Kenya and Tanzania Wildlife Safari: Small Group

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.

We dive straight into the 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, and is the scene of heartbreak for the young animals taken by the hundreds of crocodiles in the Mara River. But the sheer weight of numbers ensures most animals are lucky enough to escape.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, in a village amongst the Masai people.

This afternoon we will tour the village with a Masai guide and hear about their way of life, their culture, and how they fit into the modern world.

We awake to the bustling noise of village life, and after breakfast we make our way back to Arusha.

We have lunch in town and then spend the afternoon exploring the markets and curio shopping for those presents to take home to family and friends.

Tonight we will enjoy an own expense meal at a local restaurant to celebrate our safari and our final night together.

After breakfast, we set off to complete the circle back to Nairobi. (On occasion we may use the shuttle bus to transfer clients.)

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.