Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

There are no activities planned today so you are free to arrive Nairobi at

any time.

After the arrival of the group flights in the early morning, we travel west

into the Great African Rift Valley to Kembu, stopping in Nakuru en route to

do some shopping and look around this typical African town. We stay on a farm

tonight and have an opportunity to do a farm walk this afternoon.

This morning we drive to Lake Nakuru National Park where we enjoy a superb

game drive. Although this is a small park it is home to an amazing variety of

animals and birdlife. The park contains a soda lake, which is sometimes home

to thousands of flamingos. We hope to see the endangered White and Black

rhinos, lion and if we are very lucky the elusive leopard. There is a

stunning view from baboon cliffs above the lake, and here we may see the

small furry Rock hyrax, which is related to the elephant! Tonight we camp

just outside the park in a campsite with good showers and flush toilets.

*Full-service Camping*

Today we travel into the Masai Mara, one of the most famous ecosystems in the

world. This vast grassland is teeming with life; plains game including

wildebeest, gazelle, topi, zebra and buffalo abound in the rolling savannah,

and never far away lay the predators: cheetah, lion and hyena. Between

mid-August to late October one of the greatest spectacles on Earth takes

place in the Mara - the annual migration of thousands of wildebeest, gazelle

and zebra trampling their way across the long grass. Nothing is guaranteed on

safari, but with the help of our brilliant guides you should see and learn a

huge amount about the Masai Mara's resident wildlife as we game drive through

the park this afternoon. Stay in a campsite just outside the reserve for the

next two nights.

*Full-service Camping*

A full day game drive in the Masai Mara to increase our chances of

encountering many of the wildlife species found in the reserve. We'll find a

quiet spot inside the park to enjoy lunch by our vehicle, looking out across

the plains. There are also several optional excursions that you can enjoy

today in addition to the game drive. Get up early for a sunrise Hot Air

Balloon Safari (including champagne and breakfast) or visit a traditional

Masaai village to meet the locals.



*Full-service Camping*

Our long drive today is up through the Western highlands and allows plenty of

time to appreciate the superb scenery. The road begins to descend and we

leave behind the neatly ordered rows of tea bushes as we cross the border

into Tanzania at Isebania. We camp in a pleasant spot at Musoma on the shore

of Lake Victoria.

*Full-service Camping*

Today, we turn east and enter the vast Serengeti Plain, one of the largest

parks in Africa. There is a choice of routes into the Serengeti, depending on

the weather: if it is dry, the 130km of the Western Corridor, usually full of

plains game, is open. If it is wet, however, this road, which is built on

black cotton soil, is impassible, and we have to enter the park from the

north, at Ikoma gate. We spend two nights in the park so we plenty of time to

enjoy the vast open spaces and the variety of game. We camp at Seronera where

there are various camping areas, all of them in open bush, with no fences to

prevent the animals from visiting during the night. A real taste of wild

Africa!

*Full-service Camping*

We leave early and it is often possible to watch elephants and other animals

browsing close to the campsite. The morning is spent game driving in the

eastern part of the park, where it is unusual not to spot a pride of lions,

in their favourite place - under a big, shady tree. After crossing the vast

grasslands we come to the Ngorongoro entry gate at Naabi Hill. We travel up

towards the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, the wide-open plains below

stretching as far as the eye can see. Finally reaching the top, the crater

opens up in front of us, a huge, natural caldera, one of the great sights of

Africa.



The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest unbroken caldera, formed when

its volcano top erupted leaving fertile plains in its place. Before this

happened, it was actually the highest mountain in Africa, towering over

nearby Kilimanjaro. The crater is essentially made up of grassy plains, lush

forest and a soda lake which houses flamingos and an array of birdlife. From

the rim, at an altitude of 2400m, the cliff plunges down some 600m to the

crater floor with a whole host of extinct volcanoes ringing the valley. Our

campsite here is very basic indeed and can be very cold at night so please

come prepared.

*Full-service Camping*

We descend to the crater floor in 4WD vehicles and spend the morning watching

large numbers of plains game, and the ever-present predators around them.

We'll search for hippos in the murky pools, and try to protect our food at

lunchtime from the fearless Brown kites, as they swoop and snatch anything

that appears to be edible!

After a fantastic morning we continue our journey to the edge of the Rift

Valley, where there is a great view over Lake Manyara (often tinted pink

around the edges from large numbers of flamingos) and on to Arusha.

*Full-service Camping*

Take a morning flight over to the island of Zanzibar, 35km from the mainland.

First visited by Arab traders in the 8th century, and countless travellers in

the following centuries, the island is most famous for its spices, and

infamous for being the centre of the East African slave trade. We spend our

first night in Stone Town and then three nights by the beach. Stone Town is a

myriad of small alleys and markets. We recommend a spice tour, around the

island's plantations, with chances to taste and buy.

*Comfortable Hotel*

After a free morning in Stone Town we transfer to our hotel by the beach.

There is plenty to occupy your days here. You can visit Prison Island, where

difficult slaves were kept, or relax on the eastern and northern beaches,

with excellent snorkelling, sailing in a dhow and plenty of fresh seafood.

The local buses are efficient and enable you to travel all over the island,

although hiring a jeep for a day or two is a more exciting way of getting

about and not expensive. It's a fascinating mixture of culture, history and

wonderful beaches.

*Comfortable Hotel*

Our adventure ends after breakfast. Those on the group flights will be

transferred back to Stone Town for their flight to London.

**