Kenya & Tanzania – East Africa’s Great National Parks

You are about to embark on a safari to East Africa’s great national parks on this Kenya and Tanzania safari package. We will meet you in Nairobi for a short briefing about the coming ten days. After meeting your guide, you drive to Solio Game Reserve in the Aberdare Region.

This private game reserve is a leading example of rhino conservation – it is arguably the best place in East Africa to see rhinos in large numbers. The best part is that Solio is a well-kept secret, and you won’t meet many other travellers on your game drive in this exclusive reserve.

Solio is also home to lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, and many bird species, all living in the beautiful yellow fever acacia forests. You will spend your first night on safari at the intimate Rhino Watch Safari Lodge. With some luck, you can even see Mt Kenya in the distance. Welcome to Kenya!

Mornings start early on safari. After a tasty breakfast, you drive towards Lake Nakuru National Park, stopping at Nyahururu waterfall to watch the water cascade down a 72m cliff into a plunge pool.

Passing by local villages, you will arrive at Lake Nakuru for an afternoon game drive. This paradise for bird lovers is well-known for its large flamingo population, which colours the lake in a pink hue depending on water levels and the time of the year. Lake Nakuru is home to the rare Rothschild’s giraffe, the endangered black and white rhinos.

In only two days, you will see more of the animals in East Africa than you might imagine. When the sun sets, it is time to relax at the Flamingo Hill Tented Camp, your home for the night.

Be prepared to be amazed! Today, you will drive south to the magical Masai Mara – a highlight on your Kenya and Tanzania safari package. On your way across the Great Rift Valley, you pass Lake Naivasha, the flower capital of Kenya, and Mount Suswa, an inactive volcano. Driving deeper into the land of the Masai, you will arrive at one of the most spectacular places for wildlife sightings on the continent.

Your first of many game drives in the Masai Mara starts in the afternoon. Home of the Big Five – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard – and many other species, you will spend the next days looking for and observing the Masai Mara’s wildlife with your guide.

Your home for the next two nights is Julia’s River Camp, an intimate tented camp on the banks of the Talek River. Animals don’t adhere to borders, so you can expect wildlife nearby.

Heading out bright and early, you have the whole day to explore the Masai Mara Game Reserve. If you visit during the Great Migration, when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebras follow the rain and migrate to Kenya from Tanzania’s Serengeti, stop at the Mara River. Here, you may be in luck and witness a river crossing when the herbivores cross the river, trying to avoid the snatch of a hungry crocodile.

The beautiful thing about today is that you have time. You are in no rush and can experience each moment to the fullest. Once you have seen the Big Five, turn your eye to the other animals: hyenas and cheetahs roam the savannah, waterbucks and zebras come to the rivers to quench their thirst, while hippos protect their sensitive skin from the sun in the murky waters.

Return to Julia’s River Camp for stories around the dinner table and another night in the bush.

Another day of wildlife adventures in the Mara awaits you. Today, you explore the western part of the game reserve, thus getting a thorough understanding and feel for the Mara ecosystem.

You will be surprised about how much you have learned about Kenya’s flora and fauna by now. With the help of your guide, you see more than picture-perfect sunsets and proud lions; you understand the context and fragility of your natural surroundings.

Tonight, you will stay in the remote Mara West Camp. From here, enjoy panoramic views across the Masai Mara and reflect on the memories you have made here while bush babies jump through the nearby trees.

Your last morning in Kenya starts early. Take in the views of the Mara one last time before you head out towards the Tanzanian border at Isebania.

After clearing immigration, you head to your destination for the day: Lake Victoria. Along the shores of the largest lake on the continent, you can spend the afternoon at leisure at the Serenity on the Lake Resort, where you will also spend the night.

Dust off from the past adventurous days, take a walk along the lake shore, visit the local fishing village, or even catch up on your emails so you have peace of mind for the coming days. Above all, enjoy the calming views of Lake Victoria. Welcome to Tanzania!

Your first morning in Tanzania starts with a canoe trip across Lake Victoria. You sail across the largest lake in Africa with a local fisherman, while he explains how to catch fish traditionally. Back at the fishing village, you can admire last night’s catch.

It is now time to return to the bush for more wildlife encounters on your Kenya and Tanzania safari package. After a short one-hour drive, you will reach the gate of the Serengeti National Park and your game drive begins.

The Masai Mara-Serengeti ecosystem hosts the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebras. If you have missed the herds in Kenya, this is your chance to see this natural spectacle in Tanzania. The name Serengeti translates to “endless plains”, and you will quickly notice why: open grassland as far as you can see will take your breath away.

These seemingly endless plains are dotted with kopjes, large rock formations, and preferred spots for lions to take a nap. In the late afternoon, you will arrive at the Kati Kati Tented Camp. In the middle of the Serengeti, this exclusive and unfenced tented camp will get you as close to nature as few others.

Wake up to birds chirping and the sun rising and enjoy a delicious bush breakfast in the Central Serengeti.

With your guide, you have all day to continue your exploration of the national park. Turn right when others go left, and you will experience private moments amongst Tanzania’s wildlife. The Serengeti is known for its large prides of lions lazing under shade-giving acacia trees. Keep your eyes peeled on the branches of the trees, and you may spot a leopard devouring its recent kill.

No day on safari is like the other, and you will be amazed by the new sights on day eight of your great East African safari. Return to the Kati Kati Tented Camp and join the other guests in front of the “bush TV”, the campfire crackling in the night.

Leaving the Serengeti early this morning, take this opportunity to watch for more predators. When temperatures are cooler, big cats become active and are more likely to go on the hunt.

You will arrive in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the late morning and drive into the world-famous Crater just before lunchtime for a spectacular last-game drive of your safari.

This large inactive volcanic caldera is seasonally home to more than 25,000 animals. Large herds of zebras, buffaloes and prides of lions roam the crater floor. The steep crater walls covered in thick mountain forests are always visible, marking the boundaries of this wildlife haven – a truly unique place.

After your game drive, continue to nearby Karatu and spend the last night of your safari in one of the three beautifully located Tanganyika Wilderness Adventure Lodges.

After a relaxed breakfast, you drive to Arusha, where you will arrive around midday. Your Kenya and Tanzania safari package comes to an end. You can continue your travel plans without staying another night in the city.

Return home or fly to Zanzibar to dust off from your exciting adventures in the bush and relax on tropical sandy beaches.

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