10-Day From Kenya to Tanzania – Mid-Range

Have an early morning pick up then drive to Lake Nakuru National Park. Across the equator, southwards of Bogoria, lies the Rift Valley’s most famous Lake Nakuru. Known all over the world for its flamingoes. It’s alkaline and is recognized as being one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Lake Nakuru is now a rhino sanctuary, harboring a population of over 40 black and over 60 white rhinos, but the flamingos, of course, have always been the main attraction. At times there may be almost 2 million flamingos in the residence, forming a stunningly beautiful deep pink band around the edge of the lakeshore. You will arrive in time for lunch then have an afternoon game drive.

Dinner and your overnight stay are at the campsite or lodge.

Have an early morning drive to Masai Mara National Reserve. It holds on as one of the few places left on earth where wildlife still lives comparatively undisturbed, in the numbers that once roamed the plains and forests of Africa. As the northern tip of the vast Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara hosts the spectacular seasonal migration of many thousands of wildebeest, zebras and attendant predators. You will arrive in time for lunch then have an afternoon game drive.

Note: Accommodation determines the price, choosing from budget to midrange and luxury or ultra-luxury.

After breakfast, we will have a full day game drive, with packed lunch provided. The reserve is well known for its black-maned lion, as well as its abundant resident wildlife and it’s one of the few places where it’s possible to see the Big Five during a morning’s game drive. Many of the cheetahs are so tame they seek shelter from the hot sun under one’s vehicle and several even climb onto the roof to get a better view of prospective prey. For the bird enthusiast, almost 500 species have been recorded: among these 16 species of eagle, many hawks and falcons, 6 species of vultures, 8 species of storks, 4 of bustard (including the kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird), and 9 species of sun birds.

On this day, you will be transferring from Masai Mara to Serengeti National Park (through the Isebania border). This transfer takes almost the whole day but during a great part of the journey (in the morning in Masai Mara and in the afternoon in the Serengeti), you will be doing game drives.

In the afternoon, enjoy the game drive en-route the tented camp.

The famous Serengeti National Park is home of the Great Migration. The game drives are spectacular, as you drive up the crater highlands, stopping at the rim. Continuing on, spreading out is the vast Serengeti. Serengeti means “endless plains” in Kiswahili. This 6,900sq miles (18,000sq km) park is inhabited by more than 2 million large animals including more than a million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of plains zebras, and Thomson’s gazelles. There are also large predators including lions, cheetahs, and hyenas. Many smaller animals like rock hyrax or monkeys also inhabit the area along with nearly 500 species of birds. On the second day, after breakfast, have a full day in Serengeti National Park (morning and afternoon game drives). There is a possibility to visit Olduvai Gorge and have a balloon flight.

Have an early morning safari before breakfast, to spot the animals when they are more active and also to have a fantastic sun rise in front of you. After the game drive, return to the camp for brunch, followed by a transfer to Ngorongoro. With walls 2,000ft high and a crater floor that spreads for 102sq miles, the crater is a virtual Noah’s Ark, inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa including the rare black rhino. In fact, the crater has the greatest concentration of wildlife on the planet. It contains a river, several swamps, from the top it looks like steam, full of flamingoes, a forest and open plains. The large bull elephants that reside here have extremely large tusks, due to the rich mineral content of the volcanic soil and its grasses.

There is a possibility for an afternoon walking safari in Ngorongoro Highlands.

Very early in the morning, descend down to the crater floor for a day of wildlife viewing in one of the most incredible places on Earth. After a stop for a picnic lunch near the hippo lake, have more wildlife viewing in the afternoon then drive up the steep road out of the crater and transfer to Manyara for your overnight stay. You can also visit Tarangire instead of Manyara and we recommend it from June to September.

Possibility to visit Oldonyo Sambu Maasai Village on the way to Manyara/Tarangire.

Accommodation can be upgraded to higher level options (at extra costs) or downgraded to more economic ones (price reduction).

Depart after breakfast and drive across the Great Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day game drive. This enchanting park is noted for its beauty and incredibly lush acacia forest of giant fig and mahogany trees, which are home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. It is very famous for its stunning bird variety. The park is also home to a large number of buffalos, giraffes, elephants, impalas and a Hippo lake, where large numbers of hippos usually gather. This park has become famous for the climbing lions and the flamingos on the lake shore. The game drives are done along the shore of the lake, providing incredible views of animals in the foreground with the lake, flamingos and flat plains in the horizon. In the afternoon, you’ll transfer to Arusha.

Possibility for a bicycle ride tour and for a night game drive.