Africa at your fingertips: Masai Mara, Serengeti and Zanzibar

Upon arrival at Nairobi Airport, our guide will be waiting for you in the arrival hall carrying a branded sign board. Meet and greet and transfer to your hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by 4X4 vehicle from Nairobi and drive to the Masai Mara. Journey time approx. 4-5 hours, depending on destination in the Mara (route details and journey times subject to road conditions).
Discovery of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most famous and popular game reserve. Covering an area of 1,510 km2, the Masai Mara National Reserve is the Kenyan extension of Tanzania’s immense Serengeti Park. Together, they form a gigantic ecosystem in which animals roam freely. All of Africa’s great animals can be found here. Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impalas, Kirk’s dik-diks, harnessed guibs, topis, buffalo, crescent cob, eland and giraffe are all here. Famous for its rich wildlife, the Masai Mara is home not only to the “Big 5” (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard), but also to numerous birds (over 500 species have been recorded here). Crocodiles and hippos watch over the rivers. Composed of vast rolling plains and hills, the Masai Mara is dotted with umbrella acacias and thorny thickets. In the Maa language, Mara means “spotted”, referring to its colorful landscapes. For others, the name seems to be the origin of the arrival of over two million herbivores during the annual migration (wildebeest, gazelle, zebra). Lunch and accommodation at the lodge. Afternoon game drive in the Masai Mara. Dinner at the lodge.

Sunrise morning safari in the Masai Mara national park. Breakfast then continuation for a second morning safari. Lunch at the lodge and continuation of your safari in the afternoon until sunset. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Departure from the Masai Mara and drive to the lakes area. Travel time between 4 and 9 hours approximately. (Details of the route and travel time are subject to road conditions). Discovery of Naivasha. Derived from the Maasai name “Nai’posha”, which means “rough waters” because of the sudden storms that can be triggered, Lake Naivasha covers nearly 139 km² and is surrounded by a 64 km² swamp. At an altitude of 1,890 m above sea level, it is, along with Baringo, one of only two freshwater lakes in the region, which allows it to irrigate the very fertile volcanic soils of the surrounding area. Around the lake are rich green plains where zebras, hartebeests, buffaloes, impalas, giraffes, monkeys and at night hippos come to feed. It is also home to an important oviparous fauna (over 300 species of birds). Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon, guided walk to the Crescent Island bird sanctuary. You will be transferred by boat to the peninsula which is home to a large number of pelicans, cormorants and fish eagles. Between the hippos feeding on grass at the end of the day, the giraffes that were born on the peninsula and return to give birth in the same place, this site offers a magical landscape and a sense of freedom and wilderness that has attracted many film producers taking advantage of the magical light of the place to immortalize scenes of wildlife. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Depart from the region of the lakes and en route to Nairobi. Travel time between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the starting point (details of the itinerary and travel time are subject to road conditions). Visit the Langata Giraffe Center. The orphanage for giraffes, which was to be only temporary, has become a real institution. You will be able, from the top of a platform, to feed the Rotschild giraffes of the place. This extremely endangered species was saved from extinction by Lady Leslie Melville, whose mansion can be seen nearby. Lunch at the Carnivore restaurant. Drive from Nairobi to Amboseli. Approximate journey time 4,5 hours. (Details of the itinerary and journey times may vary depending on road conditions). Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast on board. Board your tour vehicle and set off to discover Amboseli National Park. Situated around 250 km from Nairobi and bordering Tanzania, the park takes its name from the Masai word “empusel”, meaning a salty, dusty place. Declared a national park in 1974 to protect a unique and very fragile ecosystem, it offers landscapes of remarkable contrast: arid zones alongside lush swamp oases. The ecosystem of this low-rainfall region depends on water from Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m). A special feature of Amboseli is the opportunity to take postcard-perfect photos of elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. Lunch at the lodge. Afternoon game drive in Amboseli and return to the lodge for dinner.

Breakfast. Morning game drive in Amboseli park. Lunch at a lodge en route. Transfer to the border post between Kenya and Tanzania. Customs formalities at Namanga Post. Change of vehicle and driver-guide, then drive to Arusha. Orientation tour of Arusha, a quiet and green town where it is good to walk. At the foot of Mount Meru, which rises to 4,556 m, it enjoys a temperate climate amidst plantations of coffee, wheat, and maize.

Breakfast. Departure from Arusha and drive to Tarangire. Approximately 3 hours’ drive (route details and travel time are subject to road conditions). Discovery of Tarangire National Park. Formerly a hunting ground, Tarangire was declared a national park in 1970 and is the sixth largest park in the country. Its name comes from the Tarangire River that runs through it. With an area of 2 600 km2, it presents an amazing diversity of vegetation (sausage trees, tortellis acacia ...) but is especially known for the huge baobabs that dot its rocky slopes. The park also offers a very diverse fauna. Many birds have been recorded there: blacksmith lapwings, African hoopoe, kingfishers, ostriches, Kori bustards, snakes, marabouts, or vultures. The park is mainly known for hosting one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Africa. It is also home to many other residents. Impalas, cobblestones, buffalos, hartebeests, cape elands, kudus and damsons live here. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs are also present but are more difficult to observe because of the high grass. Morning game drive in Tarangire Park. Picnic lunch in the park. Afternoon game drive, then drive to the Karatu/Ngorongoro area.

Breakfast. Explore one of Africa’s wildlife hotspots on a full-day game drive in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the highlands of Tanzania, covers vast areas of plains, savannah, and forest. It is home to the famous Ngorongoro Crater, the largest volcanic caldera in the world, with a wealth of wildlife of global importance due to the presence of endangered species such as the black rhinoceros. Climatic variations, terrain and altitude have resulted in the layering of several distinct ecosystems and habitats: grassy plains, water-holding forests in the highlands, mountain plains and open moorlands, all of which always offer great wildlife sightings. If you have not yet encountered a lion on your safari, Ngorongoro will not disappoint you as it has the highest density of this predator in the world. Picnic lunch in the crater. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Departure from Ngorongoro and drive to the Serengeti. Journey takes approx. 3-5 hours. Picnic lunch en route. Discovery of Serengeti National Park. It’s a magical place, as much for the beauty and diversity of its landscapes (plains, acacia savannahs, hills, large, wooded areas) as for the variety of its animals. The Serengeti National Park is home to a wealth of wildlife in all seasons: gazelles, antelopes, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, jackals, warthogs, monkeys... you name it. Elephants, hippos and crocodiles are also among the park’s main residents. More than 500 species of birds have been recorded here, including ostriches, bustards and snakes. The park is also renowned for its many predators: over a thousand lions, hundreds of cheetahs, numerous hyenas and a few leopards are counted here. While lions are more likely to be seen near watercourses (notably the Seronera River), cheetahs and hyenas can be found on the plains. Afternoon game drive in the Seronera region of Serengeti National Park. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Morning game drive in Serengeti National Park. Return to the lodge and lunch. Afternoon game drive in the Seronera region of the Serengeti National Park. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Depart Serengeti and drive to Manyara. Approx. 5-hour journey. Picnic lunch. Visit to the village of Mto Wa Mbu, bordering Manyara National Park. The village is famous for its rice and “red” banana plantations. The local people make their living from agriculture and tourism. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Depart Manyara and drive to Arusha. The drive takes about 3 hours (route details and travel time are subject to road conditions). Picnic lunch en route. Flight from Arusha to Zanzibar. Transfer to your hotel.

Days at leisure to enjoy the island.

Breakfast. Lunch at the hotel. Transfer to Zanzibar Airport.