Name: Kruger, Masai Mara, and Gorilla Trekking Two-Week Safari
Brand: Zicasso
Price: 1274 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (1091 reviews)

Leopard cub in MalaMala Game Reserve, Sabi Sands, South Africa

What to expect on this itinerary

As you consider the allure of Africa, three experiences rise to the pinnacle of most imaginations; the landscape of South Africa’s Kruger, the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara, and the trek to see the wild mountain gorillas. This luxury two-week adventure safari will connect all three for the ultimate adventure into the intimacy and the drama of Africa’s wilderness. Featuring exceptional lodges, unique safari activities, private concessions, and a chance to be alone with the four-legged giants of Africa, your journey through the continent will leave you forever changed.

Countries Visited

Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa

Places Visited

Johannesburg, MalaMala Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, Nairobi, Giraffe Centre, Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kigali, Volcanoes National Park

Suggested Duration

14 Days

Day 1

MalaMala Game Reserve – Iconic Game Drive Introductions

An old elephant may amble past the lodge, a look of melancholy in his small eyes. Three giraffes are painted along the horizon, sentinels of the safari. Baboons are hooting from the trees above you, and a herd of zebra grazes on the grass below your balcony. You have not yet even been on your game drive, and already the animals are leaving an impression. Over these two weeks, you will find that rare wildlife becomes the panorama and the constant across Kruger, Masai Mara, and Rwanda.

Earlier in the day you will touch down in Johannesburg and transfer onto a scheduled light aircraft flight to MalaMala, well-renowned as the finest of the private game reserves in Southern Africa. MalaMala is also the largest as it runs along the western corridor of the Greater Kruger ecosystem with no barriers preventing the movement of wildlife. As you begin with your first game drive, you will start to get closer to find that now it is an elephant herd, rather than just something in the distance as trunks swing as they pass your vehicle. Prints will lead you towards a cheetah, eventually found hiding amongst the grass, and your first glimpse of a rhino provides a memory that will last a lifetime.

Accommodation

Transfer

Activity

Dinner

Day 2 - 3

MalaMala Game Reserve – Immersed in the Luxury

More rhinos come into view as your rise in the morning and silence reigns as a mother and calf wander past, their movements a symbol of elegance. Flittering around the bushes, you might find more with two bulbous males on the verge of a quarrel. More than half the world’s rhinos occupy the Greater Kruger ecosystem, and the number you encounter over the next few days can be astonishing. Continue your game drive and go off the trails to inspect a fresh kill. You can hear them chomping, the lions greedily ripping through a carcass, and then you see the scavengers with the jackals the first on the scene.

With a flexible program, you can combine game drives with walking safaris and also the thrill of a nighttime game drive. Each offers a new perspective and some new insight into the species that thrive in this corner of Africa. Head into the bush after dusk and the guides’ spotlight shines on a leopard, the hunter descending for a nighttime prowl. You may only glimpse it by sight, but with the engine turned off you pick up on other clues like a rustle, a yelp, and the frightened scream of the hunted. Leopards are one of the rare safari sights, but in MalaMala they are part of the experience, witnessed not only in the trees but on the trail of for their prey.

Accommodation

Activity

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 - 5

Kruger National Park – Exploring the Thrilling Enormity of Kruger

It would take days to drive across the Kruger, so it is much quicker to fly on a chartered light aircraft that will bring you to the remote east of the ecosystem. The colors of the savanna stretch out below as you fly, and then land in the Kruger. MalaMala presents the Kruger in concentrated form, but in the national park, you will begin to appreciate the scale of the landscape. Elephants may be spotted in the hundreds, and you will quickly lose track of the number of rhinos. Glance up from your private plunge pool to find a landscape speckled with life, from large herds of buffalo kicking up dust to the springbok and kudu that blend into the grass. Game drives cover larger distances now, and there is seemingly no end to the animals in view.

Mountains form a natural barrier further to the east, and you can take a walking safari in the foothills. You are almost silent on foot, and to the wildlife, you are much smaller than a safari vehicle. So the antelope will not hide, the zebra does not run, and peculiar animals fix your stare. Avoiding the prints of predators, these walking safaris create an intimacy with the wilderness. You can breathe in the ambiance, both smelling and hearing the subtle changes that enliven every square mile of the savanna. In the distance are the giant elephants, giraffe, and buffalo that are far larger when you are also at ground level. Like each of the destinations in South Africa and Kenya, you can create a personal program and choose only the activities that suit your mood. So, a game drive tracking lions can be followed by a short walking safari with the zebra, and then some downtime at the lodge before an afternoon game drive that blurs into a nighttime drive.

Accommodation

Transfer

Activity

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

Nairobi – Giraffe Poking Their Heads Through the Window

It is becoming surprisingly quick and simple to connect South and East Africa, and you will fly by light aircraft from the east of Kruger to O. R. Tambo International in Johannesburg to board a scheduled flight to Nairobi. Touch down in the Kenyan capital, and the wildlife scenes continue as you settle into your boutique lodge that is part of a Rothschild’s giraffe conservation program. The giraffe wanders the gardens of where you are staying, and if you leave the window open to your room, they may be poking their heads through for a surreal scene that epitomizes the city’s ability to mix contemporary urban with wild origins. To understand more of this endangered subspecies, you are taken on a tour of the Giraffe Centre with dinner at the lodge included.

Accommodation

Transfer

Tour

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 - 8

Mara Naboisho Conservancy – Intimate Experiences With the Big Cats

Mara Naboisho has evolved into an iconic haven for the predators. Away from the noise of the main national reserve, it has become a nurturing home for spotted cats and their cubs. Driving off the trail, which is not permitted in the national reserve, you can explore the cats’ realm. Lions bask in the grass, panting with bellies full, watching you intently even when resting. Draped across a tree branch is a leopard, and as you look more closely, you will find the cub nestled into her bosom. Two cheetah cubs follow their mother, playful and enthusiastic as they fail to grasp the basics of the silence that’s required in the hunting lesson.

Fly direct to this private conservancy from Nairobi and spend a couple of days immersed in the life of the great predators. Masai warriors maintain a localized knowledge of this land, trackers that help you quickly identify the clues that cats leave behind while lion prides lounge in the open, but the others hide, especially with their cubs. Walking safaris are also possible here, such a thrill to walking across the famous Mara plains, the Masai warriors keeping you clear of the cats just as they have kept clear themselves for thousands of years. Back in the vehicle, you can trace the stages of a hunt, stalking, and prowling and then the dramatic swirl of dust as the actual kill takes place in just a few seconds. Throughout it all, you will appreciate the privacy that a conservancy is able to offer with only a handful of other guests alongside you in this part of the Mara.

Accommodation

Activity

Transfer

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 - 10

Masai Mara National Reserve – Hot Air Balloon Safari

From the air, you can spot the herds as the wildebeest move in scattered clusters and the zebra blend together into one large mass. A patchwork extends below with scorched yellow, lush green, and the ochre of granite rocks that rise iconically. After the hot air balloon safari, you will cross the Masai Mara on a full-day game drive to head south to the Mara River, where your camp has the perfect view of the waterway. While there are also more vehicles around, the density of the herds makes your time spent in the national reserve an integral part of the safari experience. Stop at various viewpoints and watch the herds roam, circle rocks where lions rest, and picnic by the river as a gazelle unsuccessfully attempts to drink without getting caught in a crocodile’s jaw.

The Masai Mara – Serengeti ecosystem is contiguous and home to more wild mammals than anywhere else on the planet. There are more than 2 million in number, mostly wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle. Many, but far from all of these, form the great wildebeest migration, which crosses the crocodile-infested Mara River around July and stays in the Masai Mara until October. Whatever time you visit the Mara grasslands, the abundance of these three species is staggering with herds numbering in the thousands. Two million ungulates support a phenomenal quantity of predators, and few people realize that most of these predators do not follow the great wildebeest migration. Only hyenas and vultures have the stamina, while the cats must also stay and protect their home patch. For the predators, the migration is a feast that passes through their realm once a year, and for you, the predators are a constant on the safari.

Accommodation

Activity

Transfer

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Volcanoes National Park – Into the Land of the Gorillas

Enjoy a relaxed final morning in the Masai Mara and watch the grasslands come to life at dawn before you take a final game drive to track the lions. Move next to take in a supreme aerial experience with an afternoon flight that travels south, over the Mara River, and above Tanzania’s Serengeti. You will change light aircraft in Mwanza, and then touch down in Rwanda’s capital around 5 pm, where it is a two-hour drive through The Land of a Thousand Hills to Volcanoes National Park. While it is dark upon arrival, you can already sense the mystique as your lodge is surrounded by a forest that sings with life through day and night.

Accommodation

Activity

Transfer

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 - 13

Volcanoes National Park – The Thrill and Charm of Gorilla Trekking

The trail is muddy and steep with tangled branches being sliced clear by machetes. The canopy closes in, and when you stop and listen, there is nothing artificial with just the flutter of birds and the crunch of steps. A radio call comes in to say that the gorillas are close and your anticipation rises, and you are now following trails created by the gorillas. They move on all fours, and you are walking, so you must duck and dip your way towards the world’s largest primates. Less than 1,000 of them remain in the wild, and gorilla trekking is only possible in two countries. If you are short on time, Rwanda is usually favored over Uganda for its ease as Volcanoes National Park is only two hours from the country’s main international airport.

The trekking is part of the experience, creating an appreciation of the remote world these giants live in, and what a welcome they provide! The thrill of arms waving and eyes returning your gaze abound, and there are no barriers. There is nothing between you and them, and while the gorillas have been habituated to human presence, they always like to inspect their visitors. Two blackback males may stare at you, holding your gaze with an intensity that will bring goosebumps. A mother looks longingly towards her infant, such emotion in eyes that are black and deep-set. And now the silverback, arms bulging as he crawls across a clearing, barely seven meters away from you.

Every gorilla troop is different, and each trek will introduce you to new behavior and interactions. Gorillas are falling from trees, snapping branches, gnawing bark, feasting on seeds, and foraging in the bushes all within your view. With every gorilla, you can read the emotion with so much expression found in their faces. With every moment, you cannot escape the intimacy of the experience as the great primates are found on almost every side of you. It is all so amazing that you will be eager to go again, which you do, visiting a different troop on the second day.

Accommodation

Activity

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14

Kigali – Departure

Trip Highlights

Engage in intimate connections with the Big Five as the MalaMala Game Reserve is the finest private reserve in Southern Africa and an unfenced part of the Greater Kruger
Enjoy the massive abundance of life in the Kruger, including more than half the world’s wild rhinos with days spent at a remote luxury lodge that will showcase the scale of the landscape
Immerse yourself in the Masai Mara as during the migration more than 2 million animals can be seen, and even outside the migration, you will enjoy a baffling profusion of wildlife
Wander away from the crowds as the private Mara Naboisho Conservancy takes you away from the Mara and you can bump off-road and savor incredible proximity to the hunting cats of the grasslands
Spend a couple of days in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park as you trek to two different gorilla troops to better understand the behavior of the world’s largest primate
Mix national parks and private reserves to take in a complete range of safari activities as game drives during the day and night are complemented by inspiring game walks and the beauty of a hot air balloon safari over the Mara grasslands
Travel between the three countries easily as transfers have improved enormously over the last decade and little time is lost in transit as light aircraft flights take you to the national parks upon arrival in the capital cities
Celebrate the very best of these legendary destinations as your accommodation offers an elevated level of luxury while maintaining the authenticity of the setting

Starting Price

$17,900 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

Accommodations
In-country transportation
Some or all activities and tours
Expert trip planning
24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1091 reviews

Kenya, Uganda Luxury Vacation Review: Maasai Mara, Wildlife, Gorilla Trekking, 20-Day Trip

"This was a trip of a lifetime! The details large and small were flawless, leaving us to enjoy the trip with no worries."

Review: Luxury Africa Safari, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Chobe Game Lodge, Lions Sands Ivory Lodge, Okavango Delta

WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING!

Making a Safari in Africa was on the top of my bucket list and I wanted to do it “in style”. We also wanted a company who was located in Africa and who had established a good infrastructure. We hoped to avoid delays between inter-camps on the small planes.

All this was fulfilled by this safari travel company. They designed a programme for us where we were eased into safari life beginning with Chobe Game Lodge, then onto our first tent experience at Xakanaxa, then onto Okavango delta area for a water and walking safari experience. Our agent then organsed our trip to Cape Town and a sojourn to Hermanus by private car and then flew us back to the stupendous Lions Sands Ivory Lodge in Kruger. Of special mention in Hermanus is the charming Ocean Eleven B&B. The location, room and the breakfast spread deserve special mention.

Throughout our trip, all accommodation was wonderful, staff, game wardens and trackers most knowledgeable and kind, all transfers seamless (so we didn’t miss any game drives), the private car service for the Cape experience was excellent .. and of course, the animals.

On Safari, one expects to see many animals. Well, in the 4 lodges/camps that we stayed, we saw elephants, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, jackal, spotted wild dogs, buffaloes, rhinos, impalas, kudus, sable, bush bucks, nyalas, waterbuck, wildebeest, giraffe, zebras, hippos, warthogs, baboons, small animals like banded mongoose, crocodiles and countless species of birds and the beautiful African frog. And then the whales in Hermanus

We stayed at : Chobe Game Lodge (3N), Xakanaxa Camp (2N), Okavango (Delta) Camp (2N) all in Botswana, Ocean Eleven B&B @ Hermanus (2N), Ivory Lodge, Lions Sands in Kruger, S.Africa (2N). We also had 3 nights in Cape Town and an over-nighter at Johannesburg.

We confidently recommend this company to anyone who is considering a Safari. On a scale of 1-5, we would give them the full 5 points.

Travel Review: Africa Safari, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, Kruger National Park, Chobe River

We had a great trip. I talked with our safari travel agent a few times on the phone and email to talk about what we wanted to do and she recommended places that turned out to be exactly what we wanted. I felt that our travel agent really listened to what I wanted to get out of the trip. It was a once in a lifetime Adventure so we wanted to get it right. Thanks! We had three nights at each location – Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Ngoma Lodge in Botswana and Dulini Lodge in South Africa. We were taken care of from beginning to end with people at each place to get us where we needed to go. Generally speaking, I can’t say enough about how well we were treated during the whole trip.

Victoria Falls is spectacular! We took the guided walk to see all the viewing sites on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. They will rent you a poncho for $3. I’m so glad we got them because in some places we got soaked. Our agent recommended that if we go into town we should stop at the Elephant Walk shopping mall. We did and ended up getting several things. It had artists who did various crafts, so I knew we were getting original and unique mementos from our stay there. I was really happy with the place we stayed in Victoria Falls. When we got there, there was a mixup with the rooms. Our agent stepped in and got it fixed right away. Our rooms had decks that overlooked the watering hole. It was amazing to get up in the morning, step out on my deck and see elephants, impalas and crocodiles meandering around the watering hole. One night for dinner we had a Boma, which is kind of like an African luau with local dancing and singing. They get everybody involved so it was a lot of fun.

Next we drove to Ngoma Lodge in Botswana. It was truly in the middle of nowhere so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Every aspect of it was wonderful. The lodge was on higher ground so we overlooked the flood plains of the Chobe River. They had a multi-level deck with lots of places to sit and enjoy the view. In our rooms the whole wall was windows so we had a view that just went on and on. And we had a deck with a plunge pool. We never got to use it because we were so busy. Near the lodge, there was a watering hole. Each morning the zebras, giraffes, impala and more came to the watering hole to drink. We took our meals on the deck so we could enjoy it all while we ate. The food and the service were good. They really pampered us. We went on game drives each day. One thing I really wanted to see was elephants crossing the Chobe River. I had heard about it and seen pictures. We saw a herd of what must have been over 100 elephants crossing the river. It was one of my favorite highlights. We saw lots of impalas, kudus, elephants, giraffes, and so much more. We saw a lion stalking a kudu. Nearby there was a herd of giraffes that got scared and ran away. They are so graceful when they run. They really went out of their way to ensure we had a good stay. Our game driver grew up in a nearby village so was really familiar with the area and knew exactly where to take us for the best game viewing.

Our last stop was at Dulini Lodge. It is a private game reserve outside of Kruger National Park in South Africa. The room was huge with an extra-large bathroom, living room and large deck with a plunge pool. Elephants walked in the dry river bed off of our deck. The grounds were all grassy and covered with trees. It was beautiful. Every day animals came up and grazed on the grass. We ate outside here too with elegant dinners and excellent service. Sometimes we ate by ourselves and sometimes in small groups. Try the kudu steak and the wart hog. They were both delicious. We tried lots of foods we had never heard of. Most of them were really good. Both lodges had expert chefs. We went on game drives every day. We would tell our game driver what we wanted to see and he and his tracker would look for tracks. One time we saw three lions resting after eating their fresh kill. In another part of the park we saw a leopard with her cub and a fresh kill in the tree. Then we saw a lion with three cubs. We saw so much on every game drive.

I was really pleased with the whole trip. The locations were just what we wanted. We were really pampered with the food, service and amenities. We saw game on every single drive we went on. Three nights in each place worked out really well. I would whole heartedly recommend this safari travel company to plan your trip.

Travel Review: Luxury South Africa Safari with Zambia - Cape Town, Victoria Falls (Toka Leya Camp),...

South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe Luxury Travel Review: Safari, Big Five, 11 Days

This was a phenomenal experience, perhaps my best yet facilitated by Zicasso, and the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

From start to finish, our agent was a superb planner and communicator. She was easy to talk to via email and over the phone, and expertly asked all the right questions to tease out the details she needed to craft the perfect trip for me. She was equally adept at answering all of the questions I had, which helped me to make informed decisions throughout the process.

Despite booking my safari less than a year in advance (when the standard practice is usually two years out) and on a budget that was no doubt way less than what luxury travelers splurge, our agent was able to arrange the perfect combination of accommodations and tours that provided me with a luxurious, comfortable, enjoyable, and memorable experience. She was even able to amend my confirmed plans a bit late in the game after what was originally a solo trip became a trip for two when my mom, awe-struck by the awesome itinerary, implored me to let her join.

This was our first safari and first venture into southern Africa. While our agent and all our guides along the way tempered our expectations about what we'd be able to see once out in the wilderness, luck was on our side. We ended up seeing just about everything. We spotted four of the Big Five on our three days in the reserve in the Kruger Park (elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino). The lions eluded us there, but we got more than our fill of them in the Okavango Delta. In addition to those, we had the pleasure of spotting wild dog and hyena packs with cubs in their dens, zebra, giraffe, hippos galore, crocodiles, baboons, monkeys, impalas to no end, kudu, an owl, ostriches, fish eagles, and a ton of other pretty birds. There was never a boring day. Despite our good fortune, I'm happy our agent was realistic and cautious in setting expectations.

One reason for this trip was to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday. Our agent went above and beyond in that regard, surprising us with a decorative towel arrangement in our first hotel, a bottle of wine in our first game camp, and another bottle of wine and a cake at our third hotel. That was a nice and unexpected touch, and much appreciated.

All of our accommodations were top-notch. The hotel in South Africa was in an excellent location, with modern facilities, friendly staff, and a superb kitchen. The private camp in the Kruger Park was a nice first introduction to the wilderness as it was basically a hotel in the middle of nowhere, complete with luxurious facilities and super-friendly and helpful staff. The lodge in Elandskop was wonderful and I regret that we didn't have more free time to enjoy it. The staff were very friendly, the restaurant very elegant, and the rooms very comfortable. The camp in Botswana was as close to camping as we'll ever come (glamping), but similarly offered wonderfully welcoming service, comfortable facilities, and a memorable experience. Finally, the Cape Town hotel offered a great location, friendly service, and wonderful food. Overall, the travel advisor did well with the choice of accommodations.

Similarly, our travel agent partnered with a great selection of local tour operators to ensure our every transfer and tour went smoothly and comfortably. I'd happily work with her again on future trips to the region and would highly recommend her services to all.

Kenya Luxury Family Africa Safari Review: Walking & Horseback Safari's, Hot Air Ballon Ride, Culture, Day & Night Drives

Just returned from our first trip to Africa and decided to do a Kenyan safari to explore the wildlife and hopefully catch the great migration. We knew basically very little about Africa before our trip. The folks at Zicasso put us in touch with a travel company out of Denver, CO and specifically, our agent. Over the course of 18 months of planning, our travel agent patiently spent literally dozens of hours over a multitude of calls with me, educating me on different regions of Africa and helping me build out our trip to match the desired experiences, activity levels, and accommodation types to perfectly match, and exceed our family's expectations. Following is an email I sent her the day after return. I think it sums things up. Hi,We are back home safe and sound from our Kenya Safari and all we can say is W-O-W! What a truly spectacular trip! Start to finish, everything from the camps to the food to (of course) the animals continually took our breath away day after day. Your suggestions of camps for us could not have been more spot on. The variety of culture, scenery, and amazing animal adventures kept us mesmerized every single day we were there. We were able to see all the big 5 by end of our 2nd day, and many more days beyond. We did day drives, night drives, walking safaris, horse back safaris (totally surprised by a bush breakfast waiting for us after), a sunrise balloon ride, and even managed to ride some camels! We got within feet of lions, leopards, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, rhino, and on and on. We even saw some wild dogs just after a morning kill enjoying their new breakfast. We were even lucky enough to be photographing a lion pair when then unexpectedly started mating. (told that was exceptionally rare). The highlight had to be witnessing the wildebeest crossing in Mara that still seems surreal. The local people and camp staff were unbelievably friendly and helpful beyond words, and our photos turned out so well, I can't believe it was actually us that took them! We had baboons visit our room in Samburu, a family of Hyrex living in the trees just off our deck in Lewa and Zebra calling us each night in the Mara. Wow, wow, wow. It took us all of 48 hours to fall in love with Africa. Our daughter cried in joy at least once every day we were there. I have little doubt we will be revisiting Africa at some point in the future, but for now, I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your expertise and guidance helped us create memories that will truly last a life time.

Zicasso in the News

Kruger, Masai Mara, and Gorilla Trekking Two-Week Safari

What to expect on this itinerary

Countries Visited

Places Visited

Suggested Duration

Customizable Itinerary

MalaMala Game Reserve – Iconic Game Drive Introductions

MalaMala Game Reserve – Immersed in the Luxury

Kruger National Park – Exploring the Thrilling Enormity of Kruger

Nairobi – Giraffe Poking Their Heads Through the Window

Mara Naboisho Conservancy – Intimate Experiences With the Big Cats

Masai Mara National Reserve – Hot Air Balloon Safari

Volcanoes National Park – Into the Land of the Gorillas

Volcanoes National Park – The Thrill and Charm of Gorilla Trekking

Kigali – Departure

Trip Highlights

Starting Price

What's Included

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