Kenya / Tanzania 10 Nights

NAIROBI-MASSAI MARA-SERENGETI-NGORONGORO-ZANZIBAR

Day 01: Departure from Home Arrival to Nairobi

PROGRAM ELABORATED FOR AN EVENING ARRIVAL IN NAIROBI

Nairobi Arrival: Upon arrival at Nairobi KE, Jomo Kenyatta International TERMINAL 1A met by our team,
who will warmly meet you and welcome you to Kenya. We then transfer to the hotel, offering peace of
heart and mind, a nice place to relax and unwind before you begin your safari.

Our representative will help you through check-in and make sure you settled in at the Ole Sereni Hotel
for dinner and overnight.

Day 02: Nairobi Nairobi to Massai Mara Massai

09:00 am: Today after breakfast, check-out, and drive to The Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage which is located near Nairobi National Park. This orphanage for Elephant Calves and Rhinos from all over Kenya was founded and still managed by Daphne Sheldrick, the widow of one of Kenya’s best-known Game Wardens David Sheldrick. David Sheldrick was at the Centre of
the 1970’s Ivory poaching wars in Tsavo National Park. Today, the Sheldrick orphanage is a focal point for Elephant Conservation.
Elephant calves orphaned by poaching are brought here from all over the country. They receive extremely specialized treatment here, and literally receive personal care 24 hours a day from highly dedicated staff who become surrogate mothers to the calves. Eventually the calves are moved to Tsavo, where they are carefully reintroduced into wild herds. The Centre is open to the public each morning (11am-12pm). At this time the calves are being exercised and bathed and visitors are free to watch. This is a good Centre for general information on Elephants and their Conservation.

From here we drive to Karen Blixen restaurant for our lunch. After lunch we visit Karen Blixen Museum- Truly a must for all ‘Out of Africa’ fans. Begin with a visit to the former home of famous novelist Karen von Blixen – author of “Out of Africa”.

We visit the museum and explore the beautiful house and grounds at leisure. The story of Karen Blixen was made famous in the film “Out of Africa”. The Karen Blixen Museum is located in the house where Karen Christence Blixen-Fenecke lived from 1914 to 1931. It is a beautiful colonial house that along with the gardens has been restored to their former glory. The house
used to be a coffee plantation and contains many of her original art pieces along with some pieces donated by the makers of the film “Out of Africa”.

Stop at the Kazuri Bead factory where you have an opportunity to see how the beads are made. Then continue to the Giraffe Centre where you feed the Giraffe from an elevated platform. In 1974 Jock Leslie-Melville and his wife Betty bought the land and moved five babies endangered Rothschild Giraffe onto the property where they successfully reared them. The original giraffes have subsequently had their own offspring that now live on the property. It is now open to visitors and guests can feed and photograph the tame Giraffes and Warthogs that wander around the Giraffe Manor gardens.

Early afternoon, transfer to Wilson airport in time for your scheduled flight to Masai Mara departing at 16:00Hrs. On arrival (17:00Hrs) at Angama Mara airstrip you will be met by the camps’ representatives and drive to the camp with an en-route game drive. Planes that are operated are of small size, with a maximum capacity limited to 18 passengers only. Luggage is also limited to 15 Kg per person in soft bags. If clients’ luggage exceeds the allowed weights, extra weights shall be charged at the airport.

Dinner and overnight at Ashnil Mara Camp

Day 03: Mara Game Reserve

Full day in Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game viewing drives in search of the ‘big five’. Masai Mara is the northernmost extension of the Serengeti Plains and one of the richest wildlife Game Reserves. It is home to the awesome, black-manned lion, the elusive leopard, stately giraffes, and vast herds of elephants, rhinos, thundering herds of zebra, migrating wildebeest and numerous other plains game.

Back at the lodge enjoy a sumptuous lunch and a well-deserved rest. Later in the afternoon join others in an afternoon game drive exploring the depths of this massive ecosystem.

Dinner and overnight at Ashnil Mara Camp

Day 04: Massai Mara to Serengeti Game Reserve

Today after breakfast, check-out and transfer to Ol Kimbo Airstrip in time for your scheduled flight to Serengeti departing at airstrip 09:10Hrs. (The flight is via Isebania’s border Airstrip Migori). On arrival at Seronera Airstrip at 11: 05Hrs, you shall be met by a new team of Guides who shall welcome you to Tanzania, and transfer to lodge for group lunch.

After lunch, you will go out for an afternoon game drive in the endless plains of the Serengeti for a chance to see the great herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles or a pride of lions lounging in the shade.

Dinner and overnight at Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge/Kiota Camp.

Day 05: Serengeti National Park

Wakeup call and get up early for coffee / tea at the lodge depart for the balloon ride. Probably the most beautiful balloon flight in the world and the ultimate Safari Experience! The Balloon ride is offered as optional.

If you have opted to take it, you will be picked up at 5:00 am, and transferred to the balloon launch site. Here you will meet your pilot, receive a briefing, and watch the inflation of your balloon. At dawn it takes off, rising as the sun rises and floating in whichever direction the winds of the morning take it. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon: sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below.

The flight is for about one hour depending on the conditions, and eventually you must land. You celebrate in the traditional manner with champagne (well, an excellent sparkling wine) before sitting down to a full English breakfast prepared and served in the bush in “Out of Africa” style.

After breakfast you receive your Serengeti Balloon certificate and later meet up with your safari drivers ready to continue your day’s activities.

If you have not opted to take the balloon ride, you will depart after coffee / tea at the lodge for an early morning game drive as early morning game drives usually give a chance of seeing predators hunting. After these early morning activities, you return to your lodge for a full breakfast and mid-morning at leisure by the swimming pool, followed by lunch at the camp.

After lunch, you will go out for an afternoon game drive in the endless plains of the Serengeti for a chance to see the great herds of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles or a pride of lions lounging in the shade.

Dinner and overnight at Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge/Kiota Camp

Day 6: Drive from Serengeti to Ngorongoro

You will enjoy another early morning game drive in the Serengeti returning in time to the lodge for breakfast.
Thereafter, depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area with en route game viewing and via Olduvai Gorge archaeological site, where Dr Louis and Mary Leakey discovered remains of our ancestors believed to have lived 1.7 million years ago.
Lunch will be served at the lodge in Ngorongoro and spend the whole afternoon at leisure.

Optionally, this afternoon, you may visit a Massai Village. On arrival at the village, you will be welcomed by the Massai dancers, (clients are welcome to participate and of course you will!) What a wonderful experience!

Massai warriors who also can speak some English will take you through the Massai history and explain how the Massai people came to East Africa. You will spend the whole afternoon in the authentic Massai village and share the indigenous Massai life, visit the museum & village, walking safari in the Massai territory, learning Maasai hunting techniques and more about natural Massai medicine.

Early evening, drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight at Neptune Hotel Ngorongoro.
The below are some other optional activities that you opt to take during your free time.
Nature walk
Empakai Crater visit.

Day 7: A day tour of the Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast today, you will descend 2000 feet (over 600 meters) to the floor of the crater for a day tour with picnic lunches. The stunning spectacle of the Ngorongoro is undoubtedly one of the highlights of a safari tour in Tanzania. “There is nothing with which to compare. It is one of the wonders of the world”, once wrote Professor Bernard Grzimek. This day, you will explore the forest areas that are inhabited by monkeys and elephants, the lake area, where you may see the flamingos and the open savannah where the lions hunt for food.

Picnic lunches are taken instead of hot lunches to give clients more in time in the crater, and avoid double payments, as crater tours are conducted on single entry basis.

Dinner and overnight at Neptune Hotel Ngorongoro

Day 8: Ngorongoro – Manyara – Zanzibar Island

After breakfast at the lodge, you will be picked up by our 4-wheel drive vehicles, and drive to Lake Manyara (small visit of the park lake if time allows it) airstrip for your domestic flights to Zanzibar.

Planes that are operated are smaller caravans with a maximum capacity limited to 18 passengers. Luggage is also limited to 15 Kg per person in soft bags. If clients’ luggage exceeds the allowed weights, extra weights are charged at the airstrip. The flight is via Arusha for refueling (One and half hour flight).

Leaving Arusha, you will have the opportunity to see from the plane some spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro from the air.
On arrival at Zanzibar International Airport, our representatives will be at hand to assist. Visas are not required since Zanzibar is part of United Republic of Tanzania.

You will be transferred to the hotel using one of the luxury minibuses (One hour drive). On arrival at the hotel, cold towels and welcome drinks will be served as check-in proceeds.

Dinner and overnight at the Dream of Zanzibar resort.