Welcome to Africa! Arrive this evening, check in to your hotel, and prepare for your safari adventure!
Today, travel north to SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE to begin your search for the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape Buffalo. En route, drive past Mount Kenya and continue north past the equator to Samburu. Enjoy a GAME DRIVE before arriving at your lodge. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at your lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Today, enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES. Samburu is home to a diverse population of animals no safari would be complete without. The Ewaso Ng’iro River borders the park and is home to a large population of Nile Crocodile. Other animals you may see include the Reticulated Giraffe, Grevy’s Zebra, Kirk’s Dik-dik, and cheetah. The park is also a great place for bird-watching, with over 300 species. During your afternoon game drive you will also visit a LOCAL SAMBURU VILLAGE. Here you will learn a bit more about their culture and day-to-day life. Between game drives you will also have time to relax at your lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Leave Samburu and make a stop at NYAHURURU FALLS, also known as Thompson’s Falls. Continue on to LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK, famous for its population of pink flamingos that feed in the alkaline water of the lake. Other animals you may see on your GAME DRIVE include waterbuck, giraffe, impala, and striped hyena. This is also your best chance to see the White Rhinoceros, which are commonly spotted here. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
The Rift Valley lakes make up some of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world. Lake Naivasha is the highest of all the lakes and features pristine fresh water. Here you will take a CRUISE around the lake to view the large population of hippos. If you are lucky, you might even spot a Fish Eagle. Continue on to the MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE and take a GAME DRIVE before settling in at your lodge for the evening. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Today, enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES in Kenya’s most famous game area. The Masai Mara is part of the Serengeti ecosystem and boasts a strong permanent population of game. During the months of July and August the great migration of zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest enlarges the population by almost 2 million. This provides a great food source for predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, and hyena. Keep your eyes out for elephant, rhino, and Cape Buffalo, too. During your afternoon game drive you will also visit a LOCAL MASAI VILLAGE. Here you will learn more about this semi-nomadic tribe, famous for herding cattle and their distinctive red clothing. During the heat of the day, enjoy time at your lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Take a short GAME DRIVE on the way to the airstrip where you board a plane for a quick flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival, visit the KAREN BLIXEN MUSEUM, dedicated to the author of Out of Africa. Next, stop at the GIRAFFE CENTER, a non-profit organization focused on saving the Rothschild’s Giraffe. Here you will learn a bit more about this sub-species and have the opportunity to feed them. Enjoy lunch, then continue on to AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Depart your camp this morning for a full-day GAME DRIVE that includes a picnic lunch. Amboseli is best known for views of spectacular Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at some 19,341 feet. The park affords you the best opportunity to get close to the mighty elephant. You might also spot Cape Buffalo, zebra, wild dogs, and others. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Cross the border into Tanzania and stop in Arusha for lunch. Then, proceed to TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, where the savannah grasslands are dotted with baobab and acacia trees. Enjoy a GAME DRIVE en route to your lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
One last GAME DRIVE in Tarangire before heading to LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK, located at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. This small park is ecologically diverse, with groundwater forests, grassy plains, and the alkaline Lake Manyara itself. Here you will enjoy a GAME DRIVE and have the chance to see elephants, giraffes, zebra, and Cape Buffalo. The park is also home to world’s largest concentration of baboons. Continue on to your lodge for the evening. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Today, drive to SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, Tanzania’s largest and most famous park. Home to the annual wildebeest migration, it attracts visitors from around the world and is great for game viewing year round. Enjoy lunch at your lodge before an afternoon GAME DRIVE. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Today, enjoy MORNING & AFTERNOON GAME DRIVES. The Serengeti is home to all of the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, Cape Buffalo, elephant, and rhino. The park is also home to myriad other animals, including cheetah, giraffes, gazelle, and eland. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
This morning, say goodbye to the Serengeti with a GAME DRIVE. Then, visit OLDUVAI GORGE, commonly referred to as the “Cradle of Mankind.” Part of the Great Rift Valley, this 30-mile-long, steep-sided ravine is where the Leakeys made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries, including the remains of several early hominids and fossilized hominid footprints estimated to be around 3.7 million years old. Continue on to the rim of NGORONGORO CRATER, which is part of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Descend into the crater for a full-day GAME DRIVE, including a picnic lunch. Ngorongoro Crater is technically a caldera—the world’s largest unflooded, in fact, at over 2,000 feet deep with a floor covering over 102 square miles. Game viewing here is fantastic, as most of the animals stay in this area year round. You can see lion, Cape Buffalo, hippo, elephant, and flamingos. This is also your best chance to see the rare Black Rhinoceros. Views from the rim are stunning, especially at sunrise and sunset! (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
This morning, travel back to Arusha, where your tour ends with lunch. We have secured a day room for you at the Serena Mountain Village, including dinner, before a transfer to the airport for your late-evening flight. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
