WEDDING WOW FACTOR!

• To share your special day in the company of these lovely, gentle giants!

WEDDING EXPERIENCE
A wedding in Uganda will include many contrasting experiences.

The most memorable of these is likely to be the interaction with gorillas, but there will be many others.

• In half a day you can drive from mist-shrouded volcanic mountains to hot hazy savannah, dappled with wildlife.
• Serene undulating hills of tea plantations, lush but ordered, give way to tangled jungle and rainforest with the musical accompaniment of chaotic, cacophonous birdlife.
• Uganda is alive with these contrasts: the tiniest sunbirds, iridescent in the morning light, the massive lumbering yet silent elephant, disappearing like a vapor behind the trees, the chimpanzees crashing about the forest canopy, the lugubrious gorilla, chewing thoughtfully in the bamboo thicket.
• Then there is the Nile, twisting its way north like a shimmering ribbon, through arid semi-desert scattered about with rocky kopjes.
• Snow capped peaks, tropical, sandy, freshwater beaches, and smiling faces everywhere. It’s all here, to bring to your special day a feast for all the senses.

All dmAFRICA Safaris and Wedding Packages are tailor made to suit your requirements. We shall share with you the experiences of previous successful weddings and see how best to fit these to your own ideas.

The arrangements for one of our most successful weddings were according to the following itinerary:-

Day 01 - Nairobi; Giraffe Manor
On arrival you will be met airside as you descend the aircraft steps by the dmAFRICA representative who will assist you with immigration, baggage collection and customs formalities and escort you to your driver who will drive you to the beautiful Giraffe Manor. You can spend the afternoon with the elegant Rothschild Giraffe – watching them, feeding them.

Giraffe Manor is Nairobi’s most iconic historical building, dating back to the 1930s, and is reminiscent of the early days of Europeans in East Africa. Whilst the building itself resonates with the past, very much present is the herds of resident Rothschild giraffe who tend to visit the Manor in the mornings and evenings to greet guests and sniff out some snacks before venturing out into their sanctuary of 140 acres. Located 20 km from the city centre in the suburbs of Nairobi in a unique area of preserved wilderness, Giraffe Manor offers you an unparalleled experience of the giraffes, with them vying for your attention at the breakfast table, the front door and even your bedroom window.

Giraffe Manor is also home to many characters including warthogs, bushbuck, dik dik and more than 180 species of birds and has a striking view of the Ngong hills.

Inspired by the manor’s original 1930’s decor, the owners have designed six double bedrooms with large four poster beds, antique furnishing, striking art decor and spacious bathrooms. The Karen Blixen suite is ideal for families and has direct access to the courtyard which opens onto the giraffe sanctuary.

Expect to be joined by guests for breakfast; lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served in the sun room, with its enormous windows flung open in welcome of the giraffe that come and join you. Dinner is a cosy affair as the drawing room fire is lit and guests and managers gather for evening drinks. You can either chose to have a candlelit hosted meal in the dramatic wood-paneled dining room or at your own table under the stars surrounded by the glow created by lanterns and candles on the terrace.

The chef will prepare home cooked meals that will make your stay at Giraffe Manor even more memorable. Get a taste of traditional meals with a touch of modern edge such as our Mount Kenya Smoked Trout pate, fillet of beef or Watamu red snapper

Day 02 - Nairobi---Kigali, Rwanda-----Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda; Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
After breakfast at the Giraffe Manor dmAFRICA transfers you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your scheduled flight to Kigali, capital city of Rwanda.

You are met by the dmAFRICA representative on arrival at Kigali Airport after clearing
airport formalities. Your transfer to Clouds Mountain Lodge takes approximately 2 hours by road.

The remainder of the day is free to relax at the lodge or engage in optional activities offered in the lodge guest directory. Arrangements are for all meals.

• This rainforest is said to be 25.000 years old, making it one of Africa’s most bio diverse habitats.
• The altitude of this mountain park ranges from 1200 - 2600 meters (3,000 feet to 8,000 feet).
• Five rivers and a high annual rainfall make it rather humid.
• Besides its major attraction, the mountain gorillas (gorilla gorilla berengeri), the National Park is also home to nearly 100 mammal species, 350 species of birds, 202 species of butterflies and over 200 species of trees.
• It is believed that about 350 gorillas remain in several stable groups in the park. The great protection over the last years has lead to a steady increase of the population, and it is considered that half the world’s population of mountain gorillas live here.
• Bwindi is the only forest in Africa to have chimpanzees and mountain gorillas co-existing.
• The park is on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites due to its ecological uniqueness and natural beauty.
• Bwindi is home to a number of other primate species, including black-and-white colobus monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, vervet monkey and baboon.
• In addition there are 79 mammal species including duiker, elephant, bushbuck, bush pig, giant forest hog and several small cat species.
• More than 350 species of birds have been recorded, of which many are regional endemics. The forest birding ranks best in Uganda with 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemic present.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is high up on Nteko Ridge, on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The views are inspiring. It lies in the shadow of three volcanoes, looking down into the thick treetop canopy of Bwindi and beyond to the golden grasses of the Western Rift Valley.

• Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, with the ultimate goal of protecting the natural habitat of the mountain gorilla, also directly benefits the community of Nkuringo, which has a significant stake in the venture.
• You are able to walk from the lodge to the Gorilla tracking starting point.
• It comprises 8 stone cottages with fireplaces, soft armchairs, excellent meals made from local produce, good wine, a lush botanical garden, a cosy library and sheltered verandas with views to the volcanoes.
• The main building with reception, dining room, shop and bar area also has six fireplaces to keep it a cosy area throughout the day.
• Views from the main balcony area stretch across to Rwanda and the Virunga Mountain range as well as all the way across the border towards Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Each room has its own twin basin en suite bathroom, with hot and cold water, as well as electric lights, plug points and a cosy fireplace.
• The main lodge offers soft and plush finishes with feature wood. Commissioned artwork from Ugandan artists adorns the walls throughout.
• Outside sitting areas with comfortable “laid back” chairs for each bedroom with an unobstructed and at the same time private view of the forest below.

Activities include:-

• Gorilla Trekking.
• Guided Forest Walks.
• Birdwatching.
• Escorted visits to the local community.

Day 03 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
This would normally be the day of your wedding.
Full details will have been arranged by dmAFRICA and the Lodge according to your requirements. The ceremony can be conducted as a civil service by a local registrar or by a Catholic Priest from a local community.

Day 04 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Early morning start of your very exciting day spent gorilla trekking. You would do this as man and wife on the first day of your honeymoon and with the possibility of “wedding” photos taken in the proximity of these beautiful and normally gentle giants.

• Before 8 am report to the ranger station for registration and a safety talk by one of the rangers; the guides will then take you through the bush pushing your way through the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas.
• The trek can take from half an hour to 7 hours – a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes.
• Once you are close to the group the guides will ask you to leave behind your bags as no food items should be carried close to the gorillas.
• Just take your cameras with you as you are about to meet the gentle giants!
• Sit in the forest amongst the gorillas, listening to them grumble to each other and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male; the silverback.
• It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas – sadly enough there are only about 650 of these beautiful creatures left.
• You are allowed exactly one hour with the gorillas before returning to the base station.
• Please note: Your guide will explain that it is forbidden to approach the gorillas closer than 5 meters, to feed them or to use flash photography.
• Likewise for your and their safety, you will be accompanied by armed guards which guarantee your safety in an area where wild buffaloes are sighted.
• While walking, please feel free to ask guides to slow down if they are going too fast and if you need a rest.
• There is the additional option to hire porters on site.
• The Uganda Wildlife Authority does not allow a trekking when you are sick as gorillas are very susceptible of human diseases. Should you feel sick the day of the trek we urgently advise you to abide this rule. In order to receive a 50% refund of the permit cost you MUST get a doctor’s report that day (please ask your guide to arrange this for you).
• We must also stress that, while you have a very good chance of seeing gorillas, success is NOT guaranteed. They are wild creatures with no fixed routine and finding them requires the skills and experience of your tracker sand guides, as well as luck.
• The trackers and guides have helped to habituate the gorilla groups and know them intimately. They will take you to the area where they left the gorillas the day before.
• Before leaving they may be able to suggest how long the hike might be.

Group Size: 18 Gorillas
Group Composition:

• Silver Backs 4 (Over 15 years)
• Males (Black Backs) 3 (8-12 years)
• Sub-Adults 1 (5-8 years)
• Juveniles 2 (3-5years)
• Infants 4 (0-3years) (twins born October 2008)
• Adult Females 4 (9-above years)

Habituation of this group started in 1997 and ended on 1st April 2004; the whole habituation process can take 2-3years. The group opened for tourism in 2004 (Mock tourism) and only a few people could track it for 6 months in a home range of about 10km (6 miles) across the circle.

Day 05 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Entebbe - Nairobi, Kenya.
After breakfast at the lodge you are transferred to the airstrip for the charter flight by light aircraft to Entebbe where you arrive around noon. You would continue by scheduled flight to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A dmAFRICA representative will meet you airside at the airport and assist you with the Kenyan customs and immigration formalities and your homeward arrangements or onward arrangements with dmAFRICA.