East African Road Safari

In the morning, your guide will meet you, either at your hotel or at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.  Then it is time to board our vehicle, which will take you directly to the Masai Mara National Park in southwest Kenya.  The drive takes around six hours, during which you can enjoy the passing countryside and stretch your legs at comfort stops.  Arriving at the reserve, you’ll be familiarised with your lodgings for the next two nights.  Lunch is then served.

Maasai Mara National Reserve stretches 1,510 sq km (580 sq miles), rising 1,500-2,170 meters above sea level.  Due to the elevation, the climate is surprisingly mild given its proximity to the equator.  It can get cool overnight and in the early mornings, so some warm clothing is recommended.  The park experiences distinct dry (June to October) and wet seasons (November to May).  The wildebeest migration typically arcs through the reserve between July and October, but wildlife viewing is excellent throughout the year, and less crowded outside this window.

Day to day, wildlife viewing is best in the cooler hours of the late afternoon/evening and early morning.  Your first game drive sets off in the afternoon, returning to your camp in time for dinner, followed by a good night’s rest.

Today, you’ll have the option of rising over the savannah in a hot-air balloon.  Drifting quietly over the sun-drenched, wildlife-rich landscape is unforgettable. An additional fee of US$450.00 per person applies.

Whether you do so or not, the day continues with a full-day game drive in the reserve.  Although the wildebeest migration is awesome, game viewing in the Masai Mara is considered excellent throughout the year.  The reserve is home to the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino and Cape buffalo – along with around 90 other species of mammals.  These include giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, kudu, eland, and numerous other antelope species.

For bird lovers, nearly 500 species have been recorded, 47 of which are birds of prey.

Historically, the area has been home to the Maasai people for several centuries.  Today, many still live a traditional lifestyle, and you’ll have the option of visiting an authentic homestead in the course of the day.  An additional fee is charged.

As the sun dips towards the horizon, you’ll make your way back to camp.  Enjoy a sundowner before sitting down to a delicious meal.  Then, retire to your bed and fall asleep to the curious sounds of the African night.

Today, it is time to say farewell to the Masai Mara National Reserve and Kenya.  Travelling by road, we will transfer you to the Kenya-Tanzania border crossing point at Isebania.  Once the crossing formalities are complete, the journey continues to your second wildlife destination: the Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania.  Arriving in time for lunch, you’ll have time to settle into your lodgings before setting out on an afternoon game drive.

Roughly ten times the size of the Masai Mara, Serengeti National Park covers nearly 15,000 square kilometres (5791 sq. mi).  Sitting at a similar altitude, the climate is pleasantly moderate.  Different stages of the Great Wildebeest Migration can be seen from January to October, although it is impossible to predict its precise movement as it depends on rainfall and grass production.  During the migration, a super-herd of 2 million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebra and various antelope species, treks in search of grazing.  Their presence results in a nearly unparalleled density of large predators. That said, like the Mara to the north, wildlife viewing in general is excellent regardless of when you visit.  

Returning to your camp as the sun sets, you might want to enjoy a traditional gin & tonic before dinner and a good night’s rest.

If you chose not to do the balloon safari in Kenya, you can make up for it today.  Once again, this requires an early start to capitalise on the calm air of dawn.  Note that an additional cost of US$ 600.00 per person applies for this add-on activity.

The rest of the day will be spent on an extended game drive, exploring the park.  Serengeti boasts an impressive 70 different mammal species on record, along with close to 500 different birds.  

The park is home to the Big 5.  Lion, leopard, elephant and Cape buffalo sightings are common, while sightings of black rhino are scarce.  Cheetah, the world’s fastest land mammal, thrive on the endless plains.  By comparison, African wild dog sightings are a rare treat.

So-called general game species are well represented.  The most numerous large mammals are the blue wildebeest.  They graze peacefully alongside zebra, eland, giraffes, warthog, topi, hartebeest, impala, Thompson’s gazelle, and more.  

As the sun reaches its zenith, your guide will choose a scenic spot for a picnic.  Take the opportunity to stretch your legs and get a few selfies with your group.  

As dusk approaches, you’ll roll back into camp in time for dinner, before retiring in preparation for the day ahead.

In the morning, you’ll set off early on your last game drive in Serengeti.  With some luck, your guide might locate a pride of lions feasting on a kill they made the previous night.  

A noteworthy feature of the Serengeti landscape is the various rivers that run through it.  With water being vital to all forms of life, these and numerous temporary waterholes are natural magnets for wildlife.  These waters are home to hippos and crocodiles.  The latter, perfectly evolved to hunt in the aquatic environment, are often seen basking in the sun.  However, when the migration comes around, they slide into the water, ready to ambush unsuspecting and panicked herbivores desperate to cross.

After the morning drive, you’ll leave the Serengeti National Park, heading southeast to your final wildlife destination, the Ngorongoro Crater.  The drive should take in the region of 1.5 hours, arriving in time for lunch.  After settling in, you’ll set off for another game drive in the afternoon.

Millions of years ago, a massive volcano erupted.  The blast all but collapsed the volcanic mountain, leaving a huge intact caldera.  Its steep slopes, rising over 600 metres above the crater floor, protect an enclosed ecosystem within, teeming with life.  Covering an area of 260 square kilometres (100 sq. mi.), the crater has two main ecosystems, namely forests on the slopes and grasslands (with occasional marshes) on the floor.

Leaving the crater before sunset, you’ll return to your accommodation for dinner and bed.

Setting off early, you’ll descend through the misty forest to the crater floor in search of wildlife.  The crater is said to be the best place in Tanzania to see the Big 5.  Furthermore, it has a very healthy population of predators, although cheetahs and wild dogs are absent.  Lions sit at the top of the food chain, their dominance threatened only by clans of spotted hyenas that use mob tactics to intimidate the larger cats.  Sightings of leopards are always special, whether seen on the move or feeding on a kill they’ve dragged up a tree.

Compared to other parks, black rhinos are doing well here.  While they prefer thickets, they can often be found wallowing in the marshes.  The wetlands are also the popular haunts of Cape buffalo and elephant herds.  Among the elephants, you might be fortunate to see old bulls boasting impressive sets of ivory.

Leaving the Ngorongoro Crater after the morning drive, we will then take you by road to Tanzania’s safari capital, Arusha.  The drive through scenic countryside takes around 4 hours.  Depending on your further travel arrangements, we’ll say our goodbyes either at your hotel or the appropriate airport.