12 Days Kenya and Tanzania Combined Safari

12 Days Kenya and Tanzania Combined Safari
11Nights/12Days - Nairobi - Masai Mara - Lake Nakuru - Amboseli - Ngorongoro - Serengeti - Lake Manyara - Arusha - Nairobi

Day 01: NAIROBI
On arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met and greeted by our customer service representative and transferred to the luxurious NAIROBI SAFARI CLUB HOTEL or SIMILAR where you will relax in your air-conditioned suite. Nairobi Safari Club, formerly a private club for members only is the ideal place to be. All the rooms in the hotel are suites, six of which are Presidential Suites. Here you can enjoy the club's sauna, gym, swimming pool, various bars, and other amenities. Overnight at NAIROBI SAFARI CLUB or SIMILAR (B).

Day 02: NAIROBI - MASAI MARA
Today our safari expedition will take us to the jewel of Kenya's parks, the world-famous Masai Mara Game (Wildlife) Reserve. This is Kenya's number one park and is always on every tourist's "Must see list". Full of life with various types of animals and birds, Masai Mara crowns the climax of every safari in Kenya. Its rolling grasslands and acacia savannah have time and again been captured on film with the movie "Out Of Africa" being the most famous. Masai Mara is home to the "Big Five" (Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, and Rhino) and over 450 bird species. Apart from the big five, the Masai Mara is most famous for the spectacular annual migration of over a million wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, etc from the Serengeti in northern Tanzania crossing the Mara River into Kenya in search of fresh feeding grounds, which takes place in late July or August. During this crossing, hundreds of animals are swept away by the first moving Mara River and others are killed by the ferocious African Crocodiles. This crossing gives true meaning to the phrase "Survival of the fittest".

Lunch is to be served at the luxurious MARA SAROVA TENTED CAMP or SIMILAR set in the African bush, on an elevation between two streams, the camp is a combination of luxury and adventure. After lunch, you can take time out to read a book, or novel, sunbathe, take a refreshing dip in the pool, or simply sit back and relax under the tent. All luxurious tents have permanent roofs, electricity, and en-suite bathroom facilities. The grounds are beautifully laid out with trees and flowers inhabited by a collection of exotic birds and butterflies. In the afternoon head out with your driver guide in search of the shy and elusive leopard, other wild animals, and over 450 species of birds of which 57 species are birds of prey. As the sunset starts to edge dip into the African horizon it will be the perfect opportunity for you to capture the beautiful Mara landscape on film. After dinner, enjoy the warmth of the roaring log fire before going to bed under the star-filled African sky. Dinner and overnight at, MARA SAROVA TENTED CAMP or SIMILAR (BLD).

Day 03 & 04 : MASAI MARA
We start the day off with an early morning game drive before dawn, followed by breakfast upon your return to the camp. After breakfast, you can go swimming in the pool under the African sun or just sit back and relax for the rest of the day. In the afternoon we return to the bush in search of wildlife, such as Thomson's and Grant's Gazelle, elephants, lions, and the solitary and ill-tempered Rhino, among others (All meals and overnight at MARA SAROVA LUXURY TENTED CAMP or SIMILAR (BLD).

Day 05 : MASAI MARA - LAKE NAKURU
Today after an early breakfast, our safari will be destined for a brief stopover at Lake Naivasha, the only freshwater lake in the Rift Valley. From the top of the Rift Valley escarpment, you can see the lake sparkling under the sun thousands of feet below you. The lake is home to a large colony of hippos and it's also a Mecca for bird watchers and researchers since over 400 different species of birds have been recorded here. An optional boat ride will be a good idea. After a brief stopover at the lake, we travel in a northerly direction to your next destination lake Nakuru, which is usually dotted with pink flamingoes (birds) lining its shores.

After checking in and having lunch at the lodge, you can sit back and relax or go for a dive in the pool. The 65-room SAROVA LION HILL LODGE or SIMILAR is set on a hillside overlooking the lake. All rooms come with an attached bathroom and verandah (Patios), from where you will have great unforgettable panoramic views of the lake and pink flamingoes from the privacy of your room. The lodge has one honeymoon suite as well. In the afternoon we shall go for a game drive where you can expect to see leopards, lions, giraffes, a million or so of pink flamingoes as well as the short-sighted and ill-tempered rhino. Dinner & overnight at SAROVA LION HILL LODGE or SIMILAR (BLD).

Day 06 : LAKE NAKURU - AMBOSELI
After an early breakfast, we proceed to Amboseli National Park. Beautifully situated beneath the foot of Africa's highest mountain Mt. Kilimanjaro (5895m), the park is well renowned for its huge herds of elephants and various types of other Savannah wildlife such as Giraffes, Bushbuck, Kudu, Warthog, Zebra, and 425 species of birds recorded here. The snowcapped peak of Kilimanjaro rising above white clouds dominates every aspect of Amboseli and forms a backdrop to an impressive display of wildlife attracted to this location by swamps and springs fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro's melting snow. With an airstrip at Empusel Gate, the park is also home to the Masai people, those tall, brave, and proud nomads who live in close harmony with the environment and the wildlife that surrounds them. Amboseli was the location around which such famous writers as Sir Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark tailored their stories of big game hunting in the wilds of Africa.
Enjoy a game drive en-route, as we arrive in time for your lunch at the AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE or SIMILAR, situated deep in the heart of the world-famous Amboseli National Park. The lodge itself draws on a subtle Maasai cultural motif, featuring natural woodcarvings, traditional artifacts, and a glowing selection of local art. Sensitively located and built from ecologically sympathetic materials, its architectural shapes, style, textures, and colors reflect the true essence of the African bush. They also enable it to blend effortlessly into the landscape and work in gentle harmony with the natural environment. The rooms, each with an uninterrupted view over the ever-changing vistas of the African plains, are styled to a traditional Maasai concept featuring beadwork, gourds, hand-painted murals, and the clever use of the traditional manyatta bent-brushwood effect so as to blend. Dinner & overnight at AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE or SIMILAR (BLD).

Day 07: AMBOSELI
A dawn game drive will be the perfect time for photographing the humbling and magnificent Mt. Kilimanjaro the highest peak in Africa. We return to the lodge for breakfast and some R&R "rest", sunbathing, swimming, or for those of you reading enthusiasts, you can read the day away in the well-stocked library with a relaxing view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, before heading out for an afternoon game drive. All meals and overnight at AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE  or SIMILAR (BLD).

Day 08:  AMBOSELI- NGORONGORO
Soon after breakfast, we will head to Namanga border town where we will exchange the vehicles for Arusha, you will be met and transferred to ARUSHA for your lunch. Soon after lunch, you will drive to Karatu, dinner, and overnight at NGORONGORO FARM HOUSE (BLD)

Day 09 : NGORONGORO - SERENGETI 
This morning with a packed lunch we will have a half-day crater tour at the renowned Ngorongoro Crater, a collapsed volcano, with walls 2,000ft high and a 102sq mile floor, containing a complete eco-system with rolling plains, forest, swamps, and river, and a lake-complete with flamingoes. You will descend into this eighth wonder of the world for some game viewing in this spectacular conservation area. 
Later in the afternoon, you will proceed with your safari to Serengeti National Park for dinner and overnight stay at SERONARA WILDLIFE LODGE or SIMILAR (BLD). 

Day 10: SERENGETI
A full day is spent at the vast Serengeti National Park covers an area of over 14,763 sq km. The park is inhabited by more than 3 million mammals, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffalo, gazelles, antelope, giraffes, hyenas, and all of the little animals e.g rock hyrax, bat-eared foxes, etc. You will have two extensive game drives today in this fabulous park and you gonna need many films.. All meals and overnight at SERONARA WILDLIFE LODGE or SIMILAR (BLD).

NOTE: An optional balloon ride can be done this morning at an extra cost.

Day 11 : SERENGETI - LAKE MANYARA
Soon after lunch, you will depart to Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara National Park is a beautiful small park known for its lush vegetation and tropical forests of giant fig and mahogany trees, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebra, and a variety of antelope inhabit the park as well as a variety of monkeys and a large population of hippos. The park is also home to many species of birds and one of the few places you will be able to see the comical ground hornbill.

With game drive en-route you will check in at LAKE MANYARA SERENA LODGE or SIMILAR. Standing high on the bluff of a dramatic ochre and terracotta-streaked cliff above the flamingo-frosted expanse of Lake Manyara's gleaming alkaline waters, the lodge commands panoramic views across the volcano-studded floor of the Great Rift Valley. Designed to reflect the brilliance of Lake Manyara's unique birdlife, the lodge draws on an inspirational architectural motif that melds swooping avian curves with the gentle concentric patterns of traditional Maasai Bomas (encampments) whilst the vibrantly colored frescoes lining walls are designed to depict the colorful intricacy of bird migratory patterns. The ambiance of the lodge is a fusion of lakeside tranquility, towering volcanic splendor, and adventure-packed sporting activity. Dinner and overnight at LAKE MANYARA SERENA LODGE or SIMILAR (BLD).

Day 12 : LAKE MANYARA - ARUSHA - NAIROBI
Enjoy the early morning games drive and later you will depart for Arusha, arriving in time for lunch atARUSHA Soon after lunch you will be transferred to Namanga, exchange vehicles, and proceed to Nairobi or (assisted to board the afternoon Shuttle to Nairobi) arriving at 6:30 pm. (You can be dropped off at the Airport or your hotel) (BL).