12 Days Kenya Tanzania Select- P

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Accommodation: Fairmont Norfolk Hotel
   [Alt: Karen Blixen Cottages]
Activity: Arrive at the airport where your host will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

Your host will be on hand when you arrive at the airport and will take you to the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel. This luxurious and elegant hotel is one of Nairobi’s finest and has a seasoned history of a hosting leisure as well as business travelers dating back in the early 1900's. The hotel has its own private tropical gardens and is still the traditional starting point for many high end safaris. Take a minute to enjoy a few drinks at the Lord Delamere Terrace, or explore the variety of fine dining experiences 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?

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Accommodation: Tortilis Camp
   [Alt: Tawi Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Short flight to the magnificent Amboseli before an afternoon game drive.

After a delicious breakfast at the Fairmont Norfolk and a short 45 minutes’ flight, you will start to taste the real Africa at the 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 at the Tortilis Camp, a truly authentic African luxurious camp with elegant furnishings featuring unparalleled views of the Kilimanjaro.  After a relaxing dinner enjoying the incredible mountain views, you will sleep well in the spacious tents that offer the ultimate in comfort.

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Accommodation: Tortilis Camp
   [Alt: Tawi Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives. 
Optional: Hot air balloon ride (at cost).

The day starts with breakfast and a morning game drive where you’ll see white rhinos, wildebeests, zebras and many other species. Undoubtedly, you will also see many of the more than 400 species of birds that inhabit the park. Amazingly, the sites you see in the morning will be quite different from those you’ll see on the afternoon game drive as the various creatures respond to their unique biological clocks.

Depending on the time of year, the terrain will vary – from Ernest Hemingway’s “Snows of Kilimanjaro” to the hot dry summer to the life-giving rainy season – but it will always be beautiful. The routes taken will depend on weather conditions but they all offer unforgettable scenery, so keep your camera ready.
At mid-day, when the heat drives all of East Africa into the shade, you can lounge in the Tortilis pool, take a siesta in your comfortable tent or meet fellow travelers for a refreshing drink at the bar.  An optional visit to a tribal village or a walking safari is available.

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Accommodation: Tortilis Camp
   [Alt: Tawi Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives. 
Optional: Tribal village visit or nature walks (at cost).

Once again you will be able to experience game-drives in the morning and in the afternoon. Both drives will give you great wildlife viewing opportunities. You will see large herds of local grazing animals going by, and also have a good chance of seeing some of the big five. You will also have the chance to take a “walking safari” for a close up view of Kenya, along with an optional visit to an authentic tribal village. When you need a break, take a dip in the camp’s pool or take a nap in your cool, comfortable tent.  After all these adventures, you will be more than ready for a mid-day nap, a dip in the pool or laze on the veranda to escape the heat of the day.

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Accommodation: The Manor at Ngorongoro
   [Alt: Exploreans Ngorongoro Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Morning drive to Namanga border for drive in to Tanzania. Lunch in Arusha followed by transfer to Karatu, in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

After breakfast we drive to the Kenya-Tanzania border at Namanga. After we clear with immigrations, we proceed to Karatu in the Ngorongoro Conservation 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. During the crater tour next day, you are very likely to witness Maasai herders and their cattle passing through the area. Your accommodation offers outstanding views of the crater and surrounding highlands from its well-appointed cottages and from the outdoors dining area of the buffet restaurant.

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Accommodation: The Manor at Ngorongoro
   [Alt: Exploreans Ngorongoro Lodge]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Descend to the crater floor and enjoy a full day crater tour and game viewing with picnic lunch. Return to lodge late afternoon.

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.

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Accommodation: Serengeti Migration Camp
   [Alt: Bilila Lodge Serengeti]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Transfer to Serengeti with game viewing en route, arriving late afternoon.

Our destination on this day is the Serengeti, 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.

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Accommodation: Serengeti Migration Camp
   [Alt: Bilila Lodge Serengeti]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives at Serengeti.

Except for a late summer and fall visit to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, the migrating wildebeest spend most of the year traversing the Serengeti. Depending on the time of year, the hundreds of thousands wildebeests accompanied by zebras and gazelles, follow the rain in search of fresh forage. A second day at Serengeti National Park puts most visitors on the track of the herd. Begin your day with a sumptuous champagne bush breakfast (Optional - at cost), or take an early morning game drive before a breakfast feast at the lodge.

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Accommodation: Mara Intrepids
   [Alt: Governor's Camp]
Meal Plan: Full Board – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Activity: Transfer to Lobo Airstrip for flight to Mara via Migori; transfer to camp with afternoon game drive en route.

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 exquisite Mara Intrepids, built on the banks of the Talek River. This is what comes to mind when most people think of a safari. Your time here will certainly give you a sampling of all the natural wonders that Kenya has to offer.

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Accommodation: Mara Intrepids
   [Alt: Governor's Camp]
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives.

You will be glad to have a second day to explore the Maasai Mara Reserve and to stay at the Mara Intrepids Camp.  Today you’ll have both a morning and an afternoon game drive and you’ll marvel at how completely different they are. You will be able to see Kenya's famed wildlife up close; including cheetahs, zebras, buffalo, wildebeests, hyenas, antelope, giraffes and lions. These drives will certainly provide a number of outstanding photo opportunities. The well-appointed accommodations at the Mara Intrepids Camp include private verandas and restrooms located en suite. You can easily catch a quick nap in your room, or visit the pool and bar area while you're waiting for your next game-drive. You can also go on a walking tour with one of the rangers from the reserve, or stop by the Maasai village to experience their hospitality and culture.

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Accommodation: Mara Intrepids
   [Alt: Governor's Camp]
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives.

Once again you will be able to experience game-drives in the morning and in the afternoon. Both drives will give you great wildlife viewing opportunities. You will see large herds of local grazing animals going by, and also have a good chance of seeing some of the big cats. If you’re able to visit between July and October, you may be able to witness the Great Migration, when huge herds of Thomson’s gazelles, wildebeests and zebras travel in mass from the Serengeti.  It is an unforgettable experience that is not to be missed.  No matter when you visit, you will also have a chance to take a “walking safari”, or visit a local tribal village if you wish.  You will learn about the Maasai way of life and how they have managed to retain their semi-nomadic customs even in today’s modern world, when so much of their world is at risk.  After all these adventures, you will be more than ready for a mid-day nap, a dip in the pool or laze on the veranda to escape the heat of the day.

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Accommodation: Fairmont Norfolk (Dayroom)
   [Alt: Karen Blixen Cottages]
Meal Plan: Breakfast and complimentary Farewell Dinner
Activity: Predawn Game drive before your last safari breakfast. Fly to Nairobi Airport departure transfer.

You will start this morning with one last real adventure – a pre dawn game to see how the African world wakes up.  It’s a rare chance to see the nocturnal world and a sight few people ever witness.  It’s well worth waking up so early – especially knowing there’s a breakfast feast to come.  It’s a fitting repast to end your African safari, so take your time and enjoy it.  After your flight back to Nairobi you’ll have time to hunt for the perfect souvenirs for your loved ones back home (and perhaps a lovely memento for yourself) or just relax in your well-appointed hotel.  You may also want to simply relax in your well-appointed room, explore downtown Nairobi a little or taste one last African meal. When you’re ready, your host will drive you to the Carnivore Restaurant for your farewell dinner then to the airport and see that you get to your flight in plenty of time.  We want the last hours of your Kenya safari to be as relaxed and trouble-free as the rest of the trip has been.