Arrive in Nairobi, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. A microcosm
of the African continent, this capital city is your gateway to a dramatic procession
of natural spectacles in Kenya and Tanzania, among the most thrilling destinations
in the world.
Accommodaction: Nairobi Serena Hotel
Drive to Amboseli National Park, home to over 1,000 elephants and diverse wildlife. Enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at 19,341 feet. Arrive at your lodge beneath acacia trees and, after lunch, explore the park’s acacia woodlands, swamps, scrub, and open plains in search of wildlife. Experience the unique landscapes of the dried-up lake bed and its shimmering mirages. Conclude the day with a special welcome dinner.
Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Set out on early morning and afternoon game drives, crisscrossing the landscape in
search of the park’s large herds of elephant, as well as zebra and wildebeest, along
the salt pan trails. Prepare for predator sightings as opportunistic animals begin
roaming the plains in search of prey. Return to your lodge for dinner followed by a
relaxing evening under African skies.
Accommodaction: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Cross the border into Tanzania and continue to your hotel on the picturesque slopes
of Mount Meru. This afternoon, stop at the kennels of the Canines for
Conservation training center for a special behind-the-scenes visit with the K-9
cadets trained to detect illicit wildlife products in cargo and luggage. Return to
your hotel, enjoying a refreshing Scenic Sundowner on the edge of Lake Duluti
before gathering for dinner.
Accommodaction: Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spain
Drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive, spotting baboons, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, and the famous tree-climbing lions. After lunch, enjoy a tuk-tuk village tour through local communities and rice fields. Continue to the Ngorongoro Crater, ascending its forested rim with scenic views. The day ends with a Chef’s Table experience and overnight stay at
Accommodaction: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge.
This morning, descend into the crater, arriving ahead of most visitors thanks to
the ideal location of your accommodations on the crater’s rim to view the
resident wildlife at its most active time of day. The prairies of this “Lost World”
are great spots for watching buffalo and elephant as well as the countless other
species that roam the crater’s 100-square-mile floor. You may even sight flamingo
(when in season) or the rare black rhino. Following lunch, visit a Maasai village to
gain a better understanding of the nomadic cattle-herders’ daily life and culture.
Accommodaction: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Travel through savanna grasslands and volcanic hills with a guided visit to Olduvai Gorge, where famous fossil discoveries by Mary and Louis Leakey can be explored. See the museum, lookout points, and ancient footprints and skulls. Continue to your lodge, set amid views of wildlife including lions, leopards, hyenas, giraffes, and topi, with elegant accommodations inspired by Maasai culture.
Accommodaction: Meliá Serengeti Lodge
Today, revel in true safari country, searching for iconic species, such as lion,
leopard, Cape buffalo and elephant, as well as giraffe, gazelle and zebra. Along the
rivers and rocky outcroppings, you may also spot some of the Serengeti’s more
diminutive denizens, such as leopard tortoise and rhinoceros beetle.
Accommodaction: Meliá Serengeti Lodge
Fly to the vast Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya’s finest wildlife spectacle,
offering excellent game viewing year-round. The unending landscape hosts some
450 bird species, 95 animal species and all of the great predators, including the
country’s largest lion population. After familiarizing yourself with your classic
tented accommodations, ideally situated at the confluence of the Mara’s four
game-viewing regions, drive through the famed reserve.
Accommodaction: Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Explore a region bestowed with over 500 square miles of savannas, woodlands and
tree-fringed rivers on morning and afternoon game drives. You may observe
crocodile basking in the sun, see ever-alert hippo wallowing in muddy water and
catch the antics of mischievous monkeys overhead. Watch, too, as African
elephant rumble along the forest edge and giraffe snatch leaves from branches high
above.
Accommodaction: Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Start the day with a morning game drive in the Mara. After lunch, choose a Design Your Day activity: join a guided bird walk to spot nearly 500 bird species, create Maasai jewelry, or test your skills throwing the Rungu with Maasai warriors. In the late afternoon, enjoy a final game drive and a scenic sundowner over the open plains, followed by a farewell dinner.
Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Return to Nairobi. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in a reserved dayroom before
your international departure flight home.
Nairobi Serena Hotel (dayroom)
