Day 1: Nairobi
On your arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met, thereafter transferred to your hotel for relaxation and overnight.
Day 2: Nairobi to Amboseli National Park
After breakfast, we explore Nairobi with a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum. The museum is the beautiful and historic farmhouse where Karen Blixen, author of “Out of Africa”, lived between 1917 and 1931 until she left Kenya after a series of personal tragedies. Thereafter, we head to the Giraffe Centre and the Daphne Sheldrick Animal Orphanage for a visit. The institution is named after the wife of the late famous Naturalist, David William Sheldrick who was the founder warden of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya from its inception in 1948 to 1976. At 11:00, the baby animals are brought from the national park for a mud-bath at the orphanage, where for an hour you will be around them. Lunch will follow before driving down to Amboseli National Reserve, arriving in the afternoon.
Day 3: Amboseli National Park
Today we will head into the Amboseli National Park for a full day of game viewing in one of Kenya’s most famous parks. Amboseli is known for its huge elephant bulls with their magnificent tusks, which make for the ultimate safari picture with the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.
Day 4: Amboseli - Arusha
This morning after a leisurely breakfast, we make our way to the border and then onwards to Arusha. En route, we pass the Marangu waterfalls, which is a moderately strenuous walk. We continue to Arusha via Moshi town – the gateway to the Kilimanjaro National Park.
Day 5: Arusha - Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, you will be collected from the hotel and set off towards Tarangire National Park for a full day’s game drives. The breath-taking views of the Maasai Steppe, and the mountains to the south, make a stop at Tarangire a truly memorable experience. Tarangire is as well known for its huge elephant population and baobab trees. It forms the centre of an annual migratory cycle that includes up to 3000 elephant, 25,000 wildebeest and 30,000 zebra.
Day 6: Tarangire - Manyara National Park - Karatu
After breakfast, you will be collected from the hotel and set off towards Lake Manyara National Park. The spectacular reserve is located at the north-western corner of Lake Manyara, a hallow soda lake, which lies at the foot of the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment. We enjoy a scenic drive in the park known not only for its large flocks of flamingos, but also for the elusive tree climbing lions.
Day 7: Culture tour - Lake Manyara - Karatu
After breakfast, we set out to experience the cultural diversity of Mto-wa-Mbu, starting at the market and visiting a Chagga family producing banana beer and passing by many different farms. On the way, your guide will introduce you to the various fruits and vegetables growing in the area and explain the irrigation system that sustains local crops. After having a delicious, home cooked meal in a local Mama’s home, we enjoy a visit to the Maasai Boma for the cultural encounter of a life time. The Maasai people are semi-nomadic herders, who choose to live a traditional lifestyle and are known for their distinctive traditional attire. In the late afternoon we embark on a walking tour to Lake Papyrus. Here clients can view this magnificent lake filled with abundant birdlife and hippos. If time allows we can do some light trekking up to the waterfall. From here you will view the lake on top of the Rift valley wall; then onto the banana plantation and rice field, ending off the tour with a local village visit. On completion we return to the lodge for dinner & overnight.
Day 8: Karatu - Ngorongoro - Serengeti National Park
This morning we have an early departure for a game drive in the world renowned Ngorongoro Crater. For many, this wildlife spectacle is the pinnacle of their safari experience. The Ngorongoro Crater boasts all of the ‘Big 5’, including a small population of endangered black rhino. After a picnic lunch, we head towards the Serengeti through the stunning Southern Plains. This is the area that the Serengeti is best known for – the endless, undulating grass savannah with rocky outcrops that serve as isolated wildlife refuges.
Day 9: Serengeti National Park (Seronera)
Today you will be spending a full day game driving around the Seronera area of the Serengeti. This is the part of the Serengeti that you will have seen in many wildlife documentaries, characterised by the open plains of grassland, packed with animals. It is also particularly good for lion and cheetah sightings, as well as the most elusive of all big cats, the leopard.
Day 10: Serengeti National Park (Seronera)
We have another exciting day of exploring the Serengeti National Park ahead of us. With lunch boxes provided we continue with game drives throughout the afternoon scanning the endless plains, spotting many animals and truly realizing just why this national park is so famous. In the late afternoon we drive back to the lodge for overnight.
Day 11: Serengeti National Park - Lake Victoria
After breakfast we make our way to Lake Victoria. We pass through the villages of the Sukuma tribe, who grow ground nuts, sorghum and cassava as well as keeping livestock. Life carries on here simply as it has done for ages, but with a few poignant reminders of the 20th century. Some leisure time in the afternoon, or to possibly take a bird walk along the lake shore.
Day 12: Lake Victoria - Masai Mara
This morning you have the opportunity to take part in a boat excursion to one of the local fishing villages, before we bid Lake Victoria farewell and continue our journey northwards across the border into Kenya. Here we head to the Masai Mara, the traditional land of the Maasai people, who are permitted to graze their cattle in this area. The Masai Mara covers an area that includes the riverine forests along the banks of the Mara and Talek Rivers, acacia forests and the open plains of the savannah.
Day 13: Masai Mara National Reserve
Today we spend the whole day game viewing in the world famous Masai Mara National Park. Here the various habitats are home to a great variety of game including lion, leopard, cheetah, zebra, wildebeest (gnu), giraffe, buffalo, jackal, topi, gazelle, impala and elephant. Hippopotamus and crocodile are also plentiful in the rivers and the bird life is very abundant.
Day 14: Masai Mara - Nairobi
After breakfast we head off towards Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. We have the afternoon at leisure or to explore the city. Time allowing, we visit the Kazuri Beads Centre and workshop for those interested in shopping. Kazuri means “small and beautiful” in Swahili. Nairobi is a cosmopolitan, lively and interesting city making it a great place to tune into modern urban African life. Later in the afternoon, we head to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Nairobi
The tour ends after breakfast this morning and you will be transferred to the airport for your outbound flight.
