it in 2002, the first lodge he built.

Mara North Conservancy, Big Cats and Plains

On private conservancy land away from the crowded reserve, the days run on your own schedule rather than a fixed departure time, each booking coming with its own 4WD, a dedicated guide and a spotter. The conservancy holds big cats in high density year-round, and from July to October the great migration moves through the wider Mara; away from the national reserve, drives carry on after dark and guides walk you through the bush on foot. Alex Walker's first camp, Serian sets vast marquee tents under big riverine trees above the Mara River, with an open-sided mess and a wide deck for sundowners above the water.

  • Accommodation at Serian "The Original"

The Mathews Range, Forest on Foot

In a forested river glade in the Mathews Range of Northern Kenya, the game drive gives way to walking. You move on foot through indigenous montane forest and along the seasonal Ngeng River with Samburu and Ndorobo guides, tracking elephant sign and following birdsong among more than 350 recorded bird species and over 150 kinds of butterfly. Between walks you swim in natural rock pools, picnic in forest clearings and gather at the firepit. Kitich Camp strings canvas tents along the glade beneath the forest canopy, each with a private veranda facing the Ngeng valley, and offers overnight fly-camping deeper into the mountains for those who want it.

Nairobi, Giraffes at the Breakfast Window

The final night is on the edge of Nairobi, where a resident herd of endangered Rothschild's giraffes lives year-round on the estate and the adjoining sanctuary shared with the AFEW Giraffe Centre. At the morning and late-afternoon feeding times they drift up to the house, pushing their long necks through the windows to take pellets from the table and terrace. Built in 1932 and modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, Giraffe Manor sits on twelve acres within a much larger stretch of forest in the Karen and Langata suburbs, screened from the traffic and the noise.

Ed Charles photographing wildlife

Ed Charles, BBC Producer

Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.

Ed Charles

Bafta & Emmy award winning film producer of BBC’s Planet Earth 2 and A Perfect Planet

looking for inspiration?

Beachfront villa with illuminated interiors at sunset with palm trees, Alfajiri Cliff Villa, Diani Beach, Kenya White colonial manor with swimming pool and manicured grounds, Karen Gables, Nairobi, Kenya Luxury safari tent with illuminated interior at dusk surrounded by bush vegetation, Hemingways Ol Seki Mara, Maasai Mara, Kenya Cottage with wooden veranda surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and vines, Karen Blixen Cottages, Nairobi, Kenya Whitewashed colonial lodge exterior illuminated at dusk with courtyard approach, Karen Gables, Nairobi, Kenya Pool deck with shade structure overlooking vast savanna landscape, Hemingways Ol Seki Mara, Maasai Mara, Kenya Beachfront dining setup with ocean view and yellow roses, Alfajiri Cliff Villa, Diani Beach, Kenya Luxury lodge with swimming pool and covered terrace among trees, Karen Blixen Cottages, Nairobi, Kenya Swimming pool with lounge seating and illuminated house at dusk, Karen Gables, Nairobi, Kenya Twilight view of luxury lodge terrace with pool and dining area overlooking savanna, Hemingways Ol Seki Mara, Maasai Mara, Kenya Seaside terrace dining setup with ocean view at sunset, Alfajiri Cliff Villa, Diani Beach, Kenya Wooden bridge over stream with tropical bungalows nestled in lush forest garden, Karen Blixen Cottages, Nairobi, Kenya

kenya

flying safari to the diani reef

Twelve nights in Kenya linking Nairobi, the Naboisho Conservancy in the Maasai Mara and a private villa on the Diani coast.

  • Private Safari
  • From $10,900 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 12 nights
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Safari guide photographing wildlife from open vehicle, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck pathway through forest with lodge building, Entebbe Forest Lodge, Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda Illuminated lodge building at dusk surrounded by landscaped gardens, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Wildebeest herd running through dust cloud Outdoor dining setup beneath acacia trees and natural shade, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck with forest canopy views and lounge seating, Entebbe Forest Lodge, Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda Evening firepit gathering with mountain views and hanging lanterns, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Luxury safari tent bedroom with four-poster bed and seating, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya Guest relaxing on wooden deck overlooking forest at dusk, Entebbe Forest Lodge, Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda Mountain vista from stone terrace with firepit seating, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda Safari tent interior with canopy bed and seating area, Serian “The Original”, Maasai Mara, Kenya

kenya & uganda

bwindi gorillas and the migration

Nine nights across Uganda and Kenya, from gorilla treks on Bwindi's Nkuringo ridge to big cats above the Mara River.

  • Private Safari
  • From $12,955 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 9 nights
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Guests on safari viewing rhino in savanna landscape, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Swimming pool with white building and shade trees, Manzili House, Nairobi, Kenya Guests viewing landscape from tent entrance at camp, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Guests dining outdoors at sunset under acacia trees, Kicheche Valley Naboisho, Maasai Mara, Kenya Wooden deck with infinity pool overlooking savanna at dusk, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Swimming pool with white modern house and large trees, Manzili House, Nairobi, Kenya Lakeside dining pavilion overlooking water and savanna hills, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Interior view of safari tent with open entrance and guests outside, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Interior of safari tent with two beds and open canvas flaps, Kicheche Valley Naboisho, Maasai Mara, Kenya Guest relaxing on lounge chairs on sunlit terrace, Manzili House, Nairobi, Kenya Bedroom with open views across savanna at sunset, Borana Lodge, Laikipia Highlands, Kenya Group walking through tall grass during guided forest activity, Kitich Camp, Northern Kenya, Kenya Safari vehicle observing elephant in acacia woodland landscape, Kicheche Valley Naboisho, Maasai Mara, Kenya

kenya

active safari

Thirteen nights across Kenya, from Laikipia rhino country and the Mathews Range forest to Naboisho and the Loita Hills.

  • Private Safari
  • From $15,885 pp
  • 2 guests
  • 13 nights
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& personal

Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.

Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.

Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.

Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.

Get in touch to start planning yours.

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