Realm of the Original African Animal Safari
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zanzibar and Mombasa
Wild, adventurous and wonderful. Immense concentrations of wildlife, amazing birdlife, rich and diverse cultures…places like no where else on earth: Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Masai Mara, Serengeti plains, Murchison Falls - source of the great River Nile, the long, timeless white-sand beaches of Zanzibar…East Africa, the home of safari.
Prices effective:
01 January 2012 - 14 December 2012
Priced from USD $4354 per person sharing
Prices vary according to season
Single Supplement: USD $51.00 (Per Person - single occupancy)
Prices range according to season
13 Day Classic Kenya & Tanzania Safari
Experience the best of both Kenya and Tanzania in this all-encompassing safari through the famed rolling savannah of the Masai Mara and the Serengeti, land of the Great Migration - the greatest wildlife spectacle in the world - to the wildlife-rich lakes of Naivasha and Manyara, home to some of the largest concentrations of birdlife in East Africa. See the Big 5 in the prehistoric Tarangire and Amboseli National Parks, and try to comprehend the vast natural splendour of the Ngorongoro Crater, all while travelling in comfort and style.
Day 1 | Nairobi
On Arrival in Nairobi you will be met and transferred to the Sarova Panafric Hotel for overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.
Sarova Panafric Hotel in Nairobi is located 5 minutes drive from the CBD amidst beautifully landscaped gardens in a quiet suburb of Nairobi. The city hotel offers 153 rooms in a range of standard, superior, club and suites and 42 apartments- all decorated in a contemporary vibrant African style. Sarova Panafric offers state of the art banqueting and conferencing facilities with a range of meeting and function rooms equipped with the latest audio visual and WIFI equipment. To wind up the day, take a dip in the pool or go for a leisurely massage – or simply enjoy a cool drink to the soothing sounds of Africa’s rhythm.
Day 2 | Masai Mara
Morning drive across the Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara. Afternoon game-viewing and spend two nights at the Mara Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.
Set in the heart of Africa's Great Plains, the Masai Mara boasts 1,672 square kilometers of unspoilt wilderness. It is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent. Throughout the year the Mara is a place of natural drama, a kaleidoscope of color and life. The famed "Big Five" - elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard - roam the reserve, together with hundreds of others from the fastest animal on earth, the cheetah, to one of the most secretive, the bat-eared fox. After the rains, when the first flush of grass turns the Mara's golden savannah green, the mesmerizing wildlife spectacle anywhere takes place here: the Great Migration. This is the time when 1.5 million Wildebeest, accompanied by vast numbers of zebra and gazelles make the long and dangerous trek from drier lands in Tanzania, northwards to this corner of Kenya. For most of the century the Mara has drawn those searching for adventure and the thrill is still the same today with days spent face to face with nature at its most untouched and enthralling.
Mara Sopa Lodge is set in the Oloolamuita valley in a hillside landscape. The lodge houses 100 rooms of which 13 are suites and each room and suite has a breathtaking view of the Olooaimutia Valley. The rooms are furnished with queen size beds and full en-suite bathrooms. Each room and suite has its own private balcony where wildlife and birdlife can be viewed in comfort. The lodge itself is of a "hut" design and the interior design of the public areas and rooms are a reflection of the rich Maasai culture and art.
After a game drive you can refresh in the pool, sipping on cocktails or experience an African barbeque while enjoying African Theme Nights. You can also purchase gifts and clothing from the gift shop. Children are especially welcome to Mara Sopa Lodge and the lodge will also provide a baby-sitting service on request.
Day 3 | Masai Mara
A full day game-viewing in the Mara.
Day 4 | Lake Naivasha
Return to the Rift Valley and on to Lake Naivasha. Afternoon boat trip on the lake, one of the prime bird watching areas in East Africa. Overnight at Naivasha Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.
On the southern shores of Lake Naivasha is Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge. The lake is the only freshwater lake within Africa's Great Rift Valley. The lake teems with freshwater fish and bathing hippo. This is the safari traveler's place of relaxation and rejuvenation; a perfect blend of luxury and safari spirit. Here the avid bird watcher sees paradise in a vast array of exotic bird life. The lake region is host to distinctive herds of plains game and the elusive black faced colobus monkey.
Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge has panoramic views of the environs and the lake. Luxuriously appointed rooms feature spacious sunken lounges, while upper floor rooms have their own private balcony on which to relax, sunbathe or view game. The main restaurant serves a multi-ethnic combination of European, African and Asian dishes, all made with fresh produce. The lodge is guarded 24 hours a day by Masai warriors who will also escort guests to their rooms, particularly after dark.
Day 5 | Amboseli
Drive via Nairobi to Amboseli, crossing the Athi plains, home to the colourful Masai tribes. Spend the next two nights at Amboseli Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.
Amboseli National Park lies along Kenya's border with Tanzania. In a land of contrasts Amboseli stands out - breathtaking semi-desert scenery interspersed with lush oasis overlooked by the awe-inspiring Mount Kilimanjaro. The area attracts large numbers of game, drawn to natural springs fed from Kilimanjaro: plains game, elephant, buffalo, lion, cheetah and leopard as well as many varieties of birdlife are at home in this magnificent area.
At the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, is the Amboseli Sopa Lodge, set on 200 acres of land not far from where Ernest Hemingway lived whilst writing his novel, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro." Amboseli National Park is home to the Masai, over 400 species of breeding birds, and teems with rare and wonderful wildlife. The rustic luxury of Amboseli Sopa lodge makes it the perfect rendezvous for the adventurer wishing to conquer the snowcapped peaks of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Amboseli Sopa Lodge consists of 18 deluxe rooms, 20 double rooms and 9 single rooms. Each room has its own private verandah and full bathroom. The restaurant serves a multi-ethnic combination of European, African and Asian dishes, all made with fresh produce. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style. Dinner is a four-course meal and picnic lunch boxes are available for guests traveling or on safari during the day.
Day 6 | Amboseli
Morning and afternoon game-viewing. Elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and antelope abound and, with luck, a magnificent view of Mt Kilimanjaro.
Day 7 | Tarangire
This morning you will be transferred to the Namanga border post and proceed to Arusha for lunch at the Impala Hotel. After lunch you will be transferred to Tarangire park with game viewing on arrival. Overnight at the Tarangire Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.
Situated 114km from Arusha, Tarangire National Park boasts magnificent herds of wildlife. The park gets its name from the river that threads its way through the length of the reserve. It is famous for its dense wildlife population. Thousands of animals - wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, and fringe-eard oryx - migrate from the dry Masai Mara steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water. Lion and other predators follow the herds.
The Tarangire Sopa Lodge is built as a "low profile" structure, nestling into a wooded hill side valley overlooking Tarangire Hill. Opened in January 1995 the lodge has 75 suites all enjoying extensive views. Each suite has two queen-sized beds, a fully equipped en suite bathroom and floor to ceiling sliding doors which open on to a private balcony or verandah. A small, comfortably furnished lounge with drinks refrigerator provides extra privacy to each suite.
Day 8 | Ngorongoro
Morning game viewing in Tarangire park. Lunch and afternoon drive across the Great Rift Valley to Ngorongoro. Overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.
Listed by Unesco as a world heritage site, the incomparable Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest "caldera". A caldera is the broad, crater-like basin of a volcano formed by the collapse of the central cone. Dominated by cliffs standing some 600 meters high and presenting a sheer drop down to a wide open space of some 264 square km, the crater is one of the most amazing sights seen anywhere. The Crater is home to 25,000 larger mammals, almost half of them zebra and wildebeest. There are also gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and wart hog. Such vast numbers attract predators a plenty, mainly lion and hyena but also cheetah and leopard. More than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted here. Countless flamingos form a pink blanket over the soda lakes.
Spread out along the upper most rim of the Ngorongoro Crater the Sopa offers breathtaking views of the crater floor far below. Gazing on the sight below you will be amazed at the wildlife when you actually make your way to the crater floor today or tomorrow - it is like no where else in the world! Each room of the Ngorongoro Sopa offers a fine view - unless the infamous fog shrouds the view in the early morning - with full en-suite, two double beds and one can enjoy the view from the pool, restaurant and bar as well.
Day 9 | Serengeti
Morning game viewing in Ngorongoro Crater with picnic lunch. Afternoon drive to the Serengeti with a stop en route to visit Olduvai Gorge. Two nights at Serengeti Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.
Located within the Ngorongoro Conservation area is the Olduvai Gorge, 180 kilometres from Arusha. It was here that Dr Louis Leakey discovered the remains of Homo habis or "Handy man" regarded as mankind's first step on the ladder of human evolution. But many more fossils have been discovered here including those of prehistoric elephants, giant horned sheep and enormous ostriches. Guides operate lecture tours of the sites.
The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. "Serengeti" means "endless plains" in the Masai language, and within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen here including the so called "big five" - elephant, rhino, lion (more than 2,000 of them), leopard and buffalo. During the wet season, November to May, most of the plains game congregate in Southern Serengeti, followed by their attendant predators. Some time in May or June the herds migrate north and west in search of water. They remain in North Serengeti and the western corridor during the dry season, July-October, returning south again as the November rains approach. The wildebeest calving takes place on the short grass plains during late December - early February. In their wake follow the predators; lion cheetah and hunting dogs with vultures circling overhead. Other common species found here include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkeys and a profusion of almost 500 bird species.
Looking out over the seemingly endless Serengeti plains, the Serengeti Sopa offers a tranquil oasis set in thousands of square kilometres of National Park. This full service hotel has spacious rooms, all boasting the same fine view as the restaurant, pool and bar area. Each suite, with its own large balcony, has a full en-suite, fridge, air conditioning and comfortable double beds.
Day 10 | Serengeti
Morning and afternoon game viewing in the Serengeti.
Day 11 | Lake Manyara
Morning game-viewing in the Serengeti. Lunch and drive to Lake Manyara. Spend the next two nights at Kirurumu Tented Lodge on a full board basis.
Lying in a shallow depression at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment, the scenic Lake Manyara National Park. Most famous for its tree-climbing lions, which drape themselves over branches of umbrella-shaped thorn trees to catch cool breezes, the reserve boasts over 40 species of large mammals and some 380 birds. There are several different types of forests with a variety of fauna - hippopotamuses, giraffes, elephants, zebras, and monkeys just to name a few. From Arusha it is a 3-hour drive to Lake Manyara.
Kirurumu Lodge is a luxury-tented lodge built upon the Gregorian Escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Set in this stunning location, it overlooks a spectacular panorama across Lake Manyara to Mount Losimongori and miles of seemingly untouched Africa. The tents are private and secluded and each is raised on a base of natural stone and has a cooling thatched roof, which also covers and shades the deck style wooden verandah.
Day 12 | Lake Manyara
Morning game-viewing drive in Lake Manyara Park. Afternoon free for optional activities such as bicycle or walking trip to a Masai Manyatta or visit a local village market.
Day 13 | Arusha
Morning drive to Arusha, arriving before lunch. Lunch is included at the Impala hotel. Transfer to Kilimanjaro airport in time for your onward flight.
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