Tour Summary/ Features: This one-week offer takes you through Kenya’s most popular game viewing locations. The tour starts you off to Samburu, a wildlife haven with a scenic semi-arid landscape. Then to the Aberdares where you find icy rivers, spectacular waterfalls and rain forests. Here elephants, buffalos and other animals visit you at the floodlit waterholes of The Ark.
On to Lake Nakuru whose claim to fame is anchored on its flamingo's and the over 400 species of birds found here. This soda lake on the floor of the rift valley is host to millions of flamingos and an important refuge for endangered species- particularly the Rothschild Giraffe and the black and white rhino.
The tour rounds you off at Maasai Mara, Kenya’s most famous and finest game sanctuary and the site of one of the most spectacular phenomenon of the natural world -the Great Annual Wildebeest Migration. Fêted as one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World”, the Mara offers wildlife in such variety and abundance that it is difficult to believe.
You will easily see the Big Five- lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard, and elephant, not to mention numerous plain animals. This is the annual migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra from the Serengeti in search of water and pasture. Following on their heels are the predators of the savanna. The famous Maasai tribesmen live within the dispersal area of the game reserve.
Note: We do not place groups together. This way you are ensured the full attention of our guide, but with the added knowledge of our guides’ experiences. It also means that we can start the tour on the day you prefer.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Nairobi – Samburu 0700 hrs – depart Nairobi and drive north to Samburu National Reserve. You enjoy a game drive en-route to Samburu Lodge, where you arrive at around 1400 hours in time for lunch. After lunch at the lodge, you have the early afternoon free, before going for an afternoon game drive, from 1530 hrs till dusk.
Samburu National Reserve is a wildlife haven. Here you will spot Africa’s big cats - lions, cheetahs and the elusive leopard. Some animals are unique to this northern Kenya park: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk. The The Ewaso Nyiro River, the boundary with the neighboring Buffalo Springs National Reserve, is where the elephants, buffalo and other animal species gather for a drink. You will find the scenic semiarid landscape quite dramatic. The reserve is located within the lands of the colourful semi-nomadic Samburu tribesmen.
Dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge
Day 2: Samburu Start your day with an early morning game drive starting at 0630 hrs. Return to the lodge for breakfast at 0830 hrs. You spend the period before and after lunch at leisure at the lodge. At 1600 hrs you go for your afternoon game-drive till dusk.
Dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge
Day 3: Samburu – Aberdares After breakfast checkout and head to Outspan hotel where you will have lunch at 1230 hrs. Later in the afternoon transfer to Treetops Lodge.
Aberdares National Park has a diverse topography that includes icy rivers, spectacular waterfalls and rain forests. The flora and fauna is quite unique and is not found elsewhere in the country, expect on Mount Kenya. Leopard, elephant, serval, waterbuck, reedbuck, dikdik, rhino and the rare bongo can all be found here. You are sure to see elephants, buffalos and some other animals at the floodlit waterholes of Treetops Lodge.
Dinner and Overnight at Treetops Lodge.
Day 4: Aberdares – Nakuru After breakfast transfer to Outspan hotel and drive to Lake Nakuru in time for lunch at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge. Afternoon game drive in the park.
Lake Nakuru's claim to fame is anchored on its flamingo's and the over 400 species of birds found here. The lake itself is a soda lake on the floor of the rift valley. The sight of the at times millions of flamingos is quite spectacular. From a distance the lake appears ringed in pink. The Lake has also earned a reputation as an important haven for endangered species- particularly the Rothschild Giraffe and the black and white rhino. Lions, waterbuck, buffalo and baboons are all residents here. Later in the evening transfer to Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge for overnight.
Dinner and overnight at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge.
Day 5: Nakuru – Maasai Mara 0730 hrs - After breakfast drive to Maasai Mara via the Great Rift Valley to arrive at Maasai Mara in time for lunch at Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba. 1530 hrs- go for an afternoon game drive till dusk.
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.
Dinner and overnight at Masai Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba Lodge.
Day 6: Maasai Mara 0630 Hrs. Early morning game drive in the reserve. Thereafter late breakfast and relax at leisure. After lunch at the lodge you will have early afternoon at leisure. 1600 hrs - Afternoon game drive till dusk.
Dinner and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba Lodge.
Day 7: Maasai Mara – Nairobi Optional Balloon ride at an Extra Cost Normal pick up is at 0600 hrs- take the opportunity to fly over the Mara in a Hot air Balloon provided at extra cost. If you can spare the money, viewing abundant game afloat a balloon is an unforgettable experience. After breakfast return to Nairobi arriving around mid day and drop off at Nairobi hotel or at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
End of Tour
Price: US$2,080 per person sharing
Remarks The above prices are based on a minimum of 2 persons. A price reduction is available for numbers above two persons.
Peak Season Supplements: Dates: 23rd December 08 - 01st Jan 2009 Adult (CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR): US$ 35 Per Night
Price Includes: - Transport based on a safari minibus with pop up roof for game viewing - Park entry fee - Accommodation and all meals while on safari - Service of an English speaking driver guide - Game drives as per the Itinerary - Driver allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver - Any applicable Government taxes
Price Excludes: - International flights to/from Nairobi (Kenya) - Airport transfers in Nairobi (we can arrange on request) - Accommodation before and after safari (we can arrange on request) - Hot air Balloon flight in Maasai Mara – US$ 385 per person extra (Price is subject to confirmation at the time of booking.) - Extras at the lodges –tips, drinks, telephone, laundry or any other personal expenses
======================== All our tours are tailor made to suit our client’s needs, so should you require any changes or inclusions please complete the enquiry form below for more information
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This is a fantastic tour and a "must do" for any first time visitor to Dar, as I was.
It helps you understand more about the people who live in Dar and makes what can seem like a complex and intimidating place, accessible, friendly and understandable.
My customized 13-day trip in Tanzania was absolutely amazing!
From breathtaking Ngorongoro hiking to a taste of Kilimanjaro and local village visits, it was truly a life-changing experience.
My driver and tour manager went out of their way to accommodate my whims and made sure that my stay in Tanzania was a pleasant one. Unfortunately I fractured my ankle during one of the hikes I took, but I was taken to the hospital immediately, and taken a great care of.
I would definitely recommend this operator to anyone who's looking for a tour that's much more than just game drives.'
We went on a two day walking – canoeing trip in Arusha National Park. The tour operator also made hotel arrangements for the first three days we were in Arusha.
They stayed in contact for 11 months via email. The person I was in contact with Elifasi and our guide, Apolo Kihwil, meet us at the airport took us to our hotel. On our rest day we visited a school at our request and not part of the paid itinerary this was on their time.
Our guide Apolo was the best we had on our entire trip. He was informative, friendly and had a great sense of humor, we were rewarded with a dream trip my favorite giraffe and several at a time the last bunch we counted eleven, baboons, wart hogs, black and white monkeys, hundreds of thousand of lesser and greater flamingos on big Momella Lake he provide delicious lunches and was infinitely patient while we took photographs.
I would not hesitate to use them on my next trip to Tanzania and would request Apolo as our guide.
We had a most wonderful holiday in Kenya and Tanzania.
They looked after us very well and we were very satisfied with their service. The service provided value for money. The only comment we would make is that the email from them gave us the impression that we would be staying in a lodge but when we arrived we were in a tent. We were satisfied with the tented accomodation, however it could have been made clearer in the original email that it was tented accomodation.
The staff were very kind and helpful.
Tour Operators Reply:
Thank you for the client's feedback and contructive comment/suggestion. We are glad that they were very satisfied with the service we provided to them, despite their impression that they would be staying in a lodge instead of tent.
As per the first enquiry which the clients sent into our company, she stated that she will prefer to stay in Camping “Accommodation Preference: Camping” and the price given to them was based on Camping accommodation, and these was stated in the itinerary that “Dinner and overnight at the camp”
However, there was typing error at the end of the itinerary which indicates Lodge accommodation instead of Camping accommodation.
We will try our level best to make sure that this mistake will not happen again.
After having a wonderful safari in southern Africa organised through your webiste, we decided to return again to Tanzania after 45 years.
We booked a 19 day safari to visit six game parks...Selous, Mikumi, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangari.
Our guide/driver, Hurumu, met us at the Dar airport and drove us to a hotel for our day of jet lag recovery. We drove to Selous first. We're not strangers to East Africa, having first arrived in 1963. By far, Hurumu is the best guide that we've ever had. He was extremely knowledgeable of wildlife, has great game eyes, a good conversationalist, and was very caring for all our needs. He understood our physical age limitations (74) but was not at all solicitous. Cool water was always available. Hurumu had the ability to always get the Toyota into position for the best photograph.
We made our initial contact the operator in 2009. Elifasi, in the office, worked with me to create the itinerary. He also was most helpful. While at Selous we requested an itinerary change. Elifasi made the changes without a problem.
The entire safari was most enjoyable and problem free.
The best of Kenya & Tanzania and they made that experience a reality. They were always on time, concerned about our well being and would without any reservations recommend them! The scenery and game viewing were all memorable and expectations met. Organizing the tour was also without any hassle
I went solo, a 50 something white woman, and me and _______ (I forget his name), rode around for 5 hours. It was a unbelievable experience.
He was a wonderful guide, I called him the "Mayor" because everybody knew him! He was so popular everywhere we went that I felt completely comfortable, safe, and like an invited family friend.
He showed me 3 or 4 neighborhoods, I met coffee makers, chapati breakfast cooks (had breakfast there with a Masaai family who stopped by!), a traditional herbalist (where I learned the treatment for meconium aspiration, I'm a perinatal pathologist!), herbal pharmacist (where I saw that fenugreek seed is used to facilitate delivery with prolonged labor), local market, fabric seller, and had a delicious lunch at an outside Swahili restaurant. I played with kids, talked with everyone, and really got a great sense of the community.
My guide also is very active in local projects and inspired me to help with a bridge rebuilding project he is spear heading. The bicycle riding was easy and really the only way to get around in these neighborhoods. It was by far the best experience I had in Dar, and one of the best I have had in my many travels in East Africa!
We could not have asked for abetter way to end our incredible adventures in Tanzania. We saw everything and did everything we could have ever imagined. From the big game watching in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara, to ascending the highly active volcano next to Lake Natron, it was all so unbelievably incredible. A total dream come true!
Our guide Huruma had he most expansive breadth of knowledge of the natural environment, he was a pleasure to talk to. He was also extremely flexible with us as lans often changed for various reasons, but ALWAYS for the better. Huruma made us feel safe and comfortable the whole time. Alex our cook as wonderful as well making sure we had the best quality meals possiblemade from the freshest ingredients.
Choosing a safari operator is tough, but I will just say that I will always recommend these guys. They are very professional and will do everything to make sure you have the best trip possible. Thanks again for our lifetime memories. We will be back, so you will hear from us again.
Thanks Elfasi for all your time, flexibility and support in orchestrating this dream trip.
