Most Inspirational Moment
-Ballooning over the Mara had the edge over the gorillas for me personally - although it was fabulous to actually be so close to these serene and gentle animals and the moment surpassed my expectations, I cannot get enough of the wide open vistas of the African plains. To float gently and peacefully over the vast landscape as dawn broke will be something I remember for a long time.- Getting lots of hugs from the children at the orphanage was quite emotional. Sitting in on the lessons listening to the enthusiasm of the children, it was apparent that they are keen to learn and are very attentive. However, littlle hands reaching out to hold yours is a big reminder that these small people who have no parents to cuddle them just enjoy being close to someone.Visiting the genocide memorial in Kigali was an eye opener - in particular the mass graves at the site. I recall that we had a fairly sanitized version of events in the news in 1994. However, I was left with an uplifting impression of how Rwanda as a nation has moved on - in particular the cleanliness of what we saw of the country - no litter to be seen anywhere.Other moments - visiting the point where the Nile flows out of Lake Victoria near Jinja, seeing cheetahs for the first time, so many people waving to us on the truck when we were driving through all three countries, looking across Lake Naivasha from the viewpoint on a cloudless day, revisiting the ele orphanage. I could go on...
Thoughts on Group Leader
I was really pleased to see on the joining notes that we were to have the legend that is Often Konzoro as a group leader. His reputation precedes him and he lived up to it! In particular, on the day that we were going to see the gorillas, I fell ill and couldn't go on the trip. Often took me to the hospital (and seemingly bypassed all the queues!) and then to the pharmacy. The following morning (and I still don't know how he did it) he managed to persuade the organisers of the gorilla tracking to let me go with a group so I didn't miss out on my 'special day'! No 'use it or lose it' for the permit on this occasion thanks to Often.Often was kind and caring. A member of our group had an accident which required medical attention and this was dealt with quietly and efficiently. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he certainly went out of his way to make sure that our group of 18 were all happy.He was meticulous about hygiene making sure hands were soap washed, dettol rinsed and rinsed again before meals!Often had an excellent team in Ben (our wonderful driver), Wilson ( who kept us fed and watered) and Onesmes (general factotum and my fellow spud peeler). They worked very well together for our safety and comfort and were always cheerful and helpful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
An iPod is useful for the journeys in the truck, but having said that, the scenery is outstanding and there is always something to see or people to wave at!We had no inverter in the truck but managed to keep camera and phone batteries charged with the truck's extension cable rigged up in the evenings or, at the permanent tented camps - no adapters needed as there were UK plug sockets in all three countries.Staying in the Masai Mara, you can take kit for a couple of days in a small holdall and also take your daysack for camera, binoculars etc.Personally, I'm really glad that I started in Kigali and ended in the Mara (altho my plan to start the trip this way in order to stay healthy to see the gorillas at the start of the trip went slightly wrong...). Just spending some time in the Mara left me wonderfully relaxed and the thrill of the balloon trip was just a superb way to end the trip.Quad biking at Jinja was a fun alternative to white water rafting ( which I didn't fancy too much), We did the two hour trip and all agreed that two hours was just right - we were really getting into it after an hour, and after two hours we had all had enough. It's a great way to see the villages though you are required to steer with one hand and wave at people with the other!For your locker, take a padlock that has a key rather than a combination - it's far quicker than trying to read the numbers particularly at night with a headtorch.
Suggestions
Although I had studied the trip notes and read the other reviews, I don't think I had anticipated just how much time that we would spend in the truck. Having said that, we were crossing three countries, not three counties! It would have, on occasion, been nice to spend a little more time in some places.There seemed to be a lot of tipping involved - from gorilla tracking porters to the boat driver on Lake Naivasha so keep low denomination US dollars handy! There are plenty of opportunities for changing money into local currencies (doing mental calculations for exchange rates by the time you get to the third country is a little challenging!)The trip had a variety of accommodation but there only a couple of nights without a hot shower which was no problem. Be prepared for some loos which are definitely not 5 star though!This holiday does not have a lot of 'down' time, so if you want an adventure where you see lots more than you expect and have some amazing and memorable experiences all in just a couple of weeks, book it now.
