12 DAYS KENYA & TANZANIA IN 4 STAR

Day notes

After your flight your guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel, where you can relax in preparation for your African safari. If you wish, sample international, multi-course fare for dinner at the restaurant, at cost. After a good night’s sleep and a fine breakfast experience the following morning, your guide will arrive to begin your safari. Your guide will be an expert in all things that relate to the local area, knowledgeable about the local animals and plants and about how to travel safely on the roads that lead to Kenya's outstanding national reserves.

Day notes

After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, you will start to taste the real Africa on the rustic road to Amboseli National Park. This park, located on the Tanzanian border, is considered the best place to see free-ranging elephants in all of Africa. You will also see plenty of giraffes, lions, and cheetahs in a variety of habitats including marshes, plains, woodlands and more. Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest free-standing mountain, watches over this national treasure. The afternoon game drive will show all these wonders to you and more. It will be hard to tear yourself away from the park, but it will be well worth it to stay in the Amboseli Serena Lodge, a truly African, truly luxurious hotel which features incredible views. After a relaxing dinner, you will sleep well in huts that offer the ultimate in comfort. Since the hotel is off the beaten track, you will be able to see a considerable amount of wildlife right outside your door.

You will be glad to have a second day at Amboseli National Park as the morning and afternoon game drives offer completely different experiences. The park is home to more than 400 bird species as well as wildebeests, zebras, white rhinos and other wildlife, there's no telling what you will see. Every hour of the day is different, and every season of the year is different, which means that every game drive is different, so be sure to have your cameras prepped and ready for some stunning photos and videos in both the morning and afternoon. At mid-day, when the heat drives all of East Africa into the shade, you can lounge in the Lodge’s pool, take a siesta in your comfortable room or meet fellow travelers for a refreshing drink at the bar. An optional visit to a tribal village or a walking safari is available.

Day notes

Today we head off to Lake Nakuru National Park, an internationally renowned bird sanctuary. More than 450 species of birds are known to live here, including millions of flamingos that transform the whole area into a sea of pink beauty, especially when seen from Baboon Cliff. The park also serves as a sanctuary for Rothschild giraffes and both white and black rhinoceros, among many other animal species. This is also an excellent place to see gazelle, leopards, impalas and hippos. You will encounter many of them as you explore the Malaika Waterfall, beautiful Lake Nakuru and the surrounding forests. In the evening, you will enjoy splendid views from the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, designed to blend in with the terrain. The rustic African decor perfectly blends comfort with adventure, and the restaurant offers the finest in local and international cuisines in a relaxed setting.

Day notes

You should be sure to have a hearty breakfast today, because afterward you will enter the Maasai Mara National Reserve for an absolutely ideal African safari adventure. Here are the grasslands, wildlife and adventure that Westerners have come to associate with a safari. During the afternoon’s game drive you will see jackals, lions, wildebeests, zebras and many other species. You will also meet Kenya’s nomadic people, the Maasai, and get an insight into their lives as cattle-herding nomads. After familiarizing yourself with your lovely tented accommodations, set on the bank of the Mara River, take a drive through the famed reserve. Throughout the day elephants, giraffes, zebras and impalas come for a drink while a large hippo pod rest lazily in the river. The location is spectacular. In between, relax in the outdoor pool with its incredible views or simply wander the beautiful grounds. No matter what time of year you visit, this is the heart of Africa.

One day at Maasai Mara is not nearly enough. You will be glad you have this second day to enjoy this part of Kenya. The morning and afternoon game drives will introduce you to buffalo, hyena, cheetah, antelope and much more. While any time of year is wonderful to visit Africa, those who visit between July and October will see the Great Migration, when zebras, Thomson’s gazelles and wildebeests travel across the Serengeti – it is a massive migration and is truly awe-inspiring. No matter when you visit, you will also have a chance to take a “walking safari”, or visit a local tribal village if you wish. You will learn about the Maasai way of life and how they have managed to retain their semi-nomadic customs even in today’s modern world, when so much of their world is at risk. After all these adventures, you will be more than ready for a mid-day nap or a swim in the pool to escape the heat of the day.

Day notes

Today we fly to the Serengeti Serena Lodge. Set high on the saddle of a tree-clad ridge with commanding panoramic views across the Serengeti, this property is the ultimate fusion of traditional African architecture and world-class style. Winner of numerous awards from the world travel press, it is perhaps one of the finest venues in the Serengeti. This vast Tanzanian landscape hosts one of earth’s last remaining wildlife spectacles: the annual Great Migration, when a staggering number of herbivores trek across the Serengeti plains in search of water and fresh grass, hungry predators following in their wake. Over the next two days, your adventure may reveal giraffes, wildebeests, elephants and much more on morning and afternoon game drives through the boundless Serengeti, home of one of the largest wildlife populations in the world. Keep your camera at the ready for a flash of cheetahs, herd of buffalo or pride of lions. Here, too, reside over 500 species of birds, among them eagles, who glide effortlessly above the sun-soaked landscape.

The Serena Lodge offers a combination of luxury style and local architecture. The Serengeti's volcanic reefs and reaches are easily seen from the Lodge's setting on a wooded ridge. The design and layout of the lodge were inspired by traditional Maasai practices, with winding paths and rondavel-style buildings. The rooms are in a setting that includes ponds, streams and a variety of native trees. These rooms are built of stone with traditional grass roofs. A ‘vanishing horizon’ pool is found at the lodge, and the circular bar overlooks the pool. The bar features columns that are carved to resemble Maasai tribesmen. Both areas provide a great way to relax in the African evening, enjoying an excellent view of the savannah, where you may be lucky enough to witness the wildebeest migration as a fantastic highlight of your safari in Africa.

Day notes

After breakfast we drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservancy Area. After breakfast we take a morning drive en route Ngorongoro Crater, a collapsed volcano and bucolic sanctuary supporting a wide array of wildlife, including the elusive black rhino. For the next two nights we take up residence at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. The property sits on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, only 8 km from the descent road. There are stunning views from all of the bedrooms and many of the public areas. On a clear day, looking through the lodge telescope it is even possible to see the wildlife roaming around! Due to this spectacular location, the Ngorongoro Serena is a very popular lodge. The Ngorongoro Crater itself is all that remains of a long-extinct volcano. The 2000-foot high crater rim encloses a depression measuring 100 square miles, which provides water and vegetation for wildlife, as well as the cattle of the Maasai people. You are very likely to witness Maasai herders and their cattle passing through the area.

The next day, we shall pack a picnic lunch and spend the day within the crater. There are around 30,000 large animals within the crater, so you are bound to see lots of wildlife: large herds of wildebeest, antelope and zebras roam the landscape, often being pursued by hyenas, cheetahs or lions. The lake inside the crater is home to numerous colorful bird species, and you can see hippos lounging in the water. Every so often, visitors see impressive bull elephants passing through the crater area in search of water, though herds with cows and calves are rare. You can also visit a Maasai village to learn more about what living in this unique area is like, as well as getting acquainted with the Maasai culture. This is a key part of a safari in Tanzania.

Day notes

After breakfast, we proceed to Lake Manyara, an amazing wildlife sanctuary famous for its tree climbing lions and dramatic views. It is located in a depressed valley where the red and brown cliffs of the western wall of Great Rift Valley seem to rise up out of the lake itself. Springs rising from the base of the escarpment provide a welcome water supply. While the lions may be shy (visitors who spot them are lucky indeed), Manyara includes a variety of habitats, home to a variety of big game and a rich assortment of birdlife.

Day notes

One last game drive takes place just before dawn, if time allows. After this, you'll enjoy a leisurely final safari breakfast. Time will be allowed for you to get ready to say goodbye to the African wildlife. Transportation will be available for the transfer to Arusha when you are ready to leave. After a farewell lunch in Arusha, you will be taken to the airport in plenty of time to catch your flight to Nairobi and will be able to say farewell to your guide.