Welcome to Kenya! Upon arrival at the airport in Nairobi, you will be greeted by a local representative and given a short safari briefing about tour upcoming adventure. After the briefing, you will be transferred to your hotel conveniently located near the airport, for a smooth transition into the start of your trip. Get settled into your room, rest, relax and enjoy and enjoy your free evening before getting some rest for your journey ahead.

Nairobi

Nairobi is the vibrant capital city of Kenya, and the fourth largest city in all of Africa. Although it has developed a reputation which keeps tourist visits brief, there are truly some fascinating attractions to be discovered here. Some of these highlights include the cafe culture, animated nightlife, the National Museum, the Karen Blixen Museum and most notably, just 20 minutes from the city center, wild lions and buffalo roam in the world’s only urban game reserve. Laid out before a backdrop of city skyscrapers, the Nairobi National Park features wide open grass plains and barren landscape. Home to an impressive assortment of birds and wildlife, many Nairobi residents find this rural escape, the perfect antidote to the nearby hustle and bustle of city life.

After breakfast and check out, depart Nairobi and head southwards to the Amboseli National Park to arrive for lunch.

Afternoon Game Drive

Enjoy an afternoon game viewing drive in the park. Amboseli National Park lies at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,340ft). The mountain dominates every aspect of the park and you can get the best views of its snow-capped peak from Amboseli. The parks fragile ecosystem supports a variety of game and is famous for its large herds of elephant. Swamps and springs, fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro’s melting snow, offer a watering place for the wildlife and birds during the dry season. There is plenty to do, including game viewing, walking, visit a Maasai village or visit the Amboseli Research, the longest study of wild elephants in the world.

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park lies at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain, the striking Mount Kilimanjaro. This mountain, which stands at an impressive 19,340 feet, dominates every aspect of the park. The very best views of its snow-capped peak can only be seen from Amboseli. The parks fragile ecosystem supports a variety of game and is famous for its large herds of elephants in particular. Swamps and springs, fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro’s melting snow, offer a unique watering place for the wildlife and birds during the dry season.

Amboseli Exploration

Spend the day within this beautiful park viewing wildlife, birds and enjoying the natural ecosystem that exists within this park as you photograph the scenic landscape which characterizes this park. During the rainy season the vast plains turn a vibrant green color drawing in hundreds of birds and little mammals. There are five different habitats in Amboseli: open plains, Acacia woodlands, thorn scrub, swamp and marshlands. This allows for excellent game viewing all year round.

Today you cross the border into Tanzania. There you will be met by your dedicated driver guide who will be accompanying during your time in Tanzania.

Shanga Shangaa Workshop Visit

After clearing customs and immigration procedures, you will drive for 120 KM distance to Arusha Coffee Lodge ‘Shanga experience’ for lunch. Then visit the Shanga shangaa workshops, located near the lunch venue. Here you will be given a guided tour of the premises educating you on all the aspects relating to this wonderful project. The aim of Shanga Shangaa is to provide full time employment and training to help the locally disabled Tanzanian’s by creating unique bead work and glass work. There is also the opportunity to give it a go yourself, and indeed purchase some of their products at their shop on site. After lunch, you will slowly make your way to Acacia Lodge which is ideally located a short drive from the Ngorongoro Conservation area.

Crater Highlands

The Crater Highlands features an idyllic stopping point, on the journey from Tarangire and Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. This rural region is known for its lovely farmhouse lodges, vast landscapes, flourishing coffee plantations, working farms and local ethnic communities. Through a variety of cultural activities on offer in the area, you are invited to immerse yourself in the rhythms and beauty of rural farm life and the pristine surrounding nature.

Ngorongoro Crater Exploration

Get up early to make the most out of your day in the Ngorongoro Crater. Ngorongoro Crater is a deep, volcanic crater, the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the world, measuring about 20kms across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq kms in area. The high walls of the crater itself, serve as a natural enclosure for an abundance of wildlife.

There is a large resident population of varied ground game with the very real chance of you being able to see the "big five'. Among the notable birds are Lammergeyer, Vereaux's Eagle and Egyptian Vulture, which make their home in the highest of the crater wall, the beautiful Rosy-breasted Longclaw, which appears on the plains after rains and flocks of lesser and Greater Flamingos which are spasmodic visitors to the crater lakes. Return to your lodge before dusk, and in time to freshen up before dinner.

Olduvai Gorge & Central Serengeti

Today the highlight of the safari begins as you check out of your lodge and head to the famous Serengeti National Park where you will be hosted at a camp located in the Central Serengeti. On the way, you will have a chance to visit one of the world's most important prehistoric sites, Olduvai Gorge, for a tour and lecture. Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park. Its name means 'endless plain' in the Masai language. It is from here that massive concentrations of wildebeest, zebras and other animals commence the annual Great Migration in search of pastures new, providing one of the greatest natural spectacles to be found anywhere in the world. You can watch golden-maned lions stalking the migrating herds, spot leopards at rest in trees at dusk and take a hot-air balloon tour at dawn as the sun’s golden rays illuminate the land.

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti National Park is the best place on the planet to admire large game. An experience in the Serengeti promises an adventure you will never forget. From one exhilarating game drive to the next, your guide will help you to track down majestic prides of lions, cheetah, leopard and much more! Each evening can be spent at your enchanting tented camp, sharing stories by the fire and enjoying dinner beneath a blanket of African stars.

Game Drive to Northern Serengeti

Today, you will game drive to the Northern Serengeti. The Serengeti National Park is probably the best place on the planet to spot large game. Your days here will be spent on different game drives searching for prides of lions, cheetah, leopard and much more! In the evenings, you will return to your beautiful tented camp for stories and dinner.

Full Day of Game Drives

Enjoy a full day of wildlife viewing, with morning and evening games drives in Serengeti National Park. Enjoy quiet evenings by the camp fire and the exclusivity of absolute comfort combined with the authenticity of a night spent in the African bush, an extraordinary experience for all nature lovers.

After breakfast and check out, you will be driven the short distance to the Kogatende Airstrip where you will board your scheduled flight to Tarime, near the Tanzania-Kenya border. Upon arrival at Tarime Airstrip you will be met and transferred to Migori Airstrip (transfer arranged by Coastal in shared vehicle) approximately 1 hour for a scheduled flight to the Masai Mara.

Afternoon Game Drive

On arrival in the Mara, you will be greeted at the airstrip by the Camp’s driver guide ready to proceed to your camp with a game drive enroute. When you arrive at the camp you will be met with an ice cold drink and a given a run down on how the camp works and what to expect. After check in you will be shown to your tents. After a light lunch you have the chance of heading out on your first Mara game drive.

Mara North Conservancy is a private wilderness area that forms the north-western zone, bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve. The world-class conservancy is a partnership between a few member camps and over 800 Maasai landowners that guarantees an exclusive safari while minimizing the impact on the environment local communities. Throughout the year large numbers of herbivores such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, Thomson’s gazelles and impalas seek the area for water and grazing.

Return back to camp in the evening for dinner providing you the perfect opportunity to look back at your day and relive all those memorable highlights.

Masai Mara Game Reserve

The Masai Mara is one of the best-known reserves in the whole of Africa and is globally renowned for its exceptional wildlife. Despite comprising only 0.01% of Africa’s total landmass, more than 40% of Africa’s larger mammals can be found here. The Maasai Mara lies in the Great Rift Valley. The large plains and open grasslands are habitat to rich and varied wildlife such as lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, crocodile etc. There are also several species of birds such as vultures, herons, shrikes, etc. The animals are at liberty to move outside the park into huge areas known as 'dispersal areas'. There can be as much wildlife roaming outside the park as inside. Many Maasai villages are located in the 'dispersal areas' and they have, over centuries, developed a special relationship with the wildlife. The annual migration of millions of wildebeest and antelope, from July to September, is a spectacle never to be missed by any visitor to the Mara.

Full Day Game Drives

As the sun rises on your first morning in the Masai Mara you are woken to the smell of freshly brewed coffee which will help kick start you for your first morning game drive. The early mornings are one of the best times to view the animals as this is when they are their most active before the heat of the day sets in. You can either have your breakfast out in the bush or you can return to the camp for your full breakfast.

If you return to camp you may wish to go on a walk after breakfast as Karen Blixen Camp is surrounded by hidden treasures that your guide will be happy to point out. Later in the afternoon set off on a game drive with some drinks and bitings, so you are all set to have a sundowner (extra cost!) out in the bush. Back at camp dinner preparation is in full swing and there is just enough time to have a hot shower before the first course is served.

Full Day Game Drives

This morning it’s another early start as you set of for the gates of the Masai Mara National Reserve. With a packed picnic lunch, you are free to spend the whole day exploring another part of this famous conservation area. Visit the Mara River and ask your guide to show you the regular river crossing routes and then start planning your trip to return for the famous migration. As you arrive back at camp after a long day, there may be time for a quick swim or a walk before the sun starts to set on your final day in the Masai Mara.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip in time for your local scheduled flight back to Nairobi's Wilson Airport where our representative will be waiting to take you either to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to check in for your flight home or to your Nairobi hotel (please note accommodation for this evening in Nairobi is not included in the package but can be arranged upon request).