Apes and Lakes

Nairobi to Harare or Victoria Falls (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe)

Travel to Uganda and Kenya and then journey south through Malawi to Mozambique and Zimbabwe on this world all in one “Apes and Lakes” adventure. The World famous Lake Nakuru, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Game Parks, majestic Mountain Gorillas, cultures and beaches of Zanzibar and Lake Malawi, adventure activities at the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls all conspire to make this an unforgettable experience on the African continent.


Day 1 - 5 Our tour begins! Travel through Kenya and Uganda is a unique experience thanks to amazing natural landscapes – we’ll be able to see this for ourselves as we embark on a short drive north from Nairobi into Africa's greatest natural feature, The Great Rift Valley. Our journey takes us into the valley where we visit the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve. The reserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife including Rhino, Hippo, Lion, Cheetah, Giraffe and many other species of wildlife and we will do several gamedrives whilst we are here. If due to weather or road conditions we are unable to visit the Masai Mara we will instead visit Lake Nakuru National Park. Lake Nakuru is a soda lake and our game drives here allow us to see its world famous flock of almost a million Pink Flamingos, as well as a wide variety of wildlife including, Black Rhino, Hippo, Lion, Leopard, Hyena and Giraffe. From here a mountainous drive through the spectacular Nandi Hills brings us to our next stop at Eldoret. The following morning, we cross into Uganda and continue onto Kampala, the capital, where we have a free day to spend in local cafes and nightspots, there is also the opportunity to spend the day visiting a local Chimpanzee Sanctuary and rehabilitation centre on one of the islands on Lake Victoria. We then continue west through patches of forest and green fertile countryside and pass a number of small towns and villages along the way where we can see local crafts people at work. We usually have a lunch stop at one of the roadside stalls selling fresh rotisserie meat and vegetables. We also stop at the spot where our route crosses the equator.

Day 6 - 12 From the town of Kabale, we visit either Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park. Both are situated in the Virunga Range of volcanic mountains. The rainforests on these mountain slopes are home to several families of Mountain Gorillas and is a highlight of travel to Uganda. Spending time with these fast-disappearing gentle giants of the forest is an awe-inspiring and humbling experience for everyone that treks to see them. We spend 2 or 3 days at the base camp allowing time for everyone in our group to complete their trek to the gorillas. During this time there is the opportunity to visit nearby villages, climb an extinct volcano or go to Lake Bunyoni where you can hire mountain bikes or canoes or visit the local school . Please Note: - If we are unable to view the gorillas in Uganda we will visit them in Rwanda.

Day 13 - 18 We then return to Kampala and camp near Jinja. We spend the following three nights at Bujagali Falls, just downstream from the source of the Nile. This is a spectacular area, and a superb place to go whitewater rafting. We can also go quad biking or visit a local school.
Ending the first stage of our tour and our travel in Uganda, we re-enter Kenya and travel to Lake Naivasha. We camp near the lakeshore, where Hippos sometimes come ashore to feed. Here you can walk to Elsamere, the house of Joy Adamson of Elsa the Lion and Born Free fame. It is also possible to hire a mountain bike and cycle or walk through Hells Gate National Park - the only game reserve in Kenya where this is allowed!

Day 19 - 24 A half-day drive brings us back to Nairobi for a day, before we continue south for the next leg of our journey: travel in Tanzania. We should see zebra and giraffe on the roadside as we head for the town of Arusha, which is where we use a local safari company to guide us through Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Parks. In the crater you can spend the day viewing the abundant wildlife including Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, White Rhino, Hippo, Antelope, and Crocodile. From here you can also choose to go into the Serengeti where vast herds of wildebeest roam the plains. There is also the option, for those who wish to visit a local Maasai Village and learn about their culture and way of life.

Day 25 - 31 It's one-day drive to Dar Es Salaam, passing through a number of small towns and villages along the way and, if we are lucky, we may see the towering peak of Mt Kilimanjaro. We camp for about 4 nights in a campsite on a beautiful Indian Ocean beach. From here most people take the ferry out to Zanzibar for the full four days and venture into the narrow bustling streets of StoneTown and its famous spice markets, old slave forts and dungeons. There is also time to indulge yourself on Zanzibar's famous white beaches before returning to Dar Es Salaam. We continue our journey through the interesting and often mountainous hinterland of Tanzania. We pass through the peaceful Mikumi National Park. From the roadside we usually see Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra and Antelope. Passing rivers and small waterfalls we enter Malawi with its huge fresh water lake.

Day 32 - 40 The next few days of travel in Malawi are spent at small laid back campsites on the edge of the lake. You can participate in watersports including windsurfing, water skiing or snorkelling or if you are so inclined just relax on the shores of Lake Malawi. Some of our group may go off and visit one of the nearby villages, the local school or one of the craft markets, where artisans produce some exquisite pieces of furniture and carvings out of ebony and mahogany. We continue on to Blantyre in the south of the country where we organise our Mozambique visas as well as possibly visit the local brewery. From Blantyre we cross into Mozambique and head for Zimbabwe following the infamous 'Tete Corridor' which was well known in the days of Mozambique's long running civil war as the 'Gun Run'. We cross into Zimbabwe, travel to Harare and stay in the capital for a few nights.

Those on the 40 Day trip finish here in Harare, while those on the 50 Day trip carry on to Victoria Falls.

Day 41 - 45 From Harare we travel Zimbabwe’s unspoilt landscape and head south to Gweru. Here we visit a privately run horse and game ranch where you can go game viewing on elephant and horseback. Here too it is often possible to go on walking safaris with young lion cubs, which is always a highlight.
We now travel to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins where the name 'Zimbabwe' derives from, literally meaning "house of stone". It was once the greatest medieval city in Sub Saharan Africa. We then continue west to Bulawayo, where you have the option of using a local safari company to venture into Motobo National Park, visit Cecil Rhodes grave and World's End viewpoint, as well as viewing on foot with an armed ranger the elusive Black Rhino, amongst hordes of other wildlife.

Day 46 - 50 An old colonial style sleeper train will take you back to the truck at one of the greatest adventure playgrounds of the world - Victoria Falls.
For some Mosi oa Tunya ‘The Smoke That Thunders’ is the highlight of any overland tour. You can see the cloud of spray from 20km away and when you actually get to the Falls, the crescendo of noise coupled with the visual impact is a moment you will always remember. There is something here for everyone, including awesome grade 5 white water rafting, canoe trips, sunset cruises by boat, the Flight of Angels (with breathtaking aerial views of the Falls and the Gorge from light aircraft, microlight or helicopter), abseiling, the Zambezi Gorge swing and one of the highest commercial Bungee Jumps in the world! A great way to end your travel in Zimbabwe and the "Apes and Lakes" tour!

From here you can travel by bus, train or plane to Harare or Johannesburg to connect with international flights.
 

Essential Africa Travel Information

We offer the perfect option for overland adventure or gap year travel in Africa. However, before you depart, read here for information on travelling with us through this vast, wild and beautiful continent. Starting and Finishing your Trip Nairobi, Harare, Victoria Falls and Cape Town are the start and finish points in Africa. We recommend arriving a couple of days before your trip starts in order to acclimatise and give yourself a free day. Most people also leave time spare to visit Cape Town and some will carry on with travel to South Africa for a couple of weeks. Or, if you’re embarking on gap year travel in Africa, a trip with us might be the perfect way to kickstart it, and the end point of Cape Town is the perfect place from which to continue your year abroad. We can advise you of places to stay and can book accommodation for you, as well as advise you on general Africa travel information. Contact us today and see how we can help you! Travelling Style in Africa We camp in either designated campsites, or bush-camps using two person tents. We usually cook over open fires in a rota system. Driving days normally start around 8am and finish around 5pm with stops for lunch and buying food, seeing local sights etc. We won’t be travelling every day, although there are times when we will travel for two days in a row. We will then be stopped for three to four days relaxing somewhere. Passports and Visas Most nationalities require visas for some of the countries that we travel through, including travel to South Africa, Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe. However we get these en-route. The costs listed below are a guideline, please note that prices and conditions can change at anytime without notice. Please ensure that you bring US Dollars to pay for your visas. If you are embarking on travel in Africa, be aware that you will need at least one blank page in your passport for each country you enter, which must be valid for at least 9 months. If you have dual nationality you can only use one passport. Contact us for further Africa travel information regarding passport laws. Uganda - At present all nationalities require visas. We obtain these on the border for most European nationalities, Australian and New Zealanders costing US$ 30 to $50. Kenya - Tourist visas are currently US$20 to US$50 and are issued on arrival for British, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans. You will need a valid yellow fever certificate and an onward ticket to show immigration on arrival. Americans and Canadians should check with the embassy before travel. Tanzania - At the moment we can obtain visas on the border. British, Canadians, South African and Americans require a visa currently costing US$60. New Zealanders $30 Australians $50. Malawi - No visas required for most nationalities. Mozambique - All Nationalities require a visa. We can obtain a transit visa on route for US$20 so it is not necessary to have this visa before travelling. Zambia - While in Victoria Falls we usually cross into Zambia for a day. A one day visa can usually be arranged locally at no cost. Zimbabwe - At present most European nationalities and Australians and New Zealanders require an entry visa, but this is easily purchased on the border. The visa costs US$30 for a single entry and US$50 for a double entry. United Kingdom and Ireland passport holders require a visa costing US$55. Botswana, Namibia and South Africa - Most nationalities do not require a visa. Climate Even though we cover fairly large distances during our travel to Africa, the climate does not change significantly. In East Africa the year is divided into the ’short’ rains (November) and the ’long’ rains (March to May). The ’rains’ usually last for one or two hours each day followed by sunny weather. Travel to South Africa and Southern Africa means that the ‘dry’ season is April to October and the ‘wet’ season is November to March. Although at night temperatures can be very cold the days are usually hot. If you’re embarking on gap year travel to Africa, you’ll experience all the different seasons. Because of this, make sure you pack appropriate equipment and clothing for all weather types.   CLIMATE / RAINFALL (mm) Temp°C High-Low JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC KENYA (Nairobi) 25-13 38 26-13 64 25-14 125 22-14 211 21-13 158 21-11 46 21-11 15 24-11 23 24-13 31 23-13 53 23-13 109 23-13 86 TANZANIA (D.Salaam) 27-19 66 27-20 66 27-20 130 27-19 290 28-19 188 28-18 33 28-17 31 29-17 25 29-19 31 29-21 41 27-20 74 26-19 91 MALAWI (Lilongwe) 27-17 208 27-17 218 27-16 125 27-14 43 25-11 3 23-8 0 23-7 0 25-8 0 27-12 0 30-16 0 29-17 53 28-18 125 ZIMB'WE (Harare) 26-15 196 26-16 178 26-14 117 26-13 28 23-9 13 21-7 3 21-6 0 23-8 3 26-12 5 27-14 28 27-16 97 26-16 163 BOTSWANA (Maun) 32-19 107 31-19 79 29-16 71 28-14 18 26-10 5 24-8 3 26-8 0 28-11 0 30-15 0 32-17 23 33-18 56 32-18 86 NAMIBIA (Swakopmund) 29-17 0 28-16 5 27-15 8 25-13 3 22-9 3 20-7 0 20-6 3 23-8 0 25-12 0 29-15 0 29-15 0 30-17 0 S.AFRICA (Cape Town) 25-14 15 25-14 8 24-13 18 22-10 48 19-6 79 17-4 84 17-4 89 20-6 66 23-9 43 25-12 31 25-13 18 26-14 10 Spending Money and Local Payment At the beginning of your trip the crew will collect the Local Payment in Cash, Sterling or US Dollars. For personal spending we suggest an average of £80 to £120 per week. Personal spending habits vary hugely depending on individuals. We cannot specify every cost, but you need to allow for visas, drinks, occasional meals out, curios and local crafts, telephone calls and emails etc. Budget on optional side trips separately. Credit cards are virtually useless outside main cities so you need to bring at least a third of your spending money in Cash US Dollars and the rest in Sterling or Dollar Travellers Cheques. For those continuing with travel in Africa, major cities have cash points and foreign exchange facilities within easy reach. Health Vaccinations - You will have to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever and will need an International Vaccination Certificate to prove this when we cross some borders. It is also advisable to be vaccinated against Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A and Meningitis. Consult your doctor about the necessity of having Hepatitis B and Rabies shots and further Africa travel information regarding medicine and vaccination. Malaria - Some GPs are quite well versed in tropical medicine, vaccination requirements and malarial prevention. However, many are not! If you are not happy with the information your doctor has provided, contact a reputable travel clinic in your area or phone us and we can give you the number of several clinics. There are a number of prophylactic malarial treatments on the market and requirements do change. Also, a particular regimen might suit you better than another. It is also wise to take a sample of which ever prophylactic you choose, a few weeks before you leave. This way you may determine early on if you have any adverse reactions so you can change regimens if necessary. For gap year travel in Africa or other long periods of travel, a vaccination booklet is an easy way of keeping records of your immunisations.  Prices for - African Overland Truck Adventures