The safari starts by taking you to northern Kenya across the equator to Samburu National Reserve, a beautiful and game abundant park home to rarely found species such as the Beisa Oryx, Grevy's zebra, blue-necked Somali ostrich and reticulated giraffe. You then return to the lower slopes of Mt. Kenya for an overnight stay and floodlit game viewing at Serena Mountain Lodge tree hotel in the Mt. Kenya National Park. The tree hotel is regarded by many as having the most consistently high record of animal visits in the area.
The safari then heads down to the floor of the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park, world famous bird sanctuary before proceeding to Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya’s most popular game sanctuary where you have the best opportunity of spotting the “Big Five” -lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant.
Next is Amboseli National Park (via Nairobi) where the game drives are conducted while enjoying the spectacular back-drop of Africa's highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro.
You then cross the Namanga border to Tanzania to visit three of the most popular northern parks namely Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. Your itinerary in Tanzania will include a brief visit of Olduvai Gorge, more accurately called Oldupai after the wild sisal in the area, which is the site of some of the most important fossil hominid finds of all time - "Nutcracker Man" or Australopithecus boisei who lived 1.75 million years ago.
Day 1: Nairobi/Samburu Samburu Nature Reserve Depart Nairobi in the morning and drive through central Kenya and north across the equator to Samburu National Reserve arriving Samburu Serena Lodge in time for lunch. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Approx transit time: 5˝ hrs Meal Plan: {L, D}
Day 2: Samburu Nature Reserve Full day in Samburu, with an early morning and late afternoon game drive. Samburu is a beautiful and and game abundant park, home to rarely found species such as the Beisa Oryx, Grevy's zebra, blue-necked Somali ostrich and reticulated giraffe. Optional activites include a visit to a local Samburu village, camel riding and guided nature and bird walks. All meals and overnight at Samburu Serena Lodge. Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 3: Mt. Kenya - Mountain Lodge Depart Samburu after breakfast and drive to the lower slopes of Mt. Kenya arriving Serena Mountain Lodge (tree hotel) in time for lunch. Relax the afternoon away as you watch game from the balcony with an optional guided nature walk. Overnight floodlit game viewing. Dinner and overnight at the tree hotel. Approx transit time: 3 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 4: Lake Nakuru National Park Depart Mountain Lodge after breakfast and drive to Lake Nakuru National Park making a brief stop at Nyahururu Thomson Falls and arriving Sarova Lion Hill Lodge in time for lunch. Afternoon game drive in the park.
Besides the flamingos that the lake is famous for, there are approx 400 other species of birds visiting the lake. Also, many species of game can be found in the park including the introduced Rothschild\'s giraffe, black and white rhino, waterbuck, reedbuck, lion, buffalo, leopard, baboon and many species of plains game.
Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Approx transit time: 3 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 5: Masai Mara National Reserve Depart Lake Nakuru in the morning and drive further along the floor of the Rift Valley to Masai Mara National Reserve, arriving Mara Serena Lodge in time for lunch. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Approx transit time: 6 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 6 & 7: Masai Mara National Reserve Two full days in Maasai Mara, Kenya's most popular game sanctuary where you will have the best opportunity of spotting the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant). Morning and afternoon game drives with an optional visit to a local Maasai village. All meals and overnight at Mara Serena Lodge. Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 8: Nairobi Depart Maasai Mara in the morning and drive back to Nairobi arriving approx 1300hrs. Drop at your hotel - Nairobi Safari Club. Lunch on own arrangements/afternoon at leisure. Overnight stay at Nairobi Safari Club on Bed & Breakfast basis. Optional dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant. Approx transit time: 5˝ hrs Meal Plan: {B}
Day 9: Amboseli National Park Depart Nairobi in the morning for Amboseli National Park arriving Amboseli Serena Lodge in time for lunch. The park is famous for its big game and great scenic beauty whose entire landscape is dominated by Mt Kilimanjaro. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Approx transit time: 4 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 10: Amboseli National Park Early morning pre-breakfast game drive at 6.30am, when you have the best chance to see Mt. Kilimanjaro. Return to the lodge for late breakfast. The rest of the morning is at leisure. Afternoon game drive. All meals and overnight at Amboseli Serena Lodge. Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 11: Lake Manyara National Park Depart Amboseli after breakfast and drive to Namanga (Kenya/Tanzania border) where you you change driver/guide and vehicle then proceed to Arusha for lunch at Impala Hotel. Proceed to Lake Manyara National Park for dinner and overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge. Approx transit time: 6 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 12: Serengeti National Park Morning game drive in Manyara Park, a park dotted with exotic trees such as the giant fig, baobab and mahogany and famous for lions that sprawl on trees. Depart after lunch for Serengeti Serena Lodge for dinner and overnight. Approx transit time: 4 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 13: Serengeti National Park Full day in Serengeti. Morning and afternoon game drives in the rolling grasslands studded with wildlife for as far as the eye can see National Park. All meals and overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge. Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 14: Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area Another morning game drive in Serengeti, departing after lunch for Ngorongoro via Olduvai Gorge for a brief visit of the museum. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. Approx transit time: 3 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 15: Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area After breakfast descend down to the crater floor for ˝ day crater tour, returning to Ngorongoro Serena Lodge for lunch. Afternoon at leisure with optional visit to a local Maasai village. Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Meal Plan: {B, L, D}
Day 16: Nairobi/Out Depart after breakfast and drive to Arusha for lunch at Impala Hotel, then board afternoon shuttle bus back to Nairobi arriving approx 1830hrs (a flying option is available). Drop at your hotel or transfer to the airport for onward flight. Approx transit time: 8 hrs Meal Plan: {B, L} End of our services.
More Information - Private Safari departing daily with a minimum 2 persons booking and we do NOT mix groups - Not available for single travellers - Discounts - for 3 or more persons. Please enquire. - Lowest prices during the months of April, May and June - International Airfares are not included in the price
Our unique relationship with our tour operators ensures only people who have participated in a trip after making an enquiry for it at The Africa Guide can leave a review.
The email we send you when you make an enquiry has full instructions for registering a booking and leaving a review - both are free services.
Feel free to read through the reviews for any trip you like the look of.
Trips with no reviews are usually new to the The Africa Guide but are normally operated by a tour operator who is established here. Most tour operators listing here will usually have gained reviews about other trips they have listed here.
Thanks for visiting, happy travels and don't forget to send us your reviews...
Thankyou for your email and the opportunity to provide some feedback...after our time in Africa, we continued our honeymoon in Europe so we have only just 2 days ago returned home to New Zealand.
We absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVED our time in Africa!! We were nervous booking our trip through a company offshore but we were so pleased we did! EVERYTHING was perfect! The attention to detail and effort Siema Edwards put into organising our itinerary for us was beyond superb. We felt completely looked after from the moment Siema met us at the airport, throughout our entire trip, and even when we were transferred to the airport at 1am for our departing flight!
Our driver/guide Amos was fantastic! He was helpful, caring and full of so much knowledge that he willingly shared with us. We never felt we were asking too many questions which is such a nice feeling when you are immersed into a new culture you want to learn so much about.
Our transition to your sister company for our trip through Tanzania was smooth and without hassle, again we were so well looked after. All our accommodations along the way knew we were on our honeymoon and each did something of their own choice to make our stay romantic or that little more memorable - we felt so special!
We will never forget our time in Africa, nor the new friends we have made in Siema and Amos. If we ever return to Africa or have friends and family wanting to visit Africa, we know exactly which company we will be contacting!
Thanks so much for the trip of a lifetime -definitely a top score of 10 from us!
2
Client:
Aniko Keri - from Australia
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
The tour operator was very professional and the trip went 100% smoothly.
Our luggage weight was too heavy and they took 1 suitcase back to their office for us. By the time we discovered that we left all our papers e.g.(itinerary) they were gone. After a quick phone call, they assured us that they will call ahead to each lodge, telling them that we DO have vouchers, but not with us.True to their word we were expected everywhere.
I found this operator on the internet,and to tell the truth I was a bit worried as one never knows.... They proved fantastic above all expectations.
3
Client:
Elaine & Darrell - from Canada
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
Our safari went far beyond our expectations. The team were very personal and professional at the same time.
Whenever we had questions they were addressed immediately before we traveled and during the trip our sales consultant, Bernard Muchiri, phoned and asked how our trip was going and could they be of any help in any way. Bernard also came to the hotel and introduced himself at the beginning of our trip.
Our guide was superb, exhibiting a great deal of knowledge about his country and getting us to a place where we were able to see and photograph the animals. He did everything in his power to make our trip memorable and enjoyable.
We highly recommend this company because it is doing everything right in showing off the country. On the Tanzanian part of our tour we also had a most memorable experience. Our guide was a veteran driver/guide who knew where to find animals and birds. He was very considerate of our personal well being. He was proud to be showing us his country and also gave us background on its history and people.
Both of these tour groups were just excellent.
4
Client:
Yen-ti Verg-in - from Micronesia
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
Our trip with was wonderful.
The consultant and tour guides were very informative and helpful. We had an enjoyable and memorable trip.
thank you for the good service.
5
Client:
Ray Noble - from United States
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
Michelle and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip and both the travel and accommodations were well organized.
We also had an excellent driver/guide and enjoyed our trip. There were no hidden surprises and we felt there was good open communication between the operator and us.
I would recommend the tour company in the future. Thanks for asking and look forward to a future visit.
6
Client:
Mary Want - from United Kingdom
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
Have just returned from this safari and have been exceedingly happy with the arrangements, from Siema's pre-trip organisation, to the accommodation arranged in both Kenya and Tanzania.
Both our driver/guides - George in Kenya and Nuru in Tanzania - were excellent, careful drivers and very knowledgeable about the areas, animals and birds.
7
Client:
Kathy and Keith Caddy - from United Kingdom
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
Our holiday in both Kenya and Tanzania can only be described as undescribably incredible - no words are sufficient for describing the beauty of the place. Everything was well organised, our guides,
Julius in Kenya and Silva in Tanzania were both outstanding - they had great knowledge and were always full of enthusiasm. The animals, the bird life, the scenery, and the Masai village visit (well worth doing), have all left us with wonderful memories.
Please could you feedback to our guides how wonderful we thought they were.
8
Client:
Val Smith - from Australia
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
Not long back from a 3 week safari to Kenya/Tanzania including 4 relaxing days in Zanzibar, all organised the this tour operator
From the day we arrived in Nairobi where Ben, our guide/driver for the Kenya leg, was waiting for us until 3 weeks later when a driver saw us off at Dar Es Salam Airport, everything went without a hitch.
The accomodation was well above what we expected.
Driver/guides very informative on wildlife, local history , flora and customs. Always on time with a smile.
It is hard to choose highlights from a trip where every day brings something exciting and special, be it a leopard sitting under a tree watching us watch him or a lioness with her cubs walking right beside our 4x4. The following are highlights for me from a trip that I would repeat
Night Game Drive at Sweetwaters Tented Camp – We witnessed a lioness kill a gazelle, 2 lions roaring at each other before sitting down to enjoy the meal. The sight and sounds will stay with me forever.
Hot Air Balloon Flight over the Mara – Well worth the early morning call. Watching the sun rise as you drift across the river, seeing an abundance of wildlife from above. Followed by champagne breakfast out in the bush.
Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp – All our accommodation was great but this one we found exceptional.
Imagine sitting out front of your luxury tent or floating in the swimming pool watching a rhino and two giraffe drinking from the waterhole 500 metres away.
The management and staff, including the driver/guides all said they enjoy working here, it certainly shows in the happy atmosphere. Best camping I have ever done.
Ngoongoro Crater- Breathtaking, both for the wildlife and the sunrise.
Tarangire National Park – Beautiful park and the place to go for elephants in great numbers.
I would have no hesitation recommending them to anyone thinking of travelling through East Africa
9
Client:
Yvonne and Mark Elkin - from United States
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
We have nothing but positive feedback for this safari package and tour operator. Serah, the Head of Sales and Marketing worked closely with us to plan and prepare for our trip. During the unrest in Kenya following the Dec. 2007 elections, she kept us up to date and helped us monitor the situation first hand to ensure we felt safe in travelling to her country. She sent us lists on what to bring with us, tips for travelling in Africa and even provided information on bringing gifts for bartering and giving to the children in the tribal schools.
Upon arrival, we were given a comprehensive briefing before setting off on our adventure. During our flight to Nairobi, I had lost a bottle of our malaria medicine while going through security in London. Serah and our driver/guide, Ben canvassed local chemists and doctors to help us replace the pills that I lost. Anything we needed they were there to help us find.
The package itself was excellent. The accommodations are mostly at Serena Lodges, and they are beautiful places to stay, with more than excellent service. The staff at all of the lodges couldn't have been more welcoming and hospitable, the food was good and the settings/views gorgeous. My only semi-negative comment for the package is that for us 16 days may have been a little longer than we needed and the one night stay-over in Nairobi between Massai Mara and Amboseli seemed to serve no purpose in the itinerary. However, since you can never predict where or when you might see the animals most of us go to Africa to see, 16 days could be just right.
And saving the best for last. Ben our driver/guide in Kenya was absolutely the best. He was extremely knowledgeable about the people, the country, the birds, plants and animals. We learned so much spending 11 days with him and in the course of the trip made a new and dear friend. We went to see the animals of Kenya and take some great photographs and ended up with an in-depth education about the culture, the history and the ecology of a pretty amazing country. He is an awesome ambassador for his country and made us feel like part of the family. And, by the way we saw everything we expected to see. Got the "big five" in the first 5 days and Ben was as excited as we were.
So, we would absolutely recommend this package and this operator to anyone traveling to Kenya or Tanzania. We will return, but next time customize our package to see a few new places and to focus on learning more about some places we have already been. And you can bet we will request Ben be our guide.
Traveled September 2008 Yvonne and Mark Elkin
10
Client:
Peter & Meg Scholefield - from Australia
Trip:
This trip: Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari
Rating:
rating 10/10
Comment:
I could not recommend this operator more highly, their response was prompt, their safari was well organised and went without a hitch, their driver/guide especially in Kenya was just great and the whole three weeks they organised for us was superb.
We would have no problem recommending them to anyone wanting a Safari in Kenya/ Uganda/Tanzania, they proved themselves to be efficient, honest and trusworthy,
