Discover East Africa 2019 - Land Only - From US$4599

Day 3 - Maasai Mara

Spend the day on safari in one of Africa's richest wildlife viewing arenas with morning and afternoon game drives. The Maasai Mara National Reserve offers wonderful scenery of breathtaking vistas, panoramas of vast rolling plains, hills and woodland groves, well watered by the lovely Mara River. The Mara is home to the largest population of lions in Kenya; these magnificent predators spend most of the day sleeping in the shade of Acacia Trees.

The waters of the Mara River are home to crocodiles and pools of hippo, while the woodlands and forests are favored by leopard and elephant. The open savannah areas play host to the plains’ game. All of the “Big Five” - Lion, Rhino, Buffalo, Elephant and Leopard - are here, as well as cheetah, hippo, hartebeest, gazelle, topi, antelope, zebra and many other animals.

You may choose an optional visit to a Maasai village, a fantastic cultural experience (own account). Spend the evening at the lodge where colorful Maasai dance and cultural performances are offered.

Accommodation: Sarova Mara Camp – Standard Tent (B, L, D)

Day 4 - Maasai Mara/Lake Nakuru

After an early morning breakfast, bid farewell to the dotted plains as you drive to Lake Nakuru which is the most famous of the Great Rift Valley lakes and home to a shifting population of over one million flamingos. Arrive in time for lunch at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge.

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is nestled along the Lion Hill overlooking the spectacular flamingo pink rimmed Lake Nakuru. Its location affords panoramic views of the lake and the picturesque Lake Nakuru National Park.

Spend the afternoon on safari in Kenya's first and largest rhino sanctuary where sightings of both black and white rhino are almost guaranteed and where you have a higher than average chance of spotting a leopard. Other wildlife includes; lion, hippo, the rare Rothschild's giraffe, Colobus monkey, numerous plains game and 450 species of birds.

Accommodation: Sarova Lion Hill Lodge – Standard Room (B, L, D)

Day 5 - Lake Nakuru/Nairobi/Amboseli

After breakfast, drive to Nairobi arriving in time for an early lunch at a local Restaurant.

After lunch drive through the scenic Athi Plains and into the bush country of Amboseli National Park, home to the legendary Maasai tribesmen and famous for huge herds of Elephant. In addition to Elephant, Antelope, Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo and the elusive Leopard, nearly every vista within the Park is framed by majestic Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of Africa's highest mountain, the glittering Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli Serena Lodge enjoys a uniquely privileged position at the heart of this world-famous national park. Secluded within a grove of acacia trees, the lodge looks out over the golden savannah plains, with uninterrupted views of the mountain itself. Close by are a series of emerald green swamps, which are fed by the melting snows of Kilimanjaro. These, the only sources of water in this otherwise starkly beautiful but arid park, attract huge numbers of wallowing elephants, hippos, buffalos and plains game. Meanwhile, from the prehistoric site of Observation Hill, the sunset over Kilimanjaro is magnificent.

Accommodation:  Amboseli Serena Lodge – Standard Room (B,L,D)

Day 6 - Amboseli

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives where photographic opportunities are incredible, with plentiful game and Mt. Kilimanjaro (the highest freestanding mountain in the world) providing an impressive and majestic backdrop. Amboseli, meaning “salty dust” in Maasai, is a place of stark contrast. Despite Amboseli’s sometimes dry and dusty appearance, it has an endless supply of water filtered through thousands of feet of volcanic rock from Mt. Kilimanjaro’s snow melt. These underground streams converge into clear fresh water springs in the heart of the park. The powder like dust is volcanic ash, which was thrown from Kilimanjaro millennia ago.

An amazing spectacle of Amboseli is the shimmering dry lake bed where false mirages of populated horizons, punctuated by real herds of zebra and gnu hover in front of you. The main attraction of Amboseli is its vast herds of elephant within the park. The bull elephants here have some of the largest tusks in Kenya.

Accommodation:  Amboseli Serena Lodge – Standard Room (B, L, D)

Day 7 - Amboseli/Lake Manyara

After breakfast, bid farewell to Amboseli as you transfer to the border town of Namanga for customs and immigration. Thereafter transfer to Arusha Town arriving in time for lunch at a local restaurant. Later on, drive to the beautiful Lake Manyara, a shallow alkaline lake that shimmers in a cleft in the Great Rift Valley. Enjoy an evening game drive at Lake Manyara National Park.

A small but uniquely diverse national park, Manyara is home to the world-famous tree-climbing lions, thousands of flamingos and nearly 500 species of birds.

It would be difficult to find a more dramatic setting than the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge which is situated at the edge of an escarpment and overlooks both the Great Rift Valley and the beautiful soda lake of Manyara with is lavish supply of bird life.The rooms are housed in circular, white-washed ‘rondavels' (traditional circular buildings with thatched roofs), which are situated along the edge of the cliff so as to allow for maximum views. Each spacious room has its own small veranda while the interior décor reflects the blue of the lake and the pink of its flamingos. Behind each bed hangs a spectacular hand-woven rug, while the furnishings and fittings reflect traditional Maasai beadwork.Facilities in the rooms include all the comforts you expect: Telephone and WiFi, mineral water, hairdryers and toiletries, bathrobe and slippers.

The bar and restaurant offer guests both indoor and outdoor seating at each meal. Sumptuous menus, buffets and barbecues are served to guests alongside authentic African dishes.

Accommodation:  Lake Manyara Serena Lodge – Standard Room (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Lake Manyara/Ngorongoro

After breakfast, you will drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, arriving in time for lunch.

Discover Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s rolling plains, lakes, craters, mountains and dormant volcanoes. Journey up the side of the vast Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage Site, which is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 12 miles wide, 2,000-2,500 feet deep and covering a total area of 165 square miles) stopping en route at Olduvai Gorge. Known as the ‘Cradle of Mankind’, this is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world. Pioneered by famous paleontologists Louis and Mary Leakey in the 1950s it offers a glimpse into life two million years ago.

Facing the always magnificent sunsets to the west, and located at the highest point on Ngorongoro crater’s entire rim, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge stands well over half a kilometer above the crater floor and offers unparalleled views across this enormous caldera. The lodge is themed around traditionally circular African houses with conical roofs, and decorated with examples of artistic traditions by way of rich woodcarvings and sculptures. Guest rooms offer two comfortable queen size beds, and a great view through an enclosed solarium at the view of the crater beyond.  Because of its altitude the lodge can be chilly at night so each room has central heating; hot water bottles are placed in every bed during the evening turndown service; and the luxuriously appointed bathrooms have extremely spacious showers under which you can reminisce about the wonders of this awesome, almost magically mystical place called Ngorongoro. All rooms are equipped with amenities to ensure maximum comfort.

Continental and local cuisine is served at the The Lemala Hill restaurant and the Crater View Bar Is the place for relaxing! Whether you’re inclined towards refined single malt whiskeys, aged red wine or you simply crave the award-winning local beers, the Crater View Bar’s timelessly elegant fireplace offers the ideal place to cozy up during chilly evenings. Spend the rest of your afternoon at leisure at the lodge.

Accommodation:  Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge – Standard Room (B, L, D)

Day 9 - Ngorongoro

After breakfast, descend into the ‘8th Wonder of the World’. Enclosed within its towering walls are grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife. Over 30,000 animals live within this enormous natural bowl, the most densely packed concentration of wildlife in Africa. You should see wildebeest, elephant, lion, dik-dik, and wart-hog, whilst on the lakeside there are pelican, ibis and flamingo. Here too are all the members of the ‘Big Five’ (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo) as well as a large cast of plains game and one of Africa’s densest populations of predators. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the crater floor before climbing back up to the lodge in time for relaxation before dinner.

Accommodation:  Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge – Standard Room (B, L, D)

Day 10 - Ngorongoro/Serengeti

Enjoy an early morning breakfast and then depart for Serengeti National Park.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive in the greatest game sanctuary in the world, Serengeti National Park. The grasslands and savannahs of the Serengeti sustain a huge animal population and are world-famous for the Great Wildebeest Migration. Tirelessly following almost the same pattern each year, the wildebeest fill the horizons accompanied by their predators, lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. Yet even when the Great Migration has passed, the Serengeti offers arguably the most captivating game-viewing in Africa with great herds of buffalo, elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, impala and Grant's gazelle. The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania's greatest park. Lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the south eastern plains. The sense of space that characterizes the endless Serengeti Plains is an experience not to be missed.

Serengeti Sopa Lodge lies within an area of out-standing natural beauty located on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the plains of the south-western Serengeti National Park. Fully en suite guestrooms and suites have been designed, decorated and furnished with your total comfort in mind. 69 standard rooms all have 2 queen size beds and are tastefully furnished with local fabrics and pictures. On entering the room is a lounge with a mini bar. In the front is a verandah with 2 comfortable chairs and coffee table, with glass windows facing the vast Serengeti plains which extend as far as the naked eye can see. An open dining area is spacious, airy and allows a magnificent view of the plains.  The Bar area is strategically placed also to provide an uninterrupted view, and has a terrace with comfortable chairs for lounging and relaxation.

Accommodation:  Serengeti Sopa Lodge – Standard Room (B,L,D)

Day 11 - Serengeti

Spend another day exploring the wild wonderland of Serengeti National Park. Discover the vast herds of zebra, wildebeest, and elephant on the plains of the Serengeti.

Accommodation:  Serengeti Sopa Lodge – Standard Room (B, L, D)

Day 12 - Serengeti/Tarangire

After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park arriving in time for lunch at Sopa Lodge. The park is well known for its huge herds of elephant and buffalo, as well as lion, cheetah and leopard.  With its varied habitats and the constant water areas, the park hosts a large diversity of wildlife; 94 species of mammals and over 500 bird species. 

After enjoying a long leisurely game drive between herds of wild animals and along miles of Africa’s seemingly endless roads, you come over a slight rise and the lodge appears almost immediately below you. Built to blend in with the vastness of its surroundings, Tarangire Sopa Lodge lies hidden among the kopjes, ancient baobab and grasses of the Tarangire National Park - home to the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa. Many can be seen around the lodge, allowing visitors a close encounter.

Circular guest suites offer a sense of space and airiness, and wonderful views from their sheltered veranda. All suites have a 2 queen size beds with mosquito nets,  private lounge with a mini bar and an extremely spacious, well-appointed bathroom.

You can enjoy one of a wide range of Tanzanian highland brews and freshly baked pastries at the coffee shop, while adjacent to this area a flight of steps takes you down into the dining room.  If you relish the great outdoors, the restaurant has a terrace running along one side of its entire length so you can enjoy your breakfast with a view over the park’s tree-studded, grassy plains.

Accommodation:  Tarangire Sopa Lodge - Standard Room (B, L, D)

DAY 13 - Tarangire/Arusha/Kilimanjaro/Deprart

After breakfast, drive to Arusha town in time for lunch at a local restaurant.  Thereafter transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport in time for your departure flight. Bid farewell to Africa until the next time. (B, L)