Kenya & Tanzania

Welcome to Tanzania, a country known for its stunning natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and vibrant culture. We begin in Arusha, a vibrant city located in northern Tanzania, at the base of Mount Meru. Referred to as the "safari capital" of Tanzania, it serves as the gateway to many of the country's most famous national parks and wildlife reserves, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire.

We don't want you to miss out on any aspect of your small group tour. To ensure that you don't, we recommend you arrive at your hotel by 6.30pm. Tonight, join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink.

Today is dedicated to exploring the wonderful sights of Arusha. We'll begin the day with a visit to the Tanzanite Museum, a museum that gives visitors an understanding into the rich history of the stunning tanzanite gemstone, as well as detailing why it's so rare and sought after, the complexities involved with its mining and the skills involved in cutting and polishing the gems.

We will then make our way to the city's bustling Central Market, a fantastic place to get a glimpse into local life. Here you can find stalls selling aromatic spices, exotic fruits, delicious coffee, and so much more! After we'll admire the fascinating Uhuru Monument, before making our way to the Arusha Declaration Museum. Join your fellow travellers for a group welcome dinner tonight.

This morning we transfer to the Arusha Airport to depart for the vast plains of the Serengeti. The Serengeti National Park is famed for its annual migration, when some 6 million hooves pound the open plains in the search for fresh grazing. The spectacle of predator versus prey is prevalent here. Lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers and solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the river, whilst a high density of cheetahs prowl along the south-eastern plains.

We'll arrive at our lodge for lunch and have some time to relax before our first game drive in this amazing park later this afternoon. Don't forget to bring your binoculars before heading out to spot the incredible wildlife!

Please Note: The airline ticket for the flight between Arusha and the Serengeti is issued locally by our operator.

Today is spent discovering the spectacular Serengeti. The landscape is characterised by treeless plains where the eye can see for kilometres, even back to the Ngorongoro Crater which rises from the horizon in the distance. The plains are dotted with rocky outcrops known as kopjes, where lions often laze the day away. Cheetahs favour this landscape and can often be seen sitting atop an old termite mountain scanning for their next meal.

We'll enjoy a full day of game drives, searching for big cats, gazelle and zebra. Returning to the lodge later this afternoon, we'll have time to relax and enjoy the surrounds before dinner.

Optional Excursion: Serengeti Balloon Safari - This morning, enjoy an amazing experience as you take a balloon ride over the Serengeti National Park. Launching at dawn, as the sun rises, you'll gently float over the plains of the magnificent Serengeti. On landing, you'll be provided with a delicious bubbly-style bush breakfast. 2.5 hours – from US 450pp (minimum 4 participants)

After enjoying one last game drive in the Serengeti this morning, we'll continue to Olduvai Gorge, a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley. One of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, it has proven invaluable to improving our understanding of early human evolution. Homo habilis, probably the first early human species, occupied Olduvai Gorge approximately 1.9 million years ago. Whilst here we will visit the museum and enjoy a tour with a local guide.

After lunch we continue our journey to Ngorongoro Crater stopping en route at a Maasai village where we will get a glimpse into their culture and unique way of life.

The implosion of a volcano approximately 3 million years ago created the impressive UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ngorongoro Crater. It sinks to a depth of 610 metres and its base covers 260 square kilometres. The crater itself is virtually a game park and is home to lion, elephant, hippo, rhino and bird species.

This morning we descend into the crater for a game drive in search of some of the 'Big Five'. The backdrop of the forest-covered crater walls will create a stunning setting for all your photographs! We'll travel through the Lerai Forest, past Lake Magadi and across the crater floor in search of rhino and lions basking in the sun. Zebra, wildebeest and buffalo will be in abundance grazing on the plains.

After an incredible experience in the crater, this afternoon we'll enjoy a walk with a local ranger along a section of the rim. The ranger will point out different shrubs and flowers and explain their uses for the local Maasai tribes.

This morning we depart for Lake Manyara. The scenic lake offers us a different safari experience, in a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as ‘the loveliest I had seen in Africa', with lush jungle and forests, grassy floodplains and a vast alkaline lake.

After lunch at the lodge, we take a game drive before continuing to the Manyara Treetop Walkway. Admire the scenery on a sky-high adventure in the beautiful forest treetops, one of the longest in Africa. We will walk among the treetops and experience untouched nature and wildlife from a unique perspective.

We start our day with a relaxed morning, before making our way to Mto wa Mbu, where we'll get to experience a unique taste of Tanzanian culture. An authentic Tanzanian farming village, Mto wa Mbu is home to over 120 tribes and is a total cross-cultural melting pot.

Special Experience: Meet a ‘laiboni', a traditional Maasai Healer, and learn about the role of traditional healers in the community. The Maasai healer will teach us about how different bush medicine is used in the prevention and treatment of a variety of illnesses. They'll also show us how different kinds of medicinal plants are used, from bark and roots to seeds, flowers and leaves. After, we'll be treated to a delicious lunch prepared by the villagers. Prepare for a flavour explosion!

After lunch we'll enjoy a game drive en route to Tarangire National Park. Famous for its large elephant migration, its picturesque landscape is dotted with Baobab trees. The park is less crowded than its counterparts, yet its dense population of game from July to November is second only to the Serengeti. We'll arrive at our lodge this afternoon.

We begin this morning with an early game drive in Tarangire National Park before crossing the border into Kenya. Our destination is Amboseli National Park, which is one of Kenya's most popular national parks and is set against the stunning backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro. En route we will stop in Arusha for lunch at the Arusha Coffee Lodge. We'll arrive at our lodge in the heart of the national park later this afternoon.

An early start for our first morning game drive across Amboseli's beautiful, rugged landscape. Years ago, this was where famous writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark spun their stories of big-game hunting in the African wilds. The abundant wildlife framed against Mt Kilimanjaro's snow-covered peak, make this a photographer's paradise. After lunch at the lodge, the afternoon is at leisure for you to unwind in this stunning setting.

Optional Excursion: Guided Walk – Spend the afternoon on a walk with a local ranger from the Amboseli Masai Village outside the lodge grounds – from US 20pp (minimum 2 participants)

We'll transfer to the airport this morning for our flight to Nairobi, Kenya's capital and the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg. Although it is just south of the equator, it enjoys spring-like weather year-round – warm during the day and cool at night. It is a modern city, yet its main avenues blaze with colour from tropical bushes and vines. Less than 100 years ago, there was a river in an empty wilderness where Nairobi now stands.

Arriving in Nairobi, we'll visit two of Kenya's great conservation projects, beginning with the Daphne Sheldrick animal orphanage at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. For over 25 years, Kenyan-born Daphne Sheldrick lived and worked alongside her husband David, during which time they raised and successfully rehabilitating many wild species. Daphne's involvement with wildlife has spanned a lifetime. She is now a recognised international authority on the rearing of wild creatures and is the first person to have perfected the milk formula and necessary husbandry for infant milk-dependent elephant and rhino.

We then visit the AFEW Giraffe Centre, an important conservation initiative created by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. Here we can get up close whilst feeding the giraffe from an elevated platform.

After lunch we enjoy a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum, the former residence of famous novelist Karen Blixen. The house contains many of her original pieces along with some exhibits donated by the makers of the film, ‘Out of Africa'.

Please Note: The airline ticket for the flight between Amboseli and Nairobi is issued locally by our operator.

This morning we make our way to Aberdare National Park, a protected area in Kenya's central highlands. Known for its stunning high moorland, bamboo forests and thundering waterfalls, it is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephant, buffalo, leopards and several primate species.

On the way we'll stop at the Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, a women's self-help group that produces beautiful, handcrafted items. We'll learn about the traditional techniques used to make these items and will have the chance to purchase unique souvenirs to take home.

After lunch at the Aberdare Country Club, we are transferred to our quirky ‘Ark' accommodation. Here, we'll enjoy the afternoon at leisure to gaze out over the floodlit waterhole, watching the wildlife bask in this beautiful setting.

Shaba National Reserve is our destination today, located by the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro River in the northern part of Kenya. The river attracts a lot of wildlife thanks to its shady trees, so the likelihood of seeing a diverse range of wildlife here is even higher.

An afternoon game drive will introduce us to some of the unique animals in this area, including the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra and the Somali ostrich.

An early start today for our morning game drive across Shaba's beautiful, rugged landscape. We'll search for lions, buffalo, leopards and the famous 'red elephant of Samburu' - named for the red dust that coats their hide.

We return to our lodge for breakfast and some downtime before taking another game drive this afternoon. After our afternoon game drive, we'll also visit a local community.

Special Experience: Visit the Samburu Women's UNITY Village, a refuge for women looking to start independent lives with their children, learning about a day in their lives. In this beautiful community, we'll enjoy watching the UNITY women make local handicrafts, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, baskets and coasters. We will get the chance to browse their extensive hand-made selection of jewellery for sale!

Today we will travel to Lake Nakuru National Park, part of the UNESCO Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley. Lake Nakuru National Park has a reputation for being one of the best places in the country to spot the elusive leopard and is also home to some of east Africa's rarest creatures, including fast-growing populations of black and white rhino and Rothschild's giraffe.

We'll stop in Nyahururu for lunch, taking in the beautiful, lush gardens and rolling hills surrounding the resort. Continuing to Lake Nakuru, we'll enjoy a game drive en route, which is a great chance to spot some of the park's diverse wildlife, including flamingos, buffalo, and rhino.

This morning we'll make our way to Lake Naivasha, which is the highest and one of the most beautiful lakes that form part of the Great Rift Valley. Taking its name from the Maasai word En-aiposha, meaning ‘heaving' or ‘to and fro', the water is well-known to be turbulent in the afternoons. A popular spot for British flying boats of the 1930s, it was also the home of Joy Adamson, conservationist and author of ‘Born Free'. Before lunch we'll experience a boat safari on Lake Naivasha, in search of its residents which include over 400 bird species and numerous pods of hippos.

We will enjoy afternoon tea at the famous Elsamere Conservation Centre, located in Joy's former house. The museum contains a collection of her paintings and artefacts as well as memorabilia from the ‘Born Free' film, with photos documenting Joy and George Adamson's work. We then return to our lodge for dinner.

After an early breakfast, we depart for the Maasai Mara, one of the world's finest game reserves. The landscape of the Maasai Mara is characterised by wide open plains and rolling grasslands, dotted with the occasional tree. The Maasai Mara flows into the Serengeti, making it one of the biggest reserves in the world.

Special Experience: Enjoy a Swahili cooking class at Sarova Mara Game Camp, first exploring the in-house herb and vegetable garden.

Special Experience: Relax amidst the beauty of the Maasai Mara plains as we sip on sundowners and devour delicious canapes.

We have an early start for a morning game drive to enjoy this beautiful landscape as the sun rises over the savannah.

We'll return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch, with some time to relax. Later we'll head out on one last safari before a special farewell bush dinner.

Optional Excursion: Maasai Mara Balloon Safari – This morning, enjoy an amazing experience as you take a balloon ride over the Maasai Mara. This is probably one of the most scenic views you will ever experience as you depart at dawn and float, suspended in a basket beneath a canopy while viewing the sights of the mighty Maasai Mara and its wildlife. On landing, you'll be provided with a delicious bubbly-style bush breakfast. 3 hours – from US $450pp.

Today marks the end of our spectacular African adventure. A light plane flight from the Maasai Mara will take us to Nairobi. We hope you leave with fantastic memories!