Africa at Your Fingertips: Mara, Tanzania and Zanzibar

Upon arrival at Nairobi Airport, our guide will be waiting for you in the arrival hall carrying a branded sign board. Meet and greet and transfer to your hotel.

Breakfast. Departure by 4x4 vehicle from Nairobi and drive to the Masai Mara. A highlight of the journey is the first glimpse of the huge Rift Valley emptiness just past Limuru, at the top of the escarpments of the valley. Down below, the Kedong Valley dotted with acacias conveys a clean and archetypal image of the African landscape. Beyond Mount Longonot, the Hell’s Gate National Park and Lake Naivasha can be seen, while the plains seem to sweep forever to the south. Approximate journey time 4-5 hours. (Details of the itinerary and travel times are subject to road conditions). Picnic lunch on route. Afternoon game drive in the Masai Mara. Check in and dinner at the lodge.

Sunrise morning safari in the Masai Mara national park. Breakfast then continuation for a second morning safari. Lunch at Sentrim Mara and continuation of your safari in the afternoon until sunset. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Departure from the Masai Mara and drive to the lakes area. Travel time between 4 and 9 hours approximately. (Details of the route and travel time are subject to road conditions). Discovery of Naivasha. Derived from the Maasai name “Nai’posha”, which means “rough waters” because of the sudden storms that can be triggered, Lake Naivasha covers nearly 139 km² and is surrounded by a 64 km² swamp. At an altitude of 1,890 m above sea level, it is, along with Baringo, one of only two freshwater lakes in the region, which allows it to irrigate the very fertile volcanic soils of the surrounding area. Around the lake are rich green plains where zebras, hartebeests, buffaloes, impalas, giraffes, monkeys and at night hippos come to feed. It is also home to an important oviparous fauna (over 300 species of birds). Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon, guided walk to the Crescent Island bird sanctuary. You will be transferred by boat to the peninsula which is home to a large number of pelicans, cormorants and fish eagles. Between the hippos feeding on grass at the end of the day, the giraffes that were born on the peninsula and return to give birth in the same place, this site offers a magical landscape and a sense of freedom and wilderness that has attracted many film producers taking advantage of the magical light of the place to immortalize scenes of wildlife. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Depart from the region of the lakes and en route to Nairobi. Travel time between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the starting point (details of the itinerary and travel time are subject to road conditions). Visit the Langata Giraffe Center. The orphanage for giraffes, which was to be only temporary, has become a real institution. You will be able, from the top of a platform, to feed the Rotschild giraffes of the place. This extremely endangered species was saved from extinction by Lady Leslie Melville, whose mansion can be seen nearby. Lunch at the Carnivore restaurant. Drive from Nairobi to Amboseli. Approximate journey time 4,5 hours. (Details of the itinerary and journey times may vary depending on road conditions). Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Morning and afternoon game drives. Discovery of the Amboseli National Park. Located about 250 km from Nairobi and bordering Tanzania, the park takes its name from the Maasai word “Empusel” which means salty and dusty place. Declared a national park in 1974 to protect a unique and very fragile ecosystem, the park offers landscapes of remarkable contrast: arid areas next to lush swamp oases. The ecosystem of this low rainfall region depends on water from Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m). One of the special features of Amboseli is the opportunity to take postcard-perfect photos of elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. With an area of 392 km2, the park is home to numerous animals (giraffes, wildebeests, antelopes, buffalos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas...) as well as 400 species of birds that live in the vicinity of the Maasai villages.

Breakfast. Morning game drive in Amboseli park. Dinner at a lodge en route. Transfer to the border post between Kenya and Tanzania. Customs formalities at Namanga Post. Change of vehicle and driver-guide, then drive to Arusha. Orientation tour of Arusha, a quiet and green town where it is good to walk. At the foot of Mount Meru, which rises to 4,556 m, it enjoys a temperate climate amidst plantations of coffee, wheat, and maize.

Breakfast. Departure from Arusha and drive to Tarangire. Approximately 3 hours’ drive (route details and travel time are subject to road conditions). Discovery of Tarangire National Park. Formerly a hunting ground, Tarangire was declared a national park in 1970 and is the sixth largest park in the country. Its name comes from the Tarangire River that runs through it. With an area of 2 600 km2, it presents an amazing diversity of vegetation (sausage trees, tortellis acacia ...) but is especially known for the huge baobabs that dot its rocky slopes. The park also offers a very diverse fauna. Many birds have been recorded there: blacksmith lapwings, African hoopoe, kingfishers, ostriches, Kori bustards, snakes, marabouts, or vultures. The park is mainly known for hosting one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Africa. It is also home to many other residents. Impalas, cobblestones, buffalos, hartebeests, cape elands, kudus and damsons live here. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs are also present but are more difficult to observe because of the high grass. Morning game drive in Tarangire Park. Dinner at a lodge in the park. Afternoon game drive, then drive to the Karatu/Ngorongoro area.

Breakfast. Explore one of Africa’s wildlife hotspots on a full-day game drive in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the highlands of Tanzania, covers vast areas of plains, savannah, and forest. It is home to the famous Ngorongoro Crater, the largest volcanic caldera in the world, with a wealth of wildlife of global importance due to the presence of endangered species such as the black rhinoceros. Climatic variations, terrain and altitude have resulted in the layering of several distinct ecosystems and habitats: grassy plains, water-holding forests in the highlands, mountain plains and open moorlands, all of which always offer great wildlife sightings. If you have not yet encountered a lion on your safari, Ngorongoro will not disappoint you as it has the highest density of this predator in the world. Picnic lunch in the crater. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Depart Ngorongoro and drive to Manyara. Approximately 2 hours’ drive (route details and travel time are subject to road conditions). Visit the village of Mto Wa Mbu, which borders Manyara National Park. The village is known for its famous rice and “red” banana plantations. The local population lives from agriculture and tourism. Local Dinner. Enjoy a dinner in the heart of a banana plantation. Elaborated with sweet potatoes, meat in sauce, vegetables, and local specialties such as ugali (a dish made of corn that can be assimilated to polenta) and sukuma wiki (spinach), this local dinner will be an opportunity for you to share a convivial moment in the simplicity and authenticity of Africa. In the afternoon, safari in the Lake Manyara National Park. The park covers nearly 320 km2. Its name derives from the Maasai term “emanyara”, the name of a leaf present all around the lake and used by the inhabitants to cover their house. Some 350 species of birds have been recorded there. The park also offers a very diverse wildlife. If you are lucky, you may even see Manyara’s famous tree lions. Perched in the acacia trees to get a better view of their prey, these lions are the pride of the park. Dinner at the lodge.

Breakfast. Depart Manyara and drive to Arusha. The drive takes about 3 hours (route details and travel time are subject to road conditions). Picnic lunch en route. Flight from Arusha to Zanzibar. Transfer to your hotel.

Days at leisure to enjoy the island.

Breakfast. Lunch at the hotel. Transfer to Zanzibar Airport.