COUNTRIES VISITED: ZAMBIA, MALAWI, TANZANIA, ZANZIBAR, KENYA, UGANDA
Day 1 Lusaka
Leaving behind the natural wonder of Victoria Falls we begin our expedition. After Livingstone we journey towards the bustling Zambian capital of Lusaka where we see locals going about their daily business. You will notice the vegetation becoming sub-tropical and the roads a little rougher.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2 Chipata
Today is a long drive through lush country, crossing rivers enroute to Chipata, the gateway to the South Luangwa National Park. Zambia is truly African and an adjustment from the more western ways of Southern Africa. There are many rural villages and farming communities.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3/4 South Luangwa National Park
Early in the morning we drive from Chipata to the border of the South Luangwa NP where we spend two nights at our campsite right on the bank of the Luangwa River. You can often see Hippo and other animals from the campsite bar. The park is known for its high concentration of leopards and hippos. The next day we visit the community run tribal textile project and a local village. Later this afternoon we enjoy a guided afternoon game drive. On occasion, in the rainy season it is impossible or inadvisable to attempt to reach South Luangwa NP, if this happens an alternative itinerary will be chosen. Optional Activities: Morning Game Drive and Game Walk in South Luangwa NP
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5/6 Malawi - Luwawa Forest
We depart from South Luangwa early and cross the border in to Malawi where we begin climbing in to the mountains that border the Malawian shores of Lake Malawi. In these higher areas there is a lot of commercial forestry and the cooler climate can be a very pleasant change from the more humid temperatures below. Luwawa Forest camp are winners of the 2008 'Community Development Work and Sustainable Tourism Award’. Take a hike to the viewpoint to see the Lake form above, or rent a Mountain Bike for some exciting riding.
Optional Activities – Mountian Biking, Abseiling, Rock Climbing, Fishing, Canoeing Sailing…
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7/8 Central Lake Malawi
The road down the mountain from Luwawa to the lake shore is scenic and quite exciting. We take a break from travelling with a couple of relaxing days at Kande Beach Village on Lake Malawi. There is lovely white sand and lots of water sport and leisure activities available. We will also visit a local village for some cultural interaction here.
Optional Activities: Scuba diving, parasailing, windsurfing, fishing, canoeing, horse riding, craft shopping, hiking and more.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9/10 Northern Lake Malawi
Leaving Kande Beach we travel north to Chitimba, a small village by the lake with more white sandy beaches. Livingstonia Mission is at the top of the nearby mountains. You can hike up to the village, but be warned, this is not a relaxing stroll… there is a beautiful waterfall and interesting permaculture project on the way and it is possible to spend the night up there. Alternatively spend another 2 relaxing days on the beach.
Optional Activities: Hike to Livingstonia Mission, Abseiling, Water sports etc.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 Tanzania – Iringa
Today we leave Malawi and enter Tanzania. We ascend out of the Great Rift Valley through some spectacular mountain passes, passing vast tea plantations in the highlands before arriving at our camp outside Iringa.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 Dar es Salaam
Today we transit through Mikumi National Park, the 4th largest National Park in Tanzania, to the historical port city of Dar es Salaam, gateway to Zanzibar. The city is one of the oldest settled cities in East Africa and, although not the capital, is the chief commercial centre of Tanzania.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13/14/15 Zanzibar
A local ferry will take us from Dar Es Salaam (where we leave the truck) to Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar. We spend the first night exploring the historical and unique architecture. There are also spice and seafood markets and the island is known for its endangered red colobus monkeys, adopted as the flagship species for conservation in Zanzibar. The following day we take a transfer to the northern part of the Island where we will spend 2 days relaxing on the beach.
Optional Activities: Lunch & Dinner, Swimming with Dolphins, Scuba Diving, Snorkelling.
Meals: Breakfast x3
Day 16 Dar es Salaam
Today we leave Zanzibar and catch a late ferry back to Dar Es Salaam and return to our truck and campsite. The evening can be spent reminiscing about our days on the island.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 17 Arusha
Today we take a long and scenic drive to Arusha, the safari capital of Tanzania and known for its authentic craft markets. On a clear day it’s possible to see Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru. After arriving in Arusha, those who are going to explore the Serengeti National Park, prepare for their excursion.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 18/19 Serengeti/Ngorongoro
Today we have the opportunity to go on a three-day trip into the Serengeti. This area has one of the most densely inhabited large animal populations in Africa. We game drive in the Serengeti NP and the amazing Ngorongoro Crater. In October and April the area is known for the circular migration of millions of herbivores travelling in pursuit of the seasonal rains. For those not going to the parks, take this chance to absorb some of the fascinating local culture.
Optional Activities: Serengeti/Ngorongoro Excursion.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 20 Arusha
Today those that went in to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro will return to Arusha where there will be time sit together and share stories of the wonderful African animals seen in the park. The Serengeti is always an unforgettable experience and one that will be shared time and time again.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 21 Kenya – Nairobi
After crossing the border into Kenya we continue to travel towards Nairobi and the end of our journey. As this portion of the tour ends here most groups like to spend this final evening at local game restaurant.
Optional Activities: Dinner at Carnivore Restaurant
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 22 – Lake Naivasha
Leaving Nairobi we travel north to Lake Naivasha and a day spent at Hell’s Gate National Park. The interesting name comes from the huge red-coloured cliffs that form the entrance to the geothermal interior. This is the only National Park where you can go hiking and activities include game and bird watching. The park entry fees are included and one of the more popular optional activities is to go game viewing from a bicycle. An alternative way to spend your afternoon is to take high-tea at Elsamere, the former home of Joy Adams, best known for her autobiographical novel, Born Free.
Optional Activities: Cycle hire, High Tea at Elsamere
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 23 – Masai Mara National Reserve
The Masai Mara National Reserve is the Kenyan side of the Serengeti National Park (located in Tanzania). Today the tour will be entering this huge area of spectacular game viewing to photograph some of Africa’s most abundant wildlife. Famous for the annual migration of around 1.5 million wildebeest, the Masai Mara is also home to many other animals, including lions. In addition to what we hope will be a successful day’s game viewing, cultural interaction with Kenya’s native Masaai people will round off your experience.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 24 – Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru NP
This morning there’s more game viewing in the Masai Mara before we travel towards Lake Nakuru NP, a great place to spot flamingos. White Rhino also inhabit the transitional savanna area surrounding the lake, with great photo opportunities for the keen photographers.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 25 – Uganda - Kampala
Leaving Lake Nakuru we drive to the Uganda border, then stop for a photo at the equator. Later we arrive in Uganda’s capital and largest city, Kampala.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 26 – Kampala Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Although officially this day is set aside for everyone to explore Kampala, most people use this day to take an optional day trip to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary of Ngamba Island. This non-profit eco-friendly project was set up in 1998 to care for orphaned chimpanzees. Ngamba Island is situated 23 km from Entebbe (near Kampala) on Lake Victoria and is only accessible by boat.
Optional Activities: Ngamba Chimpanzee Excursion, Kampala Markets, Dinner Out.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 27 – Lake Bunyoni
Lake Bunyoni is a small but attractive lake with steep sides and abundant birdlife. Ringed by mountains, the lake is best known for its dense Otter population and stunning scenery. We make use of this beautiful spot to relax and spend the night before the final drive to the Gorillas.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 28/29/30 – Gorillas
The Mountain Gorilla is extremely endangered and while exact numbers vary it is widely assumed that there are only around 650 left. Visiting the Gorillas is a great way to support their future on earth as the money spent on permits is used for their protection. An extremely important part of the future conservation of the remaining Gorillas rests in the community development work – as local communities change their attitudes towards wildlife and start to protect rather than poach, the future of the Mountain Gorilla is assured.
As permits granting permission to visit the gorillas are extremely limited we require flexibility in both the tour itinerary and where we actually visit them. The home of the Mountain Gorillas is completely at odds with man-made borders and so their range encompasses Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Whenever possible we choose to make use of the NP in Uganda, but this depends on the availability of permits.
Should we not obtain permits to visit the Mountain Gorillas in either Bwindi or Mgahinga NP in Uganda then we will inform all passengers beforehand that the tour will travel to Rwanda or DRC. Visas for all nationalities are available on the DRC and Rwandan borders.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Please note: Although there are 3-days allocated to Gorilla Trekking you will only spend one-day on the trek. The other days are there to provide a large enough window in which to obtain permits and to allow the entire group to trek if there are more than 6 of you on the tour.
Day 31 – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Many game species are to be found in this mainly wetland park including the (elsewhere elusive) giant forest hog, and the legendary tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha Sector. The 1995 square kilometres of exceptional bio-diversity contain over 600 species of birds and nearly 100 mammals. Game is best viewed from the water and we recommend the optional sunset river cruise on the Kasinga channel.
Optional Activities: Kasinga Channel Sunset Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 32 - Kampala
The morning is spent on further game viewing and this afternoon we return to Kampala where we can dine out at one of the city’s many restaurants. The next day the tour will leave early for Jinja, home to some of the best White Water Rafting in the world. As we need to pre book this activity, our guides need to know on arrival at Kampala, if you wish to brave the Nile River.
Optional Activities: Meal out in Kampala
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Day 33 – Jinja
Jinja is Uganda’s second largest city and is famous as the point where the Nile (officially the Victoria Nile) flows out of Lake Victoria and begins the 6695 kilometre journey to Egypt and the Mediterranean. If you do not want to go rafting, why not volunteer for the day at Soft Power Education, a UK registered charity that is doing a wonderful job educating Jinja’s youth.
Optional Activities: White Water Rafting, Soft Power Education Project
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 34 – Kenya - Eldoret
Returning to Kenya we visit Eldoret, the country’s 5th largest city. The Great Rift Valley is still the dominant geographical feature of this region and the altitude at Eldoret is 2100 metres above sea level.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 35 – Nairobi
Returning to Nairobi, the largest city in the East Africa region, there’s an optional dinner at the city’s famous Carnivore Restaurant, where we can swap stories and exchange contact details.
Optional Activities: Meal out in Nairobi
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
NB: The itinerary is flexible and can be changed without notice in order to accommodate the best possible viewing of the Gorillas. The Permit price to visit the Gorillas can also change without notice.












Recent comments regarding this tour from travellers:
”I have one thing to say, look after your staff, they work pretty hard and have good ideas. Better inform your staff when dealing with unexpected situations that can come up!” - Adryan (2009)
"No further comments « great trip, lots of fun, nice staff, good group." - Laila (2009)
"Sometimes it would be good to stay longer in one place." - Stefanid (2009)
"Sometimes moving camp everyday is not preferable because you can see, absorb and remember more if the pace were a bit slower. Otherwise this tour was jam-packed full of great experiences – leopard plus lion sightings, bush walks and plants plus more animals. Giom was an excellent wildlife guide. He answered many questions and Mike stopped the truck whenever we wanted. Jabu kept us all in great spirits with home-cooked meals and great funny stories!" - Beth (2009)
"Loved this trip. Would do it again or similar with Nomad and with this guide team. Unbelievably beautiful itinerary, safe, smooth, relatively comfortable. And food was also a highlight." - Edward (2009)
“It was a wonderful tour. The guides were okay, but with 24 persons the truck was overloaded." - Stephen (2009)
“More physical activities..." - Dorothy (2009)
"I was the best trip of my life. I can't give any negative comments about it! I felt like I was in heaven the whole time. It was just a dream. We had the best group I could imagine. I'll never forget it and you will see me back on another tour!" - Annelies (2009)
“Please apply the rules about the lugage – 1 per person and no big suitcase with weels!" - Will (2009)
"I had an amazing time would definitively recommend this to all my friends. I found the guides funny, but professional at the same time." Agnes (2009)
”It would be better to have a guide in the back of the truck during game drives.” Heinz (2009)
"Nice, nice, nice - without words..." Maurice (2009)
”Fantastic - did not want to leave! Great countries, great people, great food. What more could you ask for...Many thanks!!” Kathy (2009)
"Having the combination of culture, wildlife and adventure. A very balanced trip!" Blake (2009)
Sometimes the tour rushes too fast from one place to another. At nice Campsites you should stay longer without specific activities.” - Christian (2009)
“I expected little more adventure and less holiday. Perhaps longer walking trips or something like that. Perhaps put age limits on specific tours and make it more adventures for those who feel like it.” - Nicole (2009)
”Had such a wonderful time! Michelle, Philani and Ben made it really special! And Michelle made us gain at least 5 kg with her excellent cooking! Thanks so much!” - Elsa (2009)
“Very nice tour, I enjoyed myself very much! Good guides, good organized, good group. We saw lot, I am very happy with the tour.” - Pit (2009)
”But the biggest and most pleasant surprise was the crew (Patrick and Dingi). I have never seen more friendly, enthusiastic and positive crewmembers anywhere. My deepest respect to these two guys. They deserve the best from Nomads. They are their weight worth in gold.” - Rene (2009)
”It was great to have guides who had a good feeling with Africa!” - Kian (2009)