uganda & rwanda
camping the highland lakes
From Kigali across Uganda's highland lakes to gorillas at Mgahinga, savannah game and the chimpanzees of Kibale Forest.
- Private Safari
- From $9,950 pp
- 2 guests
- 15 nights
trip highlights
- Trek for mountain gorillas in Bwindi's Nkuringo sector, the quietest corner of the forest and among its steepest terrain.
- Cross a rope suspension bridge over the Mara River into a four-tent camp in high-density predator country.
- Watch elephants, kudu and warthog file down to the waterhole below Sarara Camp on Samburu community land.
- Walk the eastern Laikipia Highlands with a train of camels carrying the camp behind you.
Scroll for the full itinerary
Uganda's Gorillas to Kenya's Conservancies
The route opens in Entebbe, ten minutes from the airport, then climbs to Nteko Ridge on the quiet Nkuringo edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for mountain gorillas. It crosses to Kenya for a night among the art of Karen, then runs through three tracts of private land: Mara North on the river, Namunyak in the Mathews Range, and the eastern Laikipia Highlands walked on foot.
You travel by road, by air between the regions, and on the final leg by foot with camels carrying the camp. The days hold gorilla treks, game drives run to your own schedule, guided walks and the Samburu singing wells. The accommodation is chosen for its role at each point, a garden hotel for the first night, stone cottages above the cloud, riverside tents, hillside canvas and a mobile walking camp.
Daily Itinerary Breakdown
Entebbe, the First Night
You arrive in Entebbe, ten minutes by road from the international airport and close to the shores of Lake Victoria, with the first night given over to rest before the itinerary begins. Birds move through the gardens all day, and the noise of the town stays outside the walls. No.5 Boutique Hotel is a small garden retreat of fifteen rooms gathered around a courtyard and pool, built for the first and last nights of a Uganda safari. Arrivals are met with a cold juice, and meals run through the day in an airy dining room or on a balcony above the pool.
- Accommodation at No.5 Boutique Hotel
Nkuringo, Trekking Bwindi's Gorillas
From Entebbe you head to Nteko Ridge, at roughly 2,000 metres on the southwestern edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where the Nkuringo sector holds mountain gorillas. The trailhead is a short walk from the door, and the treks here are among the steepest and most demanding in Bwindi, long ascents and descents through dense forest at altitude. You come back to Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, its volcanic-stone cottages facing the forest canopy and the Virunga volcanoes, to a fire already lit, hot towels and a foot massage. The land and lodge belong to the Nkuringo community through its conservation and development foundation.
- Accommodation at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Karen, a Night Among the Art
You cross to Kenya and to the forested Karen-Langata edge of Nairobi, a single night among indigenous woodland that borders the Giraffe Sanctuary and shelters more than 200 species of bird. Warthogs, monkeys, peacocks and sacred ibises move through the grounds by day. Hemingways Eden Residence was built in 1992 as the family home of the painter Tonio Trzebinski and his wife Anna, and its nine rooms are hung with original canvases, bronzes and ceramics from a working private collection. Samburu and Maasai artefacts sit alongside contemporary African paintings.
- Accommodation at Hemingways Eden Residence
Mara North, Rope Bridge and Predators
A flight brings you to the Mara North Conservancy, private land on the west bank of the Mara River. There is no driving into camp; you leave the vehicle and walk across a rope suspension bridge with the river running fast beneath you. This is high-density predator country, lions and leopards among them, and because it is conservancy rather than reserve the guiding extends to night drives, walks on foot and off-road approaches. From roughly July to October a full day can run into the national reserve for the migration crossings. Ngare Serian is a four-tent camp on hardwood decks along the bank, with a private 4WD, guide and spotter for every party.
- Accommodation at Ngare Serian
Namunyak, Elephants and the Singing Wells
You move north to the southern slopes of the Mathews Range, inside the Namunyak Conservancy, 850,000 acres owned by the Samburu community. Elephants, kudu and warthog file down to the waterhole through the day, and whoever arrives to drink sets the rhythm of the afternoon. Days run to night drives, walks into the montane forest for colobus monkeys and cycads, and horseback rides across the plains; the signature is the singing wells, where Samburu warriors dig into dry riverbeds and pass water hand to hand, and photography is not permitted. Sarara Camp has six hillside tents looking over the water, its guides almost entirely Samburu.
- Accommodation at Sarara Camp
Laikipia, Walking with Camels
For the last leg you travel the eastern Laikipia Highlands on foot, a train of camels moving behind you with the camp, the water and the supplies. Days follow the sun: after breakfast by the fire you set out while the crew move ahead to pitch the next site, so each walk of roughly eight to sixteen kilometres ends with lunch waiting, a camel to ride when legs tire, and sundowners at a rock outcrop. Samburu, Maasai and Ndorobo guides read spoor, name the birds and point out flints, old pottery and forgotten graves. Karisia Walking Safaris is kept deliberately simple, built from canvas, rope and wood, with meals cooked over a wood fire, and elephants, lions and leopards move through the land.
- Accommodation at Karisia Walking Safaris
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.
looking for inspiration?
rwanda & uganda
both sides of the virungas
Seven nights from Kigali into Uganda's Mgahinga and back to a Rwandan ridge, tracking gorillas along the Virunga chain.
- Private Safari
- From $11,295 pp
- 2 guests
- 7 nights
uganda
gorilla & chimp safari
Nine nights across western Uganda, tracking chimpanzees at Kibale and mountain gorillas at Bwindi and Mgahinga.
- Private Safari
- From $11,326 pp
- 2 guests
- 9 nights
rated five stars by our clients
our approach
remote, exclusive
& 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.