- Sabi Sands Game Reserve

9-Day The Big Six

Enquire Now

We introduce you to Timbuktu’s Big Six: a Masai Mara Big Five safari and a chance to trek gorillas in Rwanda. Start your trip in Rwanda and trek through the tangled forest of Volcanoes National Park to see the mountain gorillas in all their glory. After a quick stop in Nairobi it’s back to the bush in Kenya’s Masai Mara, one of the wildlife hotspots of the continent, where game drives, walks and balloon flights will make a safari to remember.

Tour Summary

You'll go to Rwanda & Kenya

You'll visit Kigali, Volcanoes NP, Nairobi & Masai Mara NR

This tour starts in Kigali & ends in Nairobi - Getting there

Tour Features

Luxury tour

This luxury tour uses lodges and tented camps.

Private tour

This tour will be run exclusively for you. Transfers and game drives at private camps will be shared.

Can start any day

If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.

Can be customized

You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.

Suitable for solo travelers

Solo travelers can book this private tour.

Minimum age of 16 years

The minimum age for this tour is 16 years.

Activities & Transportation

Activities: game drives, evening/night game drives, walking safaris (with an armed guide) & nature hikes/walks

Game drives: open-sided 4x4 vehicle

Getting around: normal 4x4 vehicle & air transfer

This operator can help select your international flights, but you'll have to book them yourself help

A transfer from and back to the airport is included

Accommodation & Meals

Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost

Day	Accommodation	Meals
1-3	Virunga Lodge Luxury lodge outside Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)	All Meals Included
4	Giraffe Manor Luxury+ hotel in or near Nairobi (Kenya)	All Meals Included
5-8	Cottar's 1920's Safari Camp Luxury tented camp bordering Masai Mara NR (Kenya) without fences	All Meals Included
9	End of tour (No accommodation)	Breakfast Included

Next:Day by Day

Arrival

(See Getting there for more details)

You'll be collected from the airport.
Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Day 1-3 Come face to face with gorillas in Rwanda

As wildlife encounters go, there’s not many more exhilarating, more spelling binding and more utterly mesmerising than coming face to face with a mighty mountain gorilla. The location is, to put it bluntly, phenomenal, with 10 bandas perched high on a hilltop, orbited by panoramic vistas of shimmering lakes Ruhondo and Burera and the spiky crests of the Virunga volcanoes. Add to this the ever-present layer of iridescent, swirling mist and the lodge is every bit as magical as the wildlife. The focus at the lodge is to see the mountain  gorillas, which adds a sense of shared purpose to dinner at the candle-lit, communal table. The choice is between an 'easy', 'medium' or 'difficult' trek to see the gorillas, depending where the family groups are located in the forest.  An 'easy' trek can take from 30 minutes to an hour, a 'difficult' trek usually three or four hours. There are also guided treks in search of the golden monkeys and hikes to the neighbouring volcano and surrounding lakes.

Main Destination:	Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda)
Best Time to Visit Jun to Sep (It is drier and trails are easier to hike) High Season Jun to Sep (Permits are scarce) Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot) Wildlife in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) Common None Elephant Rare Buffalo Rare White Rhino None Black Rhino None Giraffe None Lion None Leopard None Cheetah None Zebra None Wildebeest None Hippo None
Accommodation:	Virunga Lodge Luxury lodge located outside Volcanoes NP
Meals & Drinks:	All meals included All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)

Day 4 Enjoy giraffe kisses and a Scottish-style lodge

You're quite likely to be woken by a giraffe appearing at your window at this small hotel in the Karen suburb of Nairobi. Built in 1932 to resemble a Scottish hunting lodge, it was only in the 1970s that the manor and its surrounds were turned into a luxury hotel and a sanctuary/breeding centre for endangered Rothschild giraffe. The giraffes wander around freely, totally at home with their visitors, and the hotel is gorgeously comfortable. Expect great fun, uplifting experiences, hearty laughs, great food and a super-comfortable room. Giraffes are clearly the stars of the show, but other activities are on offer. The Giraffe Centre is a must, then arrange visits to the endearing occupants of the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, the interesting Karen Blixen Museum, various art and craft studios, the Maasai market (perfect for mementos), Nairobi National Park and the Bomas of Kenya, where guests can enjoy traditional dances, makeshift villages, and handicrafts.

Main Destination:	Nairobi (Kenya)
Accommodation:	Giraffe Manor Luxury+ hotel located in or near Nairobi
Meals & Drinks:	All meals included All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)

Day 5-8 Leave the city life for elephants at this 1920s style tented camp

Located in its own private conservancy just one kilometre from Kenya's famous Masai Mara Reserve, Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp was created by Calvin and Louise Cottar in the mid-1990s. You're in the hands of experts – the owners are the fifth generation of a family recognised as the oldest established and continuing safari family in Africa. So you'll experience the perfect combination of adventure, adrenalin and comfort. The tented rooms offer relaxation in luxurious colonial style and the food is fresh and fabulous. The Masai Mara has the largest concentration of terrestrial wildlife on the planet, so there's plenty to see and photograph. Take guided day and night game drives, see the smaller species and birds on a walking safari, or rest with a gin and tonic on the veranda and take in the view that stretches to the distant horizons of the Mara and Serengeti plains. Visit a Masai community – these interactions are welcomed and are conducted respectfully, in case you're hesitant.

Main Destination:	Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya)
Best Time to Visit June to October and September to October High Season June to October and December to March Best Weather June to October (Sunny, but not too hot) Wildlife in Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya) Elephant Common Giraffe Common Lion Common Cheetah Common Zebra Abundant Wildebeest Abundant Buffalo Common Hippo Common Hyena Common Leopard Occasional Black Rhino Rare Wild Dog Very Rare White Rhino None
Accommodation:	Cottar's 1920's Safari Camp Luxury tented camp bordering Masai Mara NR without fences
Meals & Drinks:	All meals included All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)

Day 9 Finish in Nairobi

You will be chartered from Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp to the airport for your onward journey.

Main Destination:	Nairobi Airport (Kenya)
Accommodation:	No accommodation
Meals & Drinks:	Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included) Drinks not included

End of tour

(See Getting there for more details)

You'll be collected from the airport.
Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Next: Rates

Important to Know

Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour must be paid in US dollars (USD). The ZAR rates shown are converted for information purposes only. Disclaimer
This tour accepts children who are 16 years and older.
Rates include a fixed budget for flights during this tour. Flights may cost more, depending on travel dates. If so, your quote will reflect this.

Rates Per Person

Inclusions

Rates Per Person

AUD

USD

ZAR

EUR

GBP

Start dates	Solo 1 room	2+ people Sharing rooms

Jan 1, 2020 - Feb 28, 2020	$13064	$11100
Feb 29, 2020 - Mar 8, 2020	$13064	$10712
Mar 9, 2020 - Mar 24, 2020	$13064	$9703

Mar 25, 2020 - May 25, 2020	$13064	$8771
May 26, 2020 - Sep 25, 2020	$14293	$10789
Sep 26, 2020 - Nov 29, 2020	$13064	$10324

Nov 30, 2020 - Dec 15, 2020	$15933	$11100
Dec 16, 2020 - Dec 31, 2020	$15933	$12187