Kenyan Safari + Uganda gorilla trekking!

September 2024, my parents & I went on the trip of a life time! We spent 11 days traveling to four Kenyan parks and gorilla trekking in Uganda!

We booked a 7 day private Land Crusier tour in Kenya with Explorers Wild Adventures. Visited Lake Nakuru -> Masai Mara -> Lake Naivasha -> Amboseli. We also booked all the extra excursions available to us (hot air balloon ride, boat ride & Masai Mara village). There is A LOT of driving so get your butt ready!

At the end of the trip, I really felt like I actually didn’t visit Kenya at all because you truly are in a bubble when on a safari. We only interacted with other tourists and people who worked at hotels/lodges. I love trying different cuisines so was pretty disappointed when the accommodations only offered western food. You will definitely not get a taste of Kenya here. When it comes to the animals though, top notch!

Parks listed in order of favorite to least favorite:

1. Amboseli - Maybe a bit biased because I love elephants but the herds here can be seen as far as the eyes can see. I honestly shed a few tears here! Amboseli, to me, had the best landscape!!! When I think of African safari, this is what I imagine!

2. Masai Mara - If you want diversity, this is the place! We saw four of the big five here (lion, cheetah, leopard, buffalo). It is massive and I would have loved to spend more than the two days we had here. Also, the Masai Mara Village tour, was one of the biggest tourist traps I’ve ever experienced but I would still highly recommend it at least once!

3. Lake Nakuru - Smaller park. For a portion of the park, you can actually see buildings and fencing so it felt, not so wild. If you want to see baboons though, this is the place! They run everywhere even outside of the park gates. Our guide seemed super inpatient when we wanted to stop and watch the baboons.

4. Lake Naivasha - I’m not sure how I feel about this park. I think when you compare it to the other three parks, this one felt like a petting zoo. This is the most up close and personal park you can get to! It was a nice stretch of the legs. If you want to see hippos, this is the place! It was very interesting to see how the locals and hippos live together.

After Kenya, we booked a 3 day gorilla trekking trip with Birchill Expeditions in Uganda. I thought Kenya had long drives, get ready to meet Uganda! First day, we were in the car for over 10 hours! Even though it was a super long drive, I’m glad we drove. Uganda is absolutely beautiful and feels sooo different for Kenya. It’s just so green and mountainous here! This tour was a bit more open as we were able to check out local shops and restaurants.

The trek to the gorillas can take anywhere between 1-8hrs. For us, it took about 2-3 hours! Whew! The three of us and two other tourists were guided by four men, three with guns to protect us from elephants. We encountered the Nyakagezi family made up of three silverback, four female adults, 1 teenage male and a baby male! It took years but this family is now familiar with humans so we were able to get within 5-6ft of them. You do have to wear a mask to prevent diseases from passing onto them and before you meet them, you have to put your walking sticks away as they can mistake it for a weapon and get aggressive. Once you find the gorillas you are only allowed an hour with them. I think this by far was my favorite thing on this entire trip! Just amazing!

Cost for group of three:
Kenya 7 day private jeep tour $5,190
Maasai Village Tour - $75
Boat Tour $120
Hot Air Balloon $1,350
Gorilla Trek $3,300