Overview:

Game drives in the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater with time to also enjoy special highlights in Nairobi - Sheldrick's Elephant Sanctuary, The Safari Walk, The Giraffe Park and a fun night out in one of Nairobi's famous restaurants. As well as a cycling safari in Hells Gate and a hippo cruise on Lake Naivasha. Finishing on the palm-fringed white beaches of Zanzibar Island.

Please note safari itineraries are given as a guide only. A safari is a journey and true journeys in Africa unfold and are of an adventurous nature. The unexpected can arise, so do allow for this.

On our first day we meet you in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to spend time at the Safari Walk at Nairobi National Park before heading to Nakuru with sweeping views of the Great Rift Valley en route. We stop at the Rift Valley Lookout during the journey. We camp at Kembu, an up country farm set in the Mau Escarpment. Kembu is famous for its chameleon population.
They also are involved with a community knitting project. The next morning we stock up on supplies in bustling Nakuru town, before entering the National Park by lunchtime to head out on our first afternoon game drive. Nakuru is famous for

its flamingo population, both greater and lesser flamingos, and also boasts black and white rhino as well as lion, leopard,
Rothschild’s giraffe, waterbuck, impala and buffalo.
Optional excursion: Safari walk, Nairobi National Park

Meals: (Breakfasts/Dinners)

We take a morning game drive before we leave Nakuru, and then move on to Lake Naivasha. Arriving in the afternoon by the freshwater lake, we can take afternoon tea on the grassy lawns at Elsamere with the resident troop of black and white colobus monkeys.
Optional excursion: Elsamere for afternoon tea.
Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

We have the option of a days hike or cycle in Hells Gate National Park, to walk through the red cliffs of Njorowa Gorge
Hells Gate amidst herds of plains game, such as buffalo, zebra, eland, hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelle and baboon. There is also time for a guided walk to the Crater Lake Sanctuary. A hippo cruise is also a wonderful way to experience the abundance of bird life.
Optional excursions: Cycling in Hells Gate National Park, guided walk to Crater Lake Sanctuary, horse riding, Crescent Island

Meals: (Breakfasts/Dinners)

Days 6 Navaisha to Masai Mara

After our two nights by Lake Naivasha we head out on the bumpy and dusty road for the remote plateau of the Masai Mara, Kenya’s premier game park. The Mara is perhaps best known for being part of the setting for the famous wildebeest migration; a mass movement of up to 1.5 million wildebeest, accompanied by 600,000 zebra and gazelle. The migration involves a journey covering 3,000 square kilometres, the equivalent to circumnavigating Britain and Ireland. The ever vigilant predators, particularly lion and hyena, closely follow the herds.

Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

This morning we have another morning game drive, or a balloon safari. We exit the park by lunchtime, paying a visit to a traditional Maasai village on the way to learn more about the Maasai, a traditional cattle herding people who still practice their age-old lifestyle. We spend the night in the Maasai frontier town of Narok.
Optional excursion: Balloon safari.

Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

Today we head back to Nairobi, and enjoy more of what the city has to offer. We visit Sheldrick’s elephant orphanage as well as the Karen Giraffe Centre to hand feed the giraffe. Tonight we regularly enjoy a night out in one of Nairobi’s famous restaurants.

Optional excursions: Nairobi day trip including Sheldrick’s Elephant Sanctuary and the Giraffe Park, Dinner in a restaurant, Carnivores or similar.

Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

We head off on the long drive across the border into Tanzania and on to Arusha, the safari capital of northern Tanzania.
Over dinner tonight at our camp in Arusha we finalise our arrangements for the next three days. There are different safari options available over this time from which you can choose, including safaris into the world famous Serengeti and/or the Ngorongoro Crater.

Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

Up early we depart for the vast savannah plains of the Serengeti. This 14,000 square kilometre park is home to a vast array of wildlife, from hyena, lion, leopard and cheetah to elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, antelope and many more. The Serengeti is the other setting for the spectacular wildebeest migration, the herds moving seasonally between here and Kenya’s Masai Mara. We spend the night camping in the middle of the park, with just the canvas of your tent between you and the Serengeti plains that stretch out around us in all directions.
Optional excursions for days 10 to 12: Three day/two night safari with game drives in both the Serengeti and Ngorongoro
Crater; Overnight excursion with game drives in Ngorongoro Crater, Maasai village visit. Camel safari, Maasai Museum The Snake Park. Balloon safari in the Serengeti (only available in conjunction with the three day/two night safari), Olduvai
Gorge Museum (only available in conjunction with the three day/two night safari).

Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

Another early morning sees us take a morning game drive in the Serengeti. We pay a visit to a Maasai boma and Olduvai
Gorge Museum when we head out of the park. We spend our evening in a camp on the rim above the Ngorongoro Crater,
the world’s largest extinct volcano.

Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

This morning we descend to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, the bottom of a perfectly intact volcanic caldera. Here
we have the chance to see more of Africa’s wildlife. This compact area is full of rhino, hippo, lion, elephant, hyena, buffalo, zebra, impala, ostrich, flamingo, and many, many more. After our morning game drives we head back to Arusha, stopping off in the village of Mto Wa Mbu, where Maasai display their ebony carvings, spears and beadworks. Back in Arusha we enjoy a group barbecue to celebrate our experiences in the big game parks.

Meals: (Breakfast/Dinner)

Dawn sees us on the road south. As we travel our surrounds become increasingly lush. We arrive in Dar es Salaam where we park up by the coast to camp for the night listening to the waves of the Indian Ocean lapping nearby.

Meals: (Breakfasts/Dinners)

Day 15:

We make final preparations this morning for our four day stay on the exotic spice island of Zanzibar. Arriving into the ancient port on the lunchtime ferry we check in to our guesthouse in ancient Stone Town, before exploring the old town with its narrow alleys, traditional Arab architecture and the local evening food markets. You can enjoy sun downers at Africa House whilst watching the traditional dhows sail in the harbour against the colours of sunset. A Spice Tour on the island allows you to test different spices and fruits as well as find out a little of the island’s history
Days 16 - 18:
Today we head north to relax on the long white beaches during our stay in the cottages at Kendwa. Swim and snorkel and enjoy beach volley ball. An hour away from Stone Town you can take a walk in the Jozani Forest, home of the red colobus monkeys or head south to swim with the dolphins off Kizimkazi Beach. There are also opportunities to visit Prison Island with its giant tortoise and to snorkel and scuba dive in the crystal clear coral waters of Mnemba Atoll. Further details as to arrangements for your optional time on Zanzibar Island: We make core arrangements well ahead of time so we are assured our groups are comfortable in popular beach cottages to the north of the island and for a night in the capital. The tour leader travels over to the island with the group to ensure that all runs smoothly.
Other excursions available include: snorkeling excursions to Prison Island famous for its giant tortoise, as well as Mnemba
Atoll, dolphin boat trips, a trek in Jozani forest to see the red colobus monkeys and fishing. Scuba diving can be arranged
from the Dive Centre near our beach cottages.

Meals: (Breakfasts/Dinners)

We leave Zanzibar Island today and transfer via ferry to the mainland and our campsite in Dar es Salaam for our final
night on the Indian Ocean.

Meals: (Breakfast)