Overseas Adventure Travel Since 1978 SM The Best of Kenya & Tanzania 2018 18-Day Small Group Adventure EXTEND YOUR TRIP PRE-TRIP Kenya s Masai Mara Game Reserve POST-TRIP Rwanda: Gorilla Trekking Your Day-to-Day Itinerary
OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL Overseas Adventure Travel, founded in 1978, is America s leading adventure travel company. The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, The Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and others have recommended OAT trips. But our most impressive reviews come from our customers: Thousands of travelers have joined our trips, and 95% of them say they d gladly travel with us again, and recommend us to their friends. A WORD ABOUT ADVENTURE TRAVEL Our The Best of Kenya and Tanzania trip and the extensions to Masai Mara in Kenya and Rwanda s gorilla trekking are designed for people who want a different kind of travel experience. We seek out unusual experiences in out-of-the-way places. Kenya and Tanzania are developing countries, and the overall quality of travel services is not what you would find in the United States or Europe. Another element of adventurous travel is that plans may change. We respond to changing circumstances on the spot, and we may not follow this itinerary exactly. In Africa, the economy and the pace of life are quite different from what we are accustomed to in North America. Things do not always go as expected here but this is part of the adventure. We often change our plans in response to animal migration patterns or other factors. It will help a great deal for you to bring to the trip an open mind, a sense of humor, flexibility, and a spirit of adventure that allows you to take the unexpected in stride. If you do, you will have a remarkable experience! INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements All land transportation and 1 internal flights Accommodations for 16 nights 47 meals daily breakfast, 16 lunches, and 15 dinners 25 small group activities, including up to 15 game-viewing drives and walks Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader Gratuities for local guides, drivers, lodge and camp staff, driver-guides, and luggage porters 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next adventure an average of $509 WHAT THIS TRIP IS LIKE PACING 7 locations in 17 days
International flights to Amsterdam en route to Nairobi depart late in the day for an overnight flight, and 1 internal flight Airport transfers in Nairobi take approximately 1 hour PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids You must be able to walk 1-2 miles unassisted and participate in 2-4 hours of physical activities each day Traveling in a safari vehicle over roads in poor condition can cause problems for travelers with back and leg pain Not appropriate for travelers in need of CPAP machine 1 internal flight (1-2 hours long), several 8-10 hour days in safari vehicles 15-passenger aircraft with small seats ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES We spend 14 nights in comfortable but basic lodges and tented camps Our lodges use generator electricity and lantern lighting at night, and do not have air-conditioning. There could be a 1- to 5-minute walk from our tents to the main lodge Camps we stay at may be located within, or just outside of, the national parks we ll be exploring. All accommodations feature private baths We reserve the right for Trip Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group s experience CLIMATE Daytime temperatures range from 50-100 F The hottest months are October-February, and May brings heavy rains, with the short rains coming in November TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION Travel over bumpy, dusty terrain during overland transfers and game-viewing drives, and camp in tents built on uneven terrain Travel by 18-passenger coach and 4x4 closed Land Cruisers in Kenya and Tanzania
The Best of Kenya & Tanzania 2018 East Africa is legendary for its stunning national parks... long-held Maasai tribal traditions... exotic wildlife, from lions to hippos to rhinos... the towering, cloud-shrouded peak of Mount Kilimanjaro... and of course, the awe-inspiring migration of its wildebeest herds across the vast Serengeti plains. On our African safari, discover all of this and more as we explore the wild beauty of Kenya and Tanzania. You ll visit some of the world s densest collections of wildlife in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Amboseli National Park. Talk with residents in a Maasai village and connect with students at a local school. Tour the home of Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa. Plus, spend four nights just outside the gates of the Serengeti. EXTEND YOUR TRIP Kenya s Masai Mara Game Reserve 4 NIGHTS PRE-TRIP Kenya s Masai Mara Game Reserve is a gem of wild beauty. Rolling grasslands yield to breathtaking views of distant mountain ranges. Enjoy exclusive game-viewing drives in this 45,000-acre private camp, where legendary wildlife abounds. Masai Mara celebrates Africa at its most untamed. Rwanda: Gorilla Trekking 4 NIGHTS POST-TRIP Journey to Rwanda to experience one of the world s greatest wildlife encounters the rare Mountain Gorilla. Trek through the mist-shrouded forest of Rwanda s Ruhengeri region for an intimate encounter with these magnificent, gentle creatures. You ll also discover the warmth of the Rwandan people and learn about the atrocities of Rwanda s civil war at the Kigali Genocide Museum.
DETAILED ITINERARY Day 1 Fly to Nairobi, Kenya You depart in the late afternoon on an overnight flight to Amsterdam. Day 2 Fly to Nairobi, Kenya We arrive in Amsterdam this morning. After a short layover, we fly to Nairobi, and arrive in the evening. You will be met and transferred to your hotel, where we ll enjoy a Welcome Drink and a briefing on our upcoming explorations. We ll also be joined by fellow travelers who took our optional pre-trip extension, Kenya s Masai Mara Game Reserve. Day 3 Visit Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Karen Blixen Museum After breakfast at the hotel, our first stop is the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, which works to rescue distressed, orphaned elephants whose chances of survival in the wild are slim. We ll learn about their conservation and rehabilitation efforts, as well as their goals to gradually reintroduce the elephants into the wild. We then travel to the nearby Karen region, named for famed author Karen Blixen. Here, we visit a museum dedicated to Karen Blixen, who wrote Out of Africa under the pen name Isak Dinesen. The Kikuyu people she wrote about with great affection are still one of Kenya s major ethnic groups. The Danish writer, as you may know, had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills, where she lived from 1914 to 1931. The Danish government gave her beautiful house to the country of Kenya upon its independence, and today it is a museum furnished with much of her original period furniture and is open to visitors. A visit to this museum offers a fascinating peek into the lives of early 20th-century Kenyan settlers. After enjoying lunch at the Karen Country Lodge, we ll return to our hotel for some time at leisure. This evening, we ll enjoy a Welcome Dinner together in a local restaurant. Day 4 Overland to Lake Nakuru Kazuri Bead Factory This morning we ll depart for the Lake Nakuru area, traveling through the Rift Valley and enjoying splendid views as we go. Our first stop is at the Kazuri Bead Factory, which employs over 300 local women most of whom are single mothers who work together to produce handmade beads, pottery, and jewelry that gets exported to over 20 countries around the world. Then, we ll continue on to our lodge, which is located near Lake Nakuru National Park, in a setting that boasts more than 430 different avian species. After lunch back at our lodge, we ll enjoy some time at leisure before embarking on an afternoon nature walk. Be sure to keep those cameras ready this is a great chance to explore the diverse landscape and colorful birdlife here. Tonight, we ll enjoy dinner at our lodge.
Day 5 Lake Nakuru Game-viewing drives in Lake Nakuru National Park After breakfast, we ll travel overland to Lake Nakuru National Park where we ll enjoy a full-day game-viewing drive. Lake Nakuru is home to a relatively large population of black and white rhinos. These are normally elusive due to their dwindling populations, but recent conservation efforts have made Lake Nakuru one of the most likely spots in East Africa to lay eyes on one of these stunning beasts. While we re out today, we ll enjoy a hot buffet lunch, and afterwards return to our lodge for dinner. Kilimanjaro. We enjoy a game-viewing drive en route to our camp. Upon arriving at Amboseli, we check in at our tented camp in time for lunch, and then enjoy an afternoon game-viewing drive. The park shelters more than 400 bird species, including pelicans, flamingos, kingfishers, and ibis. But by far, elephants are the kings of the park. Amboseli s elephants, which are said to be among the largest in the country, are fond of the swamps, where they share the cool waters with the hippos that hide beneath the papyrus. Amboseli is also home to a large population of wildebeest and Burchell s zebra. Dinner is at our camp this evening. Day 6 Visit Giraffe Center Kibera Nairobi Today, we head back overland towards Nairobi, stopping en route at the Giraffe Center, where we ll have the chance to view a Rothschild giraffe up close. Then, we stop in Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa. Thanks to our small group size, we ll be able to meet some residents of the slum and develop a better understanding about life here. We may also have a chance to explore the Nubian Quarter, which houses the descendants of soldiers who first settled here during World War I. Once we arrive in Nairobi, we ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before checking in to our hotel. After some time to rest, we ll reconvene for dinner at a local restaurant. Day 7 Overland to Amboseli Morning and afternoon game-viewing drives Departing Nairobi, we continue overland to Amboseli National Park, set on the border of Tanzania and in the shadow of Mount Day 8 A Day in the Life of a Maasai village Afternoon game-viewing drive in Amboseli National Park We rise early to enjoy a light breakfast before traveling to experience A Day in the Life of a Maasai village and visit Amboseli Primary School (when in session). We will join the local children for their walk to school. At the school, we ll meet more students, take part in some morning activities, and discuss the school s future with the headmaster. Upon our return to the village, we ll learn more about Maasai culture, including how they tend their livestock, make their natural medicines, and create their ceremonial dress. We ll take part in daily activities both inside and outside the boma huts and enjoy free time to mingle with the villagers an intimate experience that is only possible because of our small group size. After bidding our Maasai hosts farewell, we return to our tented camp in time for lunch.
After lunch and a short rest at our lodge, we embark on an afternoon game-viewing drive. Look for the elusive gerenuk, a delicate antelope with a long, giraffe-like neck that enables it to browse the middle branches of acacia trees. You may see families of giraffe, herds of zebra and antelope and if you are lucky, you may spot the rare serval cat. Because Amboseli s abundant elephants are tracked almost constantly by researchers, they largely escaped the ravages of 1980s poaching, so you are apt to see some older tuskers here. You ll be fascinated by the abundant birdlife from the colorful little lilac-breasted roller and the comical guinea fowl to graceful hawks and eagles. We return to our camp in the early evening in time to relax before we gather for dinner. Day 9 Amboseli Overland to Tanzania After breakfast today, we depart for the Kenya-Tanzania border, enjoying a game-viewing drive en route. We continue to the town of Arusha, Tanzania, where we ll have lunch at the Arusha Coffee Lodge. We then transfer to Tarangire National Park, where we ll settle into our lodge. Upon arrival, we ll have the option to join a guided walk of our surroundings before dinner at our lodge. Day 10 Game-viewing in Tarangire National Park Today, we rise early to experience Tarangire s diversity on a full-day game-viewing drive, during which we ll pause to enjoy a boxed lunch in the park. As Tanzania s third-largest national park, it features nine distinct vegetation zones ranging from grassland to woodland, from deep gully vegetation to scattered rocky hilltops, Tarangire offers a diverse geological landscape, as well as diverse wildlife including the largest recorded concentration of breeding bird species in the world. Baobab trees dot the landscape, and the valley of the Tarangire River dominates the entire scene. Each of our driver-guides has extensive knowledge of the behavior of the native animals. After our full day in the park, we ll return to our lodge for dinner this evening. Day 11 Game-viewing in Lake Manyara National Park Today, we embark on an early morning game-viewing drive at Lake Manyara National Park, in the heart of the Great Rift Valley. Encompassing an area of just 125 square miles, the park is relatively small, but is still one of East Africa s most popular and beautiful wildlife sanctuaries. Lake Manyara National Park is known for its tree-climbing lions. Chances are also good we ll see wildebeest, giraffe, blue monkeys, vervets, impala, zebra, buffalo, bushbuck, and baboons. We ll stop at the park s hippo pool, then enjoy a picnic lunch by the hot springs. From here, we ll get a unique perspective of the nearby wetlands as we walk along a boardwalk. As we make our way back to Karatu, we ll see the valley unfold below us and with Lake Manyara stretching in the distance. We may see baboons or other wildlife along the roadside. We arrive at our lodge with some time to rest or take a stroll through the extensive grounds before dinner.
Day 12 Karatu Hadzabe & Datoga Cultural Experience This morning, we experience a rare opportunity to visit two neighboring tribes: the Hadzabe and Datoga peoples. We ll depart from Karatu with a packed breakfast and arrive at Lake Eyasi, where our small group size allows us to slip into the daily rhythm of the Hadzabe tribe. These hunter-gatherers have changed very little in 10,000 years and use a clicking based dialect. From there, we ll move on to discover the Datoga tribe. The Datoga are skilled farmers and craftsmen, and can be recognized by circular scarification patterns on their faces. We then return to our lodge, where we ll enjoy lunch before continuing our explorations nearby. We enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner is at our lodge tonight. Day 13 Ngorongoro Crater After breakfast, we depart on a morning game drive through the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage. We ll discover the diverse flora and fauna that make up this vast expanse of highland plains, savannah, savannah woodlands, and forests. Then, we ll enjoy lunch at a picnic site in the famous Crater before beginning our climb through the cloud forest and out of the Crater floor. We ll return to our lodge in the late afternoon for time at leisure before dinner. Day 14 Overland to Serengeti National Park This morning after breakfast, we ll set out for Serengeti National Park, perhaps the most famous wildlife-viewing destination in Africa. We ll embark on a game-viewing drive into the infinite expanse of the Serengeti Plain, where masses of wildlife roam the stunning landscape. The Serengeti stretches over 5,700 square miles of plains, riverine bush, and acacia woodland, with savanna grassland as the dominant environment. We enjoy lunch in the park and another game-viewing drive en route to our lodge, where we ll arrive by the late afternoon. During the next few days, we venture out from our lodge in our safari vehicles to try and spot a wide range of wildlife species lion, cheetah, hyena, and jackal stalk herds of gazelle, zebra, wildebeest, and impala. Comical warthog bend down on their front knees to graze and elegant cheetah rest in the shade of acacia trees after a hunt. Isolated rock groups, called kopjes, provide shelter to lion, leopard, and cheetah and to the tiny rodent-like rock hyrax, closest relative of the elephant. We dine at the lodge this evening. Day 15 Serengeti National Park Optional Sunrise Safari & Hot Air Balloon Ride tour Game-viewing Perhaps you ll join our optional Sunrise Safari & Hot Air Balloon Ride tour early this morning, which includes a pre-dawn game-viewing drive, breakfast with champagne under the shade of an acacia tree, and a hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti.
For those who did not take the optional balloon tour, we ll set out on an early-morning game-viewing drive with a packed breakfast. The Serengeti s varied landscape of savannahs, grassy plains, and riparian woodlands make it one of the world s most hospitable places for wildlife, which you will likely see in large numbers. Those on the optional tour will then join the rest of the group as we continue our game drive, followed by a picnic lunch. Then, we all head into the bush again for an afternoon game-viewing drive when animals resume activity. Dinner is at our lodge this evening. Day 16 Serengeti National Park Game-viewing We set out in the morning for a game-viewing drive. Then, after lunch back at our lodge, we ll return to the bush in the afternoon for a second game-viewing drive. The great diversity of Serengeti wildlife is also evident here look for buffalo, hippopotamus, elephant, lion, giraffe, antelope, and Thompson s and Grant s gazelle. In certain seasons, you may also see the spectacular migration of the wildebeest herds, which travel from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara each year. After our morning game-viewing drive, we ll enjoy lunch back at the lodge, before heading out to enjoy one more game-viewing drive. As our Tanzania and Kenya safari comes to an end, our final night in the Serengeti is spent at our lodge, where we enjoy our Farewell Dinner under the vast expanse of the African skies. Day 18 Fly to Arusha Return to the U.S. via Amsterdam or begin optional trip extension Today, we rise early, departing the Serengeti for our flight to Arusha, where we ll enjoy lunch at our hotel for the day. Travelers joining our post-trip extension to Rwanda: Gorilla Trekking will depart after lunch for their flight to Kigali. Later this afternoon, we ll check out and travel overland to Kilimanjaro International Airport for our overnight flight back to the U.S. Breakfast, Lunch We return to our lodge in the early evening and gather for dinner. Day 17 Serengeti National Park Game-viewing After breakfast, we continue to explore the vast ecosystem of the Serengeti at a pace that allows us to truly focus on observing animal behavior and interaction.
OPTIONAL TOURS During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Trip Leader. He or she will ask you to confirm the payment for these tours by filling out a payment form. Optional tours can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases. In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return. Please note: Optional tour prices are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary. Sunrise Safari & Hot Air Balloon Ride (Day 15 $530 per person) If you choose to take this optional tour, plan on waking up before dawn as we ll begin with an early morning game-viewing drive. Then we ll retreat under the shade of a nearby acacia tree where we ll enjoy breakfast in the bush with a celebratory glass of champagne. Following breakfast, our excursion continues with a breathtaking hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti. With a certified, professional pilot at the controls, we ll glide over the majestic savannas at dawn, when the morning light bathes the plains in a golden hue. There s simply no better vantage point from which to appreciate the sheer vastness of the Serengeti s more than 5,700 square miles of plains, riverine bush, and acacia woodlands. Once we land, we ll return to our camp to reunite with any travelers who chose not to take this optional tour. Please note: This tour is pre-sold only. Due to limited space, it is strongly advised that you reserve this optional tour at least 45 days prior to departure. It is also dependent on wind conditions, and may be canceled at the discretion of the balloon operators.
PRE-TRIP Kenya s Masai Mara Game Reserve INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE Roundtrip airfare between Nairobi and the Masai Mara Accommodations for 1 night in Nairobi and 3 nights in Kenya s Masai Mara 10 meals 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners 6 game-viewing drives Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters All park fees Bottled water while on game-viewing drives PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY Kenya s Masai Mara Game Reserve is a gem of wild beauty. Rolling grasslands yield to breathtaking views of distant mountain ranges. Enjoy exclusive game-viewing drives in this 45,000-acre private camp, where legendary wildlife abounds. Masai Mara celebrates Africa at its most untamed. Day 1 Fly to Nairobi, Kenya We depart for Nairobi, Kenya via Amsterdam on an overnight flight. Day 2 Arrive Nairobi, Kenya From Amsterdam, we ll fly to Nairobi, Kenya. We will be met and transferred to our hotel, where we ll enjoy a Welcome drink and have a short briefing on our upcoming explorations. Dinner is on our own this evening. afternoon game-viewing drive en route to our accommodations for the night. The wildlife in the Mara is varied and wonderful: elephant, rhinoceros, lion, hyena, zebra, wildebeest, Thomson s and Grant s gazelle, topi, and Cape buffalo. We check in to our permanent tented camp bordering the Mara later this afternoon. Dinner is at our camp tonight. Breakfast, Dinner Day 3 Fly to Masai Mara National Reserve Afternoon game-viewing drive We enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then have the morning at leisure before departing for the airport and the short flight to the Masai Mara. Upon arrival, we ll enjoy an Day 4 Masai Mara Game Reserve Game-viewing drives We rise early for breakfast and then depart for a full-day game-viewing drive. Wildlife in the Masai Mara is so abundant and so varied that you will find the early hours bring
game-sighting quite different from the drives later in the day. In particular, be alert for many of the bird species more than 450 that inhabit this wilderness. This area is teems with common species like lilac breasted rollers to more than 50 different birds of prey. We enjoy a picnic lunch out in the African bush and then resume our game-viewing drive. Dinner is at our camp this evening. Day 5 Masai Mara Game Reserve Optional Balloon Safari Game-viewing drives Begin today with an optional hot-air balloon safari. Rise before dawn in order to catch the sweeping vista of the morning light over Masai Mara. View the game reserve from a bird s-eye perspective as you gently float for an hour over the grassy plains. Celebrate touchdown with a picnic breakfast in the bush (complete with Champagne), before returning to camp mid-morning. Or join us for a morning game-viewing drive and a packed breakfast. The Mara is considered one of the great natural wonders of Africa. Here you are likely to see great herds of elephants foraging among the clumps of trees that dot the grasslands, or large predators such as lions and leopards. Crocodiles linger on the riverbank looking for unwary prey, while wildebeest and zebra migrate through the plains. We return to our camp for lunch, where you ll have time to relax and contemplate our morning s adventure. Later this afternoon, we all head out again for our afternoon game-viewing drive. Dinner is at the camp tonight. Day 6 Game-viewing drive in the Masai Mara Fly to Nairobi We rise early for breakfast and to enjoy a morning game-viewing drive in the midst of the Masai Mara before returning for a final lunch at our camp. In the mid-afternoon we fly back to Nairobi, where we join up with the main group to begin our Tanzania and Kenya safari. Breakfast, Lunch OPTIONAL TOURS Sunrise Balloon Safari (Day 5 $540 per person) Rise before dawn in order to catch the sweeping vista of the morning light over Masai Mara. View the game reserve from a bird s eye perspective as you gently float for an hour over the grassy plains. Celebrate touchdown with a Champagne-style picnic breakfast in the bush before returning to camp mid-morning. Please note: This tour is only available on select departures and must be purchased at least 45 days prior to departure. Optional tour may be sold on-site, if available. Prices are subject to change. Please note: This tour is only available on select departures and must be purchased at least 45 days prior to departure. Optional tour may be sold on-site, if available. Prices are subject to change.
POST-TRIP Rwanda: Gorilla Trekking INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE Airfare from Seronera to Kigali Accommodations for 2 nights in Kigali and 2 nights in Ruhengeri 11 meals 4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 5 dinners 7 small group activities Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY Journey to Rwanda to experience one of the world s greatest wildlife encounters the rare Mountain Gorilla. Trek through the mist-shrouded forest of Rwanda s Ruhengeri region for an intimate encounter with these magnificent, gentle creatures. You ll also discover the warmth of the Rwandan people and learn about the atrocities of Rwanda s civil war at the Kigali Genocide Museum. Day 1 Fly to Kigali, Rwanda With our Tanzania and Kenya safari having come to a close, we ll fly from Seronera to Arusha after breakfast today. We ll have lunch at a hotel and then transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for our flight to Kigali, Rwanda. Upon arriving in Kigali, we ll check in at our hotel and have a briefing before sitting down to enjoy our Welcome Dinner. Dinner Day 2 Millennium Village Tour After breakfast, we ll depart on a tour of the Millennium Village, a community project that houses over 23,000 Rwandans, allowing access for housing, healthcare, schools, improved drinking water, and business cooperatives. We ll visit the Nyamata church, as well as the agricultural intervention station. Kigali is an attractive city with lush greenery and flowering trees, and it is now considered one of the safest and friendliest African cities. Situated along a ridge and extending on both sides to a valley floor, there are superb views of the intensely cultivated and terraced mountains and hills that surround the city. During our city tour, many of the government buildings may also still reveal some of the scars of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, when in just 100 days, up to one million people (85 percent of the Tutsi population) lost their lives in a bout of massive tribal warfare between the country s Hutu and Tutsi populations. We return to our hotel this evening for dinner.
Day 3 Kigali Genocide Memorial Overland to Ruhengeri After breakfast, we ll stop at Kigali Genocide Museum, where we ll learn about the horrific events that transpired during our visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, which is constructed on a site where more than 250,000 of the victims are buried and where some of the genocide survivors now serve as guides. The Center includes three permanent exhibitions. One documents the genocide of 1994; the second is a children s memorial; and a third exhibition recounts the history of genocidal violence around the world. Together they form a stirring tribute to the evils of genocide everywhere and a powerful educational tool for the next generation of Rwandans. After lunch on our own in Kigali, we ll depart for a transfer to Ruhengeri. This afternoon, we ll have the option of exploring more of the area with our Trip Leader, or having time at leisure. Dinner is at our hotel tonight. Breakfast, Dinner Day 4 Gorilla trek This morning, we take a short drive to the Kinigi Trekking Station in Parc Nacional des Volcans, situated in Rwanda s border region with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). Skilled trackers will have gone on ahead to locate one of the habituated populations of Mountain Gorillas, and will contact our expert gorilla guide. Our expert local guide will then set out with a group of eight travelers (the maximum number allowed) on a trek that typically involves 1.5 hours of walking over steep, rugged terrain deep into the forest. Interactions should be relatively easy since the gorillas are not as active during the morning hours. Every encounter is different, but if we are fortunate, ours will be a memorable experience. We ll have lunch at our hotel, and then have the afternoon at leisure where we can explore the local community of Ruhengeri. Please note: As overexposure to humans is harmful to the gorillas, our contact is limited to one hour and there is always the possibility that they may become agitated and retreat back into the bush in less than our allotted time. Day 5 Beer factory tour Return to the U.S. This morning, we ll depart Ruhengeri and stop at a local beer factory to see how it is produced in this region. We ll then have the opportunity to visit with a local family and have a conversation about their daily life in Rwanda, perhaps discussing their experiences during the genocide that took place in 1994. Lunch is on your own this afternoon, and tonight we ll have our Farewell Dinner. We say goodbye to our fellow travelers before transferring to the Kigali Airport and flying to Amsterdam, where we ll catch a connecting flight to the United States. Breakfast, Dinner