12 Days African safari traversing both Kenya and Tanzania. The trip starts from Nairobi and ends in Arusha, Tanzania. Visit the famed Masai Mara National Park, Lake Nakuru known for its flamingoes, Amboseli National Park, Lake Manyara National Park in Kenya as well as Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater National Park in Tanzania.
Safari Highlight
DAY 1: Arrival-Kenya, Nairobi
Day 2: Arrival – Masai Mara game reserve. (Driving Distance 280 km/3-4hrs Drive)
Day 3: Masai Mara game reserve.
Day 4: Game Drive- Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park (Driving Distance 245km/3-4 hrs Drive).
Day 5: Lake Nakuru- Amboseli National Park (Driving Distance: 385km- 5:35hrs Drive)
Day 6: Full Day Amboseli National Park
Day 7: Amboseli- Tanzania- Lake Manyara (Driving Distance: 127km- 2hrs Drive)
Day 8: Lake Manyara– Serengeti National Park (Driving Distance: 190km- 2:35hrs Drive)
Day 9: Full day Serengeti National park
Day 10: Serengeti – Ngorongoro crater (Driving Distance: 178km- 2hrs Drive)
Day 11: Ngorongoro Crater
Day 12 – Ngorongoro crater – Arusha/Nairobi-Departure (Driving Distance: 630km- 8:35hrs Drive).
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrival-Kenya, Nairobi
On your arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our company representative who will transfer you to Hotel. Depending on your time of arrival, you will have a chance to do a city tour/ experience the life in Nairobi town. Popularly know as the Green city in the sun, the city is located in south- central Kenya and drives its name from Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi which means cold water “the maasai name for Nairobi River which lend to the Name of this most populous and one of the most prominent cities in Africa and a home to the United Nations Environmental programme (UNEP).
Overnight at Nairobi Serena Lodge/ Fairmont the Norfolk Hotel (luxury) Kenya Safari Park Hotel (Mid range), Hotel Ambassadeur- Nairobi (Budget). Bush House and camp (Camping). (FB)
Day 2: Arrival – Masai Mara game reserve. (Driving Distance 280 km/3-4hrs Drive)
Our company representative will meet and greet you at the Airport and then depart for the Journey to the famous Masai Land, one of the Africa’s Greatest Wildlife Reserve, situated in southwest Kenya and Famous for its abundance of lions, the Great Wildebeest Migration and the Maasai people who are well known for their distinctive custom and dress. The Maasai Ecosystem holds one of the highest population of lions in world and this is where over 2 MILLION Wildebeest, Zebra and Thomsons Gazelle migrate annually. Its hosts over 95 species of mammals and 570 recorded species of birds.
The journey will take you between 5-6 hrs; arrive at your lodge with game viewing en-route. With a brilliant opportunity to enjoy the African dish prepared by experienced chief with first touch!
Dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Safari lodge (Luxury), David Livingstone lodge (mid range), Rhino tourist camp/ Mara sadai camp (Budget) Camping (FB).
Day 3: Masai Mara game reserve.
After break fast in the morning, go for the game drive which will introduce you to the Mara area. The Mara offers wildlife in such variety and abundance that it is difficult to believe: over 450 species of animals have been recorded here. You will easily see lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopard, many kinds of antelopes and elephant. It is in the Mara that perhaps the most spectacular event of the natural world takes place. This is the annual migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra from the Serengeti (Tanzania) in search of water and pasture. Following on their heels are the predators of the savanna- lion, cheetah, wild dog, jackal, hyena and vultures. Retire for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 4: Game Drive- Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park (Driving Distance 245km/3-4 hrs Drive).
Kindly make sure you wake up early in the morning, don’t linger any more, because it is your last day in Mara. Have a break fast in an African style and then do the ever life changing activity, last in a life time game drive to the area where wild beasts will be noted concentrated. Spot the wild beasts at the Mara River, then After Transfer to Lake Nakuru National park, this park supports a wide ecological diversity with Flamingos (Greater and Lesser) and other water birds being the major attractions of the area. The ecosystem provides for about 56 different species of mammals including the white rhino, waterbuck and buffaloes and a variety of terrestrial birds numbering nearly 450 species. Reaching there early afternoon for an evening game drive on the base of the Rift Valley where you can anticipate seeing millions of flamingos as they gather to the shores of the to feed. This is a sight not to be missed.
Overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge (luxury), Langa Langa Guest house (Mid range), Nakuru backpacker Hostel (Budget) (FB).
Day 5: Lake Nakuru– Amboseli National Park (Driving Distance: 385km- 5:35hrs Drive)
Take an Early Breakfast, head for a game drive in anticipation of millions of flamingos; The Lake’s abundance of algae attracts the vast quantity of flamingos that famously line the shore. Other birds also flourish in the area, as do warthogs, baboons and other large mammals. Then transfer to Amboseli, lunch in Namanga town and after lunch divert to proceed to Amboseli National Park, located in Loitoktok District, Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The park is famous for Large Herds of Elephants, Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephants and hippos You will have lunch in the town of Namanga, After you’ll divert east to Amboseli National Park at the base of grand Mount Kilimanjaro, home to a wealth of wildlife but particularly known for its elephants. Arrive at your lodge with game viewing en-route. Over night at Amboseli Serena Safari lodge (luxury) Sentrim Amboseli lodge (mid range) Kibo Guest house/ kibo safari camp/ kilimajaro guest house (Budget) Camping (FB).
Day 6: Full Day Amboseli National Park
Take an early breakfast in preparation for your morning game drive. This park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants among other wildlife species. Other attractions of the park include opportunities to meet the Maasai and spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro. MAJOR ATTRACTIONS include Large Herds of Elephants, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephants and hippos), Observation Hill which allows an overall view of the whole park especially the swamps and elephants, Swamp below observation hill hosts many elephants, buffaloes, hippos and a variety of water fowls like pelican, Egyptian goose, Contemporary Maasai culture and indigenous lifestyle. Among are the
Cheetah, Wild dogs, Buffalo, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik- dik, Lesser Kudu, and Nocturnal Porcupine plus Prolific birdlife features 600 species. Dinner and overnight as above.
Day 7: Amboseli- Tanzania- Lake Manyara (Driving Distance: 127km- 2hrs Drive)
Take an early breakfast in preparation for Today’s long Journey; you will connect to the Namanga border after clearing with the immigration customs. Continue to the scenic gem, Lake Manyara National Park where hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy.
Manyara is famous for Leopards, legendary tree-climbing lions, tusked elephants, blue monkeys, dik-dik, gazelle, hippo, giraffe, impala, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds and more inhabit the park and many can be seen throughout the year as well as flamingos that inhabit the lake. There is a hippo pond at one end of the park where visitors can get out of their cars and observe from a safe distance. It provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife and is a good spot for bird watching. More than 400 species have been recorded. You will reach the park early for an afternoon game drive. Dinner and Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge (luxury) lake manyara hotel (mid range) Lake Manyara view lodge (budget) (FB)
Day 8: Lake Manyara- Serengeti National Park (Driving Distance: 190km- 2:35hrs Drive)
After breakfast, depart to the Serengeti National Park, one of the largest park and most famous for the annual migration of over one and half million white bearded wildebeest and over 250,000 zebra. The park is well known for its healthy stock of other resident wildlife, particularly the “Big Five” it is known to be hold the largest population of lions in East Africa due in part to the abundance of prey species of food as I may term it. It’s on record that there are more than 3000 lions living in this ecosystem coupled with the African Leopard, reclusive predators commonly seen in the Seronera region with an estimate of around 1000 population.
You will pass via Olduvai Gorge, known as the “land of humanity’ for the leavings of prehistoric inhabitants that were met there. With an enroute game drive arriving at your lodge in time for lunch before going for an afternoon game drive.
Overnight at Serengeti Kati Kati Tented Camp/ Serengeti Serena Lodge, The Sayari Camp/ Soroi Serengeti Lodgem/ Lobo Wildlife Lodge (full board).
Day 9: Full day Serengeti National park
Take an early break, with your picnic lunch Box for the full day Serengeti game drive in search of the big five. The park is well known for its healthy stock of other resident wildlife, particularly the “Big Five” it is known to be hold the largest population of lions and African Leopard and migratory wildebeests. Returning back late evening for Dinner and overnight as above.
Day 10: Serengeti – Ngorongoro crater (Driving Distance: 178km- 2hrs Drive)
After breakfast, drive to the natural amphitheatre Ngorongoro crater- the world’s largest unbroken caldera, lies within the area, created about 2 and half million years ago when the cone of a volcano collapsed into the ground leaving 100 square mile caldron- like cavity. This caldera valley contains a variety of wild animals including a large population of some of the big five. The crater valley is also rich in history being not far from the Olduvai Gorge a place where early man is said to have flourished around. This is known because in 1960, mary leakey discovered a 1.75million- year old Homo habilis “nicknamed- the Handyman for his tool making skills” who represented mans first step on the ladder of human evolution.
You will drive to the fabled Ngorongoro Crater with its truly breathtaking views. Continue round the rim, where a crew of guides, a ranger and Maasai and donkeys will be waiting. Begin a marvelous walk in this pristine Maasai land. The track takes you part way around the rim of the crater through open woodland and acacia forests. To your right are the remarkably spectacular views of the crater floor below, and to your left are the endless plains of the Serengeti. A very simple camp is set in a remote location where one of the important rivers off the highland volcanoes enters the crater. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Serena lodge/ Ngorongoro Sopa lodge/ Ngorongoro wildlife lodge (FB)
Day 11: Ngorongoro Crater
Early morning game drive (with a picnic lunch) inside the Ngorongoro Crater You can expect to see lions, elephants, Zebras, Hippos, Flamingos, Jackals, Rhinos Antelopes and many birds. The birds seen here include eagle, vulture, and flamingos in the Crater Lake, stork, bats, giant vulture, sacred ibis, kori bustard, blacksmith plover, long necked heron and the cattle eagle. In the afternoon you will enjoy walking safari on the crater rim. Dinner and overnight as above.
Day 12 – Ngorongoro crater – Arusha/Nairobi-Departure (Driving Distance: 630km- 8:35hrs Drive).
Enjoy breakfast, after which you will transfer back to Arusha. Upon arrival in Arusha/Nairobi you will have lunch, Transfer to the Airport for your Departure- Flight back home.
End of the Safari
This safari is offered on a group basis and above is the departure dates. Note that the price above is for budget accommodations/ camping safari both budget and up market camping Safari
For Luxury and mid range accommodations, please contact us for an accurate price by inquiring at info@cycadssafaris.com or you can call in direct on our help line. +256-392-613-972 for further information.
