Category: Africa

If, like me, you love safari and all things Africa but prefer your experiences in the bush to be filled with authentic encounters through your very own eyes, not an expensive pair of binoculars, a luxury walking safari will be right up your street.

From living in Africa for over 3 years I’ve become a big fan of swapping the noisy jeep for a back to basics approach of strapping on my walking boots and slowing down the pace. Most importantly, you get a better feel and understanding for the incredible environment you’re in. From a few hours meandering through the bush to back-to-back days guided walking with expert trackers there are more than a few ways to experience a walking safari – I’ve experienced most of them, some of my top picks for anyone interested are below:

Karisia – Kenya

A world away from the modern world of glamorous lodges, Karisia is the ultimate place for walking safaris in the Northern wilds of Kenya. Here, days are spent wandering through the bush from camp to camp with local Samburu warriors as your guides in their own land.

Tafika – South Luangwa – Zambia

Sitting along the Luangwa River Tafika is in the heart of Zambia’s prime game viewing area. Definitely one for safari purists, here you can take guided walks to visit local villages as well as hunt out the incredibly vast array of wildlife. Walking safaris are a speciality of the Luangwa Valley and a two or three day walking trail to Tafika’s remote bush camps are highly recommended.

Impala Camp – Selous Game Reserve – Tanzania

With elephants walking through the camp and hippos grunting in the water below, you don’t always have to trek far in this area to experience the wildlife close up. The early morning walking safaris here are well worth the early alarm clock and perfect for catching Tanzanian wildlife at the breaks of dawn.

Alex has over 3 years experience of living across Africa and currently advises people on the best spots to holiday at over at Exsus Luxury Holidays.

Very many people do come to this “black continent “for various reasons ranging from business, tourism and investments.However,it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that most of this influx of people to this continent come purposely to view the natural endowments in this continent. The most driving factor as far as tourism is concerned is the availability of primates in this continent. Such kind of primates include; chimpanzees, gorillas and the baboons. So under this chapter, we strive to look at how does one behave when going for primates trekking in Africa.

Even the most obnoxious been-there-done-that adventurer will admit there is no thrill like standing just a few feet from a 400-pound wild mountain gorilla in his turf looking right into his incredibly human eyes. With fewer than 1000 mountain gorillas left in the wild, gorilla trekking is not just an extraordinary, life-changing adventure, it’s a valuable economic lifeline for these endangered gentle giants. If traveling abroad brings you anywhere near the last remaining habitat of mountain gorillas, do not pass up the opportunity to go gorilla trekking in Africa.

Gorilla trekking involves hiking deep into the mountain jungles of Uganda, Rwanda, or the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to observe a gorilla family in the wild. On a gorilla safari, you go with guides, national park rangers who monitor the gorillas for conservation record keeping, and help protect them from poachers. They can determine the general area where a gorilla family will be, and are skilled in tracking them.

The length of the trek is entirely up to the gorillas. Sometimes the guides can track them down in less than two hours, other times it can take much longer. Mountain gorillas are nomadic, traveling the jungle in families and camping out just long enough to clear a wide area of all its fruit, have a nice sleep on nests of leaves, and move on. They don’t follow a clear path, either — so if you’re tracking them, you realize pretty quickly that these big suckers like to meander.

At times it takes over six hours tramping through dense jungle, on a mat of vines that cling to your feet, to find the gorillas. Sometimes, there are no trails and the onus is on your guides to clear ways with machetes for you to pass and at times you can use passages made by the gorillas themselves. Your trail can switch back and forth, uphill and down, at least once up a sheer cliff face that you have to scale, your heart pounding, clinging to thick jungle vines.

The first gorillas to be viewed most of the times are mothers holding their babies, with juvenile gorillas playing around them a sight you would see in any playground in the United States or wherever you are coming from except that these were gorillas instead of people. When you approach, the mamas climb up some tall trees with their babies and generally stay high up.

The younger ones do come barreling over to you, stop just a few feet away and start pounding their chests and hooting. Your guide will obviously tell you that they want you to play with them, and even though they are smaller gorillas, it is still intimidating. That feeling grows tenfold when a 500-pound silverback gorilla come galloping between you and them not threatening, but definitely letting you know that he is keeping an eye on the situation. The younger gorillas will automatically give up trying to play with you and just play with each other — rolling, wrestling, swinging on vines, and pounding their chests, just like in the movies.

This is always a big family of about 35 gorillas and at time more or less than that and you only have an hour in their presence (wearing surgical masks to prevent any diseases being passed back and forth between our species). As you watch them, your guide will be explaining the gorillas’ behavior — which humans can easily interpret as menacing and you will come to realize that they are not threatening at all, and just as curious about you as you are with them. The rangers are always familiar to them. By the time the hour is up, most of the intimidation that you were harboring will be gone and by this time you will be highly equipped with your best photos and videos.

So if at all you want to go gorilla trekking, there are various steps and requirements that one must fulfill before going on this life time experience and we can highly digest them as below;

Purchase Your Gorilla Trekking Permit. Permits are sold through national park services, and this income helps the parks in their mission to protect the gorillas from poachers and environmental destruction. Many licensed eco-tourism companies in Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC will help you buy your permit and arrange transportation to and from the start of your jungle trek. Because the parks restrict human interaction with mountain gorillas (for their health and safety), gorilla trekking permits are limited, and sell fast. Buy your permit well in advance, and build your trip around it.

Get ready for Africa! Get the recommended immunizations and required visas for whatever country or countries you’ll be visiting. The mountain gorillas’ habitat is right at the intersections of Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, making it easy to travel a bit around central Africa before or after the trek.

Welcome to the Jungle. Having the right equipment is essential for gorilla trekking. The jungle hike can be arduous and take hours. You will need sturdy trekking shoes, wool or moisture-wicking socks, comfortable hiking clothes, rain gear, a first aid kit, and lightweight sports backpack that can carry plenty of water and snacks. A waterproof camera is highly recommended, since nothing ruins a good camera like a jungle downpour.

The mountain gorilla (botanical name Gorilla beringei beringei) is the largest, strong ape inhabiting Africa’s volcanic slopes, has few natural predators. But due to increase in human nature and new invention the gorillas are highly endangered animals because of man. Such as poaching, civil war, and habitat destruction, the mountain gorilla, a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, has become the most endangered type of gorilla.

Currently, the mountain gorilla’s habitat is limited to protected national parks in two regions of Africa. One group of gorillas lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. The other group is spread over three national parks in the Virungas mountain region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda.

Mountain gorillas are as shy as they are strong. But when threatened, they can be aggressive. They beat their chests and let out angry grunts and roars. Group leaders will charge at the threat. Mothers will fight to the death to protect their young.

Mountain gorillas live in groups of up to 30. The group, or troop, is led by a single alpha male, an older silverback. These males are called silverbacks because of the silver stripe they develop on their backs when they mature. The oldest males of the group are at least 12 years old. These troops also include several younger males, adult and juvenile females, and infants.

In addition to providing protection to group members, silverbacks maintain order and decide all activities within their troop. They schedule feeding trips, resting time, and travel. They also father the majority of the young in the group.

Female mountain gorillas can produce young beginning at age 10. They carry one or two babies at a time and give birth after a 8.5-month gestation period. In general, they will bear between two and six offspring in a lifetime.

Newborn gorillas weigh about 1.8 kgs at birth. They are as weak and uncoordinated as human babies. For the first four years of their lives, they get around by clinging to their mothers backs. By 3.5 years of age, the young gorillas are fully weaned from their mother’s milk and start the same diet as mature mountain gorillas: plants, leaves, roots and shoots.

Fully-grown male mountain gorillas can weigh up to 180kg. Females weigh half that at about 90 kg. Aside from the silver stripe on their backs, male mountain gorillas are distinguished from females because they have a crest of fur on their heads. Both genders have similar thick black hair covering their body. Their thick hair keeps them warm in cold mountain temperatures.

In Uganda, Bwindi is the ultimate destination for gorilla trekking safaris, journeys to see the great apes in the wild. In the whole world, there are as few as 1000 mountain gorillas left. Gorilla tracking will cost you about US$700 per person and this activity is limited to only those who are above 15 years. The gorilla tracking is done in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park.

Gorilla tracking is for exactly one hour after meeting the gorillas, typically they do not count the trekking time they do consider the time when you meet the gorillas. There is actually gorilla habituation in Uganda where you get to spend about four hours with the gorillas in the wild.

Top Things to See in Rwanda

Mountain Gorillas

Rwanda is blessed to have the mountain gorillas in her volcanoes national park located in the western part of the country. Mountain gorillas are very endangered primates that are currently remaining in only 3 countries on the entire planet. Of the three countries, Rwanda is the best destination for gorilla safaris and currently there are 10 habituated mountain gorilla groups. The mountain gorillas in Rwanda are very easy to track because the forests in volcanoes national park where the mountain gorillas live are not very thick thus offering much clear views of the great apes relaxing and well as a better chance for clear photographs.

The Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is located a few kilometers from the capital city Kigali and can be got to after a 2 to 3 hours drive coupled with en route sightings of the beautiful landscapes in the Rwandan countryside.

The mountain gorilla tracking permits for Rwanda are sold at $750 and the mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park can be tracked at any time of the year. Tourists are however recommended to book or secure their mountain gorilla tracking permits early enough because a limited number is usually available a day (only 80 mountain gorilla permits).

Golden Monkeys

These are also very unique primates in Rwanda that also inhabit the forested mountains of Volcanoes National Park. Just like mountain gorillas, golden monkeys are also very rare primate species that can only be found in the Virunga massif to covers volcanoes national park. These primates are very unique with their golden fur and also live in groups just like most of other primates.

Golden monkey tracking also starts in the morning however tourists usually return by mid day and can therefore get time to rest or go for a cultural tour to the Ibyiwacu cultural village. The golden monkey tracking permits is sold at $100 and they can also be tracked at anytime of the year.

The Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees in Rwanda live in Nyungwe forest, which is situated in southwestern Rwanda. This forest is among the less disturbed natural forest in east Africa and is a home to not only chimpanzees but also a wide range of wildlife species including birds, plant vegetation, insects and many others.

Chimpanzees are however the leading wildlife attractions of Nyungwe forest national park and the forest has tracking trails that lead tourist to different corners of the forest amidst great scenic views.

Savanna Wildlife Species

Akagera national park located in eastern Rwanda is the only savanna national park in Rwanda and a home to a number of savanna wild animals that include zebras, giraffes, lions, hippos, buffaloes, baboons plus a number of antelopes.

Akagera national park covers lake Ihema, which is a home to a number of aquatic wild animals, and it’s where tourists while on a boat cruise that costs only $40 view the hippos and crocodiles.

The other wildlife species in the national park can be viewed while on game drives. Park entrance fees are only $35.

Tanzania is a country in East Africa within the Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. 

Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is in north-eastern Tanzania. Tanzania is ranked as the top destination for Big Five safaris and the vast majority of tourists also visit Zanzibar – or do a northern circuit of Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro.

People also come to Tanzania to go chimpanzee trekking. Recently Primate Safaris Rwanda visited Tanzania to clearly understand the difference between the chimpanzees in Tanzania and those in Uganda.

Tanzania

Gombe Stream National Park is one of the smallest national parks in Tanzania at only 20 square miles. The park is located in the western Kigoma region and was established in 1968. The terrain is distinguished by steep valleys, and the forest vegetation ranges from grassland to alpine bamboo to tropical rain forest.

The park is accessible by boat and is known to be a home for chimpanzees. It is in this park where Jane Goodall conducted her research on chimpanzees. The park’s diversity makes it increasingly popular, just like Kibale Forest National park in Uganda. Besides chimpanzees, primates inhabiting Gombe Stream include beachcomber olive baboons, red colobus, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, and vervet monkeys.

The park is also home to over 200 bird species and bush pigs. There are also 11 species of snakes, and occasional hippopotami and leopards. Visitors to the park can trek into the forest to view the chimpanzees, as well as swim and snorkel in Lake Tanganyika with almost 100 kinds of colourful cichlid fish.

With the support of renowned anthropologist Louis Leakey, Goodall set up a small research station in Gombe Stream in hopes of learning more about the behavior of our closest relatives. There she spent months tracking the elusive chimpanzee troops, particularly the Kasakela chimpanzee community, and observing their daily habits until she was slowly accepted by one troop and was allowed rare and intimate glimpses into chimpanzee society. She wrote many books and filmed many documentaries about the behavior of chimpanzees.

Uganda

Uganda is the world’s second most populous landlocked country after Ethiopia. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region. Uganda also lies within the Nile basin and has a moderate equatorial climate.

Uganda is the most well known destination for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Africa.

The Kibale Forest National Park, located in western Uganda, is known to be the home to the close relatives of humans, chimpanzees. It contains a diverse array of landscapes and Kibale is one of the last remaining expanses to contain both lowland and montane forests. In eastern Africa, it sustains the last significant expanse of pre-montane forest.

Kibale National Park is an important eco-tourism and safari destination, popular for its population of habituated chimpanzees and 12 other species of primates. The park has one of the highest diversity and concentration of primates in Africa. The park protects several well-studied, habituated communities of common chimpanzee, as well as several species of central African monkey including the Uganda mangabey, the Ugandan red colobus and the L’Hoest’s monkey. Other primates that are found in the park include the black-and-white colobus and the blue monkey.

The park’s population of elephants travel between the park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Other terrestrial mammals that are found within Kibale National Park include red and blue duikers, bushbucks, sitatungas, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, common warthogs, and African buffalo. The carnivores that are present include African leopards, African golden cats, servals, different mongooses and two species of otter. In addition, lions visit the park on occasion.

The park boasts many species of birds, including the olive long-tailed cuckoo, western tinkerbird, two species of pittas (African and green-breasted) and the African grey parrot.

Primate Safaris Rwanda is offering a safari that gives you the opportunity to visit the primates in both nations. Check out the the 8-day safari here!

Traditionally, when one took an African safari, the only way to view wildlife was on a game drive. Today there are more options for game viewing, ensuring that there is a way for everyone to view wildlife on safari, so check out these options before you book your African safari with Go African Safaris.

Game drive in vehicle

This entails driving slowly through the park or reserve, in the vehicle of your choice, looking for game. Once you spot something, you can stop for some time observing the animals.

The vehicles used for this type of activity are the 8 or 9 seater minivan with roof hatches that pop open (cheapest option) , a 4WD Landcruiser which has the roof panels opening up, and finally the 4WD Landcruiser/Landrover from which the sides of the body have been removed and replaced with either canvas or tarpaulin – which can be rolled down in case of rain (this type of vehicle is normally based in the parks or reserves).

Game walk

This is an activity which is best undertaken in the morning hours or the late afternoon hours, before it gets too hot, and normally lasts about 2 to 3 hours. The game walk, in addition to being more eco-friendly than the game drive, allows you to get closer to nature. Your guide will show you things that you cannot see from a vehicle, like animal tracks and droppings – and you will learn about traditional medicine as well.

Also viewing wildlife from this perspective is completely different from when you are in a vehicle. It’s usual to have an armed ranger accompanying you on the walk, together with your guide and/or naturalist. Game walks cannot be done in national parks or reserves, only in conservancies and sanctuaries.

Balloon safari

Flying high over the plains gives you a bird’s eye view of the wildlife below and this is particularly interesting when there are big movements of game happening, like the wildebeest migration. Getting a closer look at game is difficult as you are high above them, but the feeling of soaring above the plains and watching the game below is fantastic.

Canoe safari

This is a unique way of viewing wildlife, gliding on the waters of the river, watching the hippos and elephants crossing the river and other wildlife coming down to drink. This activity is not so common in East Africa except in Lake Manyara, but is quite popular as you go further south to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The possibility of seeing cats are quite slim – mostly you would see hippos and crocodiles with occasional glimpses of elephants. However the scenery is wonderful and it is a wonderful way to pass the time, drifting along in the canoe. However this is a potentially dangerous activity so do make sure you book with a reliable and professional operator.

Horseback Safari

If you are an experienced rider, there is no better way to experience a safari than from the back of a horse – you get to ride up close to elephant, zebra and wildebeest. This is a specialised safari where the horses have to be trained to be near wildlife, and so it not on offer at all parks and reserves.

Remember you don’t have settle for the traditional game drives on your safari, you can tailor make your safari and choose the type of wildlife viewing that appeals to you.