We’ve visited some cities with seriously bad reps in our travels, but none has had our arrival nerves jumping quite like Nairobi, or Nairobbery as it’s notoriously nicknamed by some. It didn’t help that we were carrying a small ransom in cash as kitty for the tour we were about to join.
Dan:
Strapping on our packs and checking the money belt one more time, we tentatively made our way to the official taxi rank, where we were greeted by a huge man with a beaming white smile and a bellowing ‘Jumbo!’ – a verbal bearhug of a welcome that dashed our fears and quickly came to epitomise the wonderful people in this corner of the world.
We still didn’t go walking at night in Nairobi, though.
Africa had been on and off our itinerary for about as long as we’d been planning our one year free, so we were thrilled when some creative budgeting finally meant we could lock it in. Although not quite on the grand scale we’d originally envisaged, we still had three weeks to play with and while the bucket list is long on African adventures, there was one experience we just couldn’t pass up – a gorilla trek.
Given the time, distances and costs involved, we decided to take our chances and throw our lot in with a tour – a sometimes risky endeavour when you’re talking about spending weeks in a truck with a group of complete strangers.
The tour gods were watching over us though and gave unto us a fantastically fun group of diverse, interesting, like-minded globe-trotters ready to muck in on a two-week, all-in camping safari starting in Nairobi and passing through the incredible landscapes and national parks of Kenya and Uganda, before culminating in an unforgettable gorilla trek in Rwanda to spend a priceless moment in time with a family of mountain gorillas.
Despite visiting East Africa in the dry season, the rain came down just about every day of the trip, making the morning tent take-down a mess of damp canvas, muddy pegs and slippery roll-ups. Each evening, the team on truck duty would take up brooms and mops in a battle against a sea of dirt. By the last day, my grey hoodie was a pale brown, John’s shorts were several shades of dried mud, and our walking shoes…well…we weren’t holding out much hope.
Between Nairobi and the dirt though, were some of the most amazing and exciting moments of our journey so far…
Like watching baby elephants play at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant haven and rescue centre in Nairobi:
Spotting rhinos, lions, hyenas and lots of flamingoes (not to mention a fleeting glimpse and a growl from a shy leopard through the trees) in the stunning environs of Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya:
Heading into Uganda to track chimps on a walking safari in Kibale Forest National Park:
On the trail of what turn out to be some very large chimps…
Then crossing the equator!
Observing countless birds and hippos on a cruise of the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda:
And watching my life flash before my eyes under the churning waters of the Nile on a white water rafting expedition in Jinja, Uganda’s adventure capital:
Then there were the gorillas. An exhilarating, exhausting three-plus-hour trek into the mountain jungle of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. We dragged our feet through boot-wrenching mud, grabbed fistfuls of painful stinging nettles, climbed through dense overgrowth and pushed each other up steep, slippery inclines, every so often stopping so our trackers could check in with their colleagues further on. Coming across the group and seeing them for the first time was a rush like nothing we’ve felt before.
John:
No words can really describe the feeling when you first glimpse a mountain gorilla in the wild, without the benefit of strong safety glass or a nice wide moat. We literally just came round the corner and were confronted by an enormous silverback popping his chest, his family casually sitting in a clearing munching on roots and leaves.
The first encounter is one of mild curiosity on the gorilla’s part, and utter awe and not a little fear on our part, being all too aware that these powerful creatures could easily tear us limb from limb if they took a dislike to us – no wonder our video footage is ever so slightly shaky.
Excitement turned to concern shortly after arrival though when one rather large and grumpy mama gorilla took exception to our presence and charged at us. For a moment, I honestly felt like my time was up, so it was with huge relief that she veered off at the last moment. By that point, I think most of us had mentally put in an order for new cargo pants. I know I had.
While other members of the family foraged nearby, we spent the next magical hour with an immense silverback called Isabukuru, two females, two small juveniles and one really small baby. The family dynamics weren’t too dissimilar to a human family really, the kids wreaked havoc while the adults did their best to relax and take it easy.
All too quickly though, our hour was up, just as the family decided it was time to continue their forage elsewhere and slowly moved off into the mist, leaving us to ponder a profound, once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
Good to know
We toured through Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda* on a Intrepid Travel’s 16-day ‘Gorillas and Game Parks’ tour, which starts and finishes in Nairobi. We camped most of the time – often in spectacular locations – with cabin upgrades possible in some places.
Transport is in an overland vehicle and some days involve long stints of driving, but there are lots of game drives and wildlife watching opportunities throughout, with walking safaris, boat trips and the epic gorilla trek. There are also engaging cultural experiences and adventure activities, such as white water rafting on the Nile.
*Update 2018: Intrepid has changed the itinerary for this tour; it no longer visits Rwanda but includes a gorilla trek in Uganda instead. The company offers a separate 4-day gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda.