Classic Highlights of Kenya & Tanzania

Day notes

Jambo! Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, you will be met by Classic Safaris  representative who will assist with the transfer to Nairobi Serena Hotel. 

Overnight: Nairobi Serena Hotel   

Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast

Day notes

Your comfortable drive now takes you to the Maasai Mara, Kenya’s most famous wildlife reserve and the setting for much of the film Out of Africa.  It is classic savannah grasslands, where animals are plentiful and the vistas spectacular. Here Maasai tend their cattle in concert with free roaming wildlife – all sharing the same land with minimal conflicts. You will have two days of wildlife-viewing opportunities in the Maasai Mara Reserve, also known as the “Jewel of Africa,” inhabited by many of Africa's most popular wild animals, including lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard, black rhino and hippo. There are over 500 resident species of birds in the park including ostrich, larks and sunbirds as well as the lovely Lilac-breasted Roller.

The area is famous for rolling grassland and for the Mara River, which runs through the reserve from north to south. The reserve covers an area of 700 square miles and forms part of the Serengeti ecosystem, hosting the world famous spectacle of the annual migration of up to two million wildebeest, thousands of zebra and an escort of carnivores as they follow the rains and succulent new grass. A costly trek as many of the lame, laggard and sick will fall prey to ravenous packs of predators and many more will die crossing the swirling flood waters of the Mara River.

Optional activities (at additional cost) include a balloon safari for an exhilarating experience over the savannah as the early sun rises and the animals are more active. Or, you can visit a Maasai Village to see how this nomadic tribe has existed through the millennia in harmony with nature. 

Overnight: Mara Serena Safari Lodge    

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day notes

After breakfast drive south to Lake Nakuru which is the most famous of the Great Rift Valley lakes and home to a shifting population of over one million flamingos. Arrive in time for lunch at the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, which enjoys sweeping views across the lake. Spend the afternoon on safari in Kenya's first and largest rhino sanctuary where sightings of both black and white rhino are almost guaranteed and where you have a higher than average chance of spotting a leopard. Other wildlife includes; lion, hippo, the rare Rothschild's giraffe, Colobus        monkey, numerous plains game and 450 species of birds.

Overnight: Sarova Lion Hill Lodge     
Meal Plan: Full Board 
 

Day notes

Depart to Amboseli National Park, located at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. The snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro rises above a saucer of clouds and dominates every aspect of Amboseli. This park covers only 150 square miles but despite its small size and its fragile ecosystem it supports a wide range of mammals (well over 50 of the larger species) and birds (over 400 species). Afternoon game viewing drive.  Later as the sun sets, you will be transferred back to your lodge for dinner and overnight. 

Overnight: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge         
Meal Plan: Full Board 
 

Day notes

After breakfast, drive towards Namanga to clear with customs. Continue to Arusha town arriving for lunch at Kibo Palace Hotel. After lunch in Arusha, drive to the famous Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area (NCCA), which features rolling plains, lakes, craters, mountains and dormant volcanoes. Journey up
the side of the vast Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage Site, which is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometers wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 sq km) and arrive at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge in time for one of the finest views in the world.

Overnight: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge         
Meal Plan: Full Board 
 

Day notes

After breakfast, leave the NCCA and cross into neighbouring Serengeti National Park. Arrive in time for lunch. Afternoon game drive.

Overnight: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge         
Meal Plan: Full Board 
 

Day notes

After breakfast, drive to beautiful Lake Manyara, a shallow alkaline lake that shimmers in a cleft in the Great Rift Valley. Arrive in time for lunch at the Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, which stands on the edge of the escarpment, overlooking the lake. A small but uniquely diverse national
park, Manyara is home to the world-famous tree-climbing lions, thousands of flamingoes and nearly 500 species of birds. Return to the lodge in time for a swim in the stunning horizon pool and dinner in the elegant central dining room.

Overnight: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge         
Meal Plan: Full Board 
 

Day notes

Drive to Arusha town for lunch at Arusha Coffee Lodge. After lunch, you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro airport for your International flight back home.