Day
01: SUN Arrive
Nairobi (KENYA)
Karibu! We are warmly received in Africa’s most well known capital – Nairobi.
The Kiswahili language here is often easily understood as many people mix in
English words, in fact more people in Kenya speak English than in any other African
country.
Overnight: Holiday Inn (1 night) (D)
Day 02: MON Nairobi / Lake Nakuru
We start with an interesting countryside drive to Lake Nakuru National Park,
best known for its flamingos and home to many animals including waterbuck, leopards,
Rothschild giraffe and the endangered black rhino. After a filling lunch at our
lodge, we head out for the first of the many exciting game drives in our East
African Safari.
Overnight: Lake Nakuru Lodge / Lion Hill Lodge (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day
03: TUE Lake Nakuru / Masai Mara
After breakfast we traverse the Great Rift Valley and ascend its western rim
into the Masai land. Red-clad Maasai warriors tend their herds of cattle among
the wildlife, admirably unmoved by the presence of large predators. Here we also
find the Masai giraffe. After lunch at our lodge, we embark on one of the most
exciting game drive Africa has to offer.
Overnight: Mara Simba Lodge / Mara Serena Lodge (2 nights) (B, L, D)
Day
04: WED Masai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives in this spectacular game reserve, all with
superb photographic opportunities. Blessed with a permanent water supply, Masai
Mara has a permanent population of plains game. The "big five" -
elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino are quite common. Today we may opt
for an early morning optional balloon excursion to experience a birds-eye view
of the vast Masai Mara. (B, L, D)
Day 05: THU Masai Mara / Lake Victoria (TANZANIA)
After breakfast we embark on another attractive facet of our safari as proceed
to to the Isebania border to visit the majestic Lake Victoria. After crossing
the border we change to Tanzanian vehicles and depart for the shores of the
world’s 3rd largest lake. Afternoon we have an excellent cultural immersion
as we visit the local villages and experience the lifestyle of the folks whose
livelihood is mostly dependent on fishing. Optional boat excursion. Note that
the Speke Bay Hotel, while being the best available, is a basic hotel offering
a clean environment.
Overnight: Speke Bay Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 06: FRI Lake Victoria / Serengeti
After a nice interval to the safari at Lake Victoria, we embark for the climax
game as we head for Serengeti, which literally means “endless plains”.
This enormous park supports every variety of animal imaginable - from large
predators such as lion, leopard and cheetah to the smaller herbivores they
prey on. En route we have our first Tanzanian game experience on our 4x4’s.
Overnight: Serengeti Sopa Lodge (2 nights) (B, L, D)
Day
07: SAT Serengeti
The Serengeti National Park which at 14,763 sq kms is the largest National
Park in Tanzania. Summed up as 'one of the most unique areas in the world',
Serengeti contains the largest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa,
on a scale, which has no parallel any where in the world. The abundance of
herbivores includes wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Topi, Buffalo, and Hartebeest,
to name but a few. Serengeti is also famous for predators e.g. Lion, Cheetah,
Leopard and Hyena and also contains a wide variety of birdlife, believed to
be in the region of 500 species. We have two game drives and also have the
opportunity to do an optional balloon safari. (B, L, D)
Day
08: SUN Serengeti / Olduvai Gorge / Ngorongoro
After breakfast we drive to Olduvai Gorge, site of
Louis and Mary Leakey’s
renowned archaeological discoveries. Their findings include some of the man’s
earliest known ancestral remains. Continue to your lodge situated on the rim
of the Ngorongoro crater. The crater covers over 250 square kilometres (over
100 square miles) of land and is the home of the rare black rhino, prides of
lion, elephant, cheetah and great herds of buffalo, antelope and wildebeest.
This afternoon you will descend 600m (0ver 2000 feet) to the floor of the crater
for a half day crater tour. Explore the forest areas that are inhabited by
monkey and elephant, the lake area, where you may see the flamingos and the
open savannah where the lions hunt for food. Return to the lodge for dinner.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 09: MON Ngorongoro Crater/ Lake Manyara
We descend the famous Ngorongoro Crater for a day of superb game viewing. The
Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa's most magnificent wildlife arenas, is approximately
19 km/12 miles across and its prairies are a haven for an estimated 30,000
large mammals, including Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Elephant, Hyena, Hippo, Wildebeest,
Baboon, Gazelle and the endangered black Rhino. At a depth of 610 meters/2,000
feet, this crater, created by the collapse of an extinct volcano, contains
a "Lost World" of wildlife. It is our exciting crater safari today
before we drive to Lake Manyara in the later afternoon.
Overnight: Kirurumu Tented Camp (1 night) (B, L, D)
Day 10: TUE Lake Manyara / Arusha / Zanzibar
After breakfast, we bid farewell to the safari portion after experiencing one
of the most exciting game life and heading for Kilimanjaro airport for our
flight Zanzibar where we are cordially welcomed and transferred to our hotel.
Overnight: Dhow palace (3 nights) (B)
Day
11: WED Zanzibar
Today is our day tour of the island beginning with the House of Wonder – the
Zanzibar Museum. From here we proceed to the deposed Sultan’s Palace,
Livingstone House and Market (opened 1904), the local market followed by the
Anglican Church which was built in 1873 on the site of the old slave market
which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our afternoon tour takes us to the
spice farms with it’s delightful fragrances and tastes of spices such
as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cacao and cloves. We see rural Zanzibar
where tropical fruits such as jack fruit, custard, apple, rambutan, carambola
and durian can be seen and tasted. (B)
Day
12: THU Zanzibar
Day free to walk around the narrow streets of Zanzibar capturing the days of
the Arabian Nights. Zanzibar also offers an excellent opportunity to do sea
activities including scuba diving. (B)
Day 13: FRI Zanzibar / departure
Morning is free. Afternoon we are transferred to the airport for our flight
back home. There are regular flights from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam, Nairobi
and Kilimanjaro from where one can get good international flights connections. (B)
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