DAY 1: Ol Pejeta Conservancy Ol Pejeta Conservancy boasts an astounding variety of animals including all the “Big Five” (the endangered black and white rhino, leopard, elephant, buffalo and lion) as well Kenya’s only sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees. Day Notes On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport you will be met by our representative who will brief you on the safari. Thereafter drive to Sweetwaters Wildlife Sanctuary and its sumptuous ranch were once the private domain of famed multi-millionaire, Adnan Kashoggi. We visit the Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a charming haven established by the Jane Goodall Institute to provide sanctuary to orphaned chimps, and the specially protected and fenced refuge of black rhino with its stunning forty specimens. In fact Sweetwaters boasts excellent game viewing with the highest ratio of game to area of any park or reserve in Kenya. Moreover, the camp has its own private waterhole and salt lick so we’ll be guaranteed unprecedented close encounters. Whether its day or night |game drives, camel trekking, lion tracking, al fresco dining or relaxing by pool, Sweetwaters is bound to delight. Lunch at the camp. Afternoon game drive. The Conservancy boasts an astounding variety of animals including all the “Big Five” (the endangered black rhino, leopard, elephant, buffalo and lion). The combination of amazing wildlife and stunning views across the open plains of Ol Pejeta guarantees an unforgettable safari experience Overnight: Sweetwaters Serena Camp A sheltered oasis, clustered around a water hole and set in the pristine calm of the private Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Sweetwaters Tented Camp offers a charming blend of under-canvas ambiance and safari luxury. Located on the plains of Mount Kenya, the camp features thirty-nine luxury tents, each with its own private veranda overlooking the water hole. The central Rhino Restaurant is housed in the former manager's house of this once colonial farm, and offers both regional and international cuisine. Also within the house is the Kashoggi Bar and lounge, which centres on a blazing log fire. The Waterhole Bar, built in the style of a game-viewing hide, overlooks the waterhole and offers unrivalled wildlife-watching. Included Full Board
DAY 2: Day Notes Full day spent with morning and afternoon game drives. Included Full Board
DAY 3: Mount Kenya The view of a snow capped Mt Kenya with an elephant in the foreground must be one of Africa’s most iconic. Africa’s second highest mountain (5199m) is an awe-inspiring sight and its forests, trout filled streams and game reserve are of great interest for those not wanting to summit the peak. Unlike Mt Kilimanjaro Mt Kenya is a technically difficult climb, although Point Lenana (4985m) requires no climbing can be easily reached by a fit hiker. Day Notes Breakfast at the lodge. Drive to Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari Club. With magnificent views of majestic Mt. Kenya, the Safari club's 115 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, set in over 100 acres of landscaped gardens, offer a unique blend of comfort, relaxation and adventure. Originally the retreat of movie star and club founder William Holden, the club's illustrious former members have included Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby. A wealth of activities and facilities are available at Mt. Kenya Safari Club including heated swimming pool, Tennis course, horse riding, 9-hole golf course, game viewing platform and bush dinner on the banks of the river Likii. Lunch at the lodge. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight: Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club With magnificent views of majestic Mount Kenya, the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club Resort's 120 luxuriously appointed hotel rooms, set in over 100 acres of landscaped gardens, offer a unique blend of comfort, relaxation and adventure. Originally the retreat of movie star and Club founder, William Holden, the Club's illustrious former members have included Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby. For those who wish to spend time relaxing at the Mount Kenya resort hotel, there are many Nanyuki recreational activities available: horseback riding, golf, croquet, a bowling green, table tennis, swimming, an animal orphanage and much more. To be able to relax and appreciate the superb setting, the personal attention lavished on all our visitors, the numerous activities and superb cuisine, one night is just not enough. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is the ideal base for a truly superb holiday in Nanyuki, Kenya. With some of the country's finest attractions on the doorstep, visitors to the resort can enjoy an enormous range of excursions and activities without spending hours and even days traveling between each. Making it one of the most truly best hotels in Kenya. Included Full Board
DAY 4: Lake Nakuru National Park Lake Nakuru National Park was created to protect the Lake and its flocks of Lesser Flamingo which are drawn to the algae that flourishes in the saline waters of the soda lake. The national park is home to hippos, black and white rhino, Rothschild giraffe, buffalo and eland. Day Notes After breakfast. Proceed to Lake Nakuru Park, regarded by avid birders' as the greatest World ornithological spectacle on the Earth. Arrive for lunch at lodge. The Park is Sanctuary to the Black Rhino, White Rhino and the Rothschild Giraffe. Bird life include common species like African fish Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Green Wood Hoopoes, Cliff Chat, Great White and Pink Backed Pelicans plus other intra- African Migrants. Afternoon game drive. Overnight: Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is nestled along the Lion Hill overlooking the spectacular flamingo pink rimmed Lake Nakuru. Its location affords panoramic views of the lake and the picturesque Lake Nakuru National Park. A short two-hour drive from Nairobi, Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is a favourite with residents and visitors to Kenya. Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is cleverly laid out in such a way that most rooms and sitting areas afford stunning views of the lake and the park. The Lodge incorporates natural landscaping with tall acacia trees, winding walkways and greens dotted with bird feeds. The Lodge is a natural haven for bird life and attracts over 50 species of birds amongst the 400 species that inhabit the Park. Lake Nakuru National Park was created in 1968 to protect the huge flocks of over of the lesser flamingo that breed and nest at the edge of Lake Nakuru, giving it the characteristic pink rim. Lake Nakuru National Park, located at an altitude of 4,000-5,767 feet above sea level, covers 188 square kilometres of land of great ecological diversity - from lake water, woodland, bush grassland, to rocky ridges. The park is home to not just the lesser flamingo but over 400 species of birds and one of the few places to see the endangered white rhino. Other wildlife at the park includes lions, leopards, zebra, gazelles, eland, giraffe and the hyrax. Included Full Board
DAY 5: After breakfast, drive through the dramatic Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara National Reserve. This enormous reserve is actually part of the vast Serengeti plains famously known for its spectacular great wildebeest’s migration and is home of the Big Five: Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhino. Lunch at your Lodge/ camp and relax before departing for an afternoon game drive. The Mara Game Reserve – one of the greatest wildernesses of the world. Large mammals are varied, and easy to see. Residents among the Parks are: Masai Giraffe, Buffalo, Eland and thousands of plain game including Impala, Zebra, Topi, both Thomson's and grants Gazelles. Meals and overnight at a lodge/ camp in Mara. (BLD)Masai Mara National Reserve The Masai Mara together with Tanzania’s Serengeti form Africa’s most famous wildlife park. The image of acacia trees on an endless grass plain epitomises Africa for many, and then add a Maasai warrior and some cattle to the picture and the conversation need go no further. Day Notes Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Masai Mara National Game Reserve ( DRIVING TIME ABOUT 6 / 7 HRS – RECOMMENDED FLYING FOR 5* ACCOMMODATION ). The reserve offers wonderful scenery and plenty of game. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. Lunch at Keekorok Lodge. Proceed to Mara Serena Lodge with a game drive enroute. Overnight: Mara Serena Safari Lodge Secreted deep within the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Mara Serena Safari Lodge is the ultimate safari destination. Set high on a bush-cloaked hill, embraced by arcing vistas and washed by a sea of richly rolling grasslands, it stands centre-stage to one of Africa’s most dramatic wildlife arenas and has a ringside seat for the greatest wildlife show on Earth, the legendary migration of the wildebeest. Drawing its inspiration from the traditional Maasai cultural motif of a cluster of domed, mud-colored huts encircled by a “Boma” of brushwood, the Mara Serena offers a rare blend of raw African splendor and sumptuous sophistication. The essentially ethnic décor also draws on a vibrant colour-palette of sun-burst colors, embellished by a unique selection of Maasai art to create the look and feel of a traditional bush encampment. The lodge features individual rooms, each with their own balcony and view of eternity, a sky-blue swimming pool and a spectacular restaurant, overlooking a water hole where a fantasia of creatures collect to drink. Included Full Board
DAY 6: Day Notes (Early morning optional balloon ride with champagne-style breakfast at extra cost) Full day in Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. Included Full Board
DAY 7: Central Serengeti The Serengeti together with Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Park form Africa’s most famous wildlife park. The image of acacia trees on an endless grass plain epitomises Africa for many, and then add a Masai warrior and some cattle to the picture and the conversation need go no further. The annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara is the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet – with more than a million animals following the rains. But that is not where the game viewing ends; large prides of lions, elephants and giraffes in grasslands, gazelles and eland to mention but a few. Aside from traditional vehicle safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti plains has become almost essential and you can even do a horseback safari. Day Notes After breakfast at the overnight lodge, you will drive to the border town of Isebania where you will go through the normal immigration and customs procedures. Thereafter cross the board, change vehicles and proceed to Tanzania in Tanzanian vehicles. Picnic lunch en route. Proceed to Serengeti National Park with a game drive enroute. Overnight: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge is situated high a tree clad ridge, commanding panoramic views across the Serengeti. The lodge is a fusion of traditional African architecture and modern style. Centrally located adjacent to the Western Corridor and Grumeti River, the lodge has been designed to blend completely into the living landscape. A series of traditional domed rondavels are widely spaced throughout the grounds, which are cooled by groves of acacia trees and watered by sparkling streams. On the very edge of the ridge is a pool, which looks out over the endless plains. The lodge has been styled to offer a showcase of cultural performance, heritage and traditional art, illustrated by the lavish Makonde carvings which decorate the rooms and the stunning domed dining room. Included Full Board
DAY 8: Day Notes All day spent in the Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives. Included Full Board
DAY 9: Ngorongoro Crater The Ngorongoro Crater is game viewing gone crazy and it is not surprising that with is one of Tanzania’s major tourist drawcards. Within the crater rim a daily wildlife drama is played out as large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby lions, leopards, elephants and black rhinos. Outside of the crater a similar drama continues in a more spread out manner with Masai herdsmen thrown into the mix. Day Notes After breakfast, drive to the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact caldera in the world. Its enduring charm stems from its overwhelming physical beauty and the abundance of wildlife permanently resident on the crater floor. Lunch at the lodge. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge Perched on the jagged rim of the crater, wreathed in morning mist, camouflaged in river-stone and cloaked in indigenous creepers, the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is a triumph of ecological and architectural fusion. Sensitively constructed so as to take nothing from its environment whilst affording endless vistas over the heat-shimmering reaches of the crater below, the clustered boulder-built buildings of the Lodge hug the crater rim, linked by rope-lashed timber walkways that skirt the buttressed roots of ancient, liana-hung trees. The interior, radiating out from the primeval log fire glowing at the heart of the Lodge, blends the concentrated hush of a game-viewing hide with the ochre, rust and charcoal images of a prehistoric cavern. Lit by flaming wall-lanterns, clad in gigantic volcanic boulders and decorated by the iron spears, bright-beaded robes and intricately carven artefacts of the Maasai, the Lodge is a unique blend of world-class luxury, timeless volcanic splendour and ethnic style. As for the views, from lilac-streaked sunrise, to indigo star-studded night, the immeasurably ancient Ngorongoro Crater delivers a theatre of vistas, most unchanged since the dawn of time. Strung around the crater rim, each with its own rock-enclosed balcony, the rooms feature brass lamps, embossed leather headboards, wildwood mirrors, Maasai carvings and flamboyant prehistoric wall motifs depicting fleeing giraffes, stylised gazelle and plunging buffalo. Each room draws on a cave-grey, indigo-blue and jasper-red colour-scheme, is fully air-conditioned and enjoys uninterrupted views over the Crater's unmatched splendour. At the end of an action-packed day, guests can also follow a gentle nature trail that loops around the Lodge through moss-hung glades and plunging ravines, take a guided walk to the Crater's rim, relax with a herbal massage, or watch as the burning sun sinks behind the mountains from a unique vantage point on the craggy heights of the Crater's rim. Included Full Board
DAY 10: Day Notes Breakfast at the lodge. Proceed to the crater floor for a half day game drive. Return to the lodge for lunch. Afternoon at leisure. Alternatively, clients can depart with picnic lunch, do a full day game drive and return to the lodge late in the afternoon. Included Full Board
DAY 11: Lake Manyara National Park With the Lake on its east and the Manyara Escarpment to its west the Lake Manyara National Park offers breathtaking views and a large variety of habitats. Acacia woodlands, water forests, baobab strewn cliffs, algae-streaked hot springs, swamps and the lake itself. And thanks to this the small Park is able to support a large number of animal species and incredible bird life. Manyara has the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world and the lions here are also renowned for their tree climbing. Day Notes Breakfast at the lodge. This morning drive to Lake Manyara National Park, which apart from its abundant bird and animal life is known for its tree-climbing lions. Afternoon game drive. Overnight: Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge Standing high on the bluff of a dramatic ochre and terracotta streaked cliff above the flamingo-frosted expanse of Lake Manyara’s gleaming alkaline waters, the Lodge commands panoramic views across the volcano-studded floor of the Great Rift Valley. Designed to reflect the brilliance of Lake Manyara’s unique birdlife, the Lodge draws on an inspirational architectural motif that melds swooping avian curves with the gentle concentric patterns of traditional Maasai ‘Bomas’ (encampments) whilst the vibrantly coloured frescoes lining the walls are designed to depict the colourful intricacy of bird migratory patterns. The ambiance of the Lodge is a fusion of lakeside tranquility, towering volcanic splendour and adventure-packed sporting activity. As to wildlife, the park offers abundant sightings of; monkey, jackal, mongoose, hyena, hyrax, zebra, hippo, warthog, buffalo, Masai giraffe, duiker, waterbuck and impala. Significant numbers of elephant are also resident in the Park whilst sightings of black rhino and leopard are not uncommon. Manyara is also especially noted for its wealth of bird life, being visited by many thousands of sugar-pink Lesser Flamingos, significant numbers of Greater Flamingos and a host of other woodland, plains and water birds Included Full Board
DAY 12: Day Notes Breakfast at the lodge. Check out and drive to Kilimanjaro Airport for your departure flight. Included Full Board
