Even though I’d already been to Africa before on a Safari (You can see that experience here), I was VERY excited to head back to this fascinating Continent for more Safaris as not only would I be experiencing those in a different part of the Continent…
…Kenya & Tanzania this time vs South Africa/Botswana/Namibia/Zimbabwe the first time around…
…but this time I’d be adding in a “Trek” to find Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda!!
The first time I’d heard about this unique experience was from a 75-year old/VERY well-traveled man who never got too excited when telling me about his travels since he’d “seen it all” but when he described his experience with the Gorillas he “lit up” & it brought tears to his eyes…
…after that, I knew this experience had to go onto my “Bucket List”!! 🙂
FYI, as I talk about here, I only sell “Tauck” tours to my clients when it comes to Land Tours which means that’s who I exclusively do my personal land tours with as well…
…as you’ll see here, this was my 6th “Tauck Tour”. (And as you’ll see here, I’ve also done a River Cruise with Tauck & 3 “Small Ship” Ocean Cruises with Tauck)
After having sailed on 85 Cruises that’s no doubt my preferred way to travel but, as I talk about here, in some places a “Land Tour” is the better way to travel (Or in the case of this Africa trip the only way as you can’t do it by Cruise) and, like on ALL my other “Tauck Tours”…
…Tauck truly, truly did a Wonderful job showing me this part of the World & bringing this unforgettable experience “To Life”!!
Alright, let’s take a look at what I saw & experienced during this “Mountain Gorilla Safari: Kenya, Tanzania & Rwanda” Tauck Land Tour to see if it’s one you want to add to your “Bucket-List” as well!! 😉
Mountain Gorillas
With so many GREAT experiences during this epic 15-night Journey, it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to what pictures/info to share with you so I’m thinking let’s start off with my “Gorilla Trekking” adventure.
Even though it took place the second last day of this trip, it was the “main event” I was going for… don’t get me wrong, EVERYTHING else I experienced during this trip was awesome but as, as mentioned above, since I had already been to South Africa and did Safaris/Game Drives this “Gorilla Trekking” experience was for sure the highlight I was looking forward to on this trip!!
And it did NOT disappoint!!
This day was definitely a VERY special day for a travel lover like me… what an AMAZING experience “trekking” to find Mountain Gorillas 🦍 in Rwanda!! 🇷🇼
And “trek” we did… it took 2 hours to find them, we hung out with them for 1.5 hours and then we hiked 2 hours back… all through some VERY dense jungle and up a VERY steep hill!!
With that said, we were 5 of our group of 21 who chose a more active trek, the other 16 in our “Tauck” group had to hike much less to find the Gorillas/their path wasn’t up a hill at all, it was through a flat open field/they were done 2 hours before us so many different fitness levels can still take in this experience!
FYI, even if you have serious walking issues, for around $300 you can be carried up by 4 porters on a “seated platform” perched on their shoulders.
But either way/no matter how you get there, seeing these powerful creatures glide through the jungle so easily as we had to work hard to get through the thick brush (Literally, our “trackers” had to “create” paths for us with their machetes!!) was so impressive as was watching the Gorillas eat, play together (The baby was SO cute!! ☺️), beat their chests, “talk” to each other, etc.
And because we found them in a small space/not out in the open we got REALLY close to them at times as they simply go where they like, we don’t seem to bother them at all… they’re definitely the ones in control as one of them reminded me when he was going by and gave me a little push on the shoulder reminding me who the boss was… WOW!!
Seeing all the animals I did in Tanzania 🇹🇿 and Kenya 🇰🇪 the previous 12 days was truly, truly incredible but the Gorillas 🦍 in Rwanda 🇷🇼 were the highlight of this unforgettable “Tauck” Tour for me!!
It’s truly impossible to capture the specialness of this unique experience in pictures/on video so I truly hope if you have the means to make it here you do one day as no doubt a trip like this will last with you forever!!!!!!! 💯👍🤩
Overall, I know above is only a few pictures and is only a “taste” of what it was like but seeing Mountain Gorillas in the wild in Rwanda was an experience that will forever live with me/it’s one of the greatest experiences I’ve enjoyed as I’ve traveled all over the World…
…if this appeals to you too I TRULY hope it’s something you get to experience one day!!
**Want to see more??** If you go here to my “Kenya/Tanzania/Rwanda” Photo & Video Gallery and read all the detailed captions underneath you’ll see another dozen + pictures/videos of the Gorillas and how we had “Porters” to help us through our Journey, you’ll see some of the terrain we had to hike through & the trackers using their machetes, you’ll see a video of my new found friend giving me a little “nudge” & saying “Hello” to me ;-), you’ll see a video of the baby playing around, etc.
Other Animals
As you’ll see in the picture to the right, Gorillas weren’t the only animals we got very close to while in Kenya, Tanzania & Rwanda!!
With that said, you have to be a bit more careful with Lions as they are “King of the Jungle” after all 😉 so for the rest of the pictures & videos you’ll see we definitely weren’t out “trekking” with the animals like with the Gorillas, it was all from the safety of our “Safari” vehicles!! 🙂
As you’ll see in the pictures below, we saw SO MANY different animals during this Journey… literally, we saw everything you’d hope to when going to Africa… and they were all awesome creatures, so Beautiful & special & serene to see in the Wild!!
If you go here to my “Kenya/Tanzania/Rwanda” Photo & Video Gallery and read all the detailed captions underneath you’ll see dozens of additional pictures/videos of some of the different Animals our “Tauck” group saw during this Journey…
…we saw animals playing, sleeping, eating animals they had just killed, mating, etc.
What an experience seeing them in so many different situations!!
If you’ve always dreamt of flying off to the far away exotic lands of Africa to go on “Safari” and see all the amazing animals in the Wild, then this journey will for sure be what you’re looking for!!
Other Highlights
Well, as you saw above and in my “Kenya/Tanzania/Rwanda” Photo & Video Gallery here, Gorillas & all the other exotic animals that Africa is famous for were VERY plentiful during my time in Kenya & Tanzania!!
With that said, seeing animals was not the only highlight of this Epic Journey…
…I saw/experienced many other memorable things as well such as:
–We visited a “Maasai” Village in Kenya to see how the local natives who live in both Kenya & Tanzania go about their daily lives. It was truly a blessed experience seeing their traditional dances, their homes, their children, seeing how they drink blood from Cows (Yep, I saw this in person!!) which they consider Very sacred, etc.! Overall, it was a very fascinating visit & experience as learning about a Country’s culture is always one of my favorite things when I travel!!
–We visited a local school that our guide, Seth, had started years earlier to help educate children from a “Maasai” community…
…it was so nice seeing the difference that can be made with what we would consider little money compared to our part of the World… the kids seemed to be doing great with their lessons and were definitely excited for us to visit them… overall, it was a fun visit for sure! 🙂
–Multiple times I had the chance to interact with locals, the same people who the news often portrays as “scary” and “dangerous” in parts of the World we shouldn’t be going to, yet, again & again my experience as I travel the World is smiling & Welcoming faces everywhere…
…truly, the World is a LOT less scary & more Beautiful the more you actually go & check it all out!! 🙂
-Another “local” experience we enjoyed was visiting a “spinners & weavers” shop supporting single mothers… it was so great to see all the Beautiful items they’re able to create!!
–Multiple times we were treated to local singing, dancing, etc. to get a feel for the traditions in Africa that can be so different from ours yet, they do it for the same reasons… to bring the community closer together, to have fun, to spend time with their loves ones, etc.
-Another memorable event during this trip was the day we experienced breathtaking views of “Mt Kilimanjaro”… what a site!!
And as you’ll see in a video through the link at the end of this section, we started our viewing that morning with a Beautiful sunrise… what a Great day that tuned out to be!! 🙂
-Many evenings we did an afternoon “Game Drive” which included a Gorgeous sunset to cap the day off… as you’ll know after taking your own African Safari trip, there’s nothing like a sunset in this part of the World!!
-Although it was only a short probably 30-minute experience, pulling over in the middle of “The Bush” in the “Serengeti” to enjoy a picnic are memories you’ll truly cherish when taking a Journey like this!! 🙂
-What seemed like a Major highlight for everyone in our group of 21/ALL really enjoyed it, was our early morning “Hot Air Baloon” ride over the plains of the “Maasai Mara”… we experienced an Epic sunrise that morning as we watched lots & lots of animals move beneath us which was all followed by a “Champagne Breakfast” in the middle of nowhere… amazing how hard all the staff worked for us that day to make it a VERY memorable event!! 🙂
-Another highlight of our Journey was we got to visit the Equator!! 🙂
-And our “Dinner in the Bush” while staying at the “Mt Kenya Safari Club” was a super memorable evening… the pre-dinner drinks, VERY tasty food that was grilled over charcoals, making “Smores”, etc. made it a Wonderful event! Lots of smiles on our group’s faces that night!! 🙂
-Unlike many “Major City” based trips, this itinerary did not have a ton of shopping opportunities on it since we were often in the “middle of nowhere” so our visit to the “Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre” was a highlight as not only was it a Great shopping opportunity but it also features lots of art and artifacts from Tanzania and other East African Countries… overall, a VERY impressive place!!
-A very personal highlight for me was when, literally, over 20 staff members from the “Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge” came out with instruments and serenaded me for over 4 minutes with multiple songs to Celebrate my big “50th”… it was like the whole restaurant stopped for me… definitely a touch uncomfortable/embarrassing but super fun & Special!! 🙂
Point being, I’ve been on MANY trips over the years for my Birthday & other special occasions and it’s a GREAT way to celebrate so make sure to always see if you can schedule Epic trips like this during special times for you as nothing better then celebrating in some Exotic place around the World!! 🙂
-And once we arrived to our destination in “Kinigi” to see the Gorillas, we first made a stop at the “Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund” campus that Ellen started where we learned about the amazing work Dian did to save these Beautiful creatures…
literally, all for her, I never would have gotten to have this experience so it truly is amazing what one person can do when they put their mind to something… that was a special experience for sure!! 🙂
–Our “Sundowner” (Drinks at sunset) at the “Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge” was another evening I won’t soon forget as I enjoyed some beverages with all my new friends as we saw & heard animals in the background, we had a Very informative & interesting lecture about Elephants, etc.
Truly, EVERY DAY of this Journey brought highlight after highlight… it’s a VERY special trip for sure!! 🙂
–And no doubt, one of the BIGGEST highlights of this Epic trip was all the new friends I met… sincerely, when you travel with a super small group like this (Just 21 of us) where you all have very similar travel interests it’s so easy to develop instant comradery…
…as those who know me well know, even though I’m in a business where I have to communicate with people daily, I can be VERY introverted so meeting new people isn’t always my thing but as I enjoyed drinks with these people, had many meals with them, went on many “Game Drives” with them, hiked to see Gorillas with them, etc. it was like I reconnected with many of my long lost friends…
… sincerely, new friendships is a MAJOR highlight of a trip like this for sure… at least in my humble opinion!! 🙂
WOW, as you can see, there are A LOT of other “highlights” when going to Kenya, Tanzania & Rwanda with Tauck besides just seeing the Animals!!
To see even more pictures & videos and to get even more details of the “other highlights” myself/my group experienced, visit here and don’t forget to read the detailed captions under many of the pictures & videos!
“Technical Details & Info”
Okay, so far I showed you the Gorillas & other animals I saw as well as I showed you some of the other major highlights I enjoyed during my Journey in Kenya/Tanzania/Rwanda.
So now, let’s talk about some “technical” details & info!! 😉
Below I’m going to address 2 specific things and beyond that, if you visit here, and read the captions underneath the 2 dozen pictures that follow you’ll learn about…
-how we had “Local” guides everywhere we went on top of having our “Tauck Director” Seth
-you’ll see the local transportation/the 4x4s we used during this trip in lieu of traditional MotorCoaches that most Land Tours feature (And I mention if you have any major back or neck issues a trip like this may NOT be for you as very bumpy rides for hours at a time… which is why I always encourage my clients to do these Epic/Exotic/Far away trips earlier in life, don’t leave them for retirement as too many people do but don’t end up doing them as health issues come up… save the easy North America trips for later in life!! ;-))
-you’ll see that it’s VERY dusty in this part of the World 😉 and how you may not want to bring your best attire with you
-I show you a “Tauck Exclusive” that we enjoyed during this Journey
-I give you a “peek” at some of the 6 “Inter-Africa” flights that we took
-I mention the welcome meeting & Welcome reception we had
-I show you the duffel bag & water bottle Tauck gives you, etc.
Again, visit here to check out all those details which Hopefully will help answer some of the questions that may be on your mind about this trip & you’ll see how Tauck handles every little detail for you!!
As mentioned above, there are 2 of the “technical” side of things I wanted to address more in-depth:
Our “Tauck Director”
To the right is Seth Cohen who was our “Tauck Director” during this tour… Seth was Truly AWESOME and someone who I now consider a friend after enjoying many meals, talks, etc. with him!
Of course, no doubt we both love to talk travel which makes it easy to get along but I know I could now call him up if visiting his town and he’d happily get together! 🙂
As I talk about here Tauck’s “Directors” (Guides) are truly the BEST in the business!!
They’re always ridiculously experienced (Seth has been with Tauck/guiding Tours for 28 years!) and beyond friendly & caring & helpful!!
Seth knew EVERYONE as we traveled from place to place which made a huge difference when it came to us having a GREAT/VERY WELL ORGANIZED overall trip compared to if we were there with a “rookie” guide like many companies have leading their tours these days!
Truly, I can confidently say ALL 21 of our group will no doubt tell you Seth was awesome which is something you can always depend on when spending your hard-earned money to book a “Tauck” Land Tour or Ocean Cruise or River Cruise!!
Arusha, Tanzania
As I talk about here & here you HAVE to arrive at least 1 day early for any Tauck trip or Ocean Cruise or River Cruise that you take!!
Reason being, if your plane or bags are late and you’re flying in the “day of” your trip that you spent tens of thousands of dollars on… it will start off VERY badly… and even if you’re on time you’ll be too tired to enjoy the first day or 2 as you’ll have had no time to get over the jetlag!
And I DO practice what I preach!! 😉
For this trip, I arrived 2 days early, 3 days early when I went to Antarctica with Tauck in January, 8 days early in Japan last fall with them and 2 days early to Iceland with them this time last year.
With that said, Arusha in Tanzania is where you stay for extra nights on this trip but it is NOT a highlight… I’m a big walker/I walked around Arusha for 3hrs and there was little to see except for a clock tower and some local markets and I spent some time at the “Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre” where Tauck was taking us anyways and it was not a great walking place as it was dusty with few sidewalks.
BUT, I still suggest you arrive a day or 2 early as the “Gran Melia” hotel was Very nice with a great pool & gym, Beautiful views of “Mt Meru”, Beautiful grounds, they had some nice restaurants, etc. so it’s a perfect place to simply chill out after your LONG flight to this amazing part of the World!!
Below are a few scenes from my walk around Arusha.
**Hot Tip** As I talk about here, if you book with me at the right time, you won’t need to pay for your first extra night in Arusha!! 😉
Last “Technical” note: As I talk about here “Tauck” ALWAYS includes airport transfers in the price of their trips whether you book air with them or not (As I talk about here BEST to book airfare on your own if you’re comfortable doing so!) and, as always like clockwork, my Tauck driver was waiting for me when I landed at the Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania after my long Journey to get there…
…this may not sound like a huge deal but there’s nothing worse than landing after a VERY long flight to only be harrassed to take a taxi ride, to go visit a timeshare, etc. whereas knowing Tauck has a professional driver there ready to take you to your hotel is the PERFECT way to start your long-awaited Journey!! 🙂
Food
Of course, when taking an Epic Vacation to an Exotic part of the World like Africa, everyone wants to know what the food is going to be like… are they going to get to try some new foods as well as have access to things they’re used to, etc.??
Here are my thoughts on the food I ate during this “African Safari” Tauck Land Tour…
…overall, we had many awesome meals during this Journey!!
Yes, we absolutely got to try some new/local dishes but if you’re a bit of a “picky” eater know that we saw lots of great steaks, seafoods we’re used to in North America, we even had burgers/pizza, etc. at times so, at least in my opinion, you’d have to be a super picky eater to not be happy with all the options we enjoyed each day!
And, there was PLENTY of it, you WON’T go hungry when on a Tauck Land Tour!! 🙂
If you visit here you’ll see lots of pics showing you some of the meals I enjoyed along the way as we traveled from Tanzania to Kenya to Rwanda! 🙂
AND, at that above link, I talk a little about what drinks ARE and ARE NOT included on a Tauck Tour like this.
Hotels
Okay, LAST topic now that I’ve shown you some of the food you’ll enjoy and I talked about included/not included drinks.
Let’s talk about Hotels!
The bottom line is this… Tauck always puts you up in excellent hotels!!
Sometimes they’re simply over the top Beautiful resorts like the “One & Only” and “Fairmont” & “Four Seasons” we stayed at for some of our nights during this trip!!
And other times, there are simply not high/high-quality hotels in an area you’re visiting but know that Tauck will still have you at a wonderfully staffed/clean/comfortable hotel!
Point being, don’t worry yourself too much when booking a Tauck Tour where they’re putting you up, just know they’re always picking great places that are going to treat you well and that are in strategic locations to make the most out of the trip you’re on!!
If you visit here you’ll see a few pics of the rooms I stayed in, some sights I enjoyed, the pools I could swim in, etc. at the hotels that Tauck put us up in during this 2+ week Journey.
Well, there you go, that was a look at my “Mountain Gorilla Safari: Kenya, Tanzania & Rwanda” Land Tour with Tauck… as you can see it was QUITE THE JOURNEY!!
If you’re looking for one of those “once in a Lifetime” trips to one of the most fascinating Continents on Earth then this could be the PERFECT option for you!!
Any questions at all about this Tauck Land Tour simply Contact Me Here or if you’re ready to book this Journey or any other Tauck Land Tour or Ocean Cruise or River Cruise simply let me know…
…as always, it’d be my pleasure to help you get that next Great Vacation planned & booked!! 🙂
I Appreciate You!!
Shawn Power
Your Trusted Cruise & Tauck Tour Expert!