East Africa Explorer
| country: | Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 18 Jul |
| price: | From £2625 + £50 project donation (43 days) excluding flights. Price includes all activities, training, food, accommodation and in-country transport. We can help arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This expedition will take you from the hidden delights of Malawi, to the world famous Game Parks of Zambia, from the beaches of Zanzibar to the peaks of Kenya in six weeks of adventure, discovery and exhilaration. You will trek on Mount Mulanje, take boat and walking safari’s in Liwonde National Park, overnight on lakeshore islands after a kayak safari along Lake Malawi's shoreline, snorkel, abseil and horse-ride on the lakeshore, complete your PADI or advanced scuba diving course and go on safari to find the elusive leopard in Zambia’s stunning game reserves.
Bungi jump from Victoria Falls, before heading for Tanzania and the spice island of Zanzibar, the world famous Game Reserves of southern Kenya. We conclude with the ultimate finale; a trek to the top of Africa's most beautiful peak, Mount Kenya. Your team will be sized between 8-16 plus 2 leaders. The age range varies between 18-35 but everyone has one thing in common – an enthusiasm to experience the real Africa, spend time out in the African Bush and to make a positive impact on the local communities through responsible travel.
During the expedition we use a combination of hostels, tents and thatched beach huts. Obviously, for the safari sections of the expedition you will be camping out in the wild – often this can be very basic, for example on the treks you will be using a pit a latrine and cooking over an open fire! There are two types of meals that you will be eating whilst in East Africa; food that you and your team will cook for each other, and traditional food that you will eat every now and then when invited to someone’s house or are staying with local communities.
This expedition travels during the dry season (Apr to Sep) when the weather tends to be cool and dry. It’s not unusual to experience a drizzle and clouds early in morning, which then gets burnt off as the sun rises higher in the sky. However, most of the time the weather will be hot, around 15-20 degrees, cooling down at night. As you move up the continent into Botswana and Zambia the weather will get hotter and hotter. You’ll need to take plenty of sunscreen.
Bungi jump from Victoria Falls, before heading for Tanzania and the spice island of Zanzibar, the world famous Game Reserves of southern Kenya. We conclude with the ultimate finale; a trek to the top of Africa's most beautiful peak, Mount Kenya. Your team will be sized between 8-16 plus 2 leaders. The age range varies between 18-35 but everyone has one thing in common – an enthusiasm to experience the real Africa, spend time out in the African Bush and to make a positive impact on the local communities through responsible travel.
During the expedition we use a combination of hostels, tents and thatched beach huts. Obviously, for the safari sections of the expedition you will be camping out in the wild – often this can be very basic, for example on the treks you will be using a pit a latrine and cooking over an open fire! There are two types of meals that you will be eating whilst in East Africa; food that you and your team will cook for each other, and traditional food that you will eat every now and then when invited to someone’s house or are staying with local communities.
This expedition travels during the dry season (Apr to Sep) when the weather tends to be cool and dry. It’s not unusual to experience a drizzle and clouds early in morning, which then gets burnt off as the sun rises higher in the sky. However, most of the time the weather will be hot, around 15-20 degrees, cooling down at night. As you move up the continent into Botswana and Zambia the weather will get hotter and hotter. You’ll need to take plenty of sunscreen.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-4: | Mount Mulanje trek: Transfer to the base of Mount Mulanje to begin your 3 night trek across this huge granite massif. Nights with be spent in cosy log cabins. During the day their is a chance to see an abundance of birdlife and the odd mountain antelope! |
| Day 5-7: | Liwonde National Park safari: Travel up to Liwonde National Park, stopping en route at the mind blowing views from the top of the Zomba Plateau. A short speedboat transfer will take you across to Mvuu Camp, on an Island in the middle of the luscious Liwonde Park. Surrounded by the honk of hippos and elephants in the distance you will go on walking, boat and 4 x 4safaris. Keep your eyes peeled for the Big 5 and Liwonde's elusive Black Rhino. |
| Day 8-10: | Cape MacClear kayak safari: On to the southern lakeshore of Cape MacClear where we relax on the beautiful white beaches before heading out for a 2 day kayak safari. Overnighting on one of the small offshore islands, you'll wake to the sound of rippling water and the occasional splash of the Malawian fishermen at work. |
| Day 11-15: | Cape MacClear, PADI dive course: We return to Cape MacClear and it's time for some underwater action. You'll complete your PADI Open Water Scubda Diving course, or if you are already qualified, gain your Advanced Dive qualification. Lake Malawi is famous for it's cichlid fish and exciting rock swim throughs. |
| Day 16-17: | Lilongwe: Heading west we reach Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. We overnight here at the comfortable Kiboko Camp and start preparations for the safari stage into Zambia |
| Day 18-20: | South Luangwa National Park safari: South Luangwa is one of the most wildlife rich parks in the whole of Africa. It has all the big five but is particularly well know for the high frequency spottings of the elusive leopard. You will get the chance to head out on 4x4 safari's as well as the option of walking safari's - another speciality of the area. We camp on the banks of the Luangwa River, to the sound of hippos wandering past your tent and the Fish Eagle's cry. |
| Day 21-23: | Victoria Falls, Livingstone: Visit the spectacular Victoria Falls, Zambian Side, in the afternoon on the first day. Bungi jumping or micro lighting is included: so you can choose between seeing the falls from 111m upside down on a rope, or 111m above from the wings of a microlight! One free day for sightseeing and other activities. |
| Day 23-25: | Livingstone - Dar es Salaam Tazara train: This famous railroad cuts through the Zambian highlands and takes you straight across Tanzania, through the Selous Game reserve to Dar es Salaam. |
| Day 26-30: | Zanzibar Spice Island: Wind down on the beautiful island of Zanzibar. The hype is true, this is one of the most stunning beaches in the world. The white sands and crystal blue waters, overlapped by rustling palm trees is almost too good to be true. You will time here to get some more dive practice in, or snorkel, or simply chill out on the beach. |
| Day 30-32: | Zanzibar-Moshi project visit: Head north to Moshi, a small town located under the breathtaking peaks of Kilimanjaro. Here we will spend a couple of days visiting our Tanzanian project site, where we have been working for over 4 years. The local community will, as ever, be extremely welcoming to all our groups. |
| Day 32-34: | Amboseli National Park safari: Cross the border between Tanzania to Kenya and into Amboseli National Park. This is classic Africa, with open savannahs, herds of wildlife and the all important backdrop of Kilimanjaro. |
| Day 35-42: | Mount Kenya trek: We reach Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and have a brief stopover to prepare for the trek. It's then time to undertake the big challenge of the expedition, a 5 day trek through the varying landscapes of Mount Kenya. Although not the biggest peak in Africa, Mount Kenya has a reputation of being the most beautiful. See for yourself as we take a gentle climb up it's slopes, to reach the ultimate end to the expedition - looking over the plains of Africa. |
| Day 43: | Nairobi: Return to Nairobi then it's time to say goodbye. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Our expeditions travel to areas of astounding natural beauty and visit inspiring local communities across Africa.
 It is essential that for every location that hosts a team the impact on the local people and environment is carefully considered. We are able to ensure that our impact is positive by ensuring that we buy local (at a fair price), use locally run operators, and visit locally run social projects, such as our Tanzania Community Development Project where we have actively supported the local community for the last 4 years. To date our teams have built: two pre-primary schools, one library, one medical centre, two adventure playgrounds, renovated numerous schools, completed a two storey accommodation block for members of the vocational training centre, and much more. We also work hard to minimise our environmental footprint by adopting a zero-litter policy, managing waste and water use and recommending environmentally friendly products to all our Expedition team members. Through briefing and training all staff and team members we ensure that all teams are able to act responsibly and in a culturally appropriate manner before, during and after an expedition. Join us and see how travel can enrich not only you but the world around you. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |