Kenya and Tanzania are well known for their great concentration of animals, protected by an excellent system of national parks and game reserves. Each park has its own specialties, unique flavours and breathtaking vistas, and we are guaranteed a supreme wildlife adventure. We will venture off into untamed landscapes, where tribal cultures abound and where animals co-exist in an intricate web of life.
Accompanied by naturalist guides, we will gain an insight into the fragile ecosystems of Africa. From our “pop-top” safari vehicles, we will have close encounters with some of the predators of the game parks: lions, cheetahs, leopards and spotted hyenas. On the expansive grasslands of the Serengeti and Masai Mara we will witness the whole range of African wildlife in awe-inspiring numbers, including herds of zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, Cape buffalo and elephant. Browsing giraffes, contemplative baboons and playful monkeys provide endless photo opportunity. This safari takes in the best of Kenya and Tanzania, and some of the most amazing wildlife viewing on Earth.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Game drives in search of the Big Five
via specially outfitted safari
vehicles
• Escorted nature walks in the reserves
• Full board at lodges
ITINERARY
Day 1 Nairobi
Jambo and welcome to East Africa! We will be met by our representative and transferred to our hotel in Kenya’s capital city and principal economic, administrative and cultural centre.
Overnight: Pan Afric Hotel
Day 2 Nairobi-Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru, one of the alkaline Rift Valley lakes, is famous as the seasonal home of thousand of flamingoes. It is also a refuge for endangered rhinos, and visitors can frequently spot two of the five surviving rhino species in the world. In addition, the park is home to a large number of mammals, including carnivores such as lions and leopards. We will take in the sweeping views from Baboon Rocks and look for waterbucks and warthogs along the way.
Overnight: Lion Hill Lodge/Lake Nakuru Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Lake Nakuru-Masai Mara
This morning we will drive to our lodge in Masai Mara, looking for game en route.
Overnight: Mara Simba Lodge/Mara Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Masai Mara
Masai Mara is the quintessential African landscape, offering breathtaking views and an extraordinary density of wildlife. The reserve, gazetted in 1961, consists of 320 square kilometers of open plains, woodlands and rivertine forest, abounding with zebra, giraffe, gazelle, topi, birdlife, elephant, buffalo and the big cats. The Mara and Talek rivers are teeming with hippos and crocodiles. Masai Mara is the natural extension of the Serengeti plains in Tanzania, and each year the two parks host the world’s greatest natural spectacle as more than one million wildebeest migrate with the rains. At the Mara River they mass together before plunging forward through the waters, fighting against swift currents and waiting crocodiles. The herbivores are followed by the predators, including lions, cheetahs and leopards, as well as hyenas and jackals.
Blessed with a permanent water supply, the Mara has a permanent population of plains game and the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino) are quite commonly spotted.
Overnight: Mara Simba Lodge/Mara Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Masai Mara-Serengeti
After breakfast, we pack up and leave our lodge with a picnic lunch for the long drive to our lodge in the Serengeti. We will cross the border of Isebania and Serari, where we will clear customs, and then enter Serengeti National Park via Ndabaka.
Overnight: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Serengeti
The world-famous Serengeti National Park contains the greatest and most spectacular concentration of game found anywhere in the world. Its name is derived from the Masai word siriget meaning “endless plain.” The park, with an area of 14,763 square kilometres, was gazetted in 1951. Apart from being the largest national park in East Africa, the Serengeti is home to one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world- the migration of nearly two million wildebeest.
The migration involves not only wildebeest but also the predators that prey on the newborn, the sick, and the old. Between December and April the wildebeest begin to move onto the short grass plains of the southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where up to 300,000 calves are born in January and February each year. Packs of hyenas can be seen skirting the edges of groups of wildebeest, waiting to prey on any weak or young victims. Up to 30 per cent are lost in the first two months from predators. After the rains, the wildebeest migrate, commonly from May to the end of July, north and west towards the permanent water of the Grumeti River. By August they have reached the plains of the Masai Mara, where they graze until it is time to continue the cycle of migration, returning southward again to the Serengeti.
Mammals - In addition to its herds of wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, giraffes and other plains animals, the Serengeti is renowned for its lion population. If you’re lucky you may even see a leopard lazing on the branch of a tree, shading itself from the sun.
Birds - Nobody, at whatever level of interest in ornithology, can fail to notice the wealth of bird life in the Serengeti. Colourful rollers, bee-eaters, kingfishers and sunbirds are common, while among the larger species saddle-billed and marabou storks, secretary birds, and ostriches are the easiest to spot.
Overnight: Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Serengeti-Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater has been called the eighth wonder of the natural world and was designated a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve. The crater itself represents only about 3% of the entire Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which covers 8,280 square kilometres. The region contains at least seven extinct volcanoes and has probably one of the most varied terrains in East Africa. The crater is a very picturesque setting for viewing and photographing wildlife and, as the animals are familiar with vehicles, you can get very close to them, providing an excellent opportunity to study their behaviour. All the usual grassland-dwelling animals live in the crater: wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, eland, hartebeest, buffalo and warthogs. There are also predators, including bat-eared foxes, jackals, hyenas, lions, and elusive cheetahs. The rhino population here is carefully protected, and they are quite commonly seen.
We will undertake a game drive with a picnic lunch en route from Serengeti to Ngorongoro, exploring the kopjes (rocky outcrops) along the way. The Seronera River, which flows through the area, provides habitats for a variety of birds, mammals and reptiles. We will exit Serengeti National Park at the Nabe Hill Gate and make our way through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to our lodge, set on the contours of the crater rim.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 Ngorongoro Crater-Lake Manyara
This morning we will descend 2200 feet into the crater, often referred to as Africa’s “garden of Eden” for its high concentration of permanent residents. Twelve miles wide, the crater has its own soda lake, which attracts a variety of animal and bird life, particularly flamingos. Exiting the crater, we will make our way to Lake Manyara.
Overnight: Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park is noted for its elephant populations, tree-climbing lions, baboons and warthogs. The park is arguably the best for viewing elephants up close, and has an excellent bird life, including masses of flamingos. It is situated between the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment and the lake and there is an abundance of animals within only 200 square kilometres (two thirds of which is lake), as they are attracted by the permanent water in the lake and small rivers. The surrounding forest is jungle-like with giant trees and snaking lianas. We will spend the day taking game drives in the national park.
Overnight: Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 Lake Manyara-Amboseli
After breakfast, we will drive with a picnic lunch to the city of Arusha, from there proceeding to the border of Namanga Manyara, where we will clear customs and enter Kenya. We will continue to Amboseli National Park, an area of wide, dry plains, lush swamplands and endless horizons.
Overnight: Amboseli Serena Lodge/Amboseli Oltukai Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 Amboseli
We will take morning and afternoon game drives in Amboseli, with lunch at the lodge. Although it covers only 392 square kilometers, Amboseli supports a wide range of mammals and is renowned for its elephant populations, which include some impressively tusked bulls. Cheetahs are also frequently sighted in Amboseli’s areas of acacia forest. The park offers the most striking views of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro, which lies just across the border in Tanzania. This area is also home to many Masai communities.
Overnight: Amboseli Serena Lodge/Amboseli Oltukai Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 Amboseli-Nairobi
After breakfast we will take one last game drive, returning to the lodge for lunch before driving to Nairobi to connect with our international flights home.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Please Note:
Although we will try our utmost to confirm the hotels as listed in this itinerary, please be advised that they are subject to change. A hotel of similar quality may be substituted.
This trip itinerary represents the most current information available; however the price and itinerary are subject to change without prior notice.
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| Tour Itinerary |
| Day 1 |
Nairobi |
| Day 2 |
Nairobi-Lake Nakuru |
| Day 3 |
Lake Nakuru-Masai Mara |
| Day 4 |
Masai Mara |
| Day 5 |
Masai Mara-Serengeti |
| Day 6 |
Serengeti |
| Day 7 |
Serengeti-Ngorongoro Crater |
| Day 8 |
Ngorongoro Crater-Lake Manyara |
| Day 9 |
Lake Manyara |
| Day 10 |
Lake Manyara-Amboseli |
| Day 11 |
Amboseli |
| Day 12 |
Amboseli-Nairobi |
| Tour Information |
| Cost: |
2008
Jul 21-Aug 1: US$ 4240
Nov 09-Nov 20: US$ 3680
Dec 01-12: US$ 3680
2009
Apr 06-17: US$ 3450 |
| Length: |
12 days |
| Limit: |
16 Participants |
| Start: |
Nairobi |
| End: |
Nairobi |
| Deposit: |
US$500/C$500 |
| Note : |
If you are a single traveler who is willing to share, we can try to match you up with an appropriate roommate. However, if we are unsuccessful, please be advised that a single supplement will apply. |
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| Departure Dates |
2008
Jul 21-Aug
1
Nov 09-Nov 20
Dec 01-12
2009
Apr 06-17 |
**Contact us for additional departure dates
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