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This is a gay getaway unlike any other. It will be difficult to find an experience rivaling an encounter with a 400-pound gorilla while trekking through Africa’s Volcanoes National Park. The soul-stirring experience takes safari to a new level and it alone is worth the journey to eastern Africa. To be sure, we are now offering 11 days through Rwanda and Kenya with endless opportunity for jaw-dropping, breath-taking, and memory-making. Look forward to sunsets with cocktails and five-star safari lodges. Prepare to explore the home of Africa’s great migration. Pack your camera and brace yourself for the trip of a lifetime. This is Zoom East Africa gay group safari tour and it will not disappoint.
Juxtaposed with Africa’s rugged wilderness are the five-star lodgings in which Zoom travelers will enjoy luxurious pampering. Between game drives through the home of Africa’s Great Migration are sunset cocktails, gourmet meals, and top-notch spa services.
During our tour, we literally lodge-hop on executive-class Cessnas throughout Kenya until arriving in Rwanda for our gorilla safari. The planes have custom-designed interiors, replete with bespoke white leather seating and mahogany embellishments.
As you can see, this is not your run-of-the-mill Africa safari experience. This is something truly spectacular; something that will bring you face-to-face with gorillas and safari animals like never before; something that will pamper and thrill you every day; something that will live in your memory forever. This is is Zoom Rwanda and Kenya.
• Services of a Zoom Concierge throughout your trip
• Come face to face with mountain gorillas on a trek through Volcanoes National Park
• All-inclusive resorts including food, beer, wine, and spirits
• Lodge hopping on private executive-class Cessnas throughout Kenya
• 1 night at gorgeous Hemingways Hotel in Nairobi
• 2 nights in beautiful Esle Hopje Lodge in Kenya
• 2 nights in our luxury lodge in the Amboseli National Park
• 2 nights in the Masai Mara
• 2 nights in 5 star properties in Rwanda
• Visit Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest and most biodiverse national park
• Sunset cocktails and dinners with breathtaking views on safari
• Explore the home of the Great Migration
• Possible visit to an authentic Maasai village
• Sundown cocktails in the bush
• Game drives through four different lodges in Rwanda and Kenya
• Night game drives
• Walking safaris accompanied by experienced guides
• A gourmet picnic lunch on safari
• Evening cocktail hours
• See a multitude of elephants in Amboseli National Park
• Spend two days exploring the vast Masai Mara Game Preserve
• Brunch in the bush of Serengeti National Park
• Complimentary laundry service at select lodges
• Expert guides leading game drives and walks
Day 1 - Friday, October 29, 2021 / October 28, 2022
Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya
Welcome to Kenya! On arrival at Nairobi – Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you will be met by a Zoom Vacations representative and transferred to Hemingways Hotel in Nairobi.
Set between Nairobi National Park and the foot of the Ngong Hills, Hemingways Nairobi is an exclusive boutique hotel far from the bustle of central Nairobi. An all-suite property providing full butler service, gourmet restaurant, a brasserie and a bar, it is perfectly placed for trips to Nairobi National Park and the capital.
Hemingways has a sophisticated and tranquil ambiance. Each of the 45 suites is a generous size, all with walk-in dressing rooms and a terrace with magnificent views of the Ngong Hills.
Tonight, meet your fellow Zoom Vacations travelers at our beautiful welcome dinner at Hemingways.
Accommodations: Hemingways Nairobi Hotel , Nairobi
Meals Included: Welcome Dinner
Day 2 - Saturday, October 30, 2021 / October 29, 2022
Amboseli National Park
 Breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast, we will proceed to Wilson Airport, for our private flight to Amboseli National Park.
140km south of Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is the second most popular wildlife area in Kenya, famous for its large population of over 1000 resident elephants and for its scenic beauty with the backdrop of the world’s highest free-standing mountain, snow-capped Kilimanjaro.
Amboseli National Park covers 96,865 acres (392km˛), which constitutes less than 5% of the entire 2 million acre ecosystem of the Amboseli basin crossing from Kenya into Tanzania. The lush green wetlands in this otherwise dry area make Amboseli National Park one of the best wildlife-viewing areas on the planet, attracting over 600 species of birds including pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hammerkops, 47 types of raptors as well as the African elephant, cape buffalo, impala, hyena, giraffe, zebra, gazelle and wildebeest with lion and cheetah among the big cats that roam the area.
Amboseli opens your eyes to Africa’s vast space: a photographer’s paradise. Around camp the Acacia Tortilis forest is host to many bird species and literally thousands of weaver nests hang above the tents adding a rousing dawn chorus into the mix.
Tortilis Camp has unrivaled views of Kilimanjaro, rising out of the semi-arid bush studded plains – Africa’s highest mountain, and the highest free standing mountain in the world.
Winner of British Airways’ prestigious eco-tourism award, Tortilis pioneered low impact, high comfort tourism. Guests have access to a private 30,000 acre conservancy facing the mountain; and can enjoy walks with experienced Masai guides, bush breakfasts and sundowners.
Today, you will enjoy a full day of activities including game drives, a game walk, sundowners in the bush, a night game drive, and more.
Accommodations: Elewana Tortilis Camp , Amboseli National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 3 - Sunday, October 31, 2021 / October 30, 2022
Amboseli National Park
 Breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast you will enjoy a full day of activities including game drives, a game walk, sundowners in the bush, a night game drive, and more.
There is no better way to up close and personal to the wild than to take a walking safari. Feel the ancient earth beneath every step you take as you tread on the tracks of animals that have walked the same path minutes before. In the company of an experienced guide, you will learn about the flora as well as the fauna, and begin to understand the true majesty of the indigenous peoples that live and thrive on the land.
Sundowner cocktails and dinner will be served.
Just after dusk, the night game drive will offer a rare opportunity to see how the bush ‘comes alive’ after dark. Driving with an experienced and qualified guide, the 1.5-hour drive provides an insight into the nocturnal wildlife that is often overlooked. With a keen eye and unbroken concentration, there is much to see and wonder at on a night game drive.
Accommodations: Elewana Tortilis Camp, Amboseli National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 4 - Monday, November 01, 2021 / October 31, 2022
Amboseli National Park to Meru National Park
Breakfast at the lodge. You will enjoy a morning game drive through Ambolseli National Park. Stop at leisure for a picnic lunch on your way to the airstrip to fly to Meru National Park.
350km from Nairobi. Meru forms part of a larger conservation area covering 370,000 acres including the adjoining Kora, Rahole and Bisanadi Reserves. The park also incorporates an 84km2 rhino sanctuary, making Meru one of the prime destinations to see rhino in their natural habitat. The birdlife is extraordinarily colorful and abundant with over 400 species of birds.
Rugged and remote, Meru National Park was rescued from oblivion thanks to Elsa’s Kopje, an environmental award-winning, boutique lodge. Visitors get the whole place to themselves: all 870 km2 of it, including a thriving rhino sanctuary inside the Park. Famous for large elephant herds, lion and birdlife, and more diversity of animal species than any other park in East Africa. Activities include nature walks, fishing in the streams, shared game drives to Kora and Bisanadi National Reserves, and evening shared game drives back to camp.
Unashamedly romantic and beautifully styled, Elsa’s Kopje is sculpted into Mughwango Hill, above the site of George Adamson’s original camp where he raised and released orphan lions, long before conservation became fashionable. Each cottage is crafted around the rocks, with a large bedroom, open sitting room, veranda, rock-hewn bathroom, and breathtaking views.
Arrive at Elsa’s Kopje in time for Lunch, and then enjoy an afternoon Game Drive
Accommodations: Elewana Elsa’s Kopje , Meru National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 5 - Tuesday, November 02, 2021 / November 01, 2022
Meru National Park
After our morning game drive, enjoy an outdoor Breakfast in the bush.
The later morning is free for relaxation at Elsa’s Kopje
Then, after lunch at Elsa’s Kopje, enjoy an afternoon Game Drive.
We finish our day with sundowners in the bush and dinner at Elsa’s Kopje
Accommodations: Elewana Elsa’s Kopje, Meru National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 6 - Wednesday, November 03, 2021 / November 02, 2022
Meru National Park to Masai Mara Game Reserve
 After an informative Nature Walk, we will enjoy breakfast, morning a leisure, and lunch with a view at Elsa’s
We then head to the airstrip to take our flight to the world famous Masai Mara.
The Masai Mara is famous for its astounding numbers of wildlife. With both resident and transient populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, giraffe, elephant, to name a few, as well as over 450 bird species, the vast fertile plains are dense with game. The area has been classified among the “Seven Wonders of the World” due to the extraordinary annual migration from July to November when over 1.3 million wildebeest and zebra cross from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara in search of greener pastures.
We will enjoy a game drive en-route to Sand River Masai Mara Camp
Located on the banks of a river from which it has taken its name, Sand River Masai Mara is located within the Masai Mara National Reserve, close to the Tanzanian border. Situated on a secluded and picturesque site, the Camp replicates the heyday of exclusive permanent tented camps of the late 1920’s. The interior fixtures and furnishings mirror this period perfectly, reminding all who visit of those countless Hollywood movies that have paid homage to a classic era of African adventure.
Dinner at Sand River Masai Mara Camp
Accommodations: Elewana Sand River Masai Mara, Maasai Mara National Reserve
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 7 - Thursday, November 04, 2021 / November 03, 2022
Masai Mara Game Reserve
After our morning game drive, enjoy a big breakfast at our lodge.
The later morning is free for relaxation at Sand River.
Then, after lunch at Sand River, enjoy an afternoon Game Drive.
We finish our day with sundowners in the bush and dinner at Sand River
Accommodations: Elewana Sand River Masai Mara, Maasai Mara National Reserve
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 8 - Friday, November 05, 2021 / November 04, 2022
Masai Mara Game Reserve to Nairobi, and on to Kigali
Breakfast at the hotel. Watch a spectacular sunrise at Sand River
We will enjoy one last game drive en route to the airstrip for flight to Nairobi and Kigali.
Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda, roughly in the center of the country. It sprawls across numerous hills, ridges and valleys, and has a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene.
Accommodations: Kigali Serena Hotel , Kigali, Rwanda
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 9 - Saturday, November 06, 2021 / November 05, 2022
Mountain Gorilla Experience
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning transfer to the Volcanoes National Park offices. Briefing by the park's guides on how to behave in the forest and in the presence of mountain gorillas. From the trail head, there is a 10-20 minute walk through fields (cultivated land) to edge of forest. Here you enter the park for a gorilla trek, which will take you until around midday depending on where you find them.
Locating the gorillas is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. A limited number of gorilla permits are issued each day, to maintain the harmonious relationship between trekkers and the gentle giants. It is important to take plenty of water. Good cameras and plenty of fast speed film or memory cards are recommended. It can rain at a few minutes’ notice, hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock bags for cameras and film.
After the trek, lunch and dinner will be at your hotel.
Accommodations: Virunga Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 10 - Sunday, November 07, 2021 / November 06, 2022
Golden Monkey Experience
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will take part in a golden monkey tracking activity and to enjoy the last day of your east African adventure (additional permit required - see below).
With only a small number remaining in the world, the Golden Monkey can be found in the foothills of the volcanic mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Characterized by its bright golden body, cheeks and tail, with contrasting black limbs, crown and tail end, these playful primates are a pleasure to watch. The walk will take you from the bamboo stands and forested gorge on the lower levels of the volcanoes, to the elevated heath and moorland higher up.
Accommodations: Virunga Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and domestic open bar
Day 11 - Monday, November 08, 2021 / November 07, 2022
Departure
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, you are transferred to Kigali Airport to connect for your onward flight
Meals Included: Breakfast
Hemingways Nairobi Hotel, Nairobi (1 Night)
 Set between Nairobi National Park and the foot of the Ngong Hills, Hemingways Nairobi is an exclusive boutique hotel far from the bustle of central Nairobi. An all-suite property providing full butler service, gourmet restaurant, a brasserie and a bar, it is perfectly placed for trips to Nairobi National Park and the capital. Hemingways has a sophisticated and tranquil ambiance. Each of the 45 suites is a generous size, all with walk-in dressing rooms and a terrace with magnificent views of the Ngong Hills.
Plantation-style boutique hotel with the Ngong Hills in the distance. 45 suites all lined with hand cut Italian marble, walk-in wardrobe, double vanity, separate toilet, bath and shower and a terrace. Personal butler service for every guest. Spa makes use of sacred rituals to cleanse and reinvigorate. Contemporary modern cuisine using locally sourced artisan producers and accompanied by the finest selection of wines.
Elewana Tortilis Camp, Amboseli National Park (2 Nights)
 Elewana Tortilis Camp has unrivalled views of Kilimanjaro, rising out of the semi-arid bush studded plains – Africa’s highest mountain, and the highest free standing mountain in the world.
Winner of British Airways’ prestigious eco-tourism award, Tortilis pioneered low impact, high comfort tourism. Guests have access to a private 30,000 acre conservancy facing the mountain; and can enjoy walks with experienced Masai guides, bush breakfasts and sundowners.
Classic luxury safari camp; 16 tents, ensuite with magnificent views (9 doubles, 7 twin); 1 Private House (with two en suite bedrooms and a private living area); 1 Family Tent (with two en suite bedrooms and a private veranda); Swimming pool & bar, spa/massage, shop; Gold level eco-rating, and winner of the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award; Free Wi-Fi in public areas and rooms.
Elewana Elsa’s Kopje, Meru National Park (2 Nights)
 Unashamedly romantic and beautifully styled, Elsa’s Kopje is sculpted into Mughwango Hill, above the site of George Adamson’s original camp where he raised and released orphan lions, long before conservation became fashionable. Each cottage is crafted around the rocks, with a large bedroom, open sitting room, veranda, rock-hewn bathroom, and breathtaking views.
6 spacious en suite Cottages ~ 5 doubles and 1 twin; 3 Honeymoon Cottages ~ 2 spacious ensuite doubles with a private decks and outside baths; 1 large triple-level cottage with private sitting room, double ensuite bedroom & a private deck; 1 Family Cottage ~ 2 ensuite bedrooms, (1 double, 1 twin), sitting room, and a large private veranda.; Private House ~ 1 double and 1 twin room (both ensuite), shared sitting room, dining room, veranda and private pool. Infinity swimming pool, massage, Wi-Fi. Gold level eco-rating and an Andrew Harper Grand Award Winner
Elewana Sand River Masai Mara, Maasai Mara National Reserve (2 Nights)
 Located on the banks of a river from which it has taken its name, Sand River Masai Mara is located within the Masai Mara National Reserve, close to the Tanzanian border. Situated on a secluded and picturesque site, the Camp replicates the heyday of exclusive permanent tented camps of the late 1920’s. The interior fixtures and furnishings mirror this period perfectly, reminding all who visit of those countless Hollywood movies that have paid homage to a classic era of African adventure.
16-tented rooms divided into two separate but adjoining accommodation areas (split into 10/6); A 2-bedroom en suite family tent with private lounge; Enclosed tents including eco-friendly woven strand bamboo floor adorned with throw carpets; Free Wi-Fi in public areas and rooms
Virunga Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda (2 Nights)
 The magnificent Virunga Lodge is the premier luxury gorilla lodge of Rwanda and one of Africa’s finest and most renowned lodges. The lodge is perched high on a ridge with stunning views of the Virunga Volcanoes and the Musanze valley to the west and Lake Bulera and Ruhondo to the east.
It offers the finest views in Africa, uniquely decorated rooms in the Rwandese style, fantastic food and exceptional and personalised service by our carefully trained staff. It is the first accommodation choice for the luxury traveller tracking the endangered mountain gorilla.
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