12 Days Best of East Africa Safari

Pick up from the airport or Nairobi Hotel.

After a short briefing on your safari you will drive to Lake Bogoria
You will make a brief stop at the Great Rift Valley Viewing Point. The drive to Lake Bogoria gives the visitor an unrivalled experience widing through a series of lakes, forested uplands and unrivalled panorama of scenic views of the Great Rift Valley unfolds giving you an unmatched photographic opportunity.

The Great Rift Valley is a geographical and geological feature running north to south for around 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers), from northern Syria to central Mozambique in East Africa. Astronauts say it is the most significant physical detail on the planet that is visible from space. In Africa, the terrain ranges from salt flats more than 500 feet (152 meters) below sea level to towering, snow-capped mountains.

The Rift is known for its spectacular scenery and abundant, sometimes unique, wildlife. A series of some thirty lakes lies along its length; the three largest in Africa are known as the Great Lakes and include Lake Tanganyika, the second deepest lake in the world, and Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world. Some of the oldest remains of ancestral humans have been found in the African segment of the valley.

You will arrive for lunch at the Lodge/camp.

Later you will proceed for an afternoon game drive at the park and bird watching at the lake.
Lake Bogoria is a saline, alkaline lake that lies in a volcanic region south of Lake Baringo, a little north of the equator. Lake Bogoria, like Lake Nakuru and Lake Elmenteita in Kenya’s Rift Valley, is home, at times, to one of the world’s largest populations of lesser flamingos. Backed by the green flanks of the Siracho Escarpment the lake’s barren shores make for a dramatic scene, whilst the small reserve that surrounds the lake is a really quiet backwater with some excellent birding in particular.
In 2002 the lake was declared a Ramsar site, meaning that it is a protected wetland area, while Lake Bogoria National Reserve has been a protected National Reserve since 1973. Local features include the Kesubo Swamp to the north and the Siracho
Escarpment to the east – both within the National Reserve.

The lake is also famous for its natural geysers and hot springs, which are situated along the bank of the lake and within the lake. Some of the geysers erupt to a height of 5 metres, and the water bursting through the lake can be searing hot.

After a leisurely breakfast at the Lodge you will depart for neighbouring Lake Nakuru.
You will arrive mid-morning and proceed with an enroute game drive to the lodge/Camp
Arrive for loch at the Lodge/ Camp.
Later you will have an afternoon game drive at the park and bird viewing at the lake.
“A beautiful wildlife haven”
On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland, lies the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. Visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for bird watching, hiking,picnic and game drives.

Return to the Lodge/camp for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the Lodge/Camp you will drive to Lake Naivasha
Arrive for lunch at the lodge/camp.

About Lake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus. The lake is almost 13kms across, but its waters are shallow with an average depth of five metres.
Lake area varies greatly according to rainfall, with an average range between 114 and 991 sq kms. At the beginning of the 20th Century, Naivasha completely dried up and effectively disappeared. The resulting open land was farmed, until heavy rains a few years later caused the lake to return to existence, swallowing up the newly established estates.
Afternoon wind and storms can cause the Lake to become suddenly rough and produce high waves. For this reason, the local Maasai christened the lake Nai’posha meaning ‘rough water’.
The lake and its surroundings are rich in natural bounty, and the fertile soils and water supply have made this one of Kenya’s prime agricultural regions. Much of the lake is surrounded by forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea, known as the yellow fever tree.
These forests abound with bird life, and Naivasha is known as a world class birding destination. The waters of the lake draw a great range of game to these shores. Giraffes wander among the acacia, Buffalo wallow in the swamps and Colobus monkeys call from the treetops while the Lakes large hippo population sleep the day out in the shallows.
The region surrounding the Lake is well worth exploring. There are two more smaller lakes nearby, Oloidien, and Sonachi, a bright green crater lake

A boat ride at the lake is a worthwhile activity. Other activities include a game drive at Hells Gate National Park, cycling, hiking, walking safari and a visit to the crescent Island.

HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK:

The park is famous for its hot natural geysers, spectacular looming cliffs and the “Hells Gate Gorge”. Visitors here may also camp at designated camp sites. Activities in this park also include rock climbing, bird and game viewing.

After the optional activities you will return to the lodge/camp for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the Lodge/Camp you will drive to Masai Mara

The world’s renowned park and the newest 7th wonder of the world. “The Masai Mara Game Reserve”The Mara game reserve is a must see and the highlights of a Kenyan Safari.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

After many months of research. The wildebeest migrations have now been placed among the 7 new wonders of the world. Many visitors only want to see the river crossings but the true spectacle of the migration is 1,245,000 wildebeest, 200,000 Burchell’s zebra, 18,000 eland and 500,000 Thomson’s Gazelle filling the entire stretch of landscape. The shifting columns of the herds as they traverse the valleys and the hills can only be watched in awe. There is nothing else like this on earth. The migration is a phenomenon that started again in the early 1970s; after a widespread immunization campaign against rinderpest in cattle was there an unexpected disappearance of rinderpest among the buffalo and wildebeest. The wildebeest had, following periodic outbreaks, being kept to around 250,000 animals but following this campaign and an increase in dry season rainfall, the population was able to grow in number and the migration spill over into the Mara. While the migratory population of Serengeti wildebeest has increased, the resident Mara wildebeest have been in steady decline. The Mara population used to migrate from the Loita Plains to the Maasai Mara around the same time as the Serengeti population, but in recent years the herds are staying in the conservancies just outside the reserve as human activities such as agriculture have limited their migratory routes.

What exactly is the wildebeest migration?

The wildebeest migration is a dramatic story. It takes place within Kenya and Tanzania and is the greatest wildlife show on earth. Between the open plains of Serengeti and the Masai Mara, thousands and thousands of wildebeest and zebras migrate to greener pastures as seasons change and circle of life and death continues. Predators closely follow the wildebeest migrations waiting for an opportunity to strike weak prey as they make their way into different territories.. The most interesting part is when you watch them as they cross the Mara River. The first ones to jump into the river are trampled upon to death by the following multitude. The dead animals become a bridge over which all the other animals cross the river. The crocodiles feed on the remaining carcasses for months.

Majority of tourists literally camp in the Mara during this period with their flashy digital cameras. They will trail the migrations and even the members of the big 5 are no longer an interest at this time. When it’s time to cross over the river, the tourists will position themselves strategically along the Mara river, trying to get the best shot possible. Others will ride on the hot air balloon to watch the migrations from the skies. To show the implication of this phenomenal show, members of both local and international media also make their way to Mara if only to capture this hot news for interesting reading. It’s also a common feature in the world travel magazines. This is a spectacle that should be witnessed at least once in a lifetime.

Note:- Even though the migrations are the highlights of the Mara tour, this only happens between the months of July to Oct. In Nov the migrations return to Serengeti in search of greener pastures. However, a visit to the Mara at any time of the year is never short of wildlife including the big 5 as well as other wildlife.

Arrive for lunch at the lodge/ Camp

Check in and early afternoon relaxing at the lodge/ Camp.
Evening game drive at the park in search of the big five as well as other wildlife found in the Mara ecosystem.
Later return to the Lodge/ Camp for dinner and overnight.

Whole day in the Mara with Morning, mid-morning and evening game drives.

In between the game drives you can take optional activities like Balloon ride and a visit to the Masai village to experience the culture of the locals.
This day you will also have an option of taking a Hot Air Balloon Ride to view the wildlife from an elevated position.
A balloon ride over the Mara could be one of the most memorable experience during your safari that you will carry for the longest time.

Viewing the Mara ecosystem from the skies is sure to be an experience to remember.
Optional balloon ride,
You will be picked early morning from your camp and driven to the balloon launching site

How it happens

You will ascend in early morning when the winds are calmest.
Watch as your professional crew fills the balloon with hot air. Slowly the big colorful bag begins to bulge and take shape. Now board the traditional wicker gondola basket while the expert pilot makes final adjustments. As the pink and red fireball of the sun rises in splendor over the plain, you are up and away – for the flight of a lifetime!
Your balloon can soar over the most inaccessible and undisturbed parts of the Mara, with only the intermittent whisper of the balloon’s gas burners punctuating the silence of your majestic flight .Because wind and conditions vary, every flight is a new and a different experience. From your vantage point about 50—500 feet above the reserve, you have a fantastic 360 degrees bird’s view as one of the most dramatic scenes in nature unfolds beneath you. From here, you will see the wonder of migrations, witness herds of antelope flowing like a school of fish across the plain, groups of elephants grazing undisturbed in a remote ravine, lioness stealthily stalking a herd of grunting wildebeest or zebras conferring in a confusion of black and white stripes and bark-like calls.
After your incredible flight, it is time to come back down to earth for breakfast. As you dig into a splendid breakfast of sizzling bacon, eggs, sausages, home-made breads, fresh tropical fruit and steaming cups of Kenyan tea under the clear blue sky, you might wonder what all the ordinary people are doing on this perfect African morning.
Before leaving, the pilot will present you with a balloon flight certificate. No flight of the imagination can match this air-borne experience and could be the most memorable event of your entire safari.
Meals and overnight at the lodge.

Another whole day in the Mara with full day game drive with packed lunch boxes in order to explore the deeper Mara.
Meals and overnight at the Lodge/ Camp.

After breakfast at the Lodge/camp you will drive to Serengeti through the Isebania Border,
Lunch enroute and proceed with an enroute game drive to the lodge/Camp.

The Serengeti ecosystem is a world-renowned natural landscape. The Great Migration of wildebeests, zebras, and Thomson’s gazelles that takes place there is the largest ungulate migration on earth. With resilient populations of predators and iconic wildlife such as elephants, giraffes, and rhinos, the Serengeti National Park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Arrive for dinner and overnight at the Lodge/Camp.

Whole day in Serengeti, this day you will have a whole day in Serengeti with whole day game drives in the park with packed picnic lunch boxes so as to get to deeper Serengeti in search of the big five and other wildlife not sighted so far.
Who knows you could also experience a live kill during the wildlife.
Meals and overnight at the Lodge/ Camp.

After a leisurely breakfast drive to Ngorongoro Conservation area.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests. Established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, with wildlife coexistingwith semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists practicing traditional livestock grazing, it includes the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest caldera. The property has global importance for biodiversity conservation due to the presence of globally threatened species, the density of wildlife inhabiting the area, and the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, gazelles and other animals into the northern plains. Extensive archaeological research has also yielded a long sequence of evidence of human evolution and human-environment dynamics, including early hominid footprints dating back 3.6 million years.

You will proceed directly to the crater for a half day crater tour with packed lunch boxes.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtakingly beautiful setting and the best place in East Africa to see the Big Five.
The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa’s most beautiful regions. Volcanic craters form stunning backdrops to some of the most fertile and richest grazing grounds in Africa. The most famous such crater is without question Ngorongoro, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa. Ngorongoro is justifiably one of the continent’s most famous safari destinations.
Later you will proceed for dinner and overnight at the lodge/ camp.

After breakfast at the lodge/camp you will drive to Amboseli National Park with packed lunch boxes. Proceed through the Namanga border to Amboseli National Park.
Lunch enroute followed by evening game drive at the Amboseli National Park.
About Amboseli National Park
Amboseli lies immediately North West of Mt. Kilimanjaro, on the border with Tanzania. Amboseli was established as a reserve in 1968 and gazetted as a National Park in 1974. The Park covers 392 km2, and forms part of the much larger 3,000 Km2 Amboseli ecosystem.
The Amboseli ecosystem is typical of the open savannah grassland habitats of Eastern Africa, featuring open wooded grasslands, rolling hills and swamplands whilst the presence of Mount Kilimanjaro creates a unique selection of ecosystems found nowhere else on earth. The Amboseli basin is fed by springs that provide a permanent source of water during the dry season, while the river systems north of the basin form a seasonal flood plain that is used by migratory animals during the rainy seasons. Although the region has a relatively low wildlife biomass it supports a greater variety of animals than neighboring Tsavo which is fifty times bigger than the compact but comprehensive Amboseli.

Over 53 species of herbivores and carnivores can be viewed with ease, the most conspicuous being the troops of over one thousand elephant who range the plains and wallow the swamps. A number of other unique animals also populate the area including lion, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, rhino, wildebeest, gerenuks, impalas, gazelles, hyenas, baboons, bats and about 425 different species of birds.
Later you will proceed to the lodge/camp for dinner and overnight.

This day you will; have a whole day in Amboseli with an early morning game drive at the park and later return to the lodge for breakfast.
Rest of the day at leisure at the lodge/ camp
Later you will have more game drives in the evening at the park as you enjoy the unmatched views of the backdrop of the snowcapped Mt Kilimanjaro.
Meals and overnight at the lodge/camp.

After a leisurely breakfast at the lodge you will depart for Nairobi arriving in the afternoon and time allowing depending onm your departure time you will have optional activities in Nairobi.

Optional Activities include;

1. Nairobi National Museum.
The Museum aims to interpret Kenya’s rich heritage and offers a one stop for visitors to sample the country’s rich heritage both for education and leisure. In addition to the museum, visitors are treated to a variety of shopping and dining facilities, as well as botanical gardens that offer a serene environment.
Next to the Museum there is also a snake park.

2. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Born from one family’s passion for Kenya and its wilderness, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is today the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world and one of the pioneering conservation organisations for wildlife and habitat protection in East Africa.
Founded in 1977 by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick D.B.E, in honour of the memory of her late husband, famous naturalist and founding Warden of Tsavo East National Park, David Leslie William Sheldrick MBE, the DSWT claims a rich and deeply rooted family history in wildlife and conservation.
You will participate in the feeding and playing with the orphaned elephants.

3. Bomas of Kenya.

Bomas of Kenya is a cultural tour of Kenya’s major ethnic groups, such as Mijikenda, Luo, Taita, Embu, Maasai, Kikuyu, Kamba, Kalenjin, Luhya, Kisii, Kuria to name just a few of the native peoples that are represented at the venue. The word “boma” means “homestead”, and here you find replicates of traditional villages that provide interesting insight about each tribe’s societal structure, crafts, music, dancing and much more. The site was founded in 1971 by the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation to preserve the ancient traditions of the Kenyan people by building local and international awareness and advocacy. The bomas are built using the same techniques that are used by local tribes, so the experience is truly authentic, much as you would find in the remote communities of Kenya. The site is also home to an impressive auditorium, one of largest in Africa that seats 3,500 people to watch the internationally recognized Harambe dancers. Daily performances include a selection of more than 30 traditional dances of the different ethnic groups in Kenya, and one of the most impressive performances is the Samburu and Maasai warriors. Hosted events may also include music, theater, fashion show, poetry readings, sports, seminars and many other activities. Bomas of Kenya is located less than 7 miles (12 kilometers) from Nairobi’s city center
More Optional activities include:

The Kazuri Beads

Creating Hope and Opportunity from the Earth of Africa
Situated on what was once a part of Karen von Blixen’s coffee plantation there is now a small workshop where ceramic jewelry and beads are made by Kenyan women. It is painstaking work. Many of the beads and necklace components are tiny. Each one has to be shaped carefully, polished, fired, painted and fired again. The result is KAZURI, the Swahili word for “small and beautiful.”

Nairobi Mamba Village

Mamba Village Nairobi Crocodile Farm Day Tour takes you to the Mamba Village Nairobi situated an estimated 13 kilometers away from Kenya’s capital city – off the Lang’ata – Karen road. This is a great place to see crocodiles, ostriches, giraffes, and even rabbits in Nairobi.
Located on Karen Road, just a few metres from Galleria Shopping Mall, the resort is a perfect getaway especially for guests who are bound to enjoy the boat rides, viewing the crocodiles, feeding the ostriches and other various activities. Another interesting activity is the camel and horse ride.
You will enjoy a guided tour around the man-made lake where the boat rides occur. You can also feed the few giraffes within the village.
Mamba Village Nairobi has several restaurants and bandas for a tasty meals and refreshments. They also have excellent conference facilities. The well maintained gardens are exquisite for weddings, graduation parties, photo shoots and team buildings.

Other Optional Activities include but not limited to, Westgate Mall which was attacked by terrorists in 2013 but has since re-opened under tight security, City tour that takes you through the Nairobi’s major and historical sites, eg the 7th Aug. Memorial Park where the US embassy was located until 1998 when it was bombed by the Alkaida terrorists group, The Kenyatta International Convention Center, The Stanley Hotel which was among the first hotels to be build in Nairobi in the early 1900s

The Nairobi Aboretum, Uhuru Park, shopping malls among others.
Optional Carnivore Dinner

The award-winning, internationally renowned Carnivore restaurant needs little introduction! Situated in the grounds of the Misty Hills Country Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa, The Carnivore celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and continues to provide Africa’s Greatest Eating Experience.

A cornerstone of the Recreation Africa Group, the Carnivore Johannesburg is a franchise of the iconic original Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi Kenya. The Carnivore Johannesburg has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, including Best Traditional Restaurant, Best Restaurant to Take Tourists To, Restaurant of the Month and runner-up Restaurant of the Year.
All you can Eat!

In the twenty five years since it first opened its doors, thousands of local and international visitors have savoured The Carnivore’s unique ‘all you can eat’ dining concept. With delectable game and domestic meat dishes* to choose from and an extensive wine cellar (which features a superb selection of well-known South African wines to complement your meal), you’ll enjoy an unforgettable dining experience.

With a seating capacity of up to 500 diners, Carnivore is the gastronomic destination of choice for local residents, tourists, conferences, corporate events, weddings, banquets and more.

*Vegetarian and fish dishes are also available.
Later you will be transferred to the airport for onward flight.