Cats in the long grass

Lion, cheetah and leopard country, read slowly with guides who know when to wait.

The crater or the plains

Add Ngorongoro for density, or give more time to the Serengeti for scale and season.

A flight toward the forest

Leaving the grasslands behind as the map rises green beneath you.

Fern, mud, mist and the effort that makes the hour with gorillas feel earned.

The quiet after the trek

A warm lodge, soft legs, and the strange calm that follows a profound encounter.

Land near Arusha or Kilimanjaro, rest, then move into the safari country.

Three to four nights in the Serengeti or a Serengeti-plus-crater shape, focused on cats, herds and light.

Fly via the best available routing, with the transfer designed to feel clean rather than squeezed.

Two to three nights near the forest, with time to trek, recover and absorb the mountain setting.

A community visit, forest walk or quiet breakfast before you fly onward.

Can you combine Tanzania safari with Uganda gorillas?

Yes. It works best when the route gives both countries enough time and does not treat Bwindi as a rushed add-on.

How many nights do you need?

Around 9 nights is a useful starting point, with four to five nights on safari and two to three around Bwindi.

Is the gorilla permit included?

We secure and show the permit clearly in your quote. Permit prices can change, so we confirm the live figure before holding space.

Is this route suitable for families?

It can suit families with teenagers, since gorilla trekking has a minimum age and requires walking on uneven forest trails.

Should I choose Uganda or Rwanda for the gorilla chapter?

Uganda gives a deeper, wilder route and often stronger value; Rwanda is simpler and more polished for short access. We advise based on your timing and priorities.

Signature journey · from 9 nights

Plains & Primates

Plains & Primates is a tailored East Africa journey by Nobu, pairing the big-cat plains of Tanzania with mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It is designed for travellers who want both the scale of classic safari and the closeness of a forest primate encounter.

Narrative introduction

Some journeys move from spectacle to silence. Plains & Primates begins where the land is wide: the Serengeti's long grass, the crater highlands, lions in shade and the great weather of northern Tanzania rolling over the horizon. The first movement is all distance and light - days measured by tracks, clouds and the patience of a good guide.

Then the journey turns green. You fly west into Uganda and climb toward Bwindi, where the road narrows, the air cools and the forest gathers around you. The gorilla trek is not another sighting. It is a different kind of travel entirely: human pace, mud underfoot, a guide's hand raised for silence, then a family of mountain gorillas resting in the leaves.

The power of this route is contrast. It gives you the great African safari of the imagination, then an encounter that feels quieter, older and more personal.

Experience moments

Cats in the long grass - Lion, cheetah and leopard country, read slowly with guides who know when to wait.
The crater or the plains - Add Ngorongoro for density, or give more time to the Serengeti for scale and season.
A flight toward the forest - Leaving the grasslands behind as the map rises green beneath you.
Bwindi underfoot - Fern, mud, mist and the effort that makes the hour with gorillas feel earned.
The quiet after the trek - A warm lodge, soft legs, and the strange calm that follows a profound encounter.

How you'll travel

The Tanzania chapter is built around location - a Serengeti camp or northern-circuit lodge that suits the season. In Uganda, we choose the Bwindi sector and lodge around trekking access, comfort, views and the level of walking you are ready for. The stay can be polished or quietly simple, but the route should protect the gorilla day from rushed logistics.

Make it yours

Add a second gorilla permit if the forest is the emotional centre. Include chimpanzees in Kibale if you want a deeper primate arc. Keep Tanzania focused on the Serengeti, or add Ngorongoro for a classic first-safari chapter. Honeymooners can finish softly on Zanzibar; families with teenagers can pace the forest days carefully.

- Reassurance layer -

The rhythm of the journey

Arrive in Tanzania - Land near Arusha or Kilimanjaro, rest, then move into the safari country.
The open plains - Three to four nights in the Serengeti or a Serengeti-plus-crater shape, focused on cats, herds and light.
Across to Uganda - Fly via the best available routing, with the transfer designed to feel clean rather than squeezed.
Into Bwindi - Two to three nights near the forest, with time to trek, recover and absorb the mountain setting.
A last green morning - A community visit, forest walk or quiet breakfast before you fly onward.

Most travellers start with around 9 nights. We shape the balance around how central the gorilla trek is to the journey.

What's included

Typically included: accommodation at your chosen tier · safari guiding and game drives as specified · park and conservation fees as routed · Uganda gorilla permit handling · internal flights and transfers · meals per property · support before and during travel.

Not included: international flights · visas and insurance · premium drinks unless specified · optional second gorilla permit, chimpanzee permits or balloon flights · gratuities. Every journey is quoted in full before you travel.

What it costs

Plains & Primates is designed bespoke. Gorilla permits, internal flights and the Tanzania season all shape the final cost, so your quote is built from live rates, routing, permit availability, group size and accommodation tier. We will separate fixed permit costs clearly from the rest of the journey.

Tanzania and Uganda, in context

Tanzania is the classic plains chapter: Serengeti, Ngorongoro and the northern safari circuit offer big cats, herds and open landscapes. Uganda gives the forest counterpoint, with Bwindi Impenetrable Forest one of the world's great mountain gorilla destinations. Gorilla trekking runs year-round, with drier months usually firmer underfoot, while Tanzania timing depends on whether you want migration movement, resident cats or green-season atmosphere.

Trust reinforcement

The strength of this journey is in the handover between very different landscapes. Nobu designs the flights, permits, luggage limits and pacing so the gorilla trek feels protected, not tacked on.

Common questions

Cats in the long grass: Lion, cheetah and leopard country, read slowly with guides who know when to wait.
The crater or the plains: Add Ngorongoro for density, or give more time to the Serengeti for scale and season.
A flight toward the forest: Leaving the grasslands behind as the map rises green beneath you.
Bwindi underfoot: Fern, mud, mist and the effort that makes the hour with gorillas feel earned.
The quiet after the trek: A warm lodge, soft legs, and the strange calm that follows a profound encounter.
Arrive in Tanzania: Land near Arusha or Kilimanjaro, rest, then move into the safari country.
The open plains: Three to four nights in the Serengeti or a Serengeti-plus-crater shape, focused on cats, herds and light.
Across to Uganda: Fly via the best available routing, with the transfer designed to feel clean rather than squeezed.
Into Bwindi: Two to three nights near the forest, with time to trek, recover and absorb the mountain setting.
A last green morning: A community visit, forest walk or quiet breakfast before you fly onward.
Can you combine Tanzania safari with Uganda gorillas?: Yes. It works best when the route gives both countries enough time and does not treat Bwindi as a rushed add-on.
How many nights do you need?: Around 9 nights is a useful starting point, with four to five nights on safari and two to three around Bwindi.
Is the gorilla permit included?: We secure and show the permit clearly in your quote. Permit prices can change, so we confirm the live figure before holding space.
Is this route suitable for families?: It can suit families with teenagers, since gorilla trekking has a minimum age and requires walking on uneven forest trails.
Should I choose Uganda or Rwanda for the gorilla chapter?: Uganda gives a deeper, wilder route and often stronger value; Rwanda is simpler and more polished for short access. We advise based on your timing and priorities.