East Africa
Faculty: Carlisle Chambers
Meeting Time: Tuesday - 6:30 - 9:00PM
Student Cost: $2300
Travel Dates: May 6 - May 29, 2019
This course will focus on the endangered wildlife of East Africa. Students will have opportunities to explore a variety of rich and distinctive ecosystems, such as jungles, tropical rainforests, tea plantations, savannas, and marine habitats. In particular, we will study the efforts to save the elephant from extinction due to poaching. In Uganda we will visit Murchison Falls National Park, on the border with the Congo, where we will go on a Chimpanzee trek. In Kenya we will visit the Masai Mara National Park one of the greatest wildlife habitats in the world. We will also camp at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park. We will finish our trip with a visit to the ancient and historical spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean.
To add to the cultural flavor of the course, students will have the opportunity to visit the capitals of Tanzania and Uganda, Dar es Salaam and Kampala, and to interact with the local population in a variety of environments. These will include a visit to African Hearts Orphanage, a Masai tribe village, Ndere Cultural Center and interaction with our African guides every day.
This trip will give you a tremendous opportunity to see close up some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife in their natural setting. You’ll also experience the amazing natural beauty of the Rift Valley zone and the east Africa coast. Our travels will put us in close contact with the people and culture of Africa. We’ll spend a large amount of our time with a local safari company so you’ll have the opportunity to develop relationships with our guides. And, we end on what is probably the nicest beach you have ever visited!
Important notes:
- Additional Immunizations will be required
- A major portion of this trip will be tent camping. This means sleeping in tents on the ground, very primitive toilets (holes in the ground), doing your laundry by hand, and cold showers, if they are available. If you sign up for this trip, please be prepared to rough it!!
Preliminary Itinereary:
Day 1 — Leave Portland for Kampala, Uganda
Day 2 — Arrive in Kampala. Experience the culture of Kampala
Day 3 — Travel to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 4 — Chimpanzee trekking, MFNP
Day 5 — Wildlife viewing, MFNP
Day 6 — Travel to Kampala
Day 7 — Kampala, African Hearts Orphanage, Ndere Cultural Center
Day 8 — Jinja, Whitewater rafting on the Nile
Day 9 — Travel to Kisumu, Kenya
Day 10 — Travel: Kisumu to the Masai Mara National Park
Day 12 — The Masai Mara and wildlife viewing
Day 13 — Travel to Hells Canyon National Park
Day 14 — Hells Canyon National park, to Amboseli National Park
Day 15 — Amboseli Natioinal Park, Mt. Kilimanjaro
Day 16 — Travel to Moshi, Tanzania
Day 17 — Travel to Dar es Salaam
Day 18 — Travel to Zanzibar, tour Stone Town
Day 19 — Zanzibar and coral reefs
Day 20 — Zanzibar beach day!
Day 21 — Return to Dar es Salaam
Day 22 — Return to Portland
