Intermediate
Wildlife
Transfers
14 Nights
4 - 12
Group size
Leaders
Deservingly dubbed ‘The Pearl of Africa’ by Sir Winston Churchill, Uganda never fails to live up to its reputation. On this safari you'll get to appreciate just how special the wildlife of Western Uganda is. The area around the misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the south of the country is home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorillas, and conservationists are also protecting the wildlife of the other nine national parks, where elephant numbers are stabilising, wild rhinos have been reintroduced and with lion tracking programmes in place; Uganda offers some of the best wildlife ecotourism in the world.
(Available as a small group tour or tailor-made holiday)
Spilling over a deep escarpment at the northernmost tip of Africa’s Western Rift Valley, the Murchison Falls are an incredibly impressive powerful cascade of water, as the Victoria Nile flows from the high grasslands down into the beautiful natural rainforest where you will stay in an ecolodge, trekking in the early morning to see chimpanzees. You will experience many different ecosystems, from tall volcanic mountains frontiers to richly fertile green high plateau producing its world-famous coffee, not to mention meeting the dozens of ethnic groups, all united by the Swahili language.
Of course, trekking to see the Mountain Silverback Gorillas up close is a major highlight of this adventure. With a Ugandan Wildlife Authority tracking guide, groups of eight people are allocated a gorilla family and you can be walking for between two and eight hours to find them. But it is always worth the effort, and upon sighting a family you will spend an hour with them as they go about their daily life; a totally unique and breathtaking experience.
Gorilla permits cost $700 per person (not included) and are issued by the UWA on a first come, first served basis. For this reason, you need to book this holiday as far in advance as possible to ensure we can secure you a permit. In addition to your £1000 or $1500 deposit, we will ask you for a £600 or $700 downpayment on your adventure to purchase your permit once the departure is confirmed. This is refundable (on cancellation by you) only if our partner agency is able to re-sell the permit on to another operator (which they make every effort to do).
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Wildlife
Guest house
You will be met at Entebbe International Airport and transferred to your hotel (15mins), and given any help you need to check in and settle. Your guesthouse is just a 10-15mins drive from the airport.
To leave you flexibility to rest after your journey and acclimatise to Uganda, as well as to allow clients flying in from different countries to all arrive and settle, we leave this afternoon and evening free for you to do as you wish. We can advise you on where to eat, and if you would like some ideas of where to explore.
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Wildlife
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We have an early start this morning in order to transfer (1hr 30) to the shores of Lake Victoria and to catch a boat to Mabamba swamp. It lies near a relatively small village, Kasanje, where fishing is the main form of work and activity. Tilapia and lungfish can be found in the small streams of the papyrus grass covered swamp. From a small wooden boat which carries 5 - 6 people each, we will hope to see the Shoebill Stork which hides in the water weed to hunt, or may, if we are lucky, be seen on land too, overlooking the water. Other beautiful birds we will spot are the African and Lesser Jacannas, Pygmy goose and the Blue Breasted Bee Eaters. Our tour, around 3 hours, will be led by a birding guide.
This afternoon, we will stop at the Gorilla Conservation Cafe ("Saving Gorillas one sip at a time") for a visit and talk from Dr Gladys Kalema Zikusoka, the charities founder and previously the first Wildlife Veterinary Officer of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The cafe is a social enterprise of the award winning NGO Conservation Through Public Health.
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Lodge
Today we leave Entebbe for arguably the most beautiful protected area in Uganda: Murchison Falls National Park. It is a journey that will take the day, with a worthwhile stop en route at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, which is home to the only wild rhinos in Uganda after they became extinct in the country in 1982. Accompanied by a guide, we have the wonderful opportunity to track and observe the rhinos in their habitat at a close, but safe, distance. Enjoying lunch here also, we then continue on to Murchison Falls National Park. The southern part of the park is mostly covered by dense woodlands and is one of the most varied forest faunas in East Africa. The northern area is grasslands with scattered acacia trees, borassus palms and riverine woodlands. The Victoria Nile passes through the Falls National Park and we will visit Murchison Falls themselves this afternoon - not to be missed!
We stay this evening at an Eco Safari Lodge in an area of Murchison Falls National Park called Budongo Forest, the largest natural rainforest in the whole of East Africa. It is one of the best areas for chimp tracking in Uganda (tomorrow's exciting activity!). We will be staying in Twin or Double eco log cabins which enjoy an en-suite shower, ash based eco-loo and a private verandah overlooking the forest. We will be eating on the terrace restaurant.
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Wildlife
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Lodge
Today brings the incredible experience of walking into Budongo forest with an experienced wildlife guide from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, to learn about the forest and it's inhabitants including primates and birds. The chimpanzee area is managed by the Jane Goodall institute for research and permits for tracking the chimpanzees are strictly controlled in order to manage exposure to the primates, for their protection.
Our permits allow us to 'track' the chimpanzees, and on sighting them, we are permitted to stay with them for an hour, watching them go about their daily routine; grooming, playing, feeding, communicating, taking care of their young. It is an incredible privilege, to see them in their natural habitat. After an hour we reluctantly return to our lodge for lunch, before leaving the forest to transfer approx 1hr to the Victoria Nile river and our accommodation for this evening; Murchison River Lodge, where we will be staying for the first of 2 nights, in their inspiring Thatched River Tents (en-suite).
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The range of animals we will see on our game drive this morning will make the early start well worth it: as always with a safari drive, there are no guarantees, but the common sightings include Rothschild Giraffe, elephant, lion, Jackson Hartebeest, Oribis, Waterbucks and potentially the elusive leopard, to say nothing of the savannah woodland birds.
After lunch we enjoy a Nile launch cruise to the bottom of the stunning Murchison falls for viewing game at close quarters, followed by a walk up to the top of the falls for incredible views of the Nile.
This evening we stay in a thatched river tent at Murchison River lodge, developed with conservation and empowerment of the local community in mind. These are twin bedded, permanently erected full height tents with wooden doors instead of zip openings, sheltered under a thatched roof, and offering a wonderful porch area with a view of the river. The tents enjoy an en-suite shower and chemical toilet, uses solar heated water, has solar lights, mosquito nets, and even USB ports. From the vantage point of the lodge bar and restaurant we will be treated to panoramic views of the park and the River Nile as it flows between payers islands and pods of hippo!
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Packed Lunch
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Guest house
To explore the most striking areas of Western Uganda, we need to travel, so today we settle into our journey that takes us from Murchison Falls National Park, south towards Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for another highlight of our adventure: the Gorilla Tracking. We split the journey over 2 days, staying tonight in Fort Portal (441kms from Murchison Falls, so a journey of 7 - 8 hours), a city that rests in the shadow of the fabled 'Mountains of the Moon' and is famous for her many tea plantations.
Driving through Africa is not comparable to a similar length drive in the West - the sights and sounds of Africa are engaging and interesting, and the kms will fly by. However, en route to Fort Portal, to break the drive and give our legs a stretch, we enjoy a forest walk in Bugoma Forest, along Kaboya Wildlfe Reserve.
Our accommodation tonight is a charming guesthouse offering simple twin and double rooms with small verandahs.
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We continue our travels south through Queen Elizabeth National Park for another 380kms this morning (approx 5hr drive), arriving in Bwindi National Park, home to the Mountain Gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei), by lunch. Bwindi lies on the edge of the albertine Rift Valley, with mountains ranging in height from 1,160 - 2600m high. The forest itself dates back to the ice ages and is one of Ugandas oldest and most ecologically diverse. It is home to 23 endemic species of bird as well as a host of mammals that include the Gorillas of course, Baboons, Chimpanzees, Elephant and Antelope.
After a pause to settle into the Gorilla Conservation Camp, run by the Conservation through Public Health NGO we became acquainted with at the start of our adventure, and rest, we set off on a village walk to get an opportunity to meet members of the local community.
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Wildlife
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Packed Lunch
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The excitement of seeing Mountain Silverback Gorillas up close in the wild will probably mean a light sleep, so it is no problem to arise early today for breakfast and to transfer to the park offices where we split into groups of 8, each with a Uganda Wildlife Authority tracking guide. Each group is allocated a gorilla family and the unforgettable experience begins to meet these gentle giants of Bwindi. Before your hike into the jungle starts, you will be given a briefing with information about your gorilla family as well as any health & safety considerations.
You will enjoy a transfer to the trailhead but from there you will be hiking to track the gorillas who build new nests every day so are always to be found in a new place. Expect uneven ground, potentially muddy conditions with rain overhead, and steep gradients at times. Depending on where your gorilla family are found, you might be walking for between 2 and 8 hours. On sighting the gorillas you spend an hour with them as they go about their daily life; a totally unique and breathtaking experience.
After the hour, your group will be guided back to the trailhead where a driver will be waiting to transfer you back to the Gorilla Conservation Camp for a well deserved shower and meal.
NB: Gorilla permits cost $700 (included in the cost of your holiday) and are issued by the UWA on a first come, first served basis. For this reason, you need to book this holiday as far in advance as possible to ensure we can secure you a permit.
Permits are purchased on booking, so in addition to your £200 deposit, we will ask you for a £550 downpayment on your adventure to purchase your permit. This is refundable (on cancellation by you) only if our partner agency is able to re-sell the permit on to another operator (which they make every effort to do).
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Echuya Batwa, commonly known as pygmies, are an endangered group of people around Echuya Forest Reserve in Kisoro and Kabale District of South Western Uganda. Originally forest dwellers, they have been almost entirely dispossessed of their land by the combined pressures of Government Gorilla conservation efforts and cultivators claiming land. Their home, before eviction, was the Bwindi impenetrable National Forest of Uganda where they were hunter gatherers and had spiritual and religious ties with the forests. Specific sites are revered and considered central to their existence.
Today is a fascinating tour by a Batwa guide to demonstrate their hunting techniques, gathering honey, pointing out medicinal plants and demonstrating how to make bamboo cups. Women of the community perform an emotive and traditional song and we gain an insight into the richness of this fading culture.
Our accommodation this evening is an hour away; Lake Mulehe Lodge is a peaceful oasis with individual Twin and Double cottages that have en-suite facilities and views of the lake.
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After breakfast, we transfer 2hrs to Mgahinga National Park, part of the Virunga Mountains where we will accompany a game ranger to track another wonderful primate species, the endemic and endangered golden monkey (Cercopithecus minis kandti). Between 2 and 4000 individuals exist, living in troops of about 100, led by an Alpha male and feeding on bamboo shoots, seasonal fruits, flowers, leaves and small invertebrates. The monkeys we will track today have been habituated to tracking and are a little easier to find as they don't make new nests daily like the Gorillas.
After our tracking experience we return to the lodge to relax and enjoy another African sunset and evening.
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3 star hotel
You may wish to relax at your leisure today, or alternatively, after breakfast, enjoy a community walk through the local villages to learn a little about the way of life in the nearby communities.
This afternoon we drive to Lake Bunyoni, close to the Ugandan border with Rwanda, and believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa. Bunyonyi means 'place of many birds' and is said to be one of the best places in Africa to see otters.. it is also referred to as the 'Switzerland of Uganda'. The lake is dotted with 29 islands of different shapes and size including Punishment Island with its tragic past; young girls who got pregnant out of wedlock were taken and abandoned there to starve to death! Framed by lush green terraced hills ranging from 2200 to 2478m, the lake vista is breathtaking.
We stay in individual Cottage room sat Bunyonyi Overland Resort, on the lakeside, from where you can drink in the views.
There is no hurry for breakfast this morning as you have some time to relax and enjoy your environment before enjoying a boat cruise on the lake this morning. You will visit the nearest islands, including pushishment island before returning back to the Bunyonyi Overland Resort for dinner.
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With some big distances to cover between Bwindi and Entebbe, today we reluctantly leave the sanctity of the lakeshore and start the journey Eastwards. We are by no means winding down from your experience yet though - we drive this morning, until lunch, before entering Lake Mburo National Park for a wonderful game drive this afternoon. Although one of Uganda's smaller National Parks, it has a wonderful selection of African birds and mammals to spot: impala, warthog, zebra, buffalo and is particularly known for its hippos and African fish eagles.
Tonight you stay in an eco friendly hotel/restaurant nestled on a scenic outcrop at the edge of the park: a secluded retreat in the Ankole ranch lands where we stay in comfortable and spacious 'cottages' dotted around the hill. During dinner the game spotting continues as herbivores often congregate at the water hole beneath the dining area.
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We start our last full day in Uganda in the best way possible- with an early game drive to see the savannah awakening and the sun rising. Later, we transfer to Entebbe with a stop at the equator for photos and a little souvenir shopping. We will arrive in Entebbe during the afternoon, and check in at our familiar guesthouse located within easy reach of the airport for tomorrow's departing flight.
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Depending on your flight departure time, after breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. Time to start planning the next adventure!
Single rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. Due to the lodges we use having cabin or tented accommodation that is twin/double, the single supplement is higher for this trip than you might expect. We will charge on a pro-rata basis if a single room is not available to book for part of the trip where it would have been possible.
Carbon Compensation is not the perfect solution, and it is important to first reduce our carbon emissions as much as we can, yet trees remain an excellent natural technology to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow global warming.
For every client and guide who attends a YellowWood Adventure, we donate £30 to our partner charity WeForest to plant 15 trees to (over) compensate for the carbon footprint of the tour.
We also invite our clients to match this with an optional additional £30 for another 15 trees to be planted to help compensate for the carbon footprint of their international flights.
WeForest run many tree planting and tree maintenance projects such as this seedling nursery in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil and many other projects in other countries including Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania & India.
Click Here to find out more about their amazing projects around the world.
We fully believe in, and practice Responsible Tourism, using local hotels, owned and run by locals. We put time and effort into building our relationship with them to ensure you have a a great trip.
We choose hotels based on cleanliness, comfort, safety, proximity to our route (to avoid unnecessary extra road travel), and a warm client welcome, as well as reliability in their service to us. Some hotels will be basic, in modern buildings or in town centres. Wherever we can, we will choose smaller more characterful, individual hotels, but in areas where tourism is still developing, this may not be available. An aspect of our adventures is to escape the ‘trappings’ of modern Western lifestyles and to experience new things which are exciting and memorable, and reflects the countries we are visiting.
This is adventure travel and on occasion the advertised services at a hotel (eg wifi, or hot showers, or continuous power) may not be functional on our arrival. This tends to occur in the smaller, more remote hotels. Very rarely a hotel lets us down and we are required to find alternative suitable accommodation that might not be our first choice. This trip involves a range of guesthouses, eco safari lodges and thatched roof riverside tents
The list below gives information on our first choice of accommodation for this adventure; where hotels and hostels are fully booked or unavailable, we will use an alternative of a similar standard, and equally well situated. We will provide you with an accurate list of accommodation, with contact information to leave with relatives, prior to departure on your adventure.
Entebbe (Day 1, 2 & 14): Paypyrus Guesthouse
Murchison Falls (Day 3): Budongo Eco Lodge Cabin
Murchison River (Day 4 & 5): Thatched River Tents
Fort Portal (Day 6): Rwenzori Guesthouse
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (Day 7 & 8): CTHPGorilla Conservation Camp
Lake Mulehe (Day 9 & 10): Lake Mulehe Lodge
Lake Bunyonyi (Day 11 & 12): Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Lake Mburo National Park (Day 13): Rwaboko Rock Lodge
With the exception of some of the higher class hotels in Entebbe, hotels generally do not have heating or air conditioning. As nights can be chilly, please bring appropriate sleepwear if needed (see packing list for further information).
In areas where malaria is a problem, hotel rooms come with mosquito nets.
Unless you have booked a single room (where they are available) and paid the single room supplement for those nights, you will be sharing a twin room with another client (of the same gender).
Supporting you on your holiday will be an experienced, local, English speaking Ugandan guide with a good knowledge of the areas visited, and the wildlife that might be encountered. They will be joined by wildlife guides and Ugandan Wildlife Authority tracking experts for the tracking adventure (Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Golden Monkeys).
We work closely with our Ugandan Tour Operator partners both before and during your adventure to ensure that they understand your needs and the standard that YellowWood Adventures expects. We believe that it is a very important positive aspect of Responsible Tourism, to employ the expertise of local suppliers, as well as offering you a much more informative and authentic experience.
Your group will be any number from our minimum group size of 4, up to a maximum of 12 clients. This number works really well with the ratio of guides, and ensures the optimum level of service to you during your adventure.
We get clients booking alone, as couples and in small groups of friends. If you have a group of friends or family who are interested in having their own customised trip, then please let us know and we can cost it for you.
This adventure is all about exploring the stunning National Parks of Western Uganda on foot, by road or by boat.
To get the most of out of this adventure, you need to be in good physical health, and enjoy walking as a way of exploring an area. Due to the potential conditions whilst tracking Gorillas, you need to be an experienced hiker used to walking on uneven surfaces, on gradients that will be steep at times, and in conditions that may be muddy and rainy. You will be carrying a day pack and bottle of water, packed lunch and spare clothing when tracking.
Waterproof walking boots are more appropriate for this trip than walking shoes or hard and heavy walking boots. Please see our packing list for more information.
Please note that you need to have an open mind to adventure travel, and experiencing different cultures to your own, first hand.
For general information on health issues in Uganda, please see the general information on Uganda, however, for this specific adventure, the following points are worth separate consideration.
If you experience any of the following symptoms during this adventure, make sure to inform your guide and they will support you in descending to a lower altitude as soon as possible.
Your YellowWood adventure starts at the airport in Entebbe on the start day of the trip. We understand that arriving into an unfamiliar airport can be very daunting, so we aim to give you as much information here as possible to help you prepare.
Flights are not included in the cost of your holiday, and whilst we are happy to help advise you, responsibility for booking the correct flights rests with you. We recommend that you use a comparison tool such as www.momondo.co.uk or www.skyscanner.net when searching for flights. We will send you a Flight Information Sheet with further pointers on which flights to book for your adventure.
In order to benefit from the natural and undisturbed beauty of the National Parks in Western Uganda, we need to be prepared to travel some distance, by road, to reach our destinations on this adventure. There are several days (Day 3, 6, 7 and 13) where you will be in private transport (minibus) travelling long distances. The roads are not always in great condition and the journey may be hot and dusty at times. However this is very much part of the adventure, and a wonderful opportunity to absorb the ambiance of East Africa, so we ask you to embrace the travel days, as without it, we would not be able to access the remote areas we then enjoy.
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, check www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. As the situation in our destination countries can change, please do ensure you check regularly before your adventure. We also receive notifications direct from the FCO so we are always aware of the ‘status’ in our destination countries.
Holiday insurance is essential for all Yellow Wood Adventures. Unfortunately anyone without insurance is not able to take part in the holiday, so please make sure you arrange cover. We recommend sorting your insurance when you book so that if you have problems during the run up to your holiday, and need to cancel, you are covered, particularly in the light of effects that the pandemic has had on travel.
Prior to the holiday, we will ask you to send us details of your insurer, policy number, 24 hr emergency assistance contact details and the name, address, and telephone numbers of your NOK or persons to be notified in the event of an emergency.
Your insurance needs to cover you for moderate walking with the following fairly standard inclusions:
We would also recommend that you have cover for the following optional items:
For information on Uganda, such as climate, weather, language, social norms, food & drink etc, please have a read of our Country specific information.
All adventures can be tailored as private bespoke trips.
Please contact us for more information:
+44 207 846 0197
Select dates & add any extras or 'Add on' adventures. Complete our Booking Form
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'Make Booking': You will be redirected to secure WorldPay to make your deposit (£300/$400/person) payment (receipted), if booking >56 days before your adventure or full payment if 56 or <56 days before your adventure. Your monies are held securely by the Travel Trust Association.
Your booking will show as 'pending' in your YellowWood online account.
Enter booking information for all guests in your party.
We will be in touch as soon as we are able, to confirm your booking or discuss any availability limitations. Do not book transport/flights until we have emailed you to confirm your booking (receipt of your booking form is not confirmation). We will change the status of your final invoice from 'Pending Approval' to 'Outstanding', when it becomes payable online.
This payment is due 56 days before departure date (we send reminders).
Contact us with any questions about your adventure or booking.
+44 207 846 0197
To help you choose the right adventure for you, we have given each itinerary a grading that relates to the level of Walking / Trekking you will experience during the trip. This grading can be found on the Yellow map on the adventure page of the website.
All of our trips involve a level of general activity so are designed for people who are in good health, enjoy the outdoors, and have a taste for adventure and some level of fitness. As will be clear from our destinations, the climate (and altitude) may be different to that which you are used to, so please take this into consideration when choosing the most suitable holiday.
Please read our Adventure Itinerary & Essential Information for more information and don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to chat through whether you have found a suitable adventure for you.
You need to be in good physical health to enjoy your active holiday, but you don’t need to be an experienced hiker. These itineraries offer a mix of sightseeing and easier walking for around 2-4hrs a day, with the emphasis on sights and cultural experiences.
Walks will be well marked or on defined pathways, and often around sites of interest. The expected amount of descent/ascent will depend on the landscapes of the destination, but will not exceed 400m/day, and will often be much less. Walks are at low altitude (below 3000m).
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack with water and essentials. Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have a pair of comfortable and worn in walking shoes/boots.
You need to have a good level of fitness and be a regular walker for these adventures, with ideally some trekking experience. You can expect to be walking for 3-6 hours per day, not including rest stops, normally on good trail paths but with some uneven surfaces at times.
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack. You may be walking in more challenging temperatures. You will generally be walking at low altitude (below 3000m) but may walk at altitudes up to 4000m. The amount of ascent could be up to 800m in a day but will frequently be less. You may walk on consecutive days.
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable clothing for this adventure.
You need to have a good level of fitness with previous experience of trekking. Extra training before your trip will ensure that you get the most out of your adventure. Areas will be remote and terrain uneven.
Expect to walk for 5 – 8 hours a day, not including breaks, with some very steep ascents and descents. You will be walking at altitude (over 3000m but not higher than 5000m).
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable equipment/clothing for this adventure (see the packing list for your adventure).
Please check individual itineraries for details of what you will need to be carrying with you.
Get in touch via our Enquiry form to check our availability, discuss the adventure and check we can meet your needs.
Complete our Enquiry Form; contact details, additional requirements (eg diet or health requirements) & questions you may have. Include as much information as you are able to, so we can help you with the detail you are looking for
Click on 'Send Enquiry' (receipted).
We will be in touch as soon as we are able, to answer your questions and help you plan your adventure.
+44 207 846 0197