Our tour of East Africa starts in the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi. We meet at a hotel in the heart of this busy, bustling, modern city. For those arriving early, there are a variety of optional tours and excursions on offer – these can be arranged on arrival at the hotel.

At 18h00 we meet for a pre-tour briefing before getting to know each other over an own expense dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals

Dinner Own Expense

Accommodation

• La Mada Hotel

We dive straight into adventure and head directly for Masai Mara National Reserve. To get there the road climbs up to the edge of the Great Rift Valley, affording magnificent views over the Africa of our imaginations. The Mara is famous for the annual mass migration of wildebeest and zebra, during certain months of the year. This migration usually happens anytime between July to October every year and the movement of the herds are directly related to the rainfall received.

We arrive in the afternoon and spend the next two nights camping adjacent to the park/ accommodation in the Lodge. An accommodation upgrade is available, but this must be booked before departure to avoid disappointment.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Oldarpoi Mara Camp or similar

Highlights

• Great Rift Valley

We leave early for a full day of extensive game driving. The Mara is renowned for its abundance of plains game and the ever-present predators following the herds. We follow seasonal migrations, when possible, our safari truck giving us an elevated view of the plains.

We stop for a picnic lunch between game drives and only return to camp in the late afternoon, tired and hungry, ready for a hearty meal around the camp fire.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Oldarpoi Mara Camp or similar

Highlights

• Masai Mara National Reserve
• Full day game viewing experience

Optional activities

• Hot air ballooning on the morning of day 3

Leaving The Mara, we track back to Mount Longonot National Park, with its dormant volcano. We temporarily abandon our vehicle as our guide leads us on a hike up to the crater rim, for a view of the jagged-edged caldera and the forest within. It’s also a good spot for views of the Rift Valley. The volcano last erupted in the early 1900s but steam vents may still be visible, and on the way there is a variety of plains game to be seen while we walk. We will take a packed lunch along, for a picnic with a view.

Reunited with our safari truck, it’s only a short drive to our camp-site on the shores of Lake Naivasha, where we set up camp for the next two nights.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Camp Carnelley’s Campsite or similar

Highlights

• Great Rift Valley
• Mount Longonot
• Hike in National Park
• Lake Naivasha

This morning we drive the short distance to the famous Hell’s Gate National Park, named by 19th century explorers for a natural cleft in the high basalt cliffs. The dramatic scenery here was the inspiration for the the movie “The Lion King”, and it’s a great place to walk, with the chance of seeing zebra, giraffe and buffalo amongst various species of antelope. The adventurous have the option to explore the park on a bicycle (local hire, own expense). Hot springs are a reminder of the volcanic activity below our feet, and nearby Olkaria Geothermal Power station takes advantage of this.

We head back to camp for lunch, and follow this with an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Naivasha, to get close to hippo and some of the 400 species of birds that the lake attracts.

A final highlight in a busy day is a visit to Elsamere, the former home of the original “lion whisperers”, George and Joy Adamson, for high tea and to gain some insight into their fascinating lives.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Camp Carnelley’s Campsite or similar

Highlights

• Guided hike in Hells Gate National Park
• Lake Naivasha boat cruise
• Elsamere

Optional activities:

• Mountain bike ride in Hell’s Gate National Park

Today we head for Tanzania and the town of Arusha, passing through the outskirts of Nairobi on our way south. Crossing the border, we catch glimpses of Mt Kilimanjaro through the clouds, and skirt the base of Mt Meru, Africa’s 5th highest mountain. Known as the Tanzania’s “safari capital”, Arusha is a busy cross-roads of safari operators and travellers from all over the world. It is also the seat of the East African Community and important regional diplomatic hub.

Meals

Breakfast and Lunch (Dinner Own Expense)

Accommodation

Forest Hill Carnival or similar

Highlights

• Scenic drive
• Tanzania

Our Tanzanian safari begins as we enter Serengeti National Park. The road climbs the flanks of Ngorongoro before descending to the flat plains of the Serengeti, the golden grassland dotted with flat-topped acacias. This is quintessential Africa, the scene of an annual migration when the grasslands turn black with the bodies of wildebeest. The game is abundant in every season and the predators that stalk the herds are never far behind. We will camp two nights on the Serengeti plain, spending our days game driving, living in one of nature’s greatest scenes, the nights around a camp fire with a star-studded sky overhead.

Meals

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Serengeti Ngiri Camp or similar

Highlights

• Serengeti National Park
• Extensive game viewing experience

Rising before the sun for coffee around the camp fire, we leave for a full day of exploring the park as the day breaks. We have all day for game viewing as our guide explains the behaviour and habits of the animals we encounter. We stop regularly for comfort breaks, and have a picnic lunch in the wilds. Returning to our camp as the sun sets, we relax around the fire, swapping stories and photographs as the crew prepare a delicious meal.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommoadation

• Camping (two-person dome tents) – Serengeti

Highlights

• Serengeti National Park
• Full day game drive

At dawn we leave for our final game drive on the plains, returning mid morning to strike camp and have brunch. We then drive back up the steep slopes of Ngorongoro to the top of this extinct volcano. On the way it’s a little strange to see the Masai tribesmen herding their cattle amongst the wildlife, still living their customary lifestyle as they have for centuries. We camp tonight at the renowned Simba Camp, perched on the edge of the crater, with breathtaking views into the caldera.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Ngorongoro Simba Camp or similar

Highlights

• Game drive in Serengeti
• Masai Tribal People
• Ngorongoro Crater

At first light, we board 4×4 safari vehicles to make the daring descent into the crater, a route too steep and precipitous for our safari truck. Here, we explore the crater, a marvel of nature with its steep forested walls, fertile grass plains, lake, salt pan, and fever tree forest. It is a microcosm of the continent’s great safari destinations, with the possibility of seeing many of Africa’s mammals all in one place, including the rare Black Rhino. We take the steep route out of the crater to return to Simba Camp for lunch, exiting the park in the early afternoon and descending the escarpment to our camp for the night.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation

Twiga Camp or similar

Highlights

• 4×4 Safari inside the Ngorongoro Crater
• Masai Encounter

We awake to the bustling noise of village life. This morning, we will tour the village with a Maasai guide and hear about their way of life, their culture, and how they fit into the modern world. We have lunch in town and then spend the afternoon exploring the markets and curio shopping for presents to take home to family and friends. Tonight, we will enjoy dinner at the camp to celebrate our safari and our final night together.

Meals

Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner Own Expense)

Accommodation

Twiga Camp or similar

Highlights

• Mto Wa Mbu
• Local markets

After breakfast, we set off to complete the circle back to Arusha. Guest can enjoy Zanzibar Extensions from here or connect to their onward flights. Guests also have the option to continue back to Nairobi with our truck. This road travels through some spectacular scenery, and on a clear day we have a second chance to see mighty Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. En-route to Nairobi city, the transfer will pass via the airport to facilitate those who are flying out today. Everyone staying on in Nairobi, or continuing their travels, will be taken into the city centre.

Meals

Breakfast (Lunch Own Expense)

The day-by-day descriptions published are intended as a rough guideline only. Adventure travel by nature is unpredictable, weather patterns, game migrations, road conditions and a multitude of other factors may necessitate itinerary changes that ultimately are for the client’s benefit. It is essential that clients are flexible and open minded in this regard.