Down to earth holidays

Description

This trip incorporates the very best of Kenya and Tanzania's wildlife hot spots. Combining places such as the Masai Mara and Serengeti is a fantastic trip in itself, but adding the Rift Valley and Ngorongoro Crater too makes this trip the ultimate East African experience. We'll pick you up from your hotel in Nairobi and take you on a wildlife adventure!

You'll stay on private farms, in a lakeside lodge, at a hotel near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and spend seven nights under canvas in private, fully staffed campsites in the African bush, eating around camp fires and being lulled to sleep by the sounds of the wildlife around you.

The Rift Valley is a massive geological feature splitting Africa from the Red Sea down to Mozambique. In Kenya this has formed some spectacular landscapes with a string of lakes, dramatic rocky outcrops and misty hills, flat valley floors dotted with acacia trees and thorny bushes. The wildlife is pretty fascinating too! We'll take you on a walk on Crescent Island, past zebra, giraffes, antelope and masses of birds. And you'll visit Lake Bogoria, famed for its natural hot springs and boiling geysers.

You'll make the ultimate tea stop - in the highlands of Kericho in the heart of Kenyan tea country and then it's on to the Masai Mara, world famous for the annual migration during the months on July to October. If you're there at that time of year you'll witness the unforgettable spectacle of literally millions of wildebeest and zebra racing across the plains and rivers, with the park's predators in hot pursuit.

But at any time of year there is fantastic game viewing in the Mara. It's most renowned for its big cat sightings, with numerous prides of lions, plus leopard and cheetah. Of course there are many more animals and birds that make this a must-see place for a safari, and you start with an evening game drive, followed by two full days of game viewing.

Once in Tanzania we take you to Lake Victoria. This is a less visited place than some of the other parts and gives you a chance of seeing the true way of life of the local people, and to meet some of the Luo fishermen before you settle in for the night in a lodge on the shoreline at Speke's Bay.

Then we take you the endless plains of the Serengeti. The sheer size of the expanse before you can leave you breathless, but do keep breathing, and keep your camera at the ready as we'll be game watching from the moment we enter, and you can come across wildlife quite unexpectedly.

And finally we do a little more game viewing - this time in the iconic Ngorongro Crater - before spending a night in a charming hotel by the Conservation Area.

This is a fabulous holiday by itself, but if the Indian Ocean is calling and you want to spoil yourself and include a beach element, you can Make it Yours by finishing with one of our short Kenya or Tanzania beach holidays.

Detailed Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi, where you'll be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy exploring the city, or you could Make it Yours with a trip to Sheldrick's elephant orphanage, the giraffe centre or perhaps the Karen Blixen museum.
2. Day 2: We pick you up from your Nairobi hotel and head for the Rift Valley and Lake Naivasha. This fresh water lake is home large pods of hippos, colobus monkeys playing on the shoreline and a wide variety of birds. You'll also take a walk on Crescent Island, coming close to herds of Zebra, giraffes, antelope and masses of birds. You will then head to a private farm where you will have dinner and camp overnight. (L,D)
3. Day 3: Today you head further north in the Rift Valley to Lake Bogoria. The natural hot springs and boiling geysers that erupt jets of hot water along the shore are vivid reminders of the valley's volcanic history, and flamingos are found feeding in the warm waters here. (B,L,D)
4. Day 4: You begin your journey south today, driving across the Rift again and this time heading to the highlands of Kericho. This is set in the heart of the tea country, and your stay tonight is in a guesthouse on a private farm.  (B,L,D)
5. Day 5: Masai Mara here you come! Today we drive you south towards the vast savannah plains of the Masai Mara. The drive is quite long, but you stop for lunch along the way and pass through many interesting villages, so there’s plenty to see en route. You arrive at your camp in time for your evening game drive, before returning to camp to a delicious dinner.  (B,L,D)
6. Day 6: Today is dedicated to a full day’s game viewing in one of the remoter regions of the reserve only accessible to 4x4 vehicles. This should make for some wonderful viewing. Return to camp for a hearty dinner around the campfire! (B,L,D)
7. Day 7: A full day is spent in the Mara today, in a different area. You'll have chances to see the reserve's famous big cats, plus many plains animals and of course the rest of the 'big five'. (B,L,D)
8. Day 8: After breakfast you'll depart for Tanzania. The wildlife will be left behind for a short while as you head towards Lake Victoria. This is a beautiful lake and you'll get the chance to meet the Luo fishermen on its shores. You'll also have a break from camping and stay overnight in a lovely lodge on Speke Bay's shore. (B,L,D)
9. Day 9: Are you ready for more wildlife and nights under canvas? Today you depart for the Serengeti National Park. An exciting drive through the Western Corridor brings you into the famous park. You'll be game viewing constantly from the moment you enter, with brief stops for food and sleep! The expansive and dramatic plains are home to vast numbers of wildlife, with the southern section being particularly good from January to June. (B,L,D)
10. Day 10: A full day of game viewing in the Serengeti. Late in the afternoon you return to your campsite for dinner around the fire and listening to the sounds of the night! (B,L,D)
11. Day 11: Today you head east out of the Serengeti and into the adjacent Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Enjoy an exciting half-day game drive in the famed crater itself. The crater is always busy, but it’s such a unique landscape, with often excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, that you really wouldn't want to miss it. Another break from camping takes you to a hotel on the edge of the conservation area. (B,L,D)
12. Day 12: After breakfast you are driven up to Tanzania's bustling town of Arusha. You can be dropped here if that is better for your plans, or continue by shuttle bus to Nairobi. (B)

ITINERARY NOTE: From July to Dec the itinerary runs as shown. From Jan to June there will be one less day in the Mara and one more in the Serengeti to take into account wildlife movements.