Best of East Africa

Welcome to Tanzania! Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) you will be met and transferred to  The Arusha Coffee Lodge where you will stay for one night. 

Located in a verdant coffee plantation, Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge is a sanctuary of aromatic tranquility and a welcome retreat after a long international flight, or the dust and excitement of a thrilling bush safari.

Reminiscent of traditional plantation houses, 30 wooden chalets with spacious, airy and modern interiors are nestled amongst the surrounding gardens and coffee trees.

Turning off the road, a tree-lined driveway guides you to the warm and inviting main area with its quiet understated aura of luxury. Vibrant gardens, a spa, a collection of boutiques and a swimming pool await, and a restaurant, Bacchus, and café bistro, 3° South, boast menus to satisfy the most discerning of palates.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Arusha Airport for you scheduled charter flight to Lobo airstrip. On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Serengeti Migration Camp where you will stay for  three nights.

Internationally renowned for the greatest wildlife spectacle on the planet, The Serengeti National Park located in north-west Tanzania is the ultimate ‘wildlife show’ on earth. Across the globe authors and filmmakers have come to document the Annual Migration of hundreds of thousands of animals, but there is still only one way to understand and experience the true magnificence of this natural phenomena and that is to be part of it. Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp is the embodiment of the ‘camp’ experience. Located next to the famous Grumeti River which is home to resident hippos that bark and wallow their days away, Elewana Serengeti Migration Camp has become synonymous with low-impact high-action game viewing in a landscape that is untouched since the dawn of time. Hidden among the rocky outcrops the camp is located at the starting point of the Migration. Comprising of 20 luxurious elevated tents, each with spacious and richly furnished bedrooms, blends seamlessly into the environment. Each of the tents is surrounded by its own 360-degree verandah deck, which in turn creates your very own private sanctuary to enjoy the constant game sightings and the ever-present sounds of the bush

Enjoy twice daily game viewing activities.

The Migration

Serengeti Migration camp is situated right in the path of the migration which has recently been coined as The 8th wonder of the world. There is no better place to view this spectacle of monumental proportions. Nowhere else on earth is there a movement of wildlife on such a grand scale. This experience will change the traveller forever, and is an absolute must do!

Game Drives

Day-long game drives are a must in the Serengeti. You can set-off early with champagne picnic breakfast and stay out all day carrying your delectable picnic lunch. You will be delighted and awed by the sheer numbers of game including the big-five.

Enjoy your last full day in the Northern Serengeti.

Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Mara North Airstrip.  On arrival you will be met and transferred to Elephant Pepper Camp where you will stay for three days.  Arrive in time for an afternoon game viewing activity.

Located in the Mara North Conservancy, the heart of the Masai Mara ecosystem, Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp is the perfect base from which to explore the wonders of the Mara.

The vast, fertile plains of the Maasai Mara boasts a plethora of wildlife; with over 450 bird species and both resident and transient populations of lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, to name a few, the plains are dense with game. Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp is perfect for those wanting to observe the spectacle of the migration, classified among the “Seven Wonders of the World”, when, from July to November, over 1.3 million wildebeest and zebra cross from the Serengeti in search of greener pastures.

The camp’s remote location allows the stars to shine bright at night, undimmed by harsh lighting; guests enjoy the unique experience of listening to the sounds of lion, leopard and hyena foraging and hunting, whilst being cosseted with traditional and modern comforts such as a campfire and cosy duvets.

Early this morning you will be met and transferred for your Balloon safari experience. 

Experience the beauty of the Masai Mara on a hot air balloon flight. Take off at dawn and float in whichever direction the morning winds take you. Your altitude may vary from treetop height or lower, which offers a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities, to 300 metres ( 1 000 feet), showcasing the vastness of the panorama. From time to time the pilot must put more heat into the balloon with the powerful whisper burners. In between these burns, there is silence apart from the natural sounds below.

Sweep your eyes across the panoramic plains and discover the fantastic features unfolding before you, with an abundance of gentle undulating hills, sparkling rivers and verdant grasslands. Dotted in between this lush terrain you can spot the heads of gentle giraffe foraging from the top of leafy trees, slumbering elephants swaying in the cool breeze, graceful gazelles leaping through the vast expanse and pods of hippos splashing in the water. Probe further and you may see prowling predators stalking across the savanna.

As you sail above the reserve, you are privy to the daily rituals of the wild things in their natural habitat. It is a beautiful experience to witness the intricacies of the Mara ecosystem and the harmonious coexistence of the vibrant flora and fascinating fauna.

This is a once in a lifetime experience to really appreciate the spectacular magnificence of wild Africa.

The hot air balloon flight lasts about an hour and is followed by champagne and a full English breakfast.

The Masai Mara is one the world’s most prolific game areas and home to the ‘big 5’, with mind blowing sightings year round.  At Sala’s Camp we offer a variety of excursions, and the resident big cats are easily stopped at close quarters. We also offer first class bird-watching and star-gazing  where you can learn about the formations in clear, unpolluted skies. Sala’s Camp has a special program for children where our spotters teach young guests the secrets of the bush.

Enjoy your last full day of game viewing activities.

Game Drives

Elephant Pepper Camp has open game drive vehicles. The current fleet are new, specially fitted, 4×4 Toyota Landcruisers. The vehicles are unrivaled with feature enhancements specifically designed for comfort and photography – open sided with 3 rows of seats, photographic equipment stands, and charging sockets. Guests will share game drives unless “exclusive use of vehicle” has been prebooked at an extra charge.

This is the best part of the Masai Mara – a year round game viewing experience like no other!

We are often asked why the game viewing in Mara North Conservancy is better than in the Mara Reserve. The explanation is because cattle are not allowed into the Reserve, therefore from the months of November through to June, the grass is high within the Reserve, and the plains game, followed by their predators tend to avoid the Reserve, and stick to the Conservancy which has balanced grazing, and lush short green grass. During the months of July to October, when the zebra and wildebeest migration flood into the whole Mara eco-system, the grass in the Reserve is trampled and eaten, and game viewing is similar within the Reserve and within the Conservancy.

Guided Walk

Take the time to leave the car behind and enjoy the small things – animal tracks, flowers and micro-ecosystems. All the guides are Bronze or Silver level Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association certified, and some of our guides have guided in this area for 20 years and enjoy sharing their knowledge and can take you on a delightful ramble from camp – a whole new perspective of the eco-system around you.

Elephant Pepper Camp is also perfect for young explorers! Our Guides love organizing fun walks for kids within the camp. Little ones will learn how to make a fire, throw a rungu, fire a bow and arrow and track wildlife. As a memento of their adventure, children can take home their very own cast from the tracks they discovered!

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Lewa airstrip via Wilson Airport.  On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Lewa Safari Camp where you will spend three nights.

Sprawling over the Laikipia plains, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a vibrant wildlife conservancy that is popular with celebrities, royals, conservationists, writers and photographers.

Visitors to Lewa are privy to some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing that Kenya has to offer. Lewa is home to the largest concentration of Grevy’s zebra in the world, and protects over 150 Black and White rhino.

Featuring large tented bedrooms with verandahs and full ensuite bathrooms, Elewana Lewa Safari Camp offers authentic comfort for its visitors; cozy log fires in the sitting room are perfect for relaxing after a day in the Conservancy. This unique and exclusive retreat offers privileged access to 65,000 acres of private protected wilderness.

Enjoy two full days of twice daily game viewing activities.

Game Drives

With the whole of the eastern half of the Conservancy to itself, and with strict limits on tourism numbers with the Conservancy, guests can enjoy an almost private game viewing experience. Although a vast area, the Conservancy is fenced, (fencing of wildlife areas is very unusual in Kenya), specifically to protect the rhino. The game driving is outstanding with plentiful rhino, elephant, buffalo, the rare Grevy's zebra and resident predators, to a backdrop of beautiful views of snow-capped Mt. Kenya.

Guided bush walks

Elewana Lewa Safari Camp’s walking guides are trained wildlife rangers from the Conservancy. Apart from their knowledge on rhino conservation, they are also knowledgeable about the tracks and botany. Most walks leave from camp.

Take the time to leave the car behind and enjoy the small things – tracks, dung beetles, micro-ecosystem

Enjoy your last full day of twice daily game viewing activities.

Optional Activity (additional cost)

Horse or Camel Riding

Elewana Lewa Safari Camp offers horse rides – you can get very close to plains game as they see you as one of their own! Horse riding is for experienced riders only, as although it is a gentle walk on very well behaved horses, you are in the wild, and need to be able to bring a situation under control when horses are spooked. Horse riding is subject to availability and there is an additional charge. Riders will be requested to fill out a questionnaire to ascertain their competency.

Elewana Lewa Safari Camp also offers camel rides – less elegant than horseriding, but suitable for those without riding skills, the camels are led by Samburu handlers and it is picturesque experience. Camel riding is subject to availability and there is an additional charge. There are only three riding camels available.

This morning following breakfast you will be transferred to the the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Wilson Airport.  On arrival you will be transferred to the Nairobi International Airport for your international flight home!