10 Day Treasures of Africa Safari - S

Highlights – Arrive in Nairobi

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Accommodation: Jacaranda Hotel
   [Alt: Nairobi Safari Club]
   [Alt: Silver Springs Hotel]
Activity: Meeting and greeting your safari guide.

Your host will be on hand when you arrive at the airport and will take you to the Jacaranda Hotel. This beautiful hotel has a seasoned history of hosting international and local business as well as leisure travelers dating back in the early 1960's. Take a minute to enjoy a few drinks at the poolside bar whilst you relax and unwind after your flight. If you’re ready for sleep, you’ll immediately relax in your luxurious room, with its fine linens. In the morning you’ll be refreshed and ready to go. Who says a safari has to be rustic?

Highlights – Your first day at Amboseli National Park and an afternoon game drive.

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Accommodation: Amboseli Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Kibo Safari Camp]
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Transfer to Amboseli National Park; enjoy an afternoon game drive.

After a delicious breakfast, you will start to taste the real Africa on the rustic road to Amboseli National Park. This park, located on the Tanzanian border, is considered the best place to see free-ranging elephants in all of Africa. You will also see plenty of giraffes, lions, and cheetahs in a variety of habitats including marshes, plains, woodlands and more. Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest free-standing mountain, watches over this national treasure. The afternoon game drive will show all these wonders to you and more. It will be hard to tear yourself away from the park, but it will be well worth it to stay in the Amboseli Sopa Lodge, a truly African, truly luxurious hotel which features incredible views. After a relaxing dinner, you will sleep well in huts that offer the ultimate in comfort. Because the hotel is off the beaten track, you will be able to see a considerable amount of wildlife right outside your door.

Highlights – Your second day at Amboseli National Park.

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Accommodation: Amboseli Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Kibo Safari Camp]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives.
Optional: Visit to Tribal Village & Walking Safari

You will be glad to have a second day at Amboseli National Park as the morning and afternoon game drives offer completely different experiences. The park is home to more than 400 bird species as well as wildebeests, zebras, white rhinos and other wildlife – there is no telling what you will see. Every hour of the day is different, and every season of the year is different, which means that every game drive is different, so be sure to have your cameras prepped and ready for some stunning photos and videos in both the morning and afternoon. At mid-day, when the heat drives all of East Africa into the shade, you can lounge in the Amboseli Sopa Lodge’s pool, take a siesta in your comfortable room or meet fellow travelers for a refreshing drink at the bar. An optional visit to a tribal village or a walking safari is available.

Highlights: First views of the amazing Ngorongoro Crater.

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Accommodations: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full board – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Activity: Cross border into Tanzania. Transfer to Ngorongoro and enjoy the first views of the crater rim from your lodge.

After breakfast we drive to the Kenya/Tanzania border at Namanga. After we clear immigrations we proceed to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservancy Area. The Ngorongoro Crater itself is all that remains of a long-extinct volcano. The 2000-foot high crater rim encloses a depression measuring 100 square miles, which provides water and vegetation for wildlife, as well as the cattle of the Maasai people. You are very likely to witness Maasai herders and their cattle passing through the area. The lodge is situated right on the crater rim, with outstanding views from its well-appointed suites and from the outdoors dining area of the buffet restaurant.

Highlights - Full day crater tour at Ngorongoro.

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Accommodations: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Activity: A full day exploring the crater with picnic lunch.

Today we shall pack a picnic lunch and spend the day within the crater. There are around 30,000 large animals within the crater, so you are bound to see lots of wildlife: large herds of wildebeest, antelope and zebras roam the landscape, often being pursued by hyenas, cheetahs or lions. The lake inside the crater is home to numerous colorful bird species, and you can see hippos lounging in the water. Every so often, visitors see impressive bull elephants passing through the crater area in search of water, though herds with cows and calves are rare. You can also visit a Maasai village to learn more about what living in this unique area is like, as well as getting acquainted with the Maasai culture. This is a key part of a safari in Tanzania.

Highlights: Visit to Olduvai Gorge en route to Serengeti followed by an afternoon game drive.

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Accommodations: Serengeti Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Seronera Wildlife Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full board – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Activity: Transfer to Serengeti with a stop at Olduvai Gorge en route. Enjoy an afternoon game drive.

En route to Serengeti, you visit the the Olduvai Gorge and museum, the site where remains from prehistoric people were first found. You proceed to your final destination on this day, the Serengeti National Park, one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. All of the various animal and plant species are dependent on the sparse rainfall, as well as on each other. A variety of different vegetation zones make up the park. Grasslands with both short and tall grasses are in the dry south, which receives an average of 19 inches of rain per year. A savannah abounding with acacia trees is in the center, and the western area has more heavily wooded highland areas, complete with what is known as 'black cotton' soil. This last area follows a sweeping curve around the edge of Lake Victoria. There is wooded grassland to the north and tributaries from the Mara and Grumeti rivers flow through this region. 

Highlights: Full day at the amazing Serengeti National Park.

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Accommodations: Serengeti Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Seronera Wildlife Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full board – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives

The Sopa Lodge offers a combination of luxury style and local architecture. The Serengeti's volcanic
reefs and reaches are easily seen from the Lodge's setting on a wooded ridge. The design and layout of the Lodge were inspired by traditional Maasai practices, with winding paths and rondavel-style buildings. The rooms are in a setting that includes ponds, streams and a variety of native trees. These rooms are built of stone with traditional grass roofs. A ‘vanishing horizon’ pool is found at the lodge, and the circular bar overlooks the pool. The bar features columns that are carved to resemble Maasai tribesmen. Both areas provide a great way to relax in the African evening, enjoying an excellent view of the savannah, where you may be lucky enough to witness the wildebeest migration as a fantastic highlight of your safari in Africa.

Highlights - Travel to the Maasai Mara National Reserve; enjoy a late afternoon game drive.

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Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Nyumbu Camp]
Meal Plan: Full board – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Activity: Cross back into Kenya and proceed to Maasai Mara.

When those of us in the west hear the term “African Safari” the picture that comes to mind is the Maasai Mara Reserve, which is where you are going today.  Here is where you’ll find the grasslands, the lions, the jackals, the wildebeests and more.  This will also be your opportunity to get to know the Maasai, the semi-nomadic natives of Kenya.  These cattle-herding people have managed to preserve their way of life through the centuries; visiting them is an enriching experience. Tonight you’ll stay at the Mara Sopa Lodge, set in expansive and mature wooded gardens. The lodge has an ethnic design that incorporates traditional round buildings with thatched roofs for its guest rooms and public areas.

Highlights- Second day on the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

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Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Nyumbu Camp]
Meal Plan: Full board – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Activity: Game drives morning and afternoon.
Optional: Visit to tribal village and walking safari.   

Game drives are offered both in the morning and in the afternoon, to allow you the best chance of seeing some wildlife.  You are likely to see buffalo, prides of lions, zebra, hyenas, antelope, cheetahs, wildebeest, and giraffes.  If you would like an even closer look, you can take a walking safari with a local ranger.  You will also want to consider stopping by the tribal village to experience Maasai culture and learn more about their ways.  Relax and enjoy a nap in between game drives and other activities in your comfortable accommodations.  The lodge has a bar area with a pool, and the camp also has a pool.

Highlights- Maasai Mara National Reserve to Nairobi city.

Meal Plan: Breakfast.
Activity: Optional predawn game drive followed by breakfast.  Transfer to Nairobi at your leisure.  Optional activities include souvenir shopping and a farewell dinner.  Airport departure transfer          

One last optional game drive takes place just before dawn. After this, you'll be able to have a leisurely breakfast. Time will be allowed for you to get ready to say goodbye to the African wildlife.  Transportation will be available for the transfer to Nairobi when you feel ready to leave.  While you're waiting for your flight, you can shop for souvenirs to take home, or take some time seeing a bit of the city.  If you wish you can attend a special farewell dinner before your flight leaves.  This is a fitting conclusion to your safari in Africa.  You will be taken to the airport in plenty of time to catch your flight and will be able to say farewell to your guide.