Beach Safaris

Beach Safaris : For our beach and water lovers, Pallid Safaris recommends spending more nights on the coastline followed by three to four nights in the bush. The timeline allows you to maximize all that the Indian Ocean, beaches and seaside villages offer! Imagine taking a boat across the water and feeling the stress of modern life melt away. On the South Coast of Mombasa, just ahead lies the secluded island of Funzi, a spectacular blend of beach, sandbank, wetlands, forests and mangroves. With only a small settlement of islanders, you are sure to have an intimate and personalized vacation on the African isle. North Coast Mombasa is an excellent option for our guests who prefer more to be close to the mainland. The island offers historical architecture and landmarks, as well as access to the ocean waters for deep sea fishing, snorkeling and diving. Once little more than a ramshackle fishing village, Nungwi has been transformed into one of Unguja island’s busiest beach destinations and its second most populated village after its capital, Stone Town. Situated at the island’s northernmost tip, Nungwi is blessed with some of Zanzibar’s most idyllic swimming beaches as the water surrounding this section of the island is fairly deep and mostly unaffected by the change of tides. The village is also renowned as a party hotspot with plenty of boisterous nightlife and a thriving social scene hosted by the village’s slew of hotels, bars, shops and restaurants. Spend your days lazing on the spectacular beaches, floating in the idyllic turquoise waters or indulging in a massage. Then, as the sun sets, join the revellers as the town comes alive, cocktails flow freely and the beach bonfires begin to blaze. Daily itineraries tend to be gloriously simple: sunbathe, swim, party, repeat!

Bird Watching

East Africa is a prime destination for a bird watching holiday at any time of year. Tremendous geographical range gives Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda a variety of climates and landscapes, hence the second highest number of species in Africa. Kenya holds the world-record ‘bird watch’ – with 342 species seen in 24 hours!

Camping Safaris

Camping safari may seem straight forward – you go on a safari and sleep in a tent, right – there is actually a lot more to consider when planning your own. Between budget camping and luxurious glamping safaris, there are many options for travellers looking to experience the great outdoors in a camping safari. A self-catered camping safari is the most hands-on safari experience travellers can have. Travellers should be experienced, confident campers; not only will they be setting up and tearing down their campsite themselves, but they’ll also be responsible for their own food preparation. A glamping safari is for travellers who want to enjoy the best of what their safari destination has to offer, without spending time cooking or setting up camps. Housed in large canvas tents with beds and plenty of storage, these experiences often include private game drives and fine dining experiences.

Chimpanzee Trekking

Chimpanzee trekking is one of the things that makes a Uganda safari unique. Not only is it incredibly special to be able to gorilla and chimp trek in one country but Kibale Forest is one of the best places not only in Uganda, but in the world, to see chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are among our closest relatives, sharing over 98% of our DNA. They typicallys live in family groups of 15 to 20 (though some may be much larger, up to 100), and each chimpanzee group has a unique personality of its own. Group life is crucial because chimpanzees are highly sociable, intelligent, and communicative animals; their complex social relationships and hierarchies (groups are usually led by a dominant male chimpanzee) help provide mental and emotional stimulus they need. They communicate largely through body language and hoots, pants, and barks, and are one of the only species to create and use tools. Their playfulness and human – like characteristics make the long day worthwhile. Luckily you may be welcomed by chimp morning calls deep in the forest upon encountering the chimps, you will be allowed to stay in their presence for one hour as you enjoy their acrobats, feeding life and their day today behaviors. In east Africa, the other best places to see this beautiful creatures are at Nyungwe Forest National park in Rwanda, Mahale mountains National Park & Gombe National park in Tanzania.

City Tours

Nairobi  is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name “Nairobi” comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to “cold water”, the Maasai name of the Nairobi river, which in turn lent its name to the city. However, it is popularly known as the “Green City in the Sun” and is surrounded by several expanding villa suburbs.Residents of Nairobi are known as Nairobians.

While visiting Nairobi, there are various activities that you can participate in such as excursions, day trips or short tours. The following activities can be done in combination with other safaris or on their own depending on the amount of time that you have for leisure. We also arrange short excursions outside the city to nearby cities which can start early in the morning from Nairobi and return back in the evening and are suitable for travellers who do not have time to spend the nights in different parks.

Mombasa City excursion takes you on a guided tour to visit principal landmarks including Akamba Wood Carving Village, a Hindu Temple, Fort Jesus Museum, Old Town, Mwembe Tayari Open Air Market, local bazaars, handicraft carvers and shopping malls as you get an opportunity to interact with locals and learn about the Swahili culture. Protecting the harbor stands Fort Jesus which was built by the Portuguese 400 years ago, to protect their interest in East Africa. See how it went from fort to prison to tourist attractions; walk under the famous Elephant tusks on Moi Avenue, which you probably have seen in those old Africa adventure movies. After the tour, you are transferred back to the hotel for rest.

Coffee and Tea Farm Tours

Coffee and tea farm tours invites all domestic and international tourists to come and experience a different side of Kenya, a side that Kenya is famous for, a side that boosts the Kenyan economy. Here is an experience of Kenya’s black gold; Kenyan coffee! The product has been a major cash crop for the east African region and there are many coffee farms especially on the highlands. From the seedling bed to the fermentation tanks, drying beds, the mill, and the roasting of the coffee beans, we will provide all the intricate details on how to produce a cup of coffee and all that it entails. It’s a very interesting experience whereby you go through all processes the coffee has to before it gets to your cup. In this case you participate and taste the different coffee. Just a short drive from the heart of Nairobi, Kiambethu Farm at Limuru provides a tranquil insight into life on a settler farm. Situated at 7,200 ft. Kiambethu was bought and farmed by AB McDonell in 1910. He was a pioneer in the tea industry being one of the first to make and sell tea commercially in Kenya – now one of Kenya’s largest exports. Five generations have lived on the farm and it is currently run by his granddaughter Fiona Vernon.

Cultural Tours

East Africa offers a rich variety of cultural experiences with plenty of involvement with local villages. Travellers often get the opportunity to learn about Maasai, Samburu, Turkana, batwa, Swahili and other communities and take part in activities. It’s often possible to visit schools, do a village visit on market day or walk with the herds when going out to pasture in the morning.

Golden Monkeys Trekking

Golden monkeys trekking is another highlight of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda  & Mgahinga National Park in Uganda respectively.  The Golden Monkey (CercopithecusMitisKandti) is a local subspecies of the widespread Sykes Monkey, also known as the “Blue Monkey” and is endemic to the high altitude forests. The monkeys are playful and inquisitive and often spend their time leaping from bamboo branches or frolicking on the forest floor.There are two habituated groups of Golden Monkey, one group comprises around 80 – 100 members and has its home at the foot of Mt Sabyinyo. Visitors are permitted to stay for 1 hour with the monkeys. The number of visitors is not limited.

Gorillas Trekking

Gorilla Trekking is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife encounters and something we consider to be a unique African adventure.  It offers  both  magically beautiful and soul changing encounters with these  incredible countries and the magnificent beings that inhabit them.

Mountain gorillas (a subspecies known as Gorilla beringei beringei) can only be found in 3 countries in the world in East Africa.

The wilderness of the Virunga highlands that lies within Le Parc National Des Volcans in Rwanda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park as well as Mahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, and the Virunga National Park found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These parks are found approximately 48 km from each other, and within Uganda as well as Rwanda they are easily accessible.

There are approximately 1004 Mountain Gorillas remaining in the world with an estimated 400 staying in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest within Uganda found in East Africa.

Although tracking mountain gorillas can be conducted all year round in Uganda & Rwanda, due to the rainy seasons experienced by the national parks in which these gorillas live, preferred months to visit are from June to September as well as from December up to February.

There is a lot of planning and preparation involved in gorilla trekking safari and pre-booked permits are essential.

Hiking tours

Hiking is the preferred term, in Canada and the United States, for a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails (footpaths), in thin the UK, (a slightly old-fashioned term), hill walking, and fell walking (a term mostly used for hill walking in northern England). The term bush walking is endemic Australia.

If you’re an adventurer who loves being out in nature, a hiking and trekking tour should be next on your list. You can expect great wildlife photography opportunities and the chance to travel with a group of like-minded individuals who love the great outdoors. Africa’s highest freestanding mountain is also one of the most popular trekking destinations in the world. Start planning for the trip of a lifetime.

Honeymoon Safaris

Honeymoon Safaris : Africa is one of the best honeymoon destinations in the world offering the most romantic luxury safari honeymoons. Kenya makes for one of the most inspirational safari honeymoon destinations in Africa, with the perfect cocktail of wildlife, adventure, cities and beaches. Start with the thrill of an adventurous wildlife safari, exploring the wild plains with your very own expert guide before relaxing at your lodge at sunset as wildlife drinks from the water hole just metres away from your balcony. Pallid Safaris always make sure that the lodges and hotels are aware that it is your luxury honeymoon, and together we will go out of our way to make sure you have an unforgettable once in a lifetime experience.

As we tailor make all of our honeymoon itineraries it is best to simply contact us for your own tailor-made quote.

Jungle Safari

Jungle Safari: Surrounded by volcanoes and ancient lava flows The Chalbi Desert is a small desert in northern Kenya near the border with Ethiopia. It is east of Lake Turkana and contains North Horr. Marsabit is the closest major urban center. Chalbi desert is composed of saline and alkaline sediments and stabilised sand dunes; a resulting formation of the old bed of Lake Chalbi. When you journey into Chalbi Desert, prepare yourself for an eerie landscape edged by rocky lava flows, cracked earth and a sandy mixture of white salt and clay across which your guide carefully drives through. Even in this barren and desolate location, you may see a shadow emerge in the distance, as ostriches, grevy’s zebras, oryx and other adapted animals are often observed in the desert. Amazingly, spotted hyena have been seen too. On the northern edge is a gorgeous area of oases with groves of palm trees that attract sand grouse and other birds including vulturine guinea fowls. The oases are also used by the Gabra people as water sources for their camels. Another contrasting landscape in the desert are the Huri Hills and Mount Forole to the north, at the Kenya-Ethiopia border, where temperatures are slightly lower and the wilderness is much greener, giving you a private escape from the desert heat while enjoying expansive views of the hottest location in Kenya.

Kenya Safari

Kenya Safari ; Kenya is one of Africa’s prime game viewing areas, renowned for its dramatic scenery, magnificent game parks and abundant wildlife. The famous Masai Mara in the south is a wide open landscape of undulating plains to which a multitude of wildebeest and zebra migrate from July to October each year. These herds attract predators from lion and leopard to cheetah and wild dog, and their intense interactions are a thrill to watch. By contrast, the Samburu Game Reserve to the north is a semi-arid region of great beauty with lots of exciting big game like lion and elephant, as well as strange desert-adapted species such as blue-legged Somali ostrich and Gerenuk antelope.

Other highlights include flamingo-rich soda lakes such as Nakuru, the well-run wildlife-rich Lewa and Laikipia concessions, and Amboseli, which offers reliably good elephant viewing. Kenya is also home to fascinating tribes such as the Maasai and Samburu.

Mt Kenya, Mt Kilimanjaro and the steep escarpments of the Rift Valley provide a stunning backdrop to amazing wildlife encounters.

Situated in Kenya’s south-west, Tsavo is an enormous wilderness area that has been divided into Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. Combined, Tsavo is Kenya’s biggest park and, at 22 000 km² (13671 miles), one of the world’s largest game sanctuaries. It is particularly well known for its large herds of elephants and captivating landscapes. Tsavo is one of the less populated game areas in Kenya and is perfect for those who want to enjoy a pristine wildlife experience.

A highlight of Tsavo National Park is the spectacular Mzima Springs, where crystal-clear water flows through volcanic rock.

Peak Climbing

Peak climbing ; A climbing peak may refer to a mountain or hill peak or a rock formation that has to be ascended by climbing. There’s nothing quite like standing at the top of a mountain, with the clouds and the rest of the world stretched out below you. The exhilaration of completing a difficult climb, the camaraderie of your new climbing friends, the knowledge that you’ve done something that few other people do, and the feeling that you’re truly at the top of the world. It’s no wonder that once people start climbing mountains, they never want to stop! Though undeniably exciting, mountain climbing trips require a level of advance preparation and physical fitness that few other types of travel can equal.

Sightseeing

This tour provides insights and offers a great experience from the History of Karen which dates back to 1914, during the First World War, with the arrival of Karen Blixen from Denmark. At the foot of Ngong Hills, Karen Blixen established herself as a farmer. The human –Elephant care, rehabilitation and conservation at the Daphne Sheldrick orphanage and the Giraffe center to see and feed the famous and endangered Rothschild giraffe.

Tanzania Safari

Tanzania Safaris? Tanzania offers incredible diversity and is perhaps the most beautiful country in Africa, from the Serengeti plains with their annual mass migrations to towering, jungle-clad mountains and paradise archipelagos.

With the most magnificent park in Africa, the Serengeti has vast landscapes and prolific amounts of game and is famed for the annual migration. The Ngorongoro Crater meanwhile is a true Garden of Eden, with highland forest covering the sheer sides of the caldera, a spectacular barrier encircling the plains wildlife that roams the flat crater floor making it ideal viewing ground for a superb Tanzania safari.

Northern Tanzania

The well-established ‘Northern Circuit’ safari of northern Tanzania offers some of the world’s most diverse safari experiences, consisting of National Parks, game reserves, conservation areas and private concessions. Among these are the world-famous and iconic Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, and of course their less well-known neighbours, Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park.

Tea Farm tours

Tea farm tours in Kenya are famous for people who wish to explore the African continent for more than its wildlife and learn the ways the natives use to carry out various processes. The farm tours are likely to be delightful experience because you not only learn a process the local way but also get to taste some of the native delicacies, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and comeback before the sun sets.

Just a short drive from the heart of Nairobi, Kiambethu Farm at Limuru provides a tranquil insight into life on a settler farm.

Situated at 7,200 ft., Kiambethu was bought and farmed by AB McDonell in 1910. He was a pioneer in the tea industry being one of the first to make and sell tea commercially in Kenya – now one of Kenya’s largest exports. Five generations have lived on the farm and it is currently run by his granddaughter Fiona Vernon. The farm house is set within beautiful gardens surrounded by acres of tea and indigenous forest – home to the Colobus monkey.