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| DAY 1
- ARRIVE NAIROBI
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Arrive today into Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. After clearing customs, you will be met by our safari representative and transferred to the Palacina Hotel - Nairobi's premier boutique hotel offering all of the luxuries of a five star hotel, with special personalized service, a relaxed atmosphere and great attention to detail Each suite has a living room with a verandah. Enjoy dinner in the famous Moonflower Restaurant this evening.
Overnight
- Palacina Hotel (B&B Basis) |
| DAY 2
- MT. KENYA NATIONAL RESERVE
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This morning after breakfast you will be met by your private safari guide and 4WD vehicle and depart for the Mt. Kenya National Reserve. You’ll drive through the Kenya highlands passing a patchwork quilt of Kikuyu farms and some of Kenya’s famous coffee and pineapple plantations as you make your way to Mountain Lodge. The unique lodge is located in an indigenous forest 7,200 ft up in the reserve. It overlooks a natural waterhole and saltlick and is surrounded by dense forest. Each room faces the waterhole where you can watch the wildlife come to drink. Visitors include elephant, buffalo, rhino, hyena and if you are really lucky a leopard or lion. There is also a viewing balcony and a subterranean hide for some close up peeks and photos. You have lunch at the lodge and the rest of the day free to relax and watch the wildlife.
After dinner relax in the lounge and then it’s to bed – knowing that if anything exciting happens at the waterhole – you can ask to be awakened by a porter.
Overnight
- Serena Mountain Lodge ( all meals) |
| DAY 3
- MT. KENYA / SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE
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Today you will depart by road, past the equator to the semi-arid, dessert landscape of Samburu country. A backdrop of rocky outcrops and prominent mountain ranges to the north, and doum palms and riverine forest, gives the National Reserves an exotic feel. The Ewaso Nyiro sand river runs through the reserves, making it a draw for large numbers of wildlife, including: Lion, cheetah, leopard, and many elephant. The birdlife is phenomenal, and you will see animals unique to this northern region, like the long-necked gerenuk, the reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Grevy’s zebra, and the dainty dik dik.
Your accommodation for the next two nights will be at the wonderful Larsen’s Camp, a small permanent tented camp, situated along the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River, under of canopy of giant yellow acacias. The camp consists of only 17 large walk-in tents with en-suite facilities, a dinning tent, swimming pool, fire pit and tree house, from which you can spot wildlife from.
After lunch and time to relax you’ll depart on an afternoon game drive, returning in the evening with time for a sundowner around the fire before dinner.
Overnight
- Larsen’s Tented Camp (all meals & activities)
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| DAY 5
- SAMBURU / NAIROBI / ARUSHA / SINYA
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This morning after breakfast you will say good-bye to your guide and depart on the scheduled flight to Wilson Field in Nairobi, where you will connect with the scheduled flight to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania. After clearing customs you will be met by your guide and depart by road to Sinya, a 138,000 acre private wildlife reserve on Maasai land. Set in a remote area in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro, flood plains, hills, acacia woodland and spectacular views, give life to one of the most beautiful, pristine, wild areas of Northern Tanzania. This is one of the few areas in Africa where huge bull elephants, more than 50 years old are regularly seen. These bulls, together with herds of mothers and calves, migrate from Amboseli National Park to Sinya in search of water and food. Because of their familiarity with safari vehicles in Amboseli (Kenya) , they allow you to approach them at very short distances, allowing for excellent photographic oportunities.
The other highlight at Sinya are the Maasai, that still live in the traditional way and follow all the traditional customs. They are very friendly and unexposed to the commercial relationship with tourists that is common in other more visited areas and your stay here helps preserve the wildlife and fund village projects. You will have opportunities to be led on wildlife walks, visit the Maasai villages and market, and participate in ceremonies if the occasion arises.
While at Sinya you’ll spend two nights at Kambi ya Tembo, a small luxury tented camp with exclusive use of the conservancy. The 10 luxury tents, have en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and bush showers, good lighting, comfortable beds and linens and shaded verandahs.
Activities while at Kambi ya Tembo include game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles, bird watching and walking safaris escorted by Maasai warriors. After lunch you’ll depart on a game drive or walk, returning in time for drinks around the camp fire, with the enormous African sky overhead and dinner.
Overnight
- Kambi ya Tembo ( all meals & activities)
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| DAY 6
- SINYA WILDLIFE CONVERSANCY
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This morning you’ll be awakened early for breakfast before departing on a wildlife viewing activity. Early mornings, when the cloud cover lifts from the snow capped Mt. Kilimanjaro, the light is perfect for photographing the majestic mountain.
After your game drive return to camp for lunch. After some time to relax set out on another drive, go on a guided walk or visit a local boma. Spend your final evening at Sinya with drinks around the camp fire, and dinner to celebrate the end of another memorable day.
Overnight
- Kambi ya Tembo (all meals & activities)
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| DAY 7
- SINYA / ARUSHA / TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
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This morning after breakfast say good-bye to your new Maasai friends and depart by road to the scenic Tarangire National Park, Tanzania’s third largest. Here you’ll find a geologic landscape as diverse as the wildlife. Mysterious Baobab trees dot the landscape and the Tarangire River meanders through the park. During the dry season the river attracts an abundance of wildlife, including up to 6,000 elephant, lion, cheetah, and buffalo and a variety of colorful birds.
After a stop in Arusha for lunch you will continue down the escarpment, arriving at Tarangire River Camp in the afternoon. This is a small luxury permanent tented camp set just outside the western border of the park. The 22 large walk-in tents are set on wood platforms and sit on a high ridge over looking the Tarangire River. Views in the distance of Mt meru, Ngorongoro and the Great Rift Valley can be seen from every corner of the Camp. Activities include wildlife viewing in the park and walking with Maasai guides and visiting nearby villages.
After lunch you will enjoy a late afternoon game drive, followed by drinks around the fire before dinner.
Overnight
- Tarangire River Camp (all meals & activities)
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| DAY 8
- TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
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This morning you’ll be awakened at dawn and after coffee or tea and some biscuits – depart on an early morning game drive in the park. Return to camp for a hearty breakfast. After lunch and some time to relax you’ll depart in search of leopard - looking for “chui” tails that hang down from the trees that line the Tarangire River. Return to camp in the early evening for drinks around the fire and dinner.
Overnight
- Tarangire River Camp (all meals & activities) |
| DAY 9
- LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK / NGORONGORO HIGHLANDS
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This morning leave Tarangire and drive across the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. Although only 205 sq. miles in size this enchanting park is noted for its beauty and incredibly lush acacia forest of giant fig and mahogany trees, which are home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. The park is also home to large numbers of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, hippo, impala and the Hippo Pool, where large numbers usually gather. Well known for its birds (over 400 species), Lake Manyara is one of the few places you will see the comical Ground Hornbill and the Crested Eagle.
After a picnic lunch in a scenic spot and more wildlife viewing – you’ll drive up the escarpment through the lush highlands to the Ngorongoro Farm House. The Ngorongoro Farm house is an luxury lodge facing the Oldeani Volcano, set on a 500 acre coffee farm located only 3 miles from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate. Three separate and intimate camps contain a total of 30 comfortable bungalows. The large main building, covered with an elegant thatched roof,
contains the reception, bar, dining area, library and lounge with a fireplace where guests can enjoy a rest during the cool evenings in the highlands. Guest Areas are completed by a swimming pool with superb views of Oldeani Volcano and a craft shop. There is also an organic vegetable and flower garden.
Relax for the rest of the day, walk in the gardens or rest by the pool.
Overnight
- Ngorongoro Farm House (all meals & activities) |
| DAY 10
- NGORONGORO CRATER
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This morning after a hearty Farm House breakfast you will depart with your guide and drive a short ways to the "eighth wonder of the world", the Ngorongoro Crater. The first glimpse takes your breath away. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera on earth. The floor of this collapsed volcano spreads for 102 sq. miles and the walls are 2,000 feet high, a truly awesome sight. The crater floor is a virtual "Noah's Ark", inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa including the rare black rhino, and contains a river, several swamps, a soda lake - complete with flamingoes, a forest and open plains.
Descend down into the floor of the crater for a full day of wildlife viewing, stopping for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon you’ll ascend the crater and check at the the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. The lodge is located on Lemala Hill on the uppermost eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, making this the only tourist development on the eastern rim of the crater. The views into the crater floor from here are spectacular and sunsets magnificent.
Relax and take in the view, or enjoy the lounge before dinner.
Overnight
- Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (all meals & activities) |
| DAY 11
- SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
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Today you’re off to the famous Serengeti National Park, home of the “great migration”.
Serengeti means “endless plains” in Kiswahili and this 6,900 sq. mile (18,000 sq. km) park is inhabited by more than 2 million large animals including more than a million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of plains zebras, and Thomson’s gazelles. Large predators including lions, cheetahs, and hyenas are drawn to the area by this abundance of prey which migrate throughout the park. Many smaller animals – rock hyrax, bat eared foxes, mongoose, honey badger, jackals, monkeys, baboon and African hare inhabit the area along with nearly 500 species of birds.
On the way into the Serengeti you will stop at the famous “Oldupai Gorge”, where Dr. Louis and Mary Leakey made their discovery of early man. After attending a short lecture describing the archeological digs and geology of the gorge, you’ll have time to visit the small museum before continuing to your camp where you’ll spend the next three nights under canvas.
Your stay in the Serengeti will be at Simiyu, a luxury seasonal tented camp which is relocated to different areas to take advantage of the movement of the migratory herds within Serengeti ecosystem. The camp has 8 large luxury tents - 2 with king-size beds and 6 with twin beds and each tent has an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet, sink, hot shower and 12v solar power for lighting. Delicious meals, are served under the stars or in the dining tent. The camp has Long Distance Radio which covers the entire East Africa region. There is also a Satellite Phone available.
After enjoying lunch, you will depart on an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti. Return to the camp in time to freshen up and enjoy a sundowner around the campfire before dinner.
Overnight
- Simiyu Luxury Seasonal Camp (all meals & activities) |
| DAYS 12/13
- SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
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You can decide with your guide how you would like to spend your days. You can choose to be awakened at dawn for early morning game drives or sleep in and spend the whole day exploring the vast Serengeti plains. Or after a dawn drive return to camp for breakfast and depart on a late morning game drive and after lunch and some time to relax, head out on an afternoon game drive, returning for a sundowner in the Serengeti. It’s your choice!
Overnight
- Simiyu Luxury Seasonal Camp (all meals & activities) |
| DAY 14
- SERENGETI / ARUSHA / DEPART
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This morning after breakfast you will be driven to the airstrip, where you will say good-bye to your guide and depart on the scheduled flight to Kilimanjaro Airport. When you arrive you will be met and driven to the beautiful KIA Lodge. This lovely lodge is located near the airport and your accommodations will be in one of the 40 charming bungalows set among lush gardens. The open air bar has a magnificent view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Relax for the rest of the day, before you are taken to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your International flight or for your connecting flight to Nairobi, or your evening before you connect with the scheduled flight to Nairobi. Dayroom - KIA Lodge (B)
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