Lions Bluff Lodge - Taita Hills, Kenya

 Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary - Taita Hills, Kenya

An ecological oasis
An exclusive eco-lodge, conceived, built and run by the local Taita community, Lions Bluff Lodge stands high on a rocky bluff looking towards the North Pare Mountains, Kilimanjaro, the West Usambara Mountains and the Taita Hills.
The 125,000-acre community-owned Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary lies at the heart of the Tsavo eco system, surrounded by Tsavo East and West National parks and the Taita Game Sanctuary. It is composed of three group ranches (Lualenyi, Mramba and Oza), all of whom have elected to pool their natural resources in the interests of sustaining this unique wilderness area.
The area is a vital wildlife corridor for the animals of Tsavo East and west, it is also an ancient elephant migratory route and important breeding sites for lion.
Kenya hotels and accommodation
Amongst the wide range of Kenya hotels, some make the ideal Kenya safari destination. Choose a safari lodge, safari hotel, bush camp, luxury lodge, safari camp, tented camp or bush lodge. National park accommodation usually takes the form of a traditional safari lodge or tented camp, but numerous other options exist on the park boundaries. Luxury lodges and luxury camp options are also offered in the private wildlife conservancies.

Location
Immediately adjacent to Tsavo West, the Lodge also serves as a gateway to both Lake Jipe and Lake Challa as well as to the Shetani Lava Flows, Mizima Springs Hippo Pools, and rhinoceros sanctuary of Tsavo West.
How to get there
From Voi, take the Taveta road for 48 kms. Turn left at the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary signboard. The sanctuary gate is 1km from the main road. Lions Bluff is 5km from the gate.
The Background
The picturesquely verdant Taita Hills lie to the south and west of Voi town and rise abruptly above the plains of Tsavo West National park. The highest point in the Taitas is Vuria (2,209m), from which there are stunning views of Kasigau, Mawenzi, Kibo, Ngulia and the Chyulus.

Wundanyi is the Taita district capital where you can also see one of the many ancestor shrines of the Taita, The cave of skulls . This cave, just outside the town, shelters the exhumed skulls of 32 Taita ancestors and remains a traditional advice and guidance centre wherein the Taita people may consult with their dead.

The forgotten world of the Taitas
Because the forests that cap the Taita Hills have been isolated from the other Kenyan forests for many centuries, they shelter unusually high levels of endemic species. Bird species include the Taita Thrush, the Taita White-eye and the Taita Apalis. The Taitas also host a unique rear-fanged snake, Amblyodipsas teitana, an endemic toad, Bufo Teitensis, and three butterflies, the Taita Glider, Taita Charaxes and Taita Swallowtail found only in the Taitas. At least nine plant species are found nowhere else on earth whilst the African violet (extensively sold as a pot plant in Europe and America) grows well on their moist slopes.
Beautiful birds
Highlights of the birdlife include extremes such as ostrich and golden pipit, while perhaps the most conspicuous are the white-headed buffalo weaver and the brilliantly plumaged golden-breasted starling. Raucous hornbill are also prevalent as are such hole-nesting birds as parrot, barbet and roller.
Wildlife highlights:
Coke's hartebeest, bush, duiker, klipspringer, suni, Bohor reedbuck, impala, Grant's gazelle, fringe-eared oryx, bush buck, lesser kudu, eland, steenbok, Kirk's dik-dik, waterbuck, vervet and Syke's monkey, yellow baboon, golden, black-backed and side-striped jackal, mongoose, squirrel, cheetah, caracal, serval, African wild cat, lion, leopard, African civet, elephant, Burchells zebra, buffalo, Maasai giraffe, African hare, ant bear, aardwolf, bush baby, bat-eared fox, porcupine, genet, zorilla, honey badger, tortoise, hedgehogs, hyrax, spotted and striped hyena, otter, terrapin and monitor lizard.
Accommodation
Surrounded by the smoke-grey peaks of the Pare Mountains, with views of the snows of Kilimanjaro, the ensuite rooms have little need of decoration. The twelve Rondavel-styled rooms are simplicity incarnate; featuring hand-made four-poster beds, crisp white linen and locally-made wildwood furniture. Each room is ensuite and features a viewing deck and wildwood bridge leading from the bluff.
Dining and bars
The central dining room has open sides, allowing for long views across the plains. An integral part of the surrounding community, the professionally-trained chef sources all his produce from the local farmers, many of whom are shareholders in the conservancy. International and local buffet selections are offered.

Child-friendly
The lodge welcomes children and can provide; children's menus, mealtimes, baby-sitting, guided nature walks, and family game drives.
Other facilities
Simply built from sustainable timber, the lodge features a panoramic bar, viewing terrace and community handicrafts boutique.

What to see and do
A traditional breeding ground for the legendary lions of Tsavo, Lions Bluff has its own waterhole, which attracts great herds of elephants, buffalos and plains game.
Day and night game drives.
Unlike the national parks, the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary permits both day and night game drives.
‘Sun-downer' cocktails, bush suppers, picnic lunches, guided nature walks and ornithological tours are also offered.
A key arena of war in the East African campaign of World War I, the lodge also hosts a series of utterly unique ‘battle field tours'; which rediscover the battle lines, infantry trenches and discarded shell cases left behind by one of the most bizarre military encounters between the German and British colonialists.

Lions Bluff Lodge - Taita Hills • Exclusive Safari Lodge • Kenya Hotels, Safari Lodges, Tented Camps
To enquire about booking this Kenya safari hotel, please Contact Us!

We Care We Contribute

As a company, “We care”. It’s a commitment! There is great need in Africa. We at AfricaImpressive.com support a number of worthy causes helping both people and wildlife in Africa. For every client who visits Africa with us, we donate $10 to one of the following non-profit programs:

Since 1969, the animal orphanage at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy continues to be home to countless animals that were orphaned, injured or needed special care. Many are successfully returned to the wild.

For more information visit the website of Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy

Madagascar Wildlife Conservation (MWC) aims to preserve biodiversity in key areas by promoting a long-term conservation process that integrates development, environmental education and research.

MWC is an international non-profit organisation working in Madagaskar. The goal of our projects is to preserve the unique nature on and around Lac Alaotra and at the same time to respect the needs of the local people of the region.

For more information visit the website of Madagascar Wildlife Conservation

We Care! AfricaImpressive.com and Paeonia Rubra donate $10 to a worthy cause in Africa for every client who travels with us!

SERENGETI SAFARI

Showcasing the very essence of the Serengeti and its surrounding areas, this compact 5-day road safari begins on the shores of beautiful Lake Manyara National Park before moving into the grandeur of the Serengeti, where traditional lodge accommodation is provided for two nights. Leaving the Serengeti, the tour includes a fascinating visit to 01 Duvai Gorge, the legendary ‘Cradle of Mankind’, before entering the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, where a half-day crater tour is included. All accommodation is provided in traditional safari lodges.
Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe, black and white rhino.

Serengeti Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Lake Manyara
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met by your vehicle and driver. After lunch in Arusha town, drive to the Lake Manyara Wildlife Lodge, which is the only lodge to lie within the boundaries of the Lake Manyara National Park. Lying in the heart of the park, it offers stunning views of the towering escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, while its exclusive position allows for extensive safari game drives in the southern section of the park, which is dominated by its soda lake, often home to thousands of greater flamingos and lesser flamingos. Lunch and dinner at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 130 km / 2 hours
Day 2: Lake Manyara to the Serengeti
After breakfast, take a game-drive around Lake Manyara National Park, which is famous for its tree climbing lions. After lunch, drive to the Serengeti National Park and enjoy an afternoon’s game drive before checking into the Seronera Wildlife Lodge. Sensitively constructed around a rocky outcrop, known as a kopje, the lodge blends perfectly into the savannah. Surrounded by waterholes that attract wildlife both day and night, it is ideally located for game drives, balloon safaris and guided walks. Dinner at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 205 km / 4 hours
Day 3: On safari in the Serengeti
Enjoy a full day’s game driving around the vast and sensational Serengeti, which covers 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains and is Tanzania’s most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends. The million-plus wildebeest are the predominant herbivore and also the main prey of a huge cast of large carnivores, principally lion and hyena. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog. All meals at the lodge.
The Migration
Twice a year, propelled by the rains, 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle gather in the Serengeti to undertake an 800 km trek to new grazing lands. The precise timing of the migration varies but generally the herbivores congregate and move out at the end of May, sometimes over a period of weeks, sometimes over a period of as little as three or four days. They then head west on the first leg of a roughly triangular 800-km circuit that takes approximately 3-4 months and ends in the Masai Mara National Reserve of Kenya. When the grazing here is exhausted the tide of herbivores turns and reverses its progress returning to the short grass plains of Tanzania.
Day 4: Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater
Leave the Serengeti and drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area via Olduvai Gorge the ‘cradle of mankind’, and site of one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history. Continue into the crater for an afternoon tour and picnic lunch. Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. In the late afternoon, ascend to the rim of the crater and check-in to the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, which offers one of the finest locations of all the crater-rim lodges, lying on its southern rim directly above the yellow fever trees of the Lerai Forest. Dinner at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 145 km / 3 hours
Day 4: Lunch in Arusha
After breakfast, drive to Arusha arriving in time for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flights.
Distance/drive time: 190 km / 3.5 hours

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Mount Kilimanjaro Machame Route

Once championed as the discerning wilderness route for climbers, Machame is gaining on Marangu in terms of popularity. It is also the second-most accessible trailhead of the non-steep routes making it attractive to clients. Its reputation as one of the most scenic routes is entirely justified, with the sweeping views across the Masai Steppe to Meru and the impressive Barranco Valley praised by all who climb it. Gains in popularity, however, are inevitably at the expense of total exclusivity but as the descent route is different from the ascent, climbers are only aware of the popularity when they reach camp; it is still infinitely quieter than the Marangu Route.
Machame Route Climbing Schedule
Day 1: Arrival
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport you will be met by our representative. After checking that you have all your luggage and belongings he will take you to one of our vehicles and transfer you to your hotel for a briefing on the following day’s climb. Overnight at Keys Hotel in Moshi.
Day 2: Machame Camp
Pick up from your lodge after breakfast and transfer to Machame gate where you will register before you start your climb. From the park entrance gate (Machame), you will trek for about two to three hours through a dense forest of fig and rubber trees, begonia flowers, and other tropical vegetation. A stop for a hot lunch will be made halfway to the campsite. As you continue your ascent, you will find that the tropical forest has given way to tall grasses and giant heather. You will be walking on a ridge, to the left of which is the Semira stream, and on the right, the Weru Weru. Depending on the pace of the climbers, arrival at Machame Camp is usually between 5pm and 6pm. This initial stage of the climb is tranquil and relatively easy. There is no point in rushing to get to the camp, as there is little to do there. Guides tend to recommend a slow ascent, even at this point, for gradual acclimatization.
Do not try to keep up with your porters, who will usually bound ahead. Instead, take time to admire the beauty of the rainforest. If you are interested in botany, you should carry a small reference book.
Day 3: Shira Camp
On this and subsequent mornings, wake-up call is at around 6am and is accompanied by hot tea or coffee and typically a fabulous view of Uhuru peak.
Today’s trek takes you up a steep track through a savannah of tall grasses, volcanic rock, and bearded heather. You will encounter giant groundsels as you hike through a ghostly landscape of volcanic lava, caves, and foamy streams.
Lunch will be taken just below the Shira Plateau, about three to four hours from Shira Camp. The hike to the next campsite takes approximately six hours and you should arrive between 2pm and 3pm. Most climbers tend to pace themselves, walking slowly and resting about every half-hour. Many will feel lethargic and have headaches by the time they reach camp. Guides advise those with symptoms of altitude sickness to drink tea and sleep a lot. Dinner and overnight at Shira Camp.
Day 4: Barranco
After breakfast you will start crossing the Bastains stream and commence the descent to Barranco Camp along the immense Grand Barranco canyon. Along the way, you will see numerous waterfalls, which are fed, by streams coming from the mountain, converging here to form the Umbwe River. Your camp is set at almost the same altitude as the night before. Today’s trek lasts for about six hours and arrival at camp is between 4.30 and 5.30pm. Dinner and overnight at Barranco Camp.
Day 5: Barafu
The scenic climb to Barafu is mostly on a moraine with a view of Mawenzi Peak towering majestically to the right, and overhead, Kibo Peak seemingly just out of reach. The alpine desert terrain encountered at this point is mostly a mineral environment with few lichens and mosses. Lunch will be taken halfway. All climbers are advised to go to bed very early this night, as the next day is the longest one. Dinner and overnight at Barafu Camp
Day 6: Summit
You will be awakened at midnight and after a light breakfast, start climbing at around 3am. At this stage, the climb becomes much more difficult. Here, very few will not be suffering from altitude sickness in some form or another; and climbers should carry as little as possible on this portion of the climb. Temperatures will range from -4° to 5° Fahrenheit. Making your way up a path that is flanked by the Ratzel and Rebman glaciers, you will climb for about six hours before reaching the edge of the crater, between Stella and Hans Meyer points. Another hour of climbing brings you to the summit. Uhuru stands at 19,340 feet and is the highest point on the continent of Africa. The track around the edge of the crater is rocky and icy. Concentrate on your feet, and follow your guide very closely for this portion of the journey.
The descent is now easier than the ascent. You will reach Barafu Camp after about three hours at around 11.30am. Arriving into camp at around 5pm you will have trekked a total of thirteen hours today. Dinner and overnight at MwekaCamp.

Day 7: Descent
After breakfast continue down to Mweka gate where you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak receive gold certificates. Met by a driver guide and drive to your hotel in Moshi.
Day 8
After breakfast transfer to the airport for your home bound flights.
Optional Extra day at Karanga Camp:
An extra day is offered at Karanga to acclimatize to the higher altitude. Karanga Camp. It will be spent hiking to Karanga Camp, which is on the same altitude as Barranco Camp. You will encounter a bit of a climb at Barranco Cliff and spend the rest of the trek climbing up and down the slopes of the mountain most of the way to camp. The climbing is not considered difficult and you should arrive in time for lunch (approximately 1pm) having trekked for about four hours. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to hike in the Karanga Valley where giant senecios and lobelia grow; however, you are well advised to rest as much as you possibly can to prepare you for the climb ahead. Dinner and overnight at Karanga Camp.

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TANZANIA DELUXE

This luxury road and air safari showcases the undiscovered wilderness of Tarangire National Park, the possibility of seeing the famous tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara, the glory of the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, 01 Duvai Gorge Paleolithic site and the magnificent Serengeti. Covering optimum distances in minimum time, this unique safari also offers both traditional safari lodge and luxury tented camp accommodation.
Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe and rhino.
Tanzania Deluxe Safari Schedule
Day 1: Arrive in Arusha
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by your driver/guide and escorted to the charming Serena Mountain Village, Arusha, which stands on the shores of Lake Duluti with views of Mount Meru. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 2: To Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park in time for lunch at Kikoti Camp. Kikoti, in the Maasai language, means “the place where life began”, and is the name given by the local Maasai to an ancient pre-Jurassic kopje in the Tarangire eco-system, which lies adjacent to the camp. A luxury tented camp, Kikoti echoes the luxury of the traditional safari camps of a bygone era, defined by superior service and campfire hospitality rather than modern conveniences and an anonymous welcome. Kikoti’s proximity to Tarangire National Park also allows the guests to enjoy a wide choice of exploratory game-drives through the classic African savannah and acacia parkland of this undiscovered wilderness.
Moreover, its position in the migratory corridor just outside the park provides a range of activities that are forbidden elsewhere in the game lands of Northern Tanzania. These include; nature walks, foot safaris and extended bush trekking with rangers, all of which offer unique opportunities to revisit nature in her primeval state. Located on a community conservation area, a portion of all accommodation rates goes to the local community, who use it for community-chosen development projects such as schools, water boreholes, roads and dispensaries. After lunch enjoy a game drive in Tarangire before arriving back in camp in time for sundowners and dinner.
Distance/drive time: 165km / 2 hours
Day 3: On Safari in Tarangire
Spend a full day on safari in Tarangire National Park with morning and afternoon game drives. Second only to the Ngorongoro Crater as a dry-season (June/July) sanctuary for vast herds of migratory creatures, the park’s wildlife tend to follow clearly defined seasonal patterns. First to move north-east, often as far as Lake Natron, are the zebras and wildebeests, which begin their trek in October. After them, trek the gazelles, buffaloes, elands, oryxes and hartebeests. Finally, the elephants move out. The Defassa waterbucks, impalas, giraffes, lesser kudus, Kirk’s dik and warthogs, meanwhile, remain resident. The return of the park’s migratory species begins in June and July; firstly with the oryxes and elands, then the elephants; and finally, the zebras and wildebeest. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp.
Day 4: To Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast drive to Lake Manyara National Park arriving at Kirurumu Tented Lodge in time for lunch. Kirurumu Tented Lodge is set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, enjoying a marvellous, panoramic view eastward over Lake Manyara, the Rift floor and Mt. Losimingori. Lying in a shallow depression at the base of the western wall of the eastern arm of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara typically shimmers in a lilac and gold heat haze, sometimes streaked pink with thousands of flamingos. Backed by a narrow band of forest, it rises to the dramatically sheer red and brown cliffs of the Mto wa Mbu Escarpment.
Behind Kirurumu, the Ngorongoro Highlands rise in green and fertile splendour and form the gateway to Ngorongoro Crater and, finally, Olduvai Gorge and the Serengeti. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon game drive in the park.
Distance/drive time: 150km / 2 hours
Day 5: To the Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and ascend the edge of the crater. On the rim of the crater is the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, where you will have the afternoon at leisure and dinner. Should you wish, you can take a nature walk in the grounds or on the crater rim. One of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas and a World Heritage Site, the crater is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, it harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination.
Distance/drive time: 66kms /1 hour
Day 6: Explore the crater
After breakfast descend into the crater for a half day tour returning to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon either take a guided nature walk or enjoy views of the crater from your private stone-built verandah. Dinner at the lodge.

Day 7: To the Serengeti
After breakfast, drive to 01 Duvai Gorge, one of the world’s most important Paleolithic sites. Arrive in the Serengeti National Park
in time for lunch at the Bilila Kempinski, then enjoy an afternoon’s game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
A luxury lodge with 77 rooms, the lodge offers an infinity pool with sundeck, a safari cocktail lounge, safari spa, two restaurants, a wine cellar, two bars, a Tanzania safari library, cigar lounge, Art of Tanzania Gallery, safari gift shop and dedicated helipad.
Covering 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains, the Serengeti is Tanzania’s first-established, largest and most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends. The million-plus wildebeest are the predominant herbivore and also the main prey of a huge cast of large carnivores, principally lion and hyena. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog.
Distance/drive time: 200km / 2 % hours
Day 8: On safari in the Serengeti
A full day on safari in the vast and sensational Serengeti. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge.
Day 9: Depart via Arusha
After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your internal flight to Arusha airport. Transfer either to a city hotel or to the Kilimanjaro International Airport.

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KIBOKO SAFARI

‘Kiboko’ means ‘Hippo’ in Swahili

Showcasing a panoramic north-south selection of Kenya’s most famous national parks, this cross-border safari includes a visit to the shores of Africa’s largest inland lake, Lake Victoria, before crossing into Tanzania’s mighty Serengeti and thereafter descending into the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, the sensational Ngorongoro Crater. Leaving the crater behind, this extensive and ideally-priced road tour then introduces visitors to the pristine and seldom-visited Tarangire National Park before crossing back into Kenya and concluding in the world-famous Amboseli National Park. Uniquely varied, this essential travel itinerary also includes stays in both traditional tented safari lodges and luxury tented camps.

Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe and rhino.

Accommodation: Sarova Stanley, Samburu Sopa Lodge, The Ark, Lake Nakuru Lodge, Ashnil Mara Lodge, Mbalageti Serengeti Camp, Seronera Wildlife Lodge, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, Maramboi Tented Camp & 01 Tukai Lodge.

Kiboko Safari Schedule

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to the historic 5-star Sarova Stanley Hotel. One of Nairobi’s oldest and best renowned city hotels, it stands in the city centre within easy reach of both shops and tourist attractions, and offering a health club, roof-top swimming pool and a wide selection of restaurants and bars. Overnight at Sarova Stanley on bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2: Nairobi to Samburu

After an early breakfast, drive north to the Samburu National Reserve arriving in time for a late lunch at the Samburu Sopa. Standing at the centre of this pristine reserve, it features a curve of cottages clustered around a waterhole, which attracts a wide range of wildlife both day and night.

A place of endless skies, dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers, Samburu National Reserve lies on the fringes of the vast and arid desert once known as the Northern Frontier District, whose heat-scorched scrublands extend all the way to the jade-green waters of Lake Turkana and beyond. Physically dramatic, the 104 sq kilometre landscape of the Reserve features rocky battlements, craggy scarps, dry river beds and fallen boulders rising out of the thorn scrub against a backdrop of the far-distant hills and the great red table mountain known as Ololokwe.

Distance/drive time: 380 km / 5.5 hours

Day 3: On safari in Samburu

Enjoy a full day on safari in Samburu followed by sundowners and dinner at the lodge.

Day 4: Samburu to the Aberdare

Leave the lodge after breakfast and travel south along the flanks of Mount Kenya before arriving in the Aberdare National Park. After lunch at the lovely Aberdare Country Club, transfer to The Ark. The Ark is world-famous and one of Kenya’s ‘must do’ experiences. Built to resemble Noah’s Ark it floats amid the forests of the Aberdare National Park, joined to the world by its own wooden drawbridge. The Yasabara Waterhole, meanwhile, attracts animals from all over the park – notably large herds of elephant. Spend the afternoon and evening game-viewing from viewing decks of The Ark.

Aptly dubbed ‘Scotland with Lions’, this atmospheric park showcases the chill, wild and beautiful moorlands of the Aberdare mountain range. An often mist-wreathed realm where elephants roam through lichen-hung forests; spectacular waterfalls plunge into churning pools, and trout-filled streams cascade through mossy dells, it offers matchless views of the glittering coronet of Mount Kenya and the sparkling lakes of the Great Rift Valley.

Distance/drive time: 220km / 3.5 hours

Day 5: The Aberdare to Lake Nakuru

After breakfast, drive to Lake Nakuru National Park in time for a late lunch at Lake Nakuru Lodge. After lunch, enjoy a game drive in the park before returning to the lodge in time for a swim, optional cocktails and dinner. Entitled ‘the greatest bird spectacle on earth’ thanks to the millions of fuchsia-pink flamingo that flock to feed on the teeming algae of its alkaline waters, the pink-frosted shores and sky-mirrored waters of Lake Nakuru yield some of the most evocatively beautiful photo-images in Africa. As Kenya’s first and largest rhino sanctuary, sightings of both black and white rhino are almost guaranteed, while plentiful waterbuck, warthog, zebra, gazelle and buffalo graze the shoreline. Echoing to the haunting cries of the numerous fish eagles, this is also the park in which you have the best chance of seeing a leopard.

Distance/drive time: 200 km / 3 hours

Day 6: Lake Nakuru to the Mara

After breakfast depart very early and drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve in time for a late lunch at Ashnil Mara Camp, which offers 30 luxury tents close to the Mara River. After lunch, enjoy your first game drive in the Mara. In the evening, perhaps take an early swim before proceeding for dinner and thereafter overnight.

Offering an abundance of herbivores, the Mara makes the ideal hunting ground for Kenya’s famous ‘big cats’ and hosts her largest population of lions. It also offers the best chance of spotting a leopard in the wild. Other predators include cheetah and spotted hyena. Historically teaming with wildlife, the Mara is famous for the large herds of elephant and buffalo that meander its plains; also for the fat pods of hippo that wallow in its mud-brown rivers. Other stars include the distinctive Masai giraffe, plum-coloured topi, Coke’s hartebeest, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, zebra, impala, Kirk’s dik-dik, bushbuck, waterbuck and red duiker. The Reserve also boasts plentiful Nile crocodile, monitor lizard, baboon, vervet; blue and red-tailed monkeys, nocturnal bush babies, and tree hyrax. There are over 550 resident and migratory species of birds.

Distance/drive time: 350 km / 4.5 hours

Day 7: On safari in the Mara

With a full day to enjoy all that the Mara has to offer, game drives morning and afternoon. The camp offers optional activities such as guided nature/bird-spotting walks, and cultural visits to local Maasai villages. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge.

Day 8: The Mara to the Serengeti

After breakfast cross the border between Kenya and Tanzania at Isabenia (with a picnic lunch) and enter the Serengeti arriving in late afternoon at Mbalageti Serengeti Tented Camp, which stands on the banks of a river in the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park and enjoys spectacular views over the plains.

Covering 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains, the Serengeti is Tanzania’s first-established, largest and most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends.

Distance/drive time: 472km / 7 hours

Day 9: The Serengeti to Lake Victoria and back to the Serengeti

After breakfast drive to Lake Victoria, where a visit to a local village and a boat trip on the lake are planned. In the afternoon, re-enter the Serengeti National Park and drive to Seronera Wildlife Lodge, which is ideally located for safari game drives as well as optional activities such as balloon safaris, guided walks etc. Artfully constructed round a rocky outcrop, known as a kopje, this beautiful lodge is surrounded by a number of waterholes, which attract wildlife by both day and night. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Distance/drive time: 330km / 5 hours

Day 10: On safari in the Serengeti

With a full day’s game-driving in the park, your options are wide. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the camp, where guided nature walks can also be taken. Game drives can be taken morning and afternoon. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog.

Day 11: The Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast depart with game drive en-route, drive through the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, stopping enroute for a picnic lunch and a visit to the world-famous Olduvai Gorge Palaeolithic site and reputed ‘Cradle of Mankind’. Scale the side of the crater, circle the rim and arrive at the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, which offers the finest location of all the crater rim lodges, lying on the southern rim of the crater, directly above the yellow fever trees of the Lerai Forest. In the afternoon take a half-day guided tour of the crater before returning to the lodge for the evening and dinner.

Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination. Dinner at the lodge.

Distance/drive time: 195 km / 3 % hours

Day 12: Ngorongoro Crater to Tarangire

After breakfast drive to Tarangire National Park, where you will take a picnic lunch and a game drive before arriving at Ma ram bo i Tented Camp, which is situated on a 25,000 hectare Maasai communal ranch and offers just 20 spacious tents, all surrounded by timber decks, while optional activities include guided walks, ornithology and cultural interaction with the Datoga and Maasai people, whose communities lie adjacent to the camp. The camp also offers its own swimming pool.Tarangire, named after the Tarangire River which runs through it, is an arid haven, peppered with ancient baobab trees, towering termite mounts, and home to huge herds of elephant.

Distance/drive time: 200 km / 3 hours

Day 13: Tarangire to Arusha and into Amboseli

After breakfast drive to Arusha and the Namanga Kenya/TZ border. Complete immigration formalities and change vehicles. After a picnic lunch, drive to Amboseli National Park and enjoy an afternoon game drive before checking in to the 01 Tukai Lodge, which is one of Amboseli’s best-known lodges and lies at the very centre of the park. In the evening, enjoy sundowners in one of the lodge’s two bars, explore the wildlife library, or take a swim in the pool. After dinner in the atmospheric central dining room, enjoy a display of traditional Maasai dance or a wildlife talk.

Towered over by the magnificent bulk of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,896 m), Africa’s highest mountain, Amboseli is one of Kenya’s oldest, famous and most-visited parks. Endlessly panoramic, yet comparatively compact, it is dotted with emerald green swamps in which great herds of elephant wallow; half submerged in the papyrus grasses. The permanent marshlands also provide a potent draw to hippos and buffaloes, while offering a haven for the abundant water birds. An International Biosphere Reserve, the park largely constitutes the usually dried-out lakebed of Lake Amboseli, which is surrounded by flat grasslands relieved by very few trees. On the plains are numerous antelopes, spotted hyenas, jackals, warthogs, olive baboons and vervet monkeys. Lions are rare. Observation Hill, a conical peak, which is easily climbed, offers stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Distance/drive time: 310 km / 5 hours

Day 14: Amboseli to Nairobi

After breakfast at the lodge, drive to Nairobi and take lunch at Pampa Churraschariawith its glowing BBQs serving all manner of meats. Depart for your flight home.

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KIBOKO TENTED SAFARI

KIBOKO TENTED SAFARI CB7012

For those who would like to see the very best that both Kenya and Tanzania have to offer, this road safari is ideal. Offering superb value for money, it showcases both luxury tented safari camps and traditional lodges. It also features the most famous parks in both regions while offering the unique opportunity to travel the Great Rift Valley, see Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro, take a boat safari on Lake Victoria, tour the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater, and spend plenty of time in both the Masai Mara and the Serengeti.

Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe, black and white rhino.

Kiboko Tented Safari schedule

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to the historic 5-star Sarova Stanley Hotel. One of Nairobi’s oldest and best renowned city hotels, it stands in the city centre within easy reach of both shops and tourist attractions, and offering a health club, roof-top swimming pool and a wide selection of restaurants and bars. Overnight at Sarova Stanley on bed and breakfast.

Day 2: Nairobi to Samburu

After an early breakfast, drive north to the Samburu National Reserve arriving in time for a late lunch at the Samburu Ashnil camp, a traditional Kenyan safari camp set in extensive grounds on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River. After lunch, take a game rive in the twin Samburu and Buffalo Springs Reserves followed by sundowners and dinner at the lodge. A place of endless skies, dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers, Samburu National Reserve lies on the fringes of the vast and arid desert once known as the Northern Frontier District, whose heat-scorched scrublands extend all the way to the jade-green waters of Lake Turkana and beyond. Physically dramatic, the 104 sq kilometre landscape of the Reserve features rocky battlements, craggy scarps, dry river beds and fallen boulders rising out of the thorn scrub against a backdrop of the far-distant hills and the great red table mountain known as Ololokwe.

Distance/drive time: 340 km/5.5 hours

Day 3: On safari in Samburu

Enjoy a full day on safari in Samburu followed by optional sundowner, meals and overnight at the camp.

Day 4: Samburu to the Aberdare

Leave the camp after breakfast and travel south along the flanks of Mount Kenya before Aberdare National Park. After lunch at the lovely Aberdare Country Club, transfer to The Ark. The Ark is world-famous and one of Kenya’s ‘must do’ experiences. Built to resemble Noah’s Ark it floats amid the forests of the Aberdare National Park, joined to the world by its own wooden drawbridge. TheYasabara Waterhole, meanwhile, attracts animals from all over the park- notably large herds of elephant. An expectant hush pervades the Ark. Conversations are whispered, binoculars and cameras head in readiness. There is an early wake-up call – to catch both the wildlife and the first glimpse of the snow-capped peak of Mount Kenya. It’s the public viewing areas, however, that give the Ark its utterly unique appeal. Guests can see the animals from three different levels, inside or out. The ground level photo hide has no glass in the windows-allowing visitors to be literally feet away from a herd of elephants. Elsewhere, viewing can be done in warmth and relaxation. Spend the afternoon and evening game-viewing from The Ark.

Aptly dubbed ‘Scotland with Lions’, this atmospheric park showcases the chill, wild and beautiful moorlands of the Aberdare mountain range. An often mist-wreathed realm where elephants roam through lichen-hung forests; spectacular waterfalls plunge into churning pools, and trout-filled streams cascade through mossy dells, it offers matchless views of the glittering coronet of Mount Kenya and the sparkling lakes of the Great Rift Valley.

Distance/drive time: 220km / 3.5 hours

Day 5: The Aberdare to Lake Nakuru

After breakfast, drive to Lake Nakuru National Park in time for lunch at Lake Nakuru Lodge. After lunch, enjoy a game drive in the park before returning to the lodge in time for a swim, optional cocktails and thereafter dinner. Entitled ‘the greatest bird spectacle on earth’ thanks to the millions of fuchsia-pink flamingo that flock to feed on the teeming algae of its alkaline waters, the pink-frosted shores and sky-mirrored waters of Lake Nakuru yield some of the most evocatively beautiful photo-images in Africa. As Kenya’s first and largest rhino sanctuary, sightings of both black and white rhino are almost guaranteed, while plentiful waterbuck, warthog, zebra, gazelle and buffalo graze the shoreline. Echoing to the haunting cries of the numerous fish eagles, this is also the park in which you have the best chance of seeing a leopard.

Distance/drive time: 200 km / 3 hours

Day 6: Lake Nakuru to the Mara

After breakfast depart very early and drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve in time for a late lunch at Ashnil Mara Camp, which is a relatively new tented camp, offering 30 luxury tents close to the Mara River. After lunch, enjoy your first game drive in the Mara. In the evening, perhaps take an early swim before enjoying sundowners in the bush or back at the lodge, followed by dinner.

Offering an abundance of herbivores, the Mara makes the ideal hunting ground for Kenya’s famous ‘big cats’ and hosts her largest population of lions. It also offers the best chance of spotting a leopard in the wild. Other predators include cheetah and spotted hyena. Historically teaming with wildlife, the Mara is famous for the large herds of elephant and buffalo that meander its plains; also for the fat pods of hippo that wallow in its mud-brown rivers. Other stars include the distinctive Masai giraffe, plum-coloured topi, Coke’s hartebeest, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, zebra, impala, Kirk’s dik-dik, bushbuck, waterbuck and red duiker. The Reserve also boasts plentiful Nile crocodile, monitor lizard, baboon, vervet; blue and red-tailed monkeys, nocturnal bush babies, and tree hyrax. There are over 550 resident and migratory species of birds.

Distance/drive time: 350 km / 4.5 hours

Day 7: On safari in the Mara

With a full day to enjoy all that the Mara has to offer with morning and afternoon game drives as well as wide range of optional activities such as guided nature/bird-spotting walks, and cultural visits to local Maasai villages. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp.

Day 8: The Mara to the Serengeti

After breakfast cross the border between Kenya and Tanzania at Isabenia (with a picnic lunch) and enter the Serengeti arriving at Mbalageti Serengeti Camp in late afternoon. A luxurious tented camp with a central bar and dining area and widely spaced tents (with thatched roofs and ensuite bathrooms)stands on the banks of a river in the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park and enjoys spectacular views over the plains. Covering 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains, it is Tanzania’s first-established, largest and most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends.

Distance/drive time: 472km / 7 hours

Day 9: The Serengeti to Lake Victoria and back to the Serengeti

After breakfast drive to Lake Victoria, where a visit to a local village and a boat trip on the lake are planned (picnic lunch). In the afternoon, re-enter the Serengeti National Park and drive to Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp. Lying in a hidden glade, known as ‘the place of the klipspringer (mbuzi mawe), guarded by three-million-year-old granite towers, and located at the very epicentre of one of the world’s most famous national parks, this unique luxury tented-camp offers 16 widely-spaced ensuite tents. Dinner at the camp.

Distance/drive time: 335km / 5.5 hours

Day 10: On safari in the Serengeti

With a full day’s game-driving in the park, your options are wide. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the camp, where optional guided nature walks can also be taken as well as morning and afternoon game drives. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog.

Day 11: The Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast, depart with a morning game drive en-route, drive through the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, stopping enroute for a picnic lunch and a visit to the world-famous Olduvai Gorge Palaeolithic site and reputed ‘Cradle of Mankind’. Scale the side of the crater, circle the rim and arrive at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, which enjoys magnificent views down into the crater. After lunch descend into the crater for a half-day tour. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination.

Distance/drive time: 195 km / 3 % hours

Day 12: Ngorongoro Crater to Tarangire

After breakfast drive to Tarangire National Park, where you will take a picnic lunch and a game drive before arriving at Maramboi Tented Camp, which is situated on a 25,000 hectare Maasai communal ranch and offers just 20 spacious tents, all surrounded by timber decks, while optional activities include guided walks, ornithology and cultural interaction with the Datoga and Maasai people, whose communities lie adjacent to the camp. The camp also offers its own swimming pool. Tarangire, named after the Tarangire River which runs through it, is an arid haven, peppered with ancient baobab trees, towering termite mounts, and home to huge herds of elephant.

Distance/drive time: 200 km / 3 hours

Day 13: Back to Kenya and into Amboseli

After breakfast drive to Arusha and the Namanga Kenya/TZ border. Complete immigration formalities and change vehicles. After a picnic lunch, drive to Amboseli National Park and check into Kilima Safari Camp, which offers 60 classic safari tents, each with ensuite bathroom and large private veranda. In the afternoon, take a game drive around the lush swamps of this world-famous national park.

Towered over by the magnificent bulk of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,896 m), Africa’s highest mountain, Amboseli is one of Kenya’s oldest, famous and most-visited parks. Endlessly panoramic, yet comparatively compact, it is dotted with emerald green swamps in which great herds of elephant wallow; half submerged in the papyrus grasses. The permanent marshlands also provide a potent draw to hippos and buffaloes, while offering a haven for the abundant water birds. As evening falls, return to the camp and enjoy sundowners by the campfire before dinner in the central dining room.

Distance/drive time: 350 km / 5 hours

Day 14: Amboseli to Nairobi

After breakfast at the lodge, drive to Nairobi and take lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant with its glowing BBQs serving all manner of meats to include ostrich, crocodile and more (plus fish, vegetarian choices, salads etc). Depart for your flight home.

Distance/drive time: 260 km / 4,5 hours

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EAST AFRICA AND ZANZIBAR SAFARI

EAST AFRICA AND ZANZIBAR SAFARI CB7012
Offering ultimate value-for-money, this tour showcases two of Kenya’s most famous parks, Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara. Crossing into Tanzania, it allows for a night on the shores of Lake Victoria before featuring the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. Finally as the perfect contrast to the traditional East African safari, it features four nights of relaxation, historic discovery and Indian Ocean pleasure on the magical island of Zanzibar.

Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe, black and white rhino.

East Africa and Zanzibar safari schedule

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi
Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to the historic 5-star Sarova Stanley Hotel. One of Nairobi’s oldest and best renowned city hotels, it stands in the city centre within easy reach of both shops and tourist attractions, and offering a health club, roof-top swimming pool and a wide selection of restaurants and bars. Dinner (not included) can betaken at the hotel or at any of the cities many restaurants.
Day 2: Nairobi to Lake Nakuru
After breakfast, drive to Lake Nakuru National Park in time for lunch at Lake Nakuru Lodge. After lunch, enjoy a game drive in the park arriving back to the lodge in time for a swim and thereafter dinner.
About Lake Nakuru
Entitled ‘the greatest bird spectacle on earth’ thanks to the millions of fuchsia-pink flamingo that flock to feed on the teeming algae of its alkaline waters, the pink-frosted shores and sky-mirrored waters of Lake Nakuru yield some of the most evocatively beautiful photo-images in Africa. As Kenya’s first and largest rhino sanctuary, sightings of both black and white rhino are almost guaranteed, while plentiful waterbuck, warthog, zebra, gazelle and buffalo graze the shoreline. Echoing to the haunting cries of the numerous fish eagles, this is also the park in which you have the best chance of seeing a leopard.
Distance/drive time: 185 km / 2.5 hours
Day 3: Lake Nakuru to the Mara
Leaving the lodge after an early breakfast, continue up the floor of Rift Valley to arrive in time for lunch at the famous Masai Mara National Reserve. Spend the afternoon game-viewing across its rolling savannah plains returning in time for a swim before dinner.
About the Mara
When it comes to game-viewing, there is nowhere in Africa richer in wildlife or more eventful in encounters than the Mara. A pristine wilderness of haunting beauty, it promises its visitors a profusion of wildlife, prolific bird life and the unprecedented opportunity of catching up with all the members of the ‘Big Five’ in one morning.
Distance/drive time: 320 km / 4 hours
Day 4: On safari in the Mara
Spend the day on safari in the Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives, breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge.
Day 5: Tanzania and Lake Victoria
After breakfast cross the border between Kenya and Tanzania at Isabenia and drive to the shores of Lake Victoria with a picnic lunch on the way. Check into the Speke Bay Lodge, which is on the lake shore, and spend a restful afternoon on the largest inland lake in the world. The white-painted lodge, which offers a series of traditional round or ‘rondavel’ thatched buildings, has been styled to resemble a small village of the local Sukuma people and offers guided walks, biking, fishing, canoeing and more (some or all of which may be charged additionally). Dinner at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 440 km / 6.5 hours
Day 6: Lake Victoria to Serengeti
After breakfast, drive to the Serengeti National Park in time for lunch at the Seronera Wildlife Lodge, then enjoy an afternoon’s
game drive before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
About the Serengeti
Covering 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains, the Serengeti is Tanzania’s first-established, largest and most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends.
Distance/drive time: 160 km / 3 hours
Day 7: On safari in the Serengeti
With a full day on safari (morning and afternoon game drives included) your options are wide. The Serengeti, whose Maasai name ‘Siringet’ translates as ‘the endless plains’, offers unparalleled ornithological opportunities and an unrivalled natural arena wherein the glory and harmony of nature can be appreciated as nowhere else on earth. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the lodge.
Day 8: To the Ngorongoro Crater via Olduvai Gorge
After breakfast, leave the Serengeti and drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area via Olduvai Gorge the ‘Cradle of Mankind’ and site of one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history. After lunch at the site, continue into the crater for an afternoon tour. In the late afternoon, arrive at the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, which enjoys magnificent views down into the crater. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

About the crater
Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination.
Distance/drive time: 145 km / 3 hours
Day 9: Ngorongoro to Tarangire
After breakfast drive to Tarangire National Park, an arid haven, peppered with ancient baobab trees, towering termite mounts, and home to huge herds of elephant. Enjoy a picnic lunch and a game drive before arriving at Maramboi Tented Camp. Situated on a 25,000 hectare Maasai communal ranch, the camp offers just 20 spacious tents, all surrounded by timber decks, while activities include guided walks, ornithology and cultural interaction with the Datoga and Maasai people, whose communities lie adjacent to the camp. The camp also offers its own swimming pool. Dinner and overnight at the camp.
Distance/drive time: 200 km / 3 hours
Day 10: Arusha to Zanzibar
After breakfast, drive to Arusha where lunch will be served in a local restaurant. Transfer to Arusha Airport for your flight (cost not included in this package) to Zanzibar. Upon arrival you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Karafuu Beach Resort, which offers crystal blue waters, a wide selection of dining experiences (breakfast and dinner are provided in your package), extensive sports, and a wide range of cultural entertainment (some or all of which may be charged additionally).
Distance/drive time (to Arusha): 150 km / 2.5 hours
Day 11,12 & 13 On the ‘spice isle’ of Zanzibar
Three days of leisure in Zanzibar, where activities at the hotel include (some are charged) swimming, snorkelling, sea kayaking, diving, water sports, dhow trips and nature trails plus visits to a dhow workshop and the brooding caverns of the Mangapwani Slave Caves where slaves were hidden after the abolishment of slavery made their shipment illegal. Other places of interest in Stone Town and around are: the Portuguese Fort, the Sultan’s Palace, the old Dhow Port, the Old Slave Market, the House of Wonders, the Old Dispensary, the home of the slaver, Tippu-Tip, the Livingstone House, The Hamamni Bath, The National Museum, The Chukwani Palace, The Jozani Forest-the last red colobus monkey sanctuary, The Mtoni Palace ruins, The Maruhubi Palace ruins and the Persian Baths of Kidichi. Breakfast and dinner only (lunch not provided) are provided at the resort.
Day 14: Depart
After breakfast, depart to Zanzibar airport to connect to your onward flight.
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WINGS OVER TANZANIA

Wings Over Tanzania TA7011

‘For those who enjoy the ultimate luxury of staying on private reserves, where the wildlife and culture can be enjoyed in privileged seclusion this exclusive air safari is ideal. Commencing with a night in a ‘plantation house’ on one of Tanzania’s largest coffee estates, it features two nights luxury tented camp accommodation on a private conservation area adjacent to the undiscovered wilderness of Tarangire National Park, followed by two nights in the gracious Manor of Shangri-la Private Estate, which lies just adjacent to the Ngorongoro Crater, where a full-days guided tour is offered. Covering optimum distances in minimum time, this unusual safari also offers guided walks, night game drives, cultural tours and two nights in the unprecedented tented camp luxury of the Migration Camp, which stands amid the splendour of the magnificent Serengeti National Park.

Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe and rhino.
Accommodation: Arusha Coffee Lodge, Tarangire Treetops, The Manor at Ngorongoro and Serengeti Migration Camp.
Wings Over Tanzania Safari Schedule
Day 1: Arrive in Arusha
Upon arrival at Arusha’s Kilimanjaro Airport, you will be met by our representative and driven to the nearby Arusha Coffee Lodge, which lies within the rolling green acres of one of Tanzania’s largest coffee plantations and offers just 18 beautifully presented split-level ‘plantation houses’ within its landscaped grounds, which include a luxury swimming pool. Dinner will be served in the panoramic dining room.
Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After a leisurely breakfast, take a tour of the nearby Burka Coffee Estate, followed by lunch. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight into Tarangire National Park. Here you will be met by your driver-guide, who will take you on your first game drive through this undiscovered wilderness returning in late afternoon to the luxury tented camp known as Tarangire Treetops, which stands within its own private conservation area bordering Tarangire National Park.
Set on the Masai Steppe, amid rolling baobab studded hills, the camp offers views to Lake Manyara and the Great Rift Valley and is surrounded by large stands of ancient baobab trees, which offer sanctuary to large family herds of elephants, prolific bird life and dry season concentrations of wildlife.
Day 3: On Safari in Tarangire
After breakfast enjoy a full day of activities in Tarangire to include morning and afternoon game drives, a Masai-guided nature walk, a visit to an authentic Masai village and sundowner cocktail on ‘Sunset Hill’. After dinner, enjoy the unique experience of a night game drive.
Day 4: Tarangire to Ngorongoro
After breakfast take a morning game drive through Tarangire with a picnic lunch enroute. Take a flight to Lake Manyara airstrip and a scenic drive towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with a visit to an authentic African market in the little township of Karatu. Check-in to The Manor at Ngorongoro in late afternoon.
Reminiscent of an elegant, up-country manor house presented in the Cape Dutch style of architecture, the Manor at Ngorongoro stands on its own 1,500-acre estate, which is known as Shangri-La, and it is immediately adjacent to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Impeccably presented, the house offers a charmingly decorated lounge, bar and library, all with working fireplaces. There is also a dining conservatory, snooker room, home theatre, sauna and steam, swimming pool and tennis courts. Dotted through the mature gardens are 20 guest cottages, each with private courtyard and deck, and with indoor and outdoor fireplaces.
Day 5: On Safari in Ngorongoro
After breakfast at The Manor enjoy a full-day’s guided tour of the Ngorongoro Crater inclusive of a picnic lunch served on the crater floor. Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, the Ngorongoro Crater is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). In late afternoon return to the Manor for dinner.
Day 6: Ngorongoro to the Serengeti
After a leisurely breakfast and lunch at the Manor, transfer to the Manyara airstrip for your flight to the Serengeti National Park. Upon arrival, enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti, whose Maasai name ‘Siringet’ translates as ‘the endless plains’. Offering unparalleled ornithological opportunities and an unrivalled natural arena wherein the glory and harmony of nature can be appreciated as nowhere else on earth, the Serengeti is the venue for ‘the greatest wildlife show on earth’ the annual migration of over one million wildebeest and their attendant cast of herbivores and predators.
In the late afternoon, check-in to the Serengeti Migration Camp, a haven of sumptuous indulgence that offers all the benefits of a safari lodge while retaining an authentic bush atmosphere and the sense of adventure that can only be derived from sleeping under canvas.
Day 7: On Safari in Serengeti
Enjoy a full day’s game driving around the vast and sensational Serengeti, which covers 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains and is Tanzania’s most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends. The million-plus wildebeest are the predominant herbivore and also the main prey of a huge cast of large carnivores, principally lion and hyena. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog. All meals at the camp.

Day 8: Serengeti to Arusha
After breakfast, experience the uniqueness of a guided game walk. After lunch take an afternoon game drive en-route to the airstrip for you onward flight to Arusha, where you will be provide with a day room at The Arusha Coffee Lodge prior to your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
IMPORTANT
Please note that, because this is a flying safari, you are allowed a maximum baggage allowance of 15kgs per person (inclusive of hand-luggage). Additional luggage can be left in safe-keeping at African Horizon’s Nairobi headquarters. Please bring SOFT bags only.

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TANZANIA HIGHLIGHTS SAFARI

TANZANIA HIGHLIGHTS SAFARI TA7010
A high-value road safari featuring both luxury tented camps and traditional safari lodges, this memorable Tanzanian safari offers two nights in the undiscovered wilderness of Tarangire National Park, a sensational three-night stay in the world-famous Serengeti National Park, and a visit to the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater.
Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe and rhino.
TANZANIA HIGHLIGHTS SAFARI SCHEDULE

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha
Arrive at Arusha’s Kilimanjaro International Airport and meet your driver/guide, who will escort you to the KIA Lodge (a 3-minute drive). Set amidst stunning scenery with long views of both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, KIA lodge is set amidst lush tropical gardens, alive with over 100 species of birds. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 2: To Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, drive to the Tarangire National Park with a picnic lunch on the way. Take a game-drive through the park, which is second only to the Ngorongoro Crater as a dry-season sanctuary for vast herds of migratory creatures. In the late afternoon, arrive at the Maramboi Tented Camp which is situated on a 25,000 hectare Maasai communal ranch. During the wet season the ‘pans’ (shallow depressions) of this area fill with water, which attracts huge flocks of flamingoes and other water birds. The camp is also ideally placed for watching the migration of the wildebeest, which on the tree-less plains can be more easily and more graphically observed than elsewhere. The camp offers just 20 spacious tents, all surrounded by timber decks. Activities possible at an extra cost while at the camp include guided walks, ornithology and cultural interaction with the Datoga and Maasai people, whose communities lie adjacent to the camp. The camp also has its own swimming pool. Dinner at the camp.
Distance/drive time: 175 km / 3 hours
Day 3: On safari in Tarangire
Spend a full day on safari in Tarangire National Park with morning and afternoon game drives. Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp.
Day 4: To the Serengeti
After breakfast, drive to 01 Duvai Gorge, one of the World’s most important Paleolithic sites, where a picnic lunch will be taken. Arrive in the Serengeti National Park and check in to the Seronera Wildlife Lodge in time for an afternoon game drive in the park. Sensitively constructed around a rocky outcrop, known as a kopje, the lodge blends perfectly into the savannah. Surrounded by waterholes that attract wildlife both day and night, it is ideally located for game drives, balloon safaris and guided walks.
Covering 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains, the Serengeti is Tanzania’s first-established, largest and most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends. The million-plus wildebeest are the predominant herbivore and also the main prey of a huge cast of large carnivores, principally lion and hyena. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 310km / 5 % hours
Day 5 & 6: On safari in the Serengeti
Two full days on safari in one of the world’s most famous reserves. The Serengeti, whose Maasai name ‘Siringet’ translates as ‘the endless plains’, offers unparalleled ornithological opportunities and an unrivalled natural arena wherein the glory and harmony of nature can be appreciated as nowhere else on earth. All meals and overnight at the lodge.
Day 7: To the Ngorongoro Crater
Leave the Serengeti and drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area via Olduvai Gorge the ‘cradle of mankind’, and site of one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history. After lunch at the site, continue into the crater for an afternoon tour. Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas.
A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. In the late afternoon, ascend to the rim of the crater and check-in to the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, which offers one of the finest locations of all the crater-rim lodges, lying on its southern rim directly above the yellow fever trees of the Lerai Forest. All meals and overnight at the lodge.
Distance/drive time: 145 km / 3 hours
Day 8: Depart via Arusha
After breakfast, drive to Arusha in time for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flights.
Distance/drive time: 190 km / 3 hours

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MIGRATION SAFARI

This safari has been especially designed to track the progress of the annual wildebeest migration in Kenya and Tanzania. Dubbed the ‘Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth’, the migration features a cast of millions, covers an 800-kilometer circuit, and weaves birth, life and death into a spectacular tapestry, which illustrates the concept of ‘the survival of the fittest’ in all of its tragic, comic, violent and awesome splendour.

Typically scheduled for July-October, this exceptionally popular tour sets out from Nairobi and is guided by Hanne Lindemann, a biologist, wildlife and conservation specialist and ‘migration expert’. Travelling by road, the tour allows our visitors to experience both the thrill of a luxury tented camp and the comfort of a traditional safari lodge. Crossing from Kenya’s Masai Mara to Tanzania’s Serengeti, it also enables the visitor to follow in the footsteps of the migration, without having to return to Nairobi.

Wildlife Highlights: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, topi, eland, plains game, giraffe, black and white rhino.

Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, Kijereshi Tented Camp, Mara Serena Safari Lodge, Mara Fig Tree Camp and Lake Nakuru Lodge. The tour begins and ends at the Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi.

About the tour guide

Hanne Lindeman is a wildlife biologist who has worked in African wildlife conservation and tourism for the past 30 years. Committed to the fact that ‘wildlife should benefit the local people’, Hanne has 12 years experience in wildlife management and conservation in South Africa and is the advisor to an ongoing rhino monitoring programme in Palansberg National Park. Offering an unusually extensive knowledge of Africa’s wildlife, natural reserves, culture and people, Hanne also excels both in sharing her knowledge and making the entire safari experience come alive for the members of her group.

About the migration

Between the end of July and November, over one and a half million wildebeest accompanied by half again as many zebras and gazelles, migrate from the short-grass plains of the Serengeti to fresh pasture in the grasslands of the Mara; thus creating one of nature’s grandest spectacles. Moving in groups of up to 20,000 at a time they thunder across the plateau hesitating only briefly to cross the Mara River, where many fall prey to the waiting crocodiles. Towards the end of October they begin crossing back into Tanzania. The actual timing of the migration, however, is dictated by the weather and does not always run to schedule. Offering an abundance of herbivores, the Mara makes the ideal hunting ground for Kenya’s famous ‘big cats’ and hosts her largest population of lions. It also offers the best chance of spotting a leopard in the wild. Other predators include cheetah and spotted hyena.

MIGRATION SAFARI SCHEDULE

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to the historic 5-star Sarova Stanley Hotel. One of Nairobi’s oldest and best renowned city hotels, it stands in the city centre within easy reach of both shops and tourist attractions, and offering a health club, roof-top swimming pool and a wide selection of restaurants and bars. Ovenight at hotel.

Day 2: Nairobi to Amboseli National Park

After breakfast, drive to Amboseli National Park in time for lunch at the luxurious Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge. After lunch enjoy an afternoon’s game drive before arriving at with time for a swim then dinner and overnight.

About Amboseli National Park

Towered over by the magnificent bulk of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,896 m), Africa’s highest mountain, Amboseli is one of Kenya’s oldest, famous and most-visited parks. Endlessly panoramic, yet comparatively compact, it is dotted with emerald green swamps in which great herds of elephant wallow; half submerged in the papyrus grasses. The permanent marshlands also provide a potent draw to hippos and buffaloes, while offering a haven for the abundant water birds. An International Biosphere Reserve, the park largely constitutes the usually dried-out lakebed of Lake Amboseli, which is surrounded by flat grasslands relieved by very few trees. On the plains are numerous antelopes, spotted hyenas, jackals, warthogs, olive baboons and vervet monkeys. Lions are rare. Observation Hill, a conical peak, which is easily climbed, offers stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Distance/drive time: 260km /4% hours

Day 3: Amboseli to Ngorongoro

After breakfast, drive to the border town of Namanga where you will clear customs and immigration formalities for entry into Tanzania. Drive to Arusha, where lunch will be served in a local restaurant. After lunch drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and check into the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, which stands on the rim of the immeasurably ancient Ngorongoro crater, the largest perfect volcanic caldera in the world. A unique biosphere, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area shelters some 25,000 large mammals: dominated by bull elephants, rhinos and lions. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Distance/drive time: 381 km / 5 hours

Day 4: Ngorongoro to the Serengeti National Park

After breakfast descend into the crater for a half-day tour with picnic lunch.

About the Ngorongoro Crater

Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. A World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometres wide, 610-760 metres deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometres). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination.

Leaving the crater, drive to the Serengeti National Park stopping on route for a visit to 01 Duvai Gorge, the ‘Cradle of Mankind’ and one of the most famous Palaeolithic sites in the world. In the late afternoon arrive at the Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge. Set high on the saddle of tree-clad ridge commanding panoramic views across the endless plains of the Serengeti, the lodge draws its inspiration from the circular ‘Rondavel’ dwellings and winding paths of a traditional Maasai village. Below the Lodge is a sky-blue pool and a hilltop vantage point from which to view the world famous annual ‘migration’. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Distance/drive time: 170 km / 3 hours

Day 5: On safari in the Serengeti

Spend the day on safari in the Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives and all meals at the lodge. The vast and sensational Serengeti, covering 14,763 sq km of endlessly rolling savannah plains, is Tanzania’s first-established, largest and most famous park wherein tens of thousands of hoofed animals roam in a constant and unremitting search for the fresh grasslands upon which their survival depends. The million-plus wildebeest are the predominant herbivore and also the main prey of a huge cast of large carnivores, principally lion and hyena. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the Park is also renowned for its lion, many of which have been fitted with radio-transmitter collars so that their movements may be tracked, and additionally for its wealth of cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog.

Day 6: On safari in the Serengeti

After breakfast game drive through the vast Serengeti National park with a picnic lunch enroute to Kijereshi Tented Camp, which is situated in the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park, in the heart of ‘big game’ country.

Distance/drive time: 380 km / 4 /2 hours

Day 7: Into Kenya and the Masai Mara

After breakfast drive to the Tanzanian border, complete immigration formalities and change vehicles for your onward journey to the Masai Mara National Reserve (with a picnic lunch enroute), where you will check in to the Mara Serena Safari Lodge, which stands high on a hill with spectacular views of the river and plains.

World renowned for the breathtaking spectacle of ‘the greatest wildlife show on earth’, the awe inspiring annual migration of the wildebeest, the Mara is Kenya’s most visited protected area. Technically an extension of Tanzania’s renowned Serengeti National Park, the Mara constitutes only 4% of the entire Serengeti ecosystem but its rolling grasslands, meandering rivers and towering escarpments offer one of the world’s most rewarding and evocative wildlife arenas.

Distance/drive time: 380km / 7 hours

Day 8: On safari in the Masai Mara

Spend the day on safari in the Mara with morning and afternoon game drives and all meals at the lodge. Historically teaming with wildlife, the Mara is famous for the large herds of elephant and buffalo that meander its plains; also for the fat pods of hippo that wallow in its mud-brown rivers. Other stars include the distinctive Masai giraffe, plum-coloured topi, Coke’s hartebeest, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, zebra, impala, Kirk’s dik-dik, bushbuck, waterbuck and red duiker. The Reserve also boasts plentiful Nile crocodile, monitor lizard, baboon, vervet, blue and red-tailed monkeys, nocturnal bush babies, and tree hyrax.

Day 9: On safari in the Masai Mara

Take an early morning game drive before breakfast, which is the best time to see the wildlife. After breakfast at the lodge, drive through the Mara to the eastern side of the reserve arriving at Mara Fig Tree Camp in time for lunch. Located on the northern borders of the reserve, on the banks of the Talek River, this luxury tented camp offers 38 luxury tents, an open-air dining area, tree-house coffee deck, two bars and a luxury pool. In the afternoon take a game drive through this very different part of the reserve. Dinner at the camp. After dinner, guests can enjoy any of the optional activities such as display of Maasai dance, a talk on the Mara ecosystem or a night game drive.

Day 10: On safari in the Masai Mara

Spend the day game-viewing in the Mara with early morning and afternoon game drives and all meals at the camp.

Day 11: Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru National Park

Leaving the hotel after an early breakfast drive up the spectacular Great Rift Valley, passing Lakes Naivasha and Elmenteita before arriving at Lake Nakuru National Park and Lake Nakuru Lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon enjoy your first glimpse of the Lake’s fabled 1.2 million flamingos, perhaps find rhinos grazing on the lakeshore (this park is the nation’s largest rhino sanctuary), and arrive back at the Lodge in time for a swim and thereafter a sumptuous buffet supper.

Distance/drive time: 320 km / 4 /2 hours

Day 12: Lake Nakuru to Nairobi

After a morning game drive around the lake, drive to Nairobi in time for lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant which is rated as one of the top 500 restaurants in the world. After lunch check-in to the Sarova Stanley Hotel and spend the afternoon either relaxing by the rooftop pool or seeing the city sights. Dinner on own arrangement to sample any of the restaurants within Nairobi city.

Distance/drive time: 185 km / 2 /2 hours

Day 13: Departure

Leave the hotel after breakfast and drive to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight.

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