Kenya and Rwanda: Masai Mara and Mountain Gorillas

Travel Information

Thanks for choosing Kenya and Rwanda with Terra Incognita Ecotours, Inc. It is our pleasure to help you plan for your upcoming ecotour. To ensure that your travel arrangements are made to your satisfaction, please take a few minutes to read through this information.

What you need to have with you on your trip:

Passport: If you are a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you will need a passport, valid for six months from the date of completion of your trip.

It is always a good idea to make a photocopy of your airline tickets and of the pages of your passport that have the number, your photograph and other pertinent information. Keep the copies separate from the originals.

Visas: If you are a U.K. or U.S.A. citizen you will need a visa for both Kenya and Rwanda, for Kenya an e-Visa must be applied for before boarding your flight to Kenya, for Rwanda the visa can be acquired on arrival to the Kigali airport.  If you are not a U.K. or U.S.A. citizen, please consult the Kenya and Rwanda consulate or embassy nearest you for visa requirements to enter Kenya and Rwanda. If a visa is required, you are responsible for obtaining it.

Documents for children under the age of 18, not traveling with both parents: Governments are increasingly requiring that minors under 18 years of age traveling alone, with grandparents, or with one parent/legal guardian only, carry a notarized document signed by both parents or by the parent/legal guardian not traveling with the child. We suggest you obtain such a document (noting the age of the child, relationship to traveling adult(s), dates of travel, and destination) to avoid potential problems. For example, in the case of divorce, the parent with legal custody must sign the permit, and the accompanying adult must carry proof of this fact. In addition, if the child’s surname differs from that of either parent, you may want to carry the child’s birth certificate.

Please note: You must be over 15 years of age to obtain a gorilla viewing permit.

Emergency Contact number while on your ecotour:

Call COLLECT (813) 476-2810

Security: Certain areas of Kenya are experiencing security issues, notably along the Somalia border area, and we will not be visiting (or close to) any of these areas. There are currently no security problems in Rwanda. After the tragedy of the genocide in 1994, Rwanda has now stabilized and welcomes visitors. Please feel free to check with the US State Department for any updates or change in conditions.

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

The highlight of the Rwanda ecotour is undoubtedly the opportunity to trek the endangered Mountain Gorilla, and there is no doubt a face-to-face encounter with these gentle creatures is the most sensational wildlife experience of them all. During your safari you will have TWO opportunities to go on a Gorilla Trek. In order to participate in a Gorilla Trek, viewing permits must be obtained in advance, and they are extremely limited in number, so advance booking is essential to ensure permits can be obtained. Currently the viewing permits cost $1,500 per person (effective June 1, 2017), per day, and the cost of ONE permit is included in your ecotour.

The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is perhaps the World’s most endangered ape, with approximately 880 animals, and they are only found in small portions of protected afro-montane forests in north-west Rwanda, south-west Uganda and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Half the population lives in the area of the Virunga volcanoes, and the other half lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, although located close to one another, expanding agriculture and the clearing of forest habitat means these two populations are now isolated from one another. It is within the Virunga range where you will have a unique opportunity to see gorillas in the wild.

Gorilla trekking is tightly controlled and regulated for the safety of the visitor and importantly for the safety of the Mountain Gorillas. A maximum of 8 visitors may visit a group of habituated Gorillas on any given day, this minimizes behavioral disturbance and the risk of their exposure to human-borne diseases.

Gorilla Groups:

There are currently TWELVE groups habituated to visitors in Rwanda.

• Including the following:
• Amahoro group - 18 individuals located on the Visoke volcano.
• Hirwa group - 17 individuals located on the Sabinyo volcano.
• Umubano group - 12 individuals located on the Visoke volcano.
• Ugenda group - 11 individuals located on the Visoke volcano.
• Bwenge group - 10 individuals located on the Visoke volcano.
• Sabyinyo group - 14 individuals located between the Sabinyo and Visoke volcanoes.
• Susa group - 35 individuals located high on the Karisimbi volcano (long and strenuous hike).
• Agashya group - 25 individuals located on the Sabinyo volcano.
• Kwitonda group - 24 individuals located on the Sabinyo volcano, sometimes in Democratic Republic of Congo and thus off-limits.

Only the Park Authorities will assign which gorilla group you will visit.

You will trek from the Park Headquarters to where the guides observed the Gorillas the day before, from there you will track the Gorillas. The trails may be very muddy, slippery and portions will be quite steep and strenuous.

Gorilla Viewing Rules:

• Keep a minimum of 21 feet (7 metres) from the Gorillas - this is to protect them from catching diseases.
• Do NOT remove anything from the park e.g., flowers, fruit, porcupine quills, etc.
• Keep your voices down at all times.
• No Flash photography is allowed.
• Do NOT eat or drink when close to the gorillas - this is a disease risk.
• Do NOT touch the Gorillas - they are wild animals.
• The maximum time you can spend with the gorillas is ONE hour, however if the gorillas become agitated or nervous the guide will finish the visit early.
• If you are feeling ill, or are carrying a contagious disease, please volunteer to stay behind. An alternative visit will be arranged for you, or you will be refunded your viewing permit money.
• Do NOT spit in the park and go to the bathroom only as instructed by your guide.
• Do not leave anything in the park, if you pack it in, pack it out!
• Obey the local guide instructions at all times, for the safety of the Gorillas and visitors.

Practical Information

Currency: Rates effective July 2022. The currency of Kenya is the Kenya Shilling (KES) and 1 USD = 120 KES. The currency of Rwanda is the Rwanda Franc (RWF) and 1 USD = 1033 RWF. Importantly if you bring US dollars the bills must be in mint condition - crisp, clean, no rips, no writing - if you wish to exchange them for local currency.

Major credit cards are generally accepted at hotels, some restaurants and larger stores. U.S. dollars are of course widely accepted in both Kenya and Rwanda, so we suggest you carry U.S. currency in small denominations for smaller purchases such as refreshments or other miscellaneous expenses.

Health: All information we obtain regarding health precautions is received from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta at 404.332.4559 or www.cdc.gov.

Please note that Terra Incognita Ecotours, Inc., as a travel company, is in no way authorized to prescribe any inoculations or medications. We recommend that you consult your personal physician or a travel clinic specialist for medical advice, showing him or her the brochure that indicates the places you will be visiting. Your physician is most familiar with your personal medical history and is best qualified to determine your particular needs. It is always advisable to have physical and dental check-ups before you leave.

At the present time, several immunizations are recommended/required for this ecotour, (e.g., Yellow Fever) and the CDC recommends that the normal "childhood" vaccines should also be up to date: Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR Vaccine), Diphtheria, Tetanus, Perturssia (DTP Vaccine) and Polio vaccine.

Swimming: There is an opportunity to swim during the ecotour, at the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, but there are no other swimming opportunities.

Time Difference: Kenya is eight hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, but during Daylight Savings Time (March - November) the time difference can be reduced by one hour. Rwanda is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, but during Daylight Savings Time (March - November) the time difference can be reduced by one hour.

Weather: Both Kenya and Rwanda are located close to the Equator, daytime temperatures can reach 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but, due to the high altitudes (5,000 to 9,000 feet) you will be visiting, the mornings and evenings are cooler and nights can feel a little cold. Please remember that the sun’s rays are more vertical than you may be used to, so you can sunburn more easily, and the additional altitude makes the sun’s rays even stronger. Be very careful of the midday sun.

In Kenya the temperate Rift Valley has perhaps the most agreeable climate in the country. Average temperatures vary from a minimum of 50°F to a maximum of 80°F and the rainfall is in essentially two seasons – late-March to the beginning of June (the ‘long rains’) and October to the end of November (the ‘short rains’). Similarly there are two seasons in Rwanda; the long dry season (June to September) and the wet season, which can be divided into the big rains (mid-February to June) and the small rains (mid-September to mid-December). However, due to the high altitude, rain is possible at any time of year, and the weather can change quite quickly. Typically in the rainy season it rains in the afternoons and the mornings are bright and sunny. Although one can almost depend on clear, sunny weather, there are occasional unseasonable storms, and brief but intense rain showers occur regularly in the tropical regions during any season.

Lodging Info

The Norfolk Hotel

The Norfolk Hotel has played a leading role in Kenya's colorful history, and continues to be Nairobi's finest and best-known hotel. The town and later the modern city of Nairobi grew up around The Norfolk, which still has its own private tropical gardens. The hotel is still the traditional starting point for safaris and the Lord Delamere Terrace is modern Nairobi's most famous meeting place, where drinks and light meals are served continuously from morning until midnight.

The Norfolk was expanded in 1999 and subsequently renovated in time for its centennial, which it celebrated in 2004. The hotel now offers accommodations in 168 guest rooms and suites, has three Conference rooms, a heated outdoor swimming pool, health club and gym, sauna and steam room, beauty salon, book shop and gift shops.

Little Governor’s Camp

Little Governors’ is intimate in character, with just 17 luxury en-suite tents tucked around a large watering hole that teems with both birds and wildlife. The camp is approached by a boat ride across the Mara River, then an escorted walk through the riverine forest. Vehicles are left on the far river bank, and the camp is therefore quiet and undisturbed. The guest tents at Little Governors’ have recently been renovated and now have great wooden decks with large verandahs for guests to enjoy the constant game activity that takes place around the watering hole at the camp. The camp is unfenced, and at Little Governors’ there is a resident family of warthogs that wander freely through the camp. Guests may need to make way for elephants which sometimes visit the camp at lunch time.

Kigali Marriott Hotel

Situated in central Kigali, the ambassadorial and commercial heart of Rwanda, the hotel is situated only 10 km from the Kigali International Airport.  The accommodations comprise all air-conditioned rooms, and several elegant restaurants open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, while the Lounge Bar consists of two purpose designed areas, the bar, and the terrace. The Kigali Marriott Hotel offers sophisticated business and convention facilities, has a swimming pool, Gymnasium and Wi-Fi internet service.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

The lodge is only minutes away from the headquarters of the Parc National des Volcans from where guests trek on foot to see the magnificent Mountain Gorilla – perhaps one of the most dramatic, thrilling and poignant wildlife experiences possible. The lodge, situated in the foothills of the mighty Virungas, the chain of 15,000 ft volcanoes stretching through Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, affords wonderful views of the volcanoes and the surrounding countryside. Guest cottages and the main lodge building have been beautifully constructed and appointed and the lodge is the perfect base from which to explore this unique and fascinating corner of Africa.

The lodge was built by Governors Safaris but is now operated by Wilderness Safaris. The lodge is owned by a Community Trust – SACOLA - which uses community fees from the lodge to drive socio-economic and conservation initiatives in the communities adjacent to the lodge and National Park.