Trips

Nairobi

Welcome to Kenya! Your adventure begins in the capital city, Nairobi. You will be collected from the airport for a short transfer to your hotel, where you will meet your local leader and small group for a 6pm welcome meeting. If you arrive before this time, your wonderful hotel offers plenty to keep you occupied – overlooking the Nairobi National park, you can enjoy spectacular views of zebras, giraffes, antelope and buffalo lounging near the waterhole. There’s also a fantastic restaurant, swimming pool and large deck for spotting wildlife. After your meeting, head out with your leader and fellow travellers to a colourful roadside restaurant offering traditional favourites with a modern touch. Sharing food is a big part of the culture here and a great way to get to know your new travel companions – enjoy sharing platters and tasty sides like samosas, fried plantains and tilapia.

Lake Naivasha / Lake Nakuru

Depart Nairobi for Elsamere after breakfast and head north, driving along the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Elsamere is the former home of the writer Joy Adamson, whose 1960 book 'Born Free' helped bring wildlife conservation into the mainstream. The house is a veritable museum dedicated to the works of Joy and George Adamson, with many photos of Elsa, the lioness that started it all. Enjoy a high tea lunch on the very grounds Joy cherished for so many years. You'll then embark on a boat trip on Lake Naivasha, the highest of all lakes in the Great Rift Valley and home to many a hippopotamus. Later, enjoy lunch with the lake as a serene backdrop. After lunch, continue to your Lake Nakuru lodge, arriving in the early evening. From your lodge you’ll enjoy remarkable views of Lake Nakuru and the surrounding national park, alive with the call of birds and rich in wildlife. What better way to take it all in than from your lodge’s infinity pool.

Lake Nakuru National Park

This morning you will visit Lake Nakuru National Park by four-wheel drive vehicle (4x4) – the park’s lake is its stunning centrepiece. Mornings can be cold here so it's important to bring warm clothes. You might see why this great soda lake has been described as the world's greatest ornithological spectacle; great seas of flamingos often turn the landscape a sweeping shade of pink. Flooding in recent years has unfortunately caused a decline in birdlife, however the park boasts substantial numbers of other species, including waterbuck, reedbuck and gazelle. Leopards are also to be found here, and the chances of sighting one are significant. Return to the lodge and take some time out for lunch, then head back out for another afternoon game drive. Keep your eyes peeled for one of Africa's most endangered creatures, the elusive black rhinoceros. While white rhino sightings are fairly common, spotting a black rhinoceros is a real treat.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Head southwest to the Masai Mara, one of the finest game reserves in Africa. Cross the striking Great Rift Valley and pass by the remote region of Loita Hills, home of the Maasai people. This is one of the few places they still practice their traditional way of life with little influence from the western world. Stop at Tepesua Village where you’ll be welcomed by Maasai Warriors by way of traditional song and dance. Meet your Maasai hosts, take a walk to the community village and enjoy a fascinating talk full of insights into this remarkable and ancient culture. The village offers support, safety and economic growth through the ‘Tepesua Widows Income Project’. Widowed women are engaged in sewing eco-friendly handicrafts to sell to visitors and locals. Learn about village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home, and their cattle enclosures. Continue on your journey and arrive at the Ashnil Mara Camp, your feature stay accommodation for the next three nights. Positioned in the Masai Mara National Reserve near the Mara River, there’s few better settings for wildlife lovers. Spacious permanent tents feature large, comfortable beds, en suite bathrooms and private wooden decks offering unbeatable views of the plains and wildlife reserve. Blending seamlessly with its surroundings, the camp connects the wilderness with modern comforts, and staying here is really something special.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Explore more of the park by 4x4 today with further game drives in the morning and afternoon. Witness the wonderful procession of wildlife that inhabits the area. Wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are plentiful, and you might even spot predators keeping a casual eye on their movements. Elephants, giraffes and elands are also commonly sighted, along with plenty of bird life. The area is known for its rolling green plains and riverine woodlands, and amongst the many species of game, a black-maned lion, leopard or cheetah might appear, with some luck. As the sun starts to set, stop and take a moment to soak it all in with a drink in hand – there’s few better ways to wrap up a day of wildlife spotting in one of the world’s most magical places. As dusk falls, a variety of animals might be visible in the vicinity of your camp also.

Masai Mara National Reserve

The morning is yours to do as you wish. You may like to sit back with a cup of coffee on your private deck, keeping an eye out for animals in the reserve, or forgo a sleep-in in favour of an early morning game drive or walking safari. If you’d like to see the Masai Mara from a different perspective, a sunrise hot air balloon ride is a truly memorable experience. Balloon rides can be booked ahead of time or on the ground (subject to availability) and the suppliers are committed conservationists, with a portion of the profits from every flight going straight to worthy conservation projects within the park. You will be collected before dawn and glide through the sunrise, sometimes at tree height, making the most of the amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you'll ascend to get an overview of the enormity of the Masai Mara plains and the early-morning movements of the teeming herds. In the afternoon, regroup for another exciting 4x4 game drive in the park.

Nairobi

Say goodbye to the Masai Mara and make the drive back to Nairobi, arriving in the late afternoon. On arrival, settle into your wonderful hotel – overlooking the Nairobi National park, you can enjoy spectacular views of zebras, giraffes, antelope and buffalo lounging near the waterhole. There’s also a fantastic restaurant, swimming pool and large deck for spotting wildlife.

Arusha

Start the day with an early breakfast, then make the drive to Arusha to begin the Tanzanian leg of your journey. On arrival, settle into your hotel – nestled on the woodland slopes of Mount Meru in the heart of a traditional coffee farm, the hotel offers fantastic views of Lake Duluti. A meeting will take place here at 6pm to welcome any new travellers joining you for the next part of your adventure. After your meeting, join your leader and fellow travellers for a short walk to the shores of the lake, where you will find chairs and lamps set up for a private welcome dinner in a stunning location.

Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, take a walk to the Tengeru farmers’ market for a look at local life. Watch traders and buyers haggle over the prices of a colourful array of fruits and vegetables – your leader will pick up some seasonal fruits for you to try yourself. Drive on to Tarangire National Park, dotted with soaring baobab trees and varied wildlife. The area experiences its own small-scale migration, as animals travel from Tarangire to Lake Manyara in search of water and grass. Your accommodation here is a permanent tented camp in the heart of the park with wonderful views of the Tarangire River. During the migration periods, you may be lucky enough to witness zebras, wildebeest and elephants passing by the veranda of your tent – a true African bush experience. In the afternoon, set out into the park for a four-wheel drive (4x4) game drive in search of wonderful wildlife. You will also have the option to arrange a night-time game drive – this is one of the few parks where this is possible and it must be booked at least 1 day in advance.

Ngorongoro Highlands

Rise early for a thrilling 4x4 game drive. Tarangire National Park is populated with elephants, herds of cape buffalo, gazelles, Burchell’s zebras, giraffes and warthogs. Their predators also roam the park – look out for lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackals and even African wild dogs. If you look to the skies you’ll see the park’s abundant array of birdlife. Return to your camp for breakfast, then continue your journey to the Ngorongoro Highlands. Arrive at your lodge, located in the verdant Marera Valley. Here you’ll enjoy cosy cottages with a veranda and fireplace, a beautiful swimming pool and organic gardens. This afternoon, you may like to relax poolside, or perhaps head out for an optional bike ride, village walk or coffee tour. Speak to your leader for tips on how to get the most out of this wonderful area.

Serengeti National Park

Today you will make your way to the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. Travel through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, skirting the mighty volcanic Ngorongoro Crater. Arrive at the 'Endless Plains' of the Serengeti; they span some 14,700 square kilometres, but their main claim to fame is 3 million or so animals. The game most likely to be seen in the Serengeti are the wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, lion, cheetah, warthog, hyena, hippo and ostrich. This afternoon, head out on a 4x4 game drive in the southern regions of the Serengeti for your first look at the park’s unbelievable wildlife. In the evening, retire to your feature stay accommodation – a permanent tented camp in the central Seronera part of the park. With no fences, this magnificent eco-friendly camp allows you to really connect with your wild surroundings without sacrificing modern comforts. Each tent boasts a four-poster bed and en suite bathroom, and the gorgeous lounge area and dining tent are the perfect spots to gather with your fellow travellers. If the weather allows, tonight you will enjoy a private bush dinner under the stars to a soundtrack of the wild Serengeti.

Serengeti National Park

The interactions between the many species of the Serengeti plains often provide some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world. You may like to spend the morning game viewing on a hot air balloon safari over the great plains. Hot-air ballooning in East Africa can be an unforgettable experience and we strongly recommend booking this extra activity prior to departure if you're interested. Enjoy a full day of 4x4 game drives in the magnificent Serengeti. Watch the landscape change within the park from the vast treeless central plains to thick scrub and forest in the north. Linking these areas is the savannah, punctuated by acacia trees and magnificent rock outcrops. Start at sunrise with a morning game drive, then return to the camp in the middle of the day to escape the midday sun. Take some time to relax and enjoy a meal, then when it’s cooled down and the animals are more active, set out again for an afternoon game drive. Pull up in the park and enjoy a refreshing 'sundowner'; an iconic part of traditional safari life. Dating back to the great safaris of the 1920’s, there’s no better way to finish up an exciting day of wildlife viewing than gathering for drinks and nibbles while watching the sun go down. Return to camp in the evening for dinner.