2020 Sample Itinerary - Kenya and Rwanda Safari

Start early on a game drive from Ol Pejeta Bush Camp and catch the early birds and wildlife before finishing up with a bush breakfast in a surprise location. An idyllic way to begin the day.

Only available in a select few wildlife areas across the continent, a night game drive is a wonderful way to see the nocturnal animals of the conservancy. With the help of a spotlight and an expert Ol Pejeta Bush Camp guide, you stand the chance of spotting some of Kenya’s more unusual critters — aardvark, zorilla, bat-eared foxes and leopard to name but a few. Wrap up warm and let loose that intrepid explorer inside you. Please note that it gets very cold on night game drives, so we recommend wearing extra layers for comfort.

Today, only 2 northern white rhino remain in the world and both are found at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in a 700acre enclosure protected by 24hour armed security. Take the opportunity to visit the enclosure, learn from the keepers about the efforts being taken to preserve the last of this highly endangered species, as well as see Grevy’s zebra and Jackson’s hartebeest in a private and intimate setting.

Morning visit: 08h30 or afternoon visit: 16h00 – duration 45 minutes. Maximum 6 people per visit and physical interaction with the rhinos is relatively restricted. (At an additional cost)

Visit the conservancy’s blood hound dog kennels and learn about the training that transforms these canines into anti-poaching patrollers. After your tour, you can play a game of human-canine hide and seek, trying to evade the dogs and finding a spot to hide within the Morani Information Centre. A great way to interact, get a bit of exercise for you and the hounds as well as assist in their training.

Morning visit only: 08h30, maximum group size 6, minimum age 12years. Closed-toe shoes recommended. In case the dogs are deployed we will refund money or try to reschedule the activity. (At an additional cost)

Several lions on the conservancy have been fitted with radio collars, and you can learn how to track them with the researchers with a special tracking device. When you locate a pride, you will learn how to identify the individuals by notches on their ears, whisker patterns, and other distinguishing marks. All data is passed to the Ol Pejeta Ecological Monitoring team in order to further understand these magnificent predators. Guests remain in the vehicle at all times.

Morning activity: 06h30 and afternoon visit: 15h30 – duration approx. 2hours, maximum 6 people. (At an additional cost)

The chance to ride amongst the endangered species including the northern white rhinos is a once in a lifetime experience. This predator-free area is wonderful to explore on horseback, with the chance to also encounter various other endangered species such as the southern white rhinos, Grevy’s zebra or Jackson’s hartebeest.

Morning visit: 8.30 am or 11 am; Afternoon visit: 3 pm or 4.30 pm — duration 1 hour. Riding hats and tack are provided. Riders must wear suitable footwear, long trousers and sleeves. Maximum of six riders in a group. The rides will only be open to experienced riders and some proof of riding ability will be required at point of booking; clients judged to be of insufficient riding ability will not be permitted to undertake this activity.

Fully incorporated into the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary remains the only place in Kenya where this highly endangered species can be seen. Over 40 chimps rescued from the bush-meat industry live in troops on either side of the Ewaso Nyiro River, in a project that aims to preserve chimpanzees and their habitats through public education. (At an additional cost)

Keep your fitness levels up while on safari by joining the Ol Pejeta Conservancy rangers on their early morning run. They do this daily to keep fit, and we can arrange for our guests to join them and enjoy the chance to have a coffee with them afterwards to learn more about their work to keep the wildlife on the conservancy safe. A fun and rewarding way to start your day!

Available on Wednesday and Friday at 7 am, maximum six people, minimum age 12 years. Suitable running shoes are needed as well as the ability to run a minimum of 5kms without stopping. (At an additional cost)

Are you a cycling enthusiast looking for a unique ride? Then look no further! We offer a weekly 84km ride from Nanyuki to Mpala Research Centre and back, including a stop for lunch at the Big Rock and some non-technical rock climbing.

Departs by car every Sunday from Ol Pejeta to Nanyuki at 9h00 and returns at 17h00. Bikes and helmets are provided. (At an additional cost)

Ol Pejeta operates a unique wildlife-livestock integration model; balancing over 6000 cattle with conservation. During the activity guests will learn about the creation of biodiversity hotspots and either help move one of the conservancy’s predator proof cattle ‘bomas’ or assist in a cattle spray race.

Morning activity: 8 am duration of two hours. Closed shoes recommended. (At an additional cost)

We offer unlimited game drives in custom designed 4x4 safari vehicles, with open sides, camera stands and roof hatches. These vehicles are designed to optimize game viewing and photography.

Drives can be arranged at any time and we do not have time constraints. Usually guests head out around 6.30am for a long morning drive with a picnic breakfast carried in the car. For those wanting to go out for a full day, a picnic lunch can also be carried. Afternoon drives tend to start around 4pm after a cup of tea and slice of cake and often cars do not return to camp until after dark.

Being in the exclusive Mara North Conservancy we can also head out after dinner (until 10pm) with filtered spot lights (so as not to disturb the nocturnal species) and see what activity is going on 'after hours'! Sundowners and bush dinners are also a highlight.

All our guides are highly qualified silver rated guides and groups of four or more will always have their own vehicle.

Experience the Mara from foot - you will be escorted by a local Masai guide who grew up on the land herding cattle and knows it intimately. The small five and other interesting facts will be revealed that you often miss in the vehicle. Often an excuse to burn off some calories from the delicious food in camp!

Picnic breakfasts and lunches are often carried in the vehicles so you have the flexibility to stop where you like and enjoy your meal in stunning surroundings.

Bush dinners are also a highlight of your stay.

A famous safari tradition is sundowners in the bush.....after a full day of game viewing there is nothing more refreshing than evening drinks as the sun sets over the horizon, listening to the sounds of Africa. With a fire to sit around and a fully stocked bar, it is not until the stars appear that you will pry yourself away and head back to your beautiful camp....hopefully finding lion or leopard on the way!

With our two spacious family tents we are a very child friendly camp with rates to suit. Over the main Northern hemisphere holidays in particular (July, August and Christmas and New Year) we have lots of families staying. We also have two extended safari vehicles which will comfortably fit 8 people.

If Mum and Dad fancy a chill out in the afternoon, are team of Masai guides are more than happy to entertain the little ones - be it learning to fire a masai bow and arrow or throw a spear, beading with some of the ladies from the community, fishing or even baking a cake for afternoon tea there is plenty to keep children entertained between drives and walks.

Special or early meals can easily be arranged and if your children want to go to bed early, a Masai guard will sit outside their tent until you return - and radio the main mess tent if they wake up - so you can enjoy your dinner in peace!

The Maasai people are a fascinating and beautiful tribe who are proud of their traditions and love to show our guests their way of life. Offbeat Mara Camp work very closely with our local community and visiting these villages is a morning or afternoon well spent. There is a charge $30 per person to vist a Maasai village.

Offbeat Mara Camp can arrange spectacular hot air balloon safaris across the Masai Mara...a truly spectacular way to view the wildlife and scenery

For those wanting some exercise and to burn off the calories running in the bush with our Maasai staff is the best run you will ever do.

All of our guides are graduates from the Koiyaki Guiding School, which is a superb training ground for some of Kenya's top guides. Guests can visit this school to learn more about the work done here

For some light hearted line fishing, the Olare Orok River on which Offbeat Mara Camp is set, offers the perfect spot to try and catch a catfish or Tilapia.

Tracking mountain gorillas through the dense African forests is a magical experience. Only eight visitors are allowed per gorilla group each day, and to minimize possible transmission of human diseases, visitors are asked to maintain a distance of 7m (about 22 feet) from the gorillas. Typically, tracking can take from 3 to 8 hours and requires some agility and fitness; however, all fitness levels can be accommodated and no one should feel deterred from missing this once in a lifetime experience.

This exclusive experience allows a total group of 8 guests to track a gorilla group in the forest on their own. This enables guests to have a deeper connection with these fascinating animals, accompanied by their own guide who can give them personal briefing. The cost is 15,000 USD per trek per day, for a maximum of 8 guests.

With only a small number remaining in the world, the Golden Monkey can be found in the foothills of the volcanic mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Characterized by its bright golden body, cheeks and tail, with contrasting black limbs, crown and tail end, these playful primates are a pleasure to watch. Whether you choose to do this on the Rwandan or Ugandan side, the walk will take you from the bamboo stands and forested gorge on the lower levels of the volcanoes, to the elevated heath and moorland higher up.

The group of Intore Dancers is made up of 24 dancers and two dance trainers.

The troupe perform the traditional Rwandan ballet called The Intore, also known as “The Heroes” for Volcanoes Safaris guests, which is based on the courtly victory dance of the Rwandan Mwami (kings). Being selected as an Intore in times of old was a great honour – they would receive a privileged education, intensive combat training and they held a high status within the court. Today, the dancers use traditional weapons such as spears and bows and wear brightly coloured clothes and long flowing white hairpieces.

Located in a beautiful meadow nestled between the Karisimbi and Visoke volcanoes are the graves of Dian Fossey and some of her beloved research gorillas. For anyone interested in gorilla conservation in Rwanda, or interested in Fossey’s personal story, the trek to her grave is highly recommended. This trek starts early in the morning, can take 6-8 hours and is operated by the National Park.

Rwanda offers some of the world’s best bird watching, with a vast diversity of bird species. Rwanda has over 700 bird species and is home to the second highest number of Albertine endemics in the Albertine region. Each of our lodges offers the chance to see a number of different birds, with the vast majority endemic to the Region.

Guests of Virunga lodge have easy access to the Virunga chain of volcanoes, which offer challenging hikes and stunning panoramas. The three most popular volcanoes to climb are Mt. Gahinga, Mt. Sabyinyo, and Mt. Muhavura. These hikes are of varying difficulty and typically take a full day. The treks starts at 7:00am from the park headquarters, from where visitors will have to drive / be driven to the base of the volcano.

On a free afternoon at Virunga Lodge we recommend taking advantage of the lodge’s unique position by meandering down the mountain slope, through local villages, and to Lake Bulera, which sits at its foot. Passing through the local communities offers a colorful peek into village life and opportunities to visit local schools and community centers.

Although it rains heavily around Virunga Lodge, there are very few facilities for water catchment and storage and in the dry season there is an acute shortage of water. The villagers in Sunzu village around the lodge, where 138 families live, do not have enough clean water for drinking or for growing crops.

Starting in 2016, Virunga Lodge has been providing plastic water tanks to the local community and with the support of our guests,

In June 2014 Virunga Lodge launched the “One Sheep per Family” project, to provide one sheep to each of the 140 families in the Sunzu community. The sheep manure provides natural and effective fertiliser for growing crops. As well as providing manure, selling lambs provide income for the family.

For the project to work effectively, the community is divided up into 14 groups and each group is given nine females and one male. After all females produce an offspring, the breeding males are rotated to a different group for genetic diversity. A new family takes over caring for the male and donates one female offspring back to the previous ram caretaker.

The Dian Fossey Map Room at Virunga Lodge has been built in honor of Dr. Dian Fossey, the pioneer primatologist who set up the Karisoke Center high in the Virunga volcanoes in 1967. The exploration and conservation of the Virunga volcanoes is a very interesting and unique story and has been brought together for the first time in the amazing exhibition at the Dian Fossey Map Room at Virunga Lodge.

The Dian Fossey Map Room was opened on 2 March 2017. A permanent exhibition has been set up in the Map Room charting the ‘Conservationists and Explorers of the Virunga Volcanoes’ from 1850 to 1985 when Fossey died.