About us
Sense Nature Adventures
Who we are
Sense Nature Adventures
OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
TANZANIA: THE COUNTRY
Tanzania was formed out of the union of the much larger mainland territory of Tanganyika and the coastal archipelago of Zanzibar in 1964. It is among the African Great Lakes Nation. The former was a colony and part of German East Africa from the 1880s to 1919, when, under the League of Nations, it became a British mandate till its independence in 1961. Tanzania covers 945 166km2 making it the largest country in East Africa. Located just below the equator (between 1oS and 11o45’S) most of Tanzania has a tropical climate although there are large regional variations. Tanzania is the largest of the 6 East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Tanzania itself. Tanzania it’s now known as The Land of Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar. With a population of approx. 65.4 million people made up of over 130 local tribes whilst Swahili is widely spoken as National Language. The country is as diverse in culture and natural wildlife. Karibu Tanzania.
TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS DESCRIPTIONS
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK.
Named after the river that flows through the park, Tarangire National Park is one of the lesser-known Tanzanian National Parks, giving it a real air of undiscovered Africa. Famous for its tree climbing pythons, massive baobabs and large herds of elephant, Tarangire National Park is small but still home to a significant wildlife population, with a density of wildlife matched only by Ngorongoro. Birding is particularly good here; the swamps, tinged green year-round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties; the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. Tarangire works well as part of a northern circuit and can be visited en route to Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, or on the way back. Tarangire walking safaris are a wonderful alternative to driven safaris.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
Lake Manyara was made a National Park in 1960 and covers an area of 330 square kilometres, of which some 230 square kilometres are lake. It lies at the foot of the western wall of the Rift Valley escarpment, and is particularly famous for its elephant and tree climbing lions. It is also well known for its rich variety of birdlife in both the forest and along the lake shore. The name Manyara comes from the Maasai word for the plant euphorbia tirucalli which they use to build their livestock stockades. Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks.
NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, designated to promote the conservation of natural resources, safeguard the interests of Ngorongoro Conservation Area indigenous residents and promote tourism. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), measuring 8,300 square kilometres, is also the only place on earth where mankind and wild animals co-exist in harmony, The Ngorongoro crater sinks to a depth of 610 metres, with a base area covering 260 square kilometres. The height of the original volcano must have ranged between 4,500 to 5,800 metres high. Apart from the main caldera, Ngorongoro also has two other volcanic craters: Olmoti and Empakai, the former famous for its stunning waterfalls, and the latter holding a deep lake and lush, green walls.
The area contains over 25,000 large animals including 26 black rhinoceros. There are 7,000 wildebeests, 4,000 zebras, 3,000 eland and 3,000 Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles. The crater also has the densest known population of lions, numbering 62. Higher up, in the rainforests of the crater rim, are leopards, about 30 large elephants, mountain reedbuck and more than 4,000 buffalos, spotted hyenas, jackals, rare wild dogs, cheetahs, and other felines.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK.
The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. “Serengeti” means “endless plains” in the Masai language and within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals.
Serengeti National Park is renowned for its unique natural phenomenon extensively known as the Great Migration; a progressive trekking of wildebeest from the Serengeti into the Masai Mara and back in search of water, pastures and breeding grounds.
Apart from the wild animals found in Serengeti, you will also see the park’s abundance of wildlife manifested in the insect world with 100 species of dung beetle alone. when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of elands, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK.
Kilimanjaro, by any name is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why? Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around 900 meters – to an imperious 5,895 meters (19,336 feet).
Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most accessible high summits, a beacon for visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing and determination. And those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual summit, or Gillman’s Point on the lip of the crater, will have earned their climbing certificates. But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The ascent of the slopes is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic. Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m contour), the cultivated foot slopes give way to lush montane forest, inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered Abbot’s duiker, and other small antelope and primates. Higher still lies the moorland zone, where a cover of giant heather is studded with otherworldly giant lobelias.
KENYA NATIONAL PARKS DESCRIPTIONS
Vast savannas peppered with immense herds of wildlife. Snow-capped equatorial mountains.
Traditional peoples who bring soul and color to the earth.
1. Nairobi
East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city, Nairobi is Kenya’s beating heart, an exciting, frenetic concrete jungle that counterpoints the untrammeled natural beauty to be found elsewhere in the country. If you’re interested in learning about Kenya’s culture and history, the city is home to a number of great stops including the extensive National Museum, and it’s also a great jumping off point for diving into the country’s varied culinary traditions. Nairobi also harbors a thrumming nightlife scene and an established cafe culture.
2. Masai Mara National Reserve
Masai Mara offers an absolutely unique variety of animals. The reason is that this hilly region is both humid and fertile, and is crossed by the rivers Mara and Talek, full of crocodiles and hippos, which carry water the whole year round. The banks of the rivers are covered in thick forest, which gradually makes way for bush and grassland. The abundance of water and excellent availability of food are the reasons why the Masai Mara, which in fact is a continuance of the Tanzanian Serengeti National Park, has the greatest population of wild animals in the whole of Africa. There is a particularly dramatic “spectacle” from July to November, the annual migration of huge herds of Gnus and Zebras. Predators such as Hyenas, Jackals, Leopards and Lions of course, closely follow these herds. Gigantic herds of over 200 buffaloes can also be observed. Plenty of food is available for elephants, giraffes, and the many species of antelopes.
3. Ol Pejeta Conservancy
It was once one of the largest cattle ranches in Kenya, but is now a 365-sq-km, privately owned wildlife reserve. It markets itself as the closest place to Nairobi where you can see the Big Five and possesses a full palette of African plains wildlife, including a healthy population of rhinos. It’s the rhinos that form the centrepiece of what is done here – the conservancy’s 111 (at last count) black rhinos form the largest population in East Africa. A reminder of the challenges they face came when a pregnant black rhino was poached in February 2016. Though it’s not just about rhinos – Ol Pejeta’s role in the wider Laikipia ecosystem extends beyond its boundaries thanks to its partner agreements and wildlife corridors that link it to other Laikipia ranches.
4. Samburu National Reserve
The most popular park in northern Kenya, Samburu’s dominant feature is the Ewaso Ngiro River, which slices through the otherwise bone-dry country. The river acts as a magnet for thirsty animals, and large numbers of elephants, Grevy’s zebras, giraffes and lions gather along the riverbanks.
5. Aberdare National Park
Herds of wildlife thunder over an open African horizon, elephants emerge from a thicket of plants and the mysterious black rhino munches tranquilly on leaves. This is Aberdare National Park, packed with 300m-high waterfalls, dense forests and serious trekking potential. Also commonly seen here are buffaloes, black rhinos, spotted hyenas, bush pigs, black servals and rare black leopards.
Aberdare can claim some of Kenya’s most dramatic up-country scenery. The fuzzy moors, in particular, possess a stark, wind-carved beauty, wholly unexpected after driving up from the richly cultivated plots of the eastern Aberdares. The park has two major environments: an eastern hedge of thick rainforest and waterfall-studded hills known as the Salient; and the Kinangop plateau, an open tableland of coarse moors that huddles under cold mountain breezes.
6. Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru is among Kenya’s finest national parks. Flanked by rocky escarpments, pockets of acacia forest and at least one waterfall, the park is gorgeous year-round and is home to both black and white rhinos, lions, leopards, hippos and endangered Rothschild’s giraffes. Rising water levels in 2014 forced the park’s famous flamingos to flee (although a small number had returned at the time of research), and the lake is now hauntingly surrounded by drowned trees.
UGANDA NATIONAL PARKS DESCRIPTIONS
OVERVIEW
Uganda has a total area of 236,040 sq km, bordered by Kenya in the East and Tanzania in the South, Rwanda in the South west, DR Congo to the west and South Sudan to the North, making it a landlocked country. It lies at 10S to 40N Latitude and 300 to 350 East Longitude, so it is astride the Equator.1 00 N, 32 00 E. The country, however, is well watered and fertile. Although it lies at the Equator, it receives about three rainy seasons a year, with Lake Victoria, The Nile, the many forests and the Rwenzori mountains determining much of the climate. In forest ecosystems it rains regularly and weather is unpredictable. Water covers 36,330 sq km, about 15% of Uganda’s area. The country is rich in wildlife, game, birds, and a vast culture of over 50 tribes occupying this beautiful, green country. In Uganda alone a birder will enjoy twelve percent of bird species in the world; a tracker will find half of the world’s gorillas; an explorer will have an opportunity to see more than 7% of the world’s mammals. For the discerning traveler the potential for Ecotourism here is enormous, and the discreet have tapped into it.
GORILLLA TRACKING IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in south-western Uganda, covering parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale Districts. It is situated in a hilly countryside, which, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary, constitutes an important water catchment area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region. This is the richest forest in Uganda, in terms of the number of plant species, as the area is one of the few large expanses of forest in East Africa where lowland and montane communities merge. The valley bottoms contain a dense ground cover of herbs, vines, and shrubs with only a few trees hence its name, the impenetrable forest. This is one of the richest faunal communities in East Africa. There exists about one half of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas. There are also several endangered species of birds with limited ranges.
RWANDA GORILLA TRACKING
On this trip, you will visit Parc National des Volcans (PNV) in the north of Rwanda which habituates approximately 300 mountain gorillas. Ten Gorilla families are habituated for tracking. Each of the Gorillla families allows a maximum of 8 tourists tracking per day. On addition to gorilla tracking, you may also climb the Visoke volcano and track other primates including golden monkeys. You can also visit the Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Centre (her Grave) or do a Village walk, all on payment of extra.