Highlights Africa: Masai Mara, Gorillas and Cape Town

Rise and shine early to explore the wild surroundings of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. In tow with your expert Maasai guides and reaching via a suspension bridge, hop on a 4x4 to experience morning game drives. At the Mara river and the Musiara Marsh, see a high concentration of elephants, zebras, buffaloes, hippopotamuses, and the world-famous Marsh Pride of Lions. Listening to wildlife stories of the region, settle down for a leisurely picnic breakfast and watch the herds of game go by. Follow the resident naturalist and set out for nature walks along the Talek River. Spot myriad birdlife and track animals in the vicinity by footprints, as you traverse the native vegetation of these riverine forests. After siestas at camp, embark on late afternoon game drives and enjoy the BIG Five sightings across the scenic Maasai landscapes. You may also witness the wildebeest migration during the season. Back at camp, seated around a bonfire, share your day's wildlife adventures over a few rounds of drinks.

No other wildlife encounter in Africa matches the astounding experience of spending time face-to-face with some of the few remaining wild mountain gorillas. For a gorilla trek you need to be fairly fit for the humid, muddy conditions of a rainforest with high altitude hike. Even in the dry season, the rainforest is a challenging environment: it is humid, wet and muddy with some steep slopes and thick vegetation. If needed, you can hire a porter who carries luggage and assists you during steep or muddy terrain at a fee. It is absolutely worth the effort to spend time with gorillas in the wild, but be prepared to exert yourself on the trek. Your professional guide and tracker lead you into the forest’s secret paths, looking for a habituated gorilla family. Once found, approach the gorillas quietly and settle down to observe them from between 7 and 10m away. You will spend up to one hour with the gorillas, watching the adults forage and groom each other while the babies tumble and play. You will be under the watchful gaze of the great silverback patriarch whose soft brown eyes constantly sweep over his family protectively. Witnessing gorillas express typically human gestures and emotions is a truly profound experience! (Please carry drinking water, snacks, raincoat, hiking shoes, camera, mosquito repellent and garden/leather gloves).

Experience breath-taking sightings of the ‘Big Five’ (lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos and elephants) and other wildlife across the sprawling African bushveld at the Karongwe Reserve on open vehicle game drives. Marvel at spectacular views of the Lowveld from a “kopje”. Bird lovers will have over 365 different feathered species to track. In addition, enjoy exhilarating bush walks with Shangaan trackers, local experts with vast experience of the African bush. You may even spot a Cheetah on foot! Sip on a bush sundowner to refresh yourself at the end of a long day, as the sun sets over the Drakensberg Mountains in a riot of colors.