Overview

This fifteen-day adventurous trip includes a grand East African journey on an impressive scale of exploration and passion, from the swarming herds of the Masai Mara and the stunning Serengeti, through the iconic game reserves of the world famous Ngorongoro Crater and the classis spice island of Zanzibar Selous, to a majestic finale on the glamorous land mass of Zanzibar.

Start with this mind blowing journey in the gorgeous Nairobi, where you will spend the night at the spectacular Karen Blixen Cottages.

Then your adventure will begin as you fly into the amazing Tortilis Camp in Amboseli, where you will discover herds and herds of elephants which are set against the captivating backdrop of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Tourists will then continue to hike up to the Masai Mara, where the world famous Governor’s Camp is located on the enthralling bank of the Mara River. This is going to be your home for the following two magical nights.

Tourists will then cross into the border to the beautiful country of Tanzania, Ubuntu Camp on the massive, swarming plains of the elegant Serengeti which is your next port of exploration, where the masses of the regal Wildebeest Migration provide you with the amazing opportunity to view them in their natural habitat. Next, you will travel to the dazzling Ngorongoro Crater through the enchanted Lake Manyara National Park, where the bewitching wildlife concentrations of a different type waits for you.

For the final safari destination of this impressive journey, it just cannot get better than the magical Siwandu Camp, located deep in the lush wilderness of the thrilling Selous Game Reserve, where tourists will be able to experience the big game escapades via boat, game drive vehicles and also by foot.
Relax after this unbelievable safari experience on the unspoiled beach at the stunningly beautiful Hideaway at Nungwi on Zanzibar, where powder white sand, crystal clear azure waters, and utmost relaxation are just what you require after a tiring day.
This gripping adventure is picture-perfect for wildlife aficionados of all persuasions.

Whether you are have been on safaris before or this is your first time experience, this expedition promises exceptional big game meets in marvelous Kenya and wonderful Tanzania’s primary national parks and reserves. As a flawless counterpoint to the spectacles and escapades of this safari, the tranquility and armistice of Zanzibar is an appropriate conclusion.

Itinerary Highlights

• Views of Mount Kilimanjaro
• Excellent Big 5 game viewing, including endemic white-bearded wildebeest
• Hot-air balloon ride over the Masai Mara
• Stay in a mobile camp
• Boat cruises in Selous Game Reserve
• Water sports in Zanzibar
• Spice plantation & Stone Town tours

Day to day itinerary

Day 1

After tourists arrive at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, they will be moved to the beautiful Karen Blixen Cottages. Set against the backdrop of the striking private gardens sprinkled with huge purple flowered jacaranda trees, these cottages located in Karen are one of Nairobi’s most admired neighborhoods.

The suites are elegantly equipped with a bedroom and a huge four poster bed idealistically swathed in the much needed mosquito netting. The idyllic place to unwind after your long journey to Kenya, the gorgeous Karen Blixen Cottages have tranquil subtropical gardens, textbook for bird watching and lying in the warm rays of the yellow African sun.

If tourists wish to endeavor further afield, we can happily arrange expeditions to the neighboring Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary, the Giraffe Centre or Nairobi National Park.

Day 2

Tourists will depart Nairobi after a delicious breakfast and will then head towards the Wilson Airport for their flight, south to the stunning Amboseli.

Our guide will meet the tourists at the airstrip and take them on an exciting game drive to the famous Tortilis Camp. Situated on the south western part of the stunning Amboseli National Park in the secluded Kitirua Conservancy, Tortilis is very far away from the hustling and bustling eastern part of this park and can therefore provide a far more élite and exclusive Amboseli experience to the tourists.

The very first thing which tourists will notice upon their arrival at this camp is the undeniably almighty view of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. This regal snow-capped pinnacle and the enchanting slopes it sports, is one of the largest free-standing mountains around the world.

The mountain has been named after the famous acacia trees which characterize this stunning landscape. Tortilis offers the tourists an attractively designed, yet ecofriendly camp, which offers each and every comfort tourists might need to feel at home. The expansive tented suites are constructed below the makuti thatch roofs which have large bedrooms, bathrooms and spacious verandah through which they can enjoy the spectacular view.

Amboseli is extremely famous for the numerous elephant herds, in addition to being a home for some of the biggest tuskers in Africa. To come across a huge elephant bull, with the classic backdrop of the majestic Kilimanjaro is one of the most awe inspiring safari experiences tourists are going to have.

The experienced guides at Tortilis habitually know the herds and all the numerous individuals in the park, which gives you a chance to gain a profound level of understanding about these exceedingly intelligent, delicate and kind animals.

Lush green havens are fed by permanent spring tides in the center of the park, and are a favorite meeting point for hippopotamus, various species of birds and also crocodiles. A throng of wildlife animals dwell in Amboseli, such as the eastern white bearded wildebeest, regarded as genetically extinct from the Serengeti valley.

Day 3- Day 4

After a delicious breakfast, tourists will depart from the beautiful Amboseli to catch the flight to the mythological plains of the Masai Mara. Our guide representative will meet them at the airstrip and they can relish a short safari drive to the infamous Governor’s Camp.

Set in a spectacular location around the banks of the gorgeous Mara River, Governor’s Camp boasts a splendid view of hippos, crocodiles and various species of birds around the river, and the vast grasslands of the Masai Mara as well. The whole camp is constructed using canvas, which ensures a negligible environmental footprint, however the facilities provided to tourists are equal to those provided in any first class hotel.

The suite provided to you will be bright and roomy.  The wooden deck supports the structure which has been extended to a large porch, using which, tourists can take in the spectacular view of the surrounding natural beauty.

During the famous migrations seasons at the Mara, the plains become enclosed with boundless herds of zebras and wildebeests as they make their ceaseless trek throughout the Serengeti biome in search of fresh water and lush grazing grounds. The Masai Mara River is one of the major obstacles which they have to cross, where massive crocodiles lie waiting for the swarming masses which daily come for a drink along the banks.

An early morning start to the journey sees out on the unique plains as the air is very fresh and the wildlife just starting to rise.Tourists will gently drift up into the blue and purple hued sky for their hot air balloon safari. The bird’s eye view of the endless grasslands, where you can gaze at all the animals below you, utterly enthralled by the splendor of this mind blowing scene. Glide soundlessly through the sky, as the only sounds tourists hear are the loud calls of the wildlife below them and the whispers of the wind in their ears.

Day 5- Day 6

Early next morning, depart for Governor’s Camp as you make your way to the runway for the charter flight waiting to transport you to Serengeti, landing across the stunning Tanzanian border along your way, before you take the flight onwards.

The destination at this location is the Ubuntu Camp, which is a warm and unadulterated safari camp that moves along the flow of the wandering herds. Moving out from the beautiful Ubuntu Camp you are bound to get absorbed into the migration drama going on around you. The continuous battle between predator and its prey is simply a part of the greater battle for survival; which has always been the way the wild has operated.

The spectacle of a lion bringing down a giraffe or zebra might raise an arpeggio of sympathy for the prey within you, but this is mitigated by the sighting of her cubs, who appear from the lush green long grass to feed on the prey once all the dust has settled down.

Apart from this grand drama and sights of the great Migration, there are numerous other sights and happenstances for tourists to enjoy in this unbelievable landscape. The inhabitant species which remain before, through and after the passageway of the masses are equally captivating.

Elephants cross the grasslands like desert convoys, bulls stand below the acacia tree resembling sentries, and the tangible joy of animals coming to satisfy their thirst is an uplifting sight. Add in findings of hundreds and thousands of birds, smaller hunters like caracals, genets and honey badgers. This once in a lifetime experience is both, universal and inspiring, set below the enormous dome of the African sky with the golden grasslands sweeping off to the far off hills in every direction.

Day 7

You start out early morning from Ubuntu, with the gorgeous Lake Manyara as your destination. This tiny, but vivacious national park, has an amazing variety of diverse habitats which in turn upkeep a plethora of numerous different species of both animals and birds.

The lake is home to abundant birdlife, from minute plovers to glorious flocks of flamingos which turn the shorelines pink with their feathers. On the adjacent grassy prairies, herds of buffaloes, wildebeests and zebras assemble in huge numbers.

Deep woodlands of figs, acacias and mahogany vegetation are thriving with the birds trilling and crowds of monkeys hurtling through the awning. The area is also well known for its remarkably huge tusked elephants. As the afternoon moves on, tourists leave the park to drive to the amazing Gibb’s Farm, situated on the peripheries of the majestic Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This pleasantly restored celebrated farmhouse stands in the lush estates and gardens overseeing the glamorous Ngorongoro Forest in the gorge below it.

Day 8

Start early next morning and drive to the edge of the stately Ngorongoro Crater, which offers one of the most astonishing views across Africa, laid out right before your eyes. This is a caldera of the destroyed volcano, within its walls are numerous species of animals, hardly seen anywhere else across the region.

Plunging down the sharp slopes to the valley floor, tourists pass through numerous habitats on their way to the vast verdant plains which sprawl from the beautiful Lake Magadi, which shimmers like the centerpiece of this massive depression.

Dense plantations cling to the walls of this valley where elephants walk slowly beneath the great canopy. Buffaloes and hippos normally visit the swamplands around the huge waterbodies. The natural blockades of the crater offer a refuge to the exquisite black-maned lions, and here it is completely possible to come across the Big Five on only a single game drive.

Day 9

After a calming morning and a pleasant breakfast on the verandah, tourists will bid the classy Gibbs Farm farewell and continue with their journey to the astonishing Arusha.

Tourists then arrive in this vivacious and lively town at midday. At this location our driver will collect all the tourists to accompany you to the stunning Arusha Coffee Lodge. Tourists will get to enjoy a pleasant lunch on the verandah. The afternoon is then yours to relish, whether you want to reconnoiter the hubbub of Arusha and its colorful markets, take an excursion of the coffee estates or simply unwind in the gorgeously tranquil grounds or at the poolside.

Days 10-11

After a relaxed morning and a hearty breakfast, you will depart for Arusha Coffee Lodge. Head off to the airport where a helicopter will be waiting to wing you off south to the elegant Selous Game Reserve.  Located on the shorelines of the incredible Lake Nzerakera, which is part of the watering channels. The camp is snuggled in a coppice of palms with magnificent views over the peaceful lake. The guest rooms are spacious, ensuring seclusion.

Each canvas tent is constructed on a huge wooden sundeck that includes an extensive outdoor sunbathing area, and the totality of the structure is protected by a makuti straw roof, which in amalgamation with the huge mosquito-screen windows, allow fresh air inside the building. The interiors are gorgeously decorated with delicately elegant soupçons of chutzpah and wood. The enormous beds have a gigantic four poster mosquito net amorously draped around them.

After a wonderful breakfast as the sun rises along the horizon, the lake is bought to life. Tourists will start with the walking safari along with their guide. Tourists are going to learn about the different animal tracks and termite knolls; signs of the passageway of animals throughout the night by their hoof, plus paw marks left on the ground; the numerous uses of plants found in the area, whether as medication, rope fiber or even as a toothbrush. Your surroundings are suddenly going to become an entirely different abode once your viewpoint has been changed by the guide’s immense knowledge.

In the hot light of the late African afternoon, you come across energetic pods of hippopotamuses as they splish-splash and honk among each other in the deep murky water. Closer to the beach, tourists should keep an eye open for gargantuan crocodiles, their immovability making them flawlessly camouflaged.

Tourists will watch enthralled as a huge herd of elephants appears from the woodland to drink, and from this truncated vantage point, tourists are given an exclusive view as they validate their sheer pleasure in water.

Tiny calves which cannot even control their trunks are kneeling down to quench their thirst by getting on their knees and drinking water, as their mothers stand watching over them, their huge legs acting as defensive pillars on each side of their tiny bodies.

Pulling up on a hummock, tourists stop to discern the, now very familiar, sundowner ceremonial procedure. As the huge setting sun tints the sky in a phantasmagoria of color, tourists stand with a delicious ice cold drink in their hand, savoring the absolute armistice, tranquility and magic of the wildlife of Africa.

Days 12-14

After a laidback breakfast on the promenade overseeing the lake, tourists will bid Siwandu goodbye and head off to the airstrip for their flight to the beautiful Zanzibar. Tourists will fly with the wasteland of Tanzania below them until the glittering Indian Ocean appears along the horizon, and set inside it like a jewel, the luxuriant island of Zanzibar. Upon landing, tourists are met by our representative guide and driven through the subtropical jungle as well as the spice plantations.

The Sanctuary of Nungwi is located upon a picture-perfect powder white sand beach, lapped up by the crystal clear blue waters which is the spitting image of an Indian Ocean paradise. Located in lands of tropical gardens, the lodge is the perfect reflection of the history and primordial charm of this captivating island with a heterogeneous blend of East African panache and a rich Indian Ocean inheritance.

The gardens effortlessly slope down over a coppice of palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, past an enormous sparkling pool and on an unspoiled white sandy seashore with the sapphire ocean beyond.

Tourists are cordially welcomed and shown to their suite, with its beautiful view of the vast sea stretching out before them. This is the moment when they settle into the sheer calm and tranquility of the gorgeous Nungwi.

Tourists will have a choice of numerous dining venues which are speckled across the area. Tourists can indulge in a delightful dinner of fresh seafood at the Aqua Restaurant, overlooking the soft waves gently lapping across the shore, whilst the warm subtropical air brings the fragrance of spices and frangipani with the breeze.

The timetable and the pace are for the tourists to decide, with the lodging offering an assortment of different activities. Tourists can choose from diving and snorkeling in the colorful coral reefs to deep sea fishing for an ocean escapade experiences, or visit the water sports center to try their luck at wind surfing, kayaking or even kite boarding. If all of this is too much for you to handle and you just want to relax, you can lounge by the poolside with a delicious cocktail. You can even visit the spa for a revitalizing treatment for both your body and soul.

The gorgeous island of Zanzibar is home to many different attractions, with the visit to the famous spice farmsteads and the primeval cobbled streets of the cultural Stone Town being the most common choice amongst tourists; the long and captivating history of this stunning island contains numerous stories and secrets which will hold you highly enthralled.

With these lazy days spent under the warm African sun, exhilarating activities out on the ocean and satisfying tropical evenings spent relishing delicious meals at a high-quality restaurant, the Sanctuary of Nungwi is a seamless place to wind down and unwind in a mesosphere of calm and tranquility.

Day 15

After one final dip in the great Indian Ocean, tourists will depart from the hideaway of Nungwi and arrive to the airport for their flight back to Dar es Salaam, and then on towards their home.

Looking down at his massive continent from the aircraft, the imageries of the past few days will come flooding back: the vision of elephants wading in the Mara River, the sounds of hyenas howling in the night as you lie beneath the covers, the tapered, ancient roads of the historical Stone Town, evocative with the fragrance of spices. These are all the numerous experiences of Africa which will render you spellbound, and force you to return back one day.