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With only 700 or so mountain gorillas left in the world, seeing them in the wild is something only a few people will ever have the chance to experience. On this tour you will have the chance to meet members of a troop which have been habituated to the presence of humans in the wild. Although gorillas are endangered, an integrated programme of education, tourism and anti-poaching measures has changed people's attitudes to gorillas and is making a positive difference to their population numbers. Due to the strict controls imposed by the Office Rwandais du Tourism et des Parcs Nationaux to protect the gorillas, only a maximum of 8 people are allowed to visit each habituated group per day with local guides. This means that while the gorillas are very well protected, permits are at a premium, particularly in the high season months of July and August. It is important to book well in advance to be sure of your place.
All of our tours are designed to get you out into the local community and meeting the local people. However, on this tour you will experience probably the most involved cultural interaction. While in the Masai Mara there are plenty of opportunities to interact with the local people who for the most part are from the Masai tribe. We of course meet the Masaii people in towns and at some of the local markets we visit in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. But while in the Mara you have the opportunity to visit one of the traditional villages or Manyata. This is a great chance to meet local people and see firsthand how the Masai live day to day, while being welcomed into their huts and playing with the kids is great fun. Also at night while in camp there may be an opportunity to participate in some dancing (usually around a fire) where you can test your jumping skills. You can also help to support the local economy by purchasing handicrafts.
Your tour leader will introduce you to many local eateries and bars throughout the tour, helping you discover the authentic local cuisine and put money back into the local economy.
Local guides will also lend their expertise to the journey, explaining the historical background and cultural significance of the places we visit. We choose only the best trained guides, who will help you to appreciate the importance of respecting the environment and understand the conservation efforts undertaken at various parks. Your entrance fees will help to support the conservation and protection of native animal and bird species, as well as support the local economy.
Our vehicles are modern, clean, powerful, comfortable, and custom-built to the road conditions of Africa. They are regularly serviced and well-maintained in order to minimise carbon emissions. It is unlikely that you will see expedition vehicles of a higher standard anywhere in East & Southern Africa. Photos are available on our website.
We have a full Responsible Travel policy available on our website, which our reservations team will email to you as a link when you book. It's full of practical tips for responsible travellers and details our company's commitment to minimising our impact on the people and the places that we visit.
Carbon Offset Scheme:
Working in partnership with international conservation charity World Land Trust in our continuing quest to establish and maintain our position as a leader in responsible travel, we are offering a new way for our travellers to make a real contribution to the health of the planet - the Carbon Offset Scheme.
World Land Trust is a not-for-profit, international conservation organisation that takes direct action to save rainforest and other biologically important lands. Since it was founded in 1989, it has helped local conservation organisations to purchase and protect over 375,000 acres of threatened habitats in Asia, Europe and Central and South America. There are many organisations offering carbon offsetting services, however we believe that World Land Trust has the most scientifically sound approach and socially responsible philosophy.
When you book your tour with us you will be able to offset a portion of your share of the carbon emissions created while you are on your tour. We will calculate what clients have donated, and donate an additional 10% of the total to World Land Trust. So the more you contribute, the more we can give! We will also absorb all processing fees associated with these payments, so there’s no administration cost to World Land Trust and they can spend the money donated where it counts - protecting threatened habitats worldwide.
What Will Happen to the Contributions?
World Land Trust will fund projects on your behalf through their Carbon Balanced programme, which reduces the amount of damage carbon emissions are doing to the environment. We will not profit from your carbon offsetting donations. Your contributions will be made directly to World Land Trust and we will not receive any direct financial benefit or commission from these donations.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
