Nairobi To Dar Es Salaam overland tour

Planet

Visiting the mountain gorillas is one of the ultimate wildlife-viewing experiences. There are thought to be only 700 of these magnificent creatures left in the world. They are essential to the tourist economies of both Uganda and Rwanda and somewhat controversially the tourist dollar is essential to the survival of the gorillas. The gorilla trek and permit money is used for anti-poaching programs and maintenance of the National Parks-the gorillas natural habitat.

Visits to the gorillas are very well controlled by the Parks Authority in order to minimise the potential negative impact on the gorillas. Group sizes are limited to eight; visits last for one hour (and there is only one visit allowed per day) and a distance of seven metres has to be maintained. Every effort is made to ensure that the gorillas are not exposed to human bacteria. Physical contact is not allowed and visitors are not allowed to trek if they are suffering from a cold. A tourist infrastructure has also built up around the gorilla trekking points-providing accommodation, food, transport and souvenirs-creating lots more local employment.

We also visit a number of other conservation /community projects en route-that support local communities and conservation initiatives. In Uganda for example, our clients have the opportunity to visit the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary which cares for rescued or orphaned chimpanzees. In Kenya clients can visit Elsamere-the home of the Elsa Conservation Trust which has donated millions to wildlife and conservation projects and has an on-site conservation centre.

We support local wildlife directly in Kenya , by sponsoring an orphaned elephant named, Kamboyo, at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, just outside Nairobi .

People

On this trip we stay at small, locally run campsites and where possible buy our food in local markets, thereby directly supporting local communities. We use local companies to run all our excursions. We have been working with our Gorilla trekking co-ordinator for many years now and indeed, have known him since he was a child selling us cakes and drinks before our gorilla treks. He has expanded his range of activities, available to our travellers over the years to include things like banana beer making with the local community. This provides extra income to the local community and great opportunities for immersion in the local culture.

At Lake Bunyoni, in Uganda our crew and travellers have helped us support a local pygmy village. When possible we have lunch with the villagers. They cook us a traditional meal which we pay for and this helps bring an income into the village. Some of the villagers also make handicrafts which our crew and travellers buy further supporting local skills and traditions and providing much needed income. We have also helped the village purchase some land and materials to build their own school.

We try as often as possible to support small-scale cafes, bars and restaurants on our tours. One of our crew's favourite places is The Equator café in Uganda-unsurprisingly , situated very close to the Equator! The café's proceeds helps to support Aids orphans. Supporting them is easy as they make the best muffins and smoothies! Our crew love it so much that they usually phone in advance to ensure they have enough muffins! They café also doubles up as an art gallery, so plenty of time to browse and purchase the artwork before indulging in the food!

Before commencing the tour all our clients are provided with detailed pre-departure info which includes information on Responsible Travel. This information is re-emphasised by our Tour Leader at the start of the trip-clients are, for example, advised about respecting local customs particularly in terms of dress and behaviour; water conservation; respecting and conserving wildlife and their habitats; purchasing of endangered species products and so on.