Care to join me in Rwanda/Uganda 2009

Old Oct 1st, 2008, 05:04 PM
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Care to join me in Rwanda/Uganda 2009

Maybe you’d like to join me for all or part of this Rwanda and Uganda Extravaganza?!

2009
AUG 05 (WED) Arrive Kigali and do a Never Again Memorial visit, city tour
Accommodation: Kigali Novotel (B)

AUG 06 (THU) KIGALI/PARK/NYUNGWE FOREST RESERVE
Depart by road early this morning to Nyungwe Forest Reserve (approx 3.5 hrs). Visit the old palace in Nyanza and the National Museum in Butare.

ORTPN Resthouse is a simple lodge with 12 rooms and shared bathrooms.
Accommodation: ORTPN Resthouse (Full Board)

AUG 07+08 (FRI+SAT) NYUNGWE FOREST RESERVE
Days spent looking for colobus monkeys and birds, including the Rwenzori turaco. Your walks are escorted and you may take along a picnic lunch.
Accommodation: ORTPN Resthouse (Full Board)

AUG 09 (SUN) NYUNGWE FOREST RESERVE/KIGALI/ KINIGI
This morning you will depart with your driver for Kigali and onward to Kinigi (approx 5-6 hrs). The Guest House accommodates over 40 people and all rooms have electricity and warm water.
Accommodation: Kinigi Guest House (Full Board)

AUG 10+11 (MON+TUE) RUHENGERI -VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
On each of the next two mornings you will be transferred to the park gate at Kinigi for your gorilla visits
Accommodation: Kinigi Guest House (Full Board)

AUG 12 (WED) RUHENGERI -VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
Today you will enjoy a trek to seek out the Golden Monkeys.
Accommodation: Kinigi Guest House (Full Board)

AUG 13 (THU) RUHENGERI -VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
This morning you will be transferred to the park gate at Kinigi for your 3rd gorilla visit.
Accommodation: Kinigi Guest House (Full Board)

AUG 14 (FRI) RUHENGERI -VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
This morning you will take your 4th and gorilla trek. Continue to your lodge for the evening. Virunga Lodge is set on a stunning hillside with breathtaking views of the Virunga volcanoes and Lakes
Accommodation: Virunga Lodge (Full Board)

AUG 15 (SAT) KIGALI/ENTEBBE
You will be transferred to the airport today for your evening scheduled flight to Entebbe. On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel.

The Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel, only ten minutes from the Entebbe International Airport, is located and on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Accommodation: Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel (B)

AUG 16 (SUN) ENTEBBE/KAMPALA/ MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
This morning you will have a safari briefing. Depart by road to Kampala, stopping enroute for lunch. Continue to Murchison Falls National Park. Some brief game viewing will take place this evening.
Accommodation: Paraa Lodge (Full Board)

AUG 17 (MON) MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Spend the day in the park game viewing north of the Nile where you may have the chance to see the rare shoebill stork basking on the banks of the Nile. Later, take a launch trip from Paraa to the bottom of the mighty frothy falls.
Accommodation: Paraa Lodge (Full Board)

AUG 18 (TUE) MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
This morning you will visit the delta circuit, north of the river with its giraffe, lion and Ugandan kob. Relax in the lodge in the afternoon and take an evening game drive.
Accommodation: Paraa Lodge (Full Board)

AUG 19 (WED) MURCHISON FALLS/ENTEBBE/LONDON
Early this morning, you will depart for Pabidi in Budongo Forest for a guided nature walk to track chimpanzees.

Return to Entebbe by road and continue to the international airport for your scheduled international flight.

*********************
As a bonus, perhaps Divewop can get us a behind the scenes tour of some of the park and gorilla operations in a return for a donation.

The trip is through The Africa Adventure Company with Volcanoes Safaris doing the ground operation. This combination came about because I was in contact with both AAC and Volcanoes on itineraries (along with some other companies). Competition between them turned to collaboration and I’ll be the first client on this combo approach. That makes me kind of a Guinea Pig; or, given the geographic location, kind of a Giant Forest Hog. Either way, I think it is a favorable, unique opportunity that you might want to take advantage of as well. Feel free to email me. For cost or booking info please contact AAC.

I am not running this trip or making any profit from it. The benefit to me if you go is your company and shared fixed expenses. I’m going for sure, even if it ends up being all solo. I’ve bought all the gorilla permits and made a deposit.

I’ll also be spending 2 nights at Akagera up front and decided to do that part alone. But for the rest of the trip, the more the merrier (up to about 5 or so). So I guess that means I can say, "Space is limited, act now, don't delay!"

To bolster that claim, this is not an exclusive fodor's trip. AAC may offer those spaces to anyone interested.

Anyway I have an extravaganza to look forward to and so can you. I promise to remain on my best behavior if you join me.




atravelynn is offline  
Old Oct 1st, 2008, 06:16 PM
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I promise to remain on my best behavior if you join me.

Where's the fun in that?
Patty is offline  
Old Oct 2nd, 2008, 05:48 AM
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Wow - What a great trip. I would love to go, but am planning Rwanda for 2010. Just to have Lynn's animal spotting mojo is worth the cost of the trip!!!
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Old Oct 2nd, 2008, 08:06 AM
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Lynn, what an awesome-looking trip! Wish I could go with you, but since I'll be in Uganda & Rwanda later this month, I don't think I can rationalize going again less than a year later...

I do, however, look forward to reading your trip report!
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Old Dec 4th, 2008, 03:18 PM
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Just thought I'd throw this to the top of the heap again.

MyDogKyle, gone and back already!
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Old Dec 4th, 2008, 03:50 PM
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You're killing me! I'd love to go but 2009 is impossible. At the rate my $ is going 2010 is going to be a stretch but I'm still going ahead with my planning because not planning is too depressing!
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Old Dec 4th, 2008, 04:13 PM
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Lillipets, You can save a bundle on Christmas cards--maybe for years to come--with your own creations. Just trying to help.
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Old Dec 4th, 2008, 04:51 PM
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I'll wave to you -- I will be in Nigeria, Gabon and Cameroon during the same period (I had to scratch Sao Tome and Principe -- with the infrequent flights, I don't have enough time to adequately visit both islands during my trip).
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Old Dec 4th, 2008, 06:32 PM
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Thit Cho,

Only you could have an answer like that.
atravelynn is offline  
Old Dec 5th, 2008, 03:33 AM
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Thanks lynn! Yes I have enough cards to last a lifetime. And I've sold some too. But it's gonna take a lot of cards to get me back to Africa!
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Old Dec 5th, 2008, 06:22 PM
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Keep on "painting" Lillipets.
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Old Dec 8th, 2008, 09:32 AM
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Yep, gone and back already, and it was amazing. Um... is this a hint about a trip report, or something?

After the holidays, I promise...
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 01:16 PM
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Lynn
Looks like we'll be at Murchison Falls/Budongo one month after you. Looking forward to your account of the chimp track at Budongo as I haven't found too much on that. The only report I've found is dlo's from many years back. Have you found others? Remember I leave on August 30th so please be prepared to finish your report by then or at least pre-post the last section!
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 01:45 PM
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Well, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

How quickly plans change -- last December, I thought I was going to visit West and Central Africa, but I kept expanding my Gabon itinerary and dropping other countries, then it became too difficult to get around Gabon, with too much time in Libreville, so I canned that trip. Instead, with the plumment of the pound, I have booked a trip to the Isle of Man and two groups of Scottish islands (Orkneys and Shetlands) that I have not yet visited.

Patty, I just used United miles to ticket roundtrip to Australia for December (into MEL, back from SYD), and will visit Tasmania and Kangaroo Island (I am tickted on REX), and will spend time in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. All flights ticketed and paid for today, so I'm committed.

I need to find a place to stay in KI near Kingscote airport since I have a very early flight back to Adelaide, so I don't think I'll be staying near Hanson's Bay, where it appears you stayed.

I am going to book Cradle Mountain Lodge as soon as they open the December reservations.

Thanks again for your Australia photos -- very helpful to me for planning purposes.
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 02:11 PM
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Have a great trip, Michael! I'm surprised CML hasn't opened reservations for December yet. I would've thought that would be a very popular time of year. This place is close to KGC but may have a minimum stay http://www.kangarooislandstays.com.au/ If that doesn't work, anything in the town of Kingscote or Brownlow isn't too far of a drive. We also stayed 1 night in Penneshaw but that's still about half an hour to the airport and judging by the amount of roadkill, I'd keep the early morning drive as short as possible. www.tourkangarooisland.com.au has accommodation listings.
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 03:13 PM
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Patty,
I'll be sure to get the Budongo and Murchison Falls comments out quickly, about a week's turnaround! I saw your Budongo question on another post. How many nights are you planning to be in Murch Falls?

Michael, Have fun on your new excursion.

Everybody else, You can still join me. My offer to be on my best behavior still stands.
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 03:39 PM
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The current plan is to spend our first night at Budongo, do the chimp track early the next morning, then continue on to Murchison for 2 nights.

We'll take KQ410 from Nairobi that gets into EBB at 9:40am. I think that should be early enough for us to get to Budongo. We're taking the evening KLM flight out of EBB the same day we drive back from Murchison.

Will you do both the launch to the falls as well as the delta? I was thinking of doing both since they sound very different. I hope I have enough time to fit both in.

I see that safarimama has also done the chimp track at Budongo http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34926508
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 03:52 PM
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Lynn - I would only want to join you if you swore to NOT be on your best behavior!!!
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 04:31 PM
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Thanks for the invite Lynn. Not this year for me, maybe next. Hope you put something together again. FWIW, I tend to make my next years safari plans before the end of the last year. That is, I line up safari 2009 before year 2008 is over with. Why? Because it seems the camps I want have limited safari dates that far ahead.

regards - tom
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Old Feb 6th, 2009, 05:35 PM
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Ok then, it will be atravelynn behaving badly if that's what it takes to get some travel partners!

By the way, as the original offer stated, I am not an agent nor do I make money now or get free travel later if you add on. It is simply more of us sharing the fixed cost of vehicle and guide. No matter what I am going.
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