Classic East Africa

Welcome to Nairobi! Upon arrival into Nairobi, you will be met and transferred by the hotel shuttle to the Hilton Garden Inn Airport Hotel. (Early morning arrivals before 0500 hours must look for the rep from Hilton Garden Inn at the airport for the transfers).  Spend the day at leisure.




Overnight in Nairobi

Leaving Nairobi after breakfast, you will travel towards Kenya's fertile highlands and head down the Rift Escarpment on a road built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II. Search for the charming chapel they built at the foot of the escarpment. You will pass the impressive Longonot earth satellite station as you head across the Valley to Narok, and then travel across acres of wheat and barley before you reach the Masai Mara in time for lunch. After lunch and a siesta, you will head on an afternoon game drive. Return to the lodge as the sun sets.




Overnight in Masai Mara Area

After an early breakfast, clients will head on a morning game drive. Return to the lodge for lunch. After the siesta, set off for an afternoon game drive and visit the Masai Village. Return to the lodge as the sun sets.Overnight in Masai Mara Area

Depart the Masai Mara after breakfast to travel across the ‘breadbasket of Kenya, where acres of wheat and barley flood the landscape. Head north to Narok, the district headquarters of this part of Maasailand. From there you will travel across the vast plains on the floor of the Rift Valley, keeping an eye out for herds of giraffe and gazelles as you head up the Mai -Mahiu. You will arrive at Lake Nakuru around midday. Upon arrival in the park, view game en route to the lodge, where you will arrive as the sun sets. The National Park, known for its birdlife, offers an incredible opportunity to see flamingoes. It is also home to Black and White rhinos as well as the endangered Rothschild Giraffe.




Overnight in Lake Nakuru Area

After an early breakfast continue to Lake Naivasha for a boat ride. Later, leaving the Rift Valley behind, proceed to Nairobi for an early lunch (or picnic lunch depending on road conditions). Later, head south towards Amboseli, where you will arrive at your lodge by late afternoon. As dull looking as Amboseli is, it has historically supported both game drive and the Maasai that kept their herds of cattle here. It is thanks to the waters that run off Africa's greatest mountain that the apparently dry Amboseli, Kenya's first game sanctuary, can support its wildlife. Mount Kilimanjaro broods high over Amboseli, usually cloaked by clouds but showcasing its snow-shrouded magnificence from time to time. Kilimanjaro was once part of Kenya, but after the marriage of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, Queen Victoria gifted it to her beloved grandson, whose colony Tanzania was, as the perfect wedding present.




Overnight in Amboseli National Park Area

Depart the lodge after a sumptuous breakfast for a full-day game drive. Enjoy hot lunch at a picnic site before you return to the lodge at 4:00 PM. Mount Kilimanjaro now provides water for the park, breathtaking views, and, of course, the most fascinating background for animal photography. The park has undergone serious erosion. Elephant feeding habits combined with light soil have made serious inroads in the Amboseli vegetation. Nonetheless, there are still high numbers of the elephant for which the park is famous, and it is here that much research has been performed on the largest land mammal. Indeed, a cursory examination will show that humankind is not the only animal to destroy its own environment. The grasslands in the park can be undeniably lovely when made verdant by the rains and the three major swamps could star in a dinosaur movie. The swamps on the east of the park attract wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes with the predators that live off them. Lions tend to be easy to view here. In the south, Enkongo Narok Swamp attracts hippos to the larger pools and plenty of buffalo, buck, and teeming birdlife including the jacanas that pick their way elegantly and carefully. Giraffes continue to treed the area while leopards, cheetahs, caracals, and civets may also be seen. In the west of the park lies Lake Amboseli, a seasonal soda lake, sometimes with flamingos.




Overnight in Amboseli National Park Area

After breakfast, continue your journey to the Tanzania border post and then to Arusha for lunch.  After lunch, you will drive to Tarangire National Park. Through the highlands and the Karatu district, you may view the scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations before journeying down the spectacular escarpment, where you may turn south onto the main Arusha–Dodoma Road and into the park. From here to the lodge, you may enjoy a game drive en route to your lodge. After lunch and perhaps a swim, spend the rest of the day at leisure.




Overnight in Tarangire National Park Area

This morning you may enjoy a game drive through Tarangire National Park. Return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will be transferred to Karatu. This colorful town serves as a gateway to the Ngorongoro Highlands and is situated between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. Karatu will give you a relaxing pause between two wildlife safaris. Karatu offers a great coffee as it was the main crop grown for export. Several farms that remained in private hands continue to cultivate the cash crop on the hills and small valleys outside the town. From Karatu you may enjoy splendid views over the northern highlands. Upon arrival at the lodge, you may enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.




Overnight in Karatu

After breakfast, depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a picnic lunch viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains. After a picnic lunch, you may continue towards The Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage Site, the worlds largest intact volcanic caldera and commonly referred to as the 8th Wonders of the World. Due to its significant size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forests, swamps, lakes, and springs, to open grasslands and sandy dunes. Prepare for an awesome wildlife experience. The 2,000 feet high walls of the approximately 10-mile-wide crater will create a natural amphitheatre for the densest populations of large animals anywhere. This is a microcosm of the vast Serengeti National Park —in one day it is possible to see a staggering array of East African wildlife featuring all the large carnivores. The crater lives up to its infamous reputation with abundant and easily accessible wildlife and offers a chance to see lions, hyenas, or cheetahs in action. The Crater is an awe-inspiring sight and will surely be one of the highlights of your safari. The rim of the Ngorongoro Crater ranges in altitude from about 7,000 feet to 8,000 feet. Down below, the relatively flat floor of the Crater rests at an elevation of about 5,500 feet. The Ngorongoro Crater's rich soils and abundant year-round water offer an ideal habitat for a large variety of animals. The Crater is not a self-contained ecosystem and some animals do migrate in and out, but only in small numbers. Most of the animals in the Crater are residents and remain year-round. There are approximately 20,000 large mammals at any given time within the Crater wall. Return to Karatu Lodge after the game drive and spend the rest of the day at leisure.




Overnight in Karatu

Depart Karatu after breakfast and drive to Arusha, where you will arrive just in time for lunch. After lunch, you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International airport for your flight back home.