Gorillas, chimps & whale sharks with Kerrin Poupos

Included: Free Activities | 2 x Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): TBC

The School For Life Foundation was founded in 2008 by two young and passionate Australian entrepreneurs, Annabelle Chauncy OAM and David Everett OAM. Annabelle and Dave met whilst working as volunteers in Kenya, where they became convinced that education is the only real way to mobilise a community and create a positive and sustainable future. Determined to build a school in rural Uganda, Annabelle and Dave returned to Australia and raised over $500,000 to achieve their goal. In 2011 Katuuso Primary and Vocational School opened and welcomed its first students.

Over the next 2 days, we are going to immerse in a rural Ugandan community that has benefited from a school that was built by School For Life. This is a unique opportunity for us to immerse in Ugandan culture, learn a little Lugandan and get to know some of the most resilient and remarkable people on the planet. We will also visit the home of some of our sponsor students, meet their family and learn to cook a traditional Ugandan feast. 

Adventure Out Loud donate 50% of our profits to keep disadvantaged children in school so simply by travelling with us, you are making a huge impact on the fight against poverty. You will also have the opportunity to personally sponsor a student or to fundraise for School For Life once you register.

Here is a little more about School For Life:

Included: Transport in Luxury Safari Jeeps | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Turaco Treetops

Today we drive to Kibale National Park, famous for its large population of chimpanzees and its incredibly tall trees. Kibale is home to approximately 1,200 chimps and tomorrow you are going to be getting up close and personal with our closest relatives.

Here's a sneak peak from your luxury forest cottage. If you're lucky, your cottage may even have views over the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains.

Included: Guided Chimp Trek (including permits valued at US$200pp) | Guided Bigodi Wetlands Tour | Transport in Luxury Safari Jeeps | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Turaco Treetops

Located in Western Uganda, Kibale is one of Africa’s premier chimp tracking locations. The National Park is approximately 800 square km with an average altitude of 1,100 - 1,600m. This morning, we will be tracking one of our closest relatives, in the hope of seeing how they live, interact and behave. It’s scary how alike they are to humans; can you find one that acts like you?

In the afternoon, enjoy a local lunch before going on a swamp walk in the Bigodi Wetlands, a conservation area famous for its many different species of monkey. Alternatively, you can enjoy a little R&R by the pool or add an additional chimp trek.

Included: Afternoon safari (including all permits) | Transport in Luxury Safari Jeeps | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Ihamba Safari Lodge

Queen Elizabeth National Park holds the largest population of wildlife in Uganda and is famous as one of the few parks where you can spot the Ugandan Kob, a type of antelope. If you're feeling adventurous, you can enjoy a late afternoon safari when we arrive. Otherwise, relax by the pool so you're fresh for our full day safaris tomorrow.

Included: Safaris Listed Below | Transport in Luxury Safari Jeeps | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Ihamba Safari Lodge

Today we will enjoy a morning game drive followed by an afternoon boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, a 32km long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel attracts a varied range of animals and birds, with one of the world’s largest concentration of hippos and crocodiles. Covering more than 1,900 square kilometres, Queen Elizabeth is the best safari destination in Uganda and the park offers fantastic opportunities to spot:  

Lion	Elephant	Hippo	Buffalo	Leopard

With more than 95 mammal species and over 500 bird species, you can also expect to see a large variety of exotica African animals.

NOTE: You will not see rhino, wildebeest, cheetah, giraffe or zebra in Queen Elizabeth National Park. If you want to see these animals, you should add the optional safari in the Masai Mara. Queen Elizabeth is a good safari destination, but the Masai Mara is considered to be Africa's best safari destination, on par with the Serengeti (Tanzania), Kruger (South Africa) and the Okavango Delta (Botswana). 

Included: Transport in Luxury Safari Jeeps | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Mutanda Lake Resort

Perched on a Lake Mutanda peninsula in the shadow of the Virunga Mountains, Lake Mutanda Resort offers some of the most beautiful views on planet earth. It is the perfect base for our gorilla treks. The resort also offer a wide range of activities that range from water sports and bird watching to epic volcano. A full list is on their website. 

NOTE: Please tell Nate which adventures you want to try when we arrive at Mutanda so he can organise them for you. You can pay for these optional activities in cash on the day of the adventure. 

Included: Guided Gorilla Trek (including permits valued at US$700pp) | Transport in Luxury Safari Jeeps | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Mutanda Lake Resort

Summary of the day, 

6am: Transfer to gorilla trek
8am - 2pm: Gorilla trek (Rushaga)
2 - 3pm: Transfer to Lake Mutanda & free time
Dinner at Lake Mutanda

About Gorillas

Mountain gorillas live in forests at elevations of 2,000 - 4,000m. They have thicker fur than other great apes which helps them to survive in a habitat where temperatures often drop below freezing. There are approximately 1,000 of these fascinating creatures left in the world and Bwindi National Park in Uganda is home to about 400 of them. Today is your chance to trek with one of the most unique animals on the planet.

The trek is dependent on how far away the gorillas are and can vary from 1 - 6 hours. Trek groups are capped at 8 people/gorilla family and for people who are less mobile, we will do our best to send you to one of the closer and easier to reach families. The trek is often through thick forest and it is advisable to wear hiking boots, a long sleeve shirt and hiking pants. You will also need rain gear and a full packing list is provided when you register. 

Included: Mafia Island Flights | Airport transfers | Breakfast and Dinner | Marine Park Permits | Accommodation (Twin Share): Chole Mjini Treehouses

Mafia Island is the perfect African beach escape. A picturesque archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, Mafia Island will take your breath away from the moment you catch a glimpse of its crystal-clear waters. This island is very remote and unlike Zanzibar, it is not visited by many people. Our boutique accommodation is found on a smaller island called Chole and we have booked the entire resort.  

Here is a taster of what you can expect on Mafia:

How do we get to Mafia Island:

1. First we fly from Kigali, Rwanda to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Because international flights are not yet available, these flights have not been included in your package. Kerrin & Nate will help you book them once they become available. 
2. After landing in Dar es Salaam, we'll transfer to the domestic terminal for our flight to Mafia Island (this flight is included in your package).
3. Landing on Mafia Island, we'll be met by our private drivers who will drive us to the boat which will then take us to Chole Island. 

Whilst there is a lot of travel this day, we guarantee it is worth it. The Mafia Island flight in particular is stunning so make sure you get a window seat.

Included: Marine Park Permits | Transport | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Chole Mjini Tree Houses

Whale Sharks are the largest fish in the ocean and the longest recorded whale shark was 12.18m. Luckily, these gentle giants are friendly and safe to swim with because that is exactly what you are going to do today.

Please note: whale sharks are wild animals so there is no guarantee that we will find them. 80-90% of our tours find whale sharks though and in the event you don’t, we'll go back out searching on one of your free days on Mafia Island. 

Included: 1 activity | Marine Park Permits | Transport | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner | Accommodation (Twin Share): Chole Mjini Tree Houses

Make your own adventure by choosing from one of the many epic activities below: 

Options included in your package: 

• Snorkelling the Mange or Kitutia Reefs
• A visit to Jibondo, Bwejuu or Juani Island
• Explore the Kua and Chole ruins
• A visit to the Blue lagoon (jelly fish pond)
• Additional whale shark tours (limited to 1 per person and must be pre-booked)

Options not included in your package:

• Scuba diving
• Other tours not listed above

Please note: most of these activities are highly dependent on tides and weather. As such, it is best to choose your adventure the night before. This is something our team will help you do after dinner. 

Included: Airport Transfers | Celebration Breakfast

We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate all of the unforgettable, enriching and transformational experiences you've had over the past 3 weeks than with new friends over a traditional feast. We've done, seen, experienced and felt so much together. We've achieved great feats, learnt about new cultures, immersed in foreign communities, made new friends and made a positive impact on the world. Now we return home with memories to last a lifetime and the knowledge that we explored some of Africa's most exotic destinations whilst also making a difference in the fight against poverty.   

After breakfast, we catch our domestic flight to Dar es Salaam (domestic flight included in package), before transiting to our international flights back home. Most international flights will arrive on the following day. 

Note: International flights are not included but Kerrin & Nate will help you book once they become available. 

Having spent more than 10 years travelling, living, guiding and volunteering across Africa, Nate is the perfect guide to immerse you into this vibrant and exotic continent. His knowledge of local customs, cultures and traditions allows you to immerse into the communities you visit on a deeper level, and his attention to detail, ensures your adventure runs smoothly. All you have to do, is enjoy the journey. 

Nate is also an amateur photographer and he'll be bringing his camera with him on this adventure. Part of Nate's job is to capture all of your unforgettable memories so that you can be present and in-the-moment while you experience them. During the adventure, Nate will share his photos with you and once we return home, he will edit all of the photos and add them to Adventure Out Loud's Flickr so that you can access them whenever you want. 

Nate is also the founder of Adventure Out Loud and he is incredibly passionate about Africa and making a difference in the world.