MASAI MARA & TANZANIA

Meet and greet at Nairobi Airport. Once you have retrieved your luggage, our guide will be waiting for you in the arrival hall carrying a branded sign board. You will then be escorted to a restaurant or coffee shop where while enjoying a complimentary juice or hot beverage before transferring you to your hotel or starting your tour.' Embark on your guided tour aboard your minibus: service starts at Nairobi and ends at Nairobi (Day 6) - 6 days. Drive from Nairobi to the Masai Mara. Skirting around Mount Suswa the road first heads north to Maai Mahiu, south of Lake Naivasha, before turning west to Narok and continuing west and south to the Masai Mara. A highlight of the journey is the first glimpse of the huge Rift Valley emptiness just past Limuru, at the top of the escarpments of the valley. Mount Longonot, Hell's Gate National Park and Lake Naivasha may be glimpsed to the north, while the plains seem to sweep on forever to the south. Approximate journey time 4-5 hours, depending on the destination in the Mara. Packed lunch. Masai Mara National Reserve entrance fee (valid for 24 hours) included. Dinner: Sentrim Mara Night: Sentrim Mara (Standard Tent - Full Board

Morning safari in your tour vehicle the Masai Mara national park which is a vast expanse of 1500 km². Breakfast Morning safari in your tour vehicle. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to observe gnu, zebra and their predators ( hyena, lion, leopard, wild dog) ,especially during the migration period between August and September. Lunch (package). Afternoon game drive in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Immerse yourself in this prime wildlife area and connect with nature on every level. Your afternoon drive will begin late in the day and conclude just before darkness falls. This is the best time of day to view nocturnal hunters who prepare for their nightly expeditions. Watering holes are also usually busy just before sunset as animals such as hippos return to their resting spots while others congregate to drink before retiring for the night. Keep your camera handy to capture everything from elephants to gazelles and crocodiles to lions. Dinner: Sentrim Mara Night: Sentrim Mara (Standard Tent - Full Board

Breakfast. Drive from the Masai Mara to the Lake area. The road first heads north and east to Narok before turning east to Maai Mahiu, south of Lake Naivasha. Lake Naivasha is the furthest south of the lakes. Proceeding north the next is Lake Elementaita, then Lake Nakuru, followed by Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo. Approximate journey time 4-9 hours, depending on the exact starting and destination points. Picnic lunch. Guided walk on Crescent Island situated in the deepest part of Lake Naivasha. You will be transferred from by boat to the Island, The shores of this beautiful piece of paradise host an abundance of bird life and have especially large numbers of pelicans, cormorant and fish eagles. While the island is secure and private it is connected to the mainland and this allows animals to roam freely. See hippos grazing in the cool afternoon air or resting under acacia trees in the heat of day, while giraffe who were born on the island come back to birth their own young. Dinner: Sentrim Elementaita Night: Sentrim Elementaita (Standard room - Full Board

Breakfast. Travel to Naivasha Pause your wildlife and bird viewing to visit a local school in Naivasha. During your visit to a local school you will gain insight into the economic and social challenges that many of the local community face on a daily basis as well as have the opportunity to meet the youth of the area who will inspire you with their enthusiasm for life and their warm, welcoming smiles. Drive from the Lake area to Nairobi. The road linking the lakes runs south from Baringo and Bogoria to Nakuru before turning southeast to Elementaita and Naivasha. From Naivasha (1900m altitude) the road ascends the Rift Valley escarpment before reaching Limuru (2500m), known for its tea plantations, and continuing down to Nairobi (1661m). Feed the lofty wildlife with a visit to the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi. This non-profit organisation was originally opened in order to protect the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe that is found only on the plains of East Africa. Since its inception the programme has been highly successful and has re-introduced pairs of breeding Rothschild’s giraffe into various national parks in Kenya. While on your visit you will have the opportunity of getting close to a giraffe or two as well as feed them and watch as they delicately use their long tongues to take the food from your hand. There are also a few warthog that roam freely amongst the giraffes and a gift shop for visitors to enjoy. Unique and exhilarating, this visit will get you as close as you possibly can to giraffe in Kenya. Lunch. Drive from Nairobi to Amboseli. The main Nairobi-Mombasa road leads southeast, falling around 500m from the 1661m altitude of Nairobi to Emali. From Emali the road runs south before turning in a north-westerly direction and passing to the north of Mount Kilimanjaro before reaching Amboseli. Approximate journey time 4,5 hours. Dinner: Sentrim Amboseli Night at the Camp: Sentrim Amboseli (Standard Tent - Full Board

Breakfast. Discover the Amboseli National Park. Located about 250 km from Nairobi and along the Tanzanian border, the park derives its name from the Masai word "Empusel", meaning salty, dusty place. A particular feature of Amboseli is the possibility to take picture postcard photos of elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. Covering an area of 392 km2 the park is, in addition to elephants, home to numerous animals (giraffe, wildebeest, antelope, buffalo, lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena ...) as well as 400 species of birds (pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hamerkop and 47 types of raptor) who live alongside the Masai villages. Before the main heat of the day, go on a safari in the park which is famous for its high concentration of elephant. They appear most often in troops lead by an old female. You will have the best chances of spotting them at watering holes. Lunch (package). Guided afternoon game drive through the Amboseli National Park. This compact park is abundant with wildlife and allows for excellent game viewing. Its vegetation consists of a combination of sprawling grasslands, swampy springs and dry dusty earth. Amboseli is most famous for its large elephant populations, with the bulls having some of the biggest tusks in the world. From Observation Hill you will have a view of the entire park and especially the swamp areas where buffalo, elephants, hippos and a diversity of water birds come to cool off and refresh themselves. Look out for the shy porcupine who only dares to emerge at sunset. Dinner: Sentrim Amboseli Night at the Camp: Sentrim Amboseli (Standard Tent - Full Board

Breakfast. Before the main heat of the day, go on a safari in the park which is famous for its high concentration of elephant. Lunch Drive from Amboseli to Namanga. From Amboseli you will travel in a westerly direction, typically exiting through the Meshanani Gate as you pick up the road towards Namanga located on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. Approximate journey time 1 hour. Transfer from Namanga to Arusha. Admire Mount Meru and mingle with diverse people on an orientation tour of Arusha. This growing town is most visited for its location as it stands as the gateway to Tanzania’s spectacular northern safari circuit, providing access to the world-famous Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro. An assortment of markets sells all varieties of African crafts that range from dirt cheap to costly, so shop around a bit before buying. Dinner: Ilboru Safari Lodge Night: Ilboru Safari Lodge (Standard Room - Half Board)

Breakfast. Embark on your guided tour aboard your 4X4 vehicle: service starts at Arusha and ends at Arusha (Day 11) - 5 days Drive from Arusha to Manyara. The road leads west, then south-west, skirting around the Monduli Mountains before branching north-west to the northern tip of Lake Manyara, lying in the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley. Approximate journey time 3 hours, depending on the exact start and end points. Set between the cliffs of the Rift Valley and the alkaline lake of the same name, Lake Manyara National Park covers some 320 km2. Dominated by the Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara National Park presents a diverse flora. Covering an area of about 50 km2, this lake is a favorite with flamingos and waders. Some 350 species of birds have been identified including thousands of Egyptian geese. The park also offers all kinds of wildlife: giraffes, buffalos, zebras, baboons, monkeys or elephants, all are present. If you are lucky you might even spot lions in the trees. Perched in the acacias to better see their prey, the park is famous for these treeclimbing lions. Follow adventure on a morning 4x4 game drive in the Lake Manyara National Park. Your early start will be worth it as you stop to admire the sun rising over Lake Manyara, a large alkaline lake covering a third of the park and home to over 400 species of birds. Here you will find flamingos in their thousands during the rainy season and many varieties of water birds and other migrant species. Admire the theatrical western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley as well as hot springs and lush forest as you come across elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, baboon and monkey. Manyara is also awash with predators and your morning game drive may coincide with a leopard or hyena returning from their hunt while tree-climbing lions could be spotted enjoying the fruits of their efforts high up in the safety of a tree. Packed lunch Drive from Manyara to Ngorongoro. The road leads north-west as the landscape changes from the semi-arid savannah of the Great Rift Valley floor to the lush green forests on the south-eastern slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater. Approximate journey time 2 hours, depending on the exact start and end points. Dinner: Bougainvillea Safari Lodge Night: Bougainvillea Safari Lodge (Standard Room - Full Board)

Breakfast. Drive from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti. The road leads north-west. Leaving behind the fertile highlands area with its coffee and tea plantations it passes into the open planes of the Serengeti where Masai pastoralists co-exist with the African wildlife. Approximate journey time 3 to 5 hours, depending on the exact start and end points. Picnic lunch Discover the Serengeti National Park. Created in 1951, the Serengeti (from Siringet, meaning "endless plain" in maa, the language of the Maasai) is one of the largest parks in Africa. Covering an area of 14,800 km2, it abuts the Ngorongoro to the east and the Masai Mara (Kenya) to the north. This is a magical place both for the beauty and diversity of the landscapes (plains, acacia savannah, hills, large forested areas) and for the variety of animals. The Serengeti National Park is home to a considerable wildlife population in all seasons: gazelles, antelopes, giraffes, buffalos, zebras, jackals, warthogs, monkeys ... all are gathered here. Elephants, hippos, crocodiles are also among the main residents of the park. Over 500 species of birds have been identified including ostriches, bustards and secretary birds. The park is also famous for its many predators: more than a thousand lions, hundreds of cheetahs, many hyenas and some leopards have been recorded. If the lions are more visible near the rivers (especially near the Seronera River), cheetahs and hyenas are more at home in the plains. -4x4 PM Game Drive Dinner: ThornTree Camp Night at the Camp: ThornTree Camp (Tent Full Board)

Breakfast. 4x4 AM Game Drive Lunch 4x4 PM Game Drive Dinner: ThornTree Camp Night at the Camp: ThornTree Camp (Tent Full Board)

Breakfast Drive from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro. The B144 is the main road running through the Serengeti and connecting it with Ngorongoro to the south-east. Approximate journey time 3 to 5 hours, depending on the exact start and end points. Route details and journey times may vary depending on road conditions. Picnic lunch Discover the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Initially incorporated into the Serengeti National Park, the Area is not a National Park. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers approximately 8288 km2, 890 km2 of which is montane forest covering part of the crater wall. Ngorongoro offers a wide range of habitats: wetlands, grasslands, forests, streams and savannas ... The crater itself covers about 260 km2. A World Heritage Site, it is in fact a caldera, caused by the colapse of a massive volcano nearly 2.5 million years ago. During the descent into the crater you will enjoy a spectacularly panoramic view of the interior of the crater. Even from the top of the crater wall you'll notice the first large herds as dark spots on the landscape. The crater boasts the largest animal density in Africa with some 20 000 animals including around 55 species of mammals, ostriches, Kori bustards, dwarf flamingos, crowned cranes, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeest, hartebeest ... all are present. Eland, jackal, black rhino and some servals are also among the principal inhabitants. The Ngorongoro Crater is further home to many predators such as hyenas, lions and leopards. Cheetahs, giraffes, hartebeest and impala, however are missing. Cut across one of Africa’s wildlife hotspots on a 4x4 afternoon game drive in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This stunning piece of wilderness is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located within the crater highlands of Tanzania and covering vast expanses of highland plains, savannahs, savannah woodlands and forests. Within it lies the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest volcanic caldera housing dense wildlife species of global importance due to the large presence of internationally threatened species such as black rhino. If during your safari expeditions you have not yet come across a lion, Ngorongoro will not disappoint as it holds the highest density if this predator in the world. Dinner: Country Lodge Karatu Night: Country Lodge Karatu (Standard room - Full Board)

Breakfast. Drive from Ngorongoro to Arusha. The road at first leads south-east, eventually turning north-east. Leaving behind the fertile highlands area with its coffee and tea plantations it passes through the semi-arid savannah rangeland that has long been home to Masai pastoralists before reaching the Arusha area known for its vegetable and flower crops. Approximate journey time 3 hours, depending on the exact start and end points. Route details and journey times may vary depending on road conditions. Lunch Transfer from Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport. End of our services

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