Planning

Thinking about a trip to Africa? Don't know where to start? Here are some suggestions for a newbie like me. You want to start this process 12-18 months out.

Even More Mara Pics

Pretty much every animal can be found in the Masai Mara:

More Mara Pics

Lots of cats in the Masai Mara:

More Rwanda Pics

About a hundred people helping to pick crops from a field one morning:

More Gorilla Pics

Click here to view movie of mountain gorillas

Newborn baby gorilla:

Mountain Gorilla Trek

I'll skip a description of my first day in Rwanda, because it was an emotional, heartbreaking experience, and it feels wrong to detail it here. After the genocide in 1994, this is a country still reeling from the trauma, and just about everyone you meet was personally affected. Many of the guides and people I met are in their 30s, so they were children or teens when it happened. But you know what? Rwandans are beautiful, resilient people determined to heal as a country, and are doing many impressive and thoughtful things to rebuild, heal and move on to a new future they are all proud of. The country is spotless, and the roads are better than anything in the US. I walked away with a great appreciation for the Rwandans.

In the mountains between Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo live the last remaining mountain gorillas, the same ones made famous by Dian Fossey. You can hike up and visit them. First, you need to purchase a permit months in advance. It's expensive and hard to get, but that money is going towards a whole army of trackers, guides and security, and conservation efforts.

Masai Mara

The piece de resistance of the safari: the Masai Mara. The most wildlife, game drive spotter and drivers were a notch above. Not much time, so some photos for now, more to come:

Cheetahs: