KENYA & TANZANIA

12-DAY WILDLIFE & CULTURAL SAFARI

July 20 - July 31, 2009

The Ultimate African Experience especially tailored to the first-time traveler.

We begin in Nairobi then on to the open savannah grasslands of the Maasai Steppe, game drives with the backdrop of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park, Kilimanjaro, Mbahe Village, Tarangire National Park- “Baobab Capital of the World”, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park.

Days 1-2:
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. After clearing customs, you will be met by your guides and taken to the Fairview Hotel for a two-night stay. We’ll visit the Giraffe Centre, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi Nursery and the Karen Blixen Museum.  All three of these organizations are important for their work in environmental and historical preservation and education.

Day 3:
After breakfast you’ll drive to the sparsely populated open savannah grasslands of the Maasai Steppes and on into Amboseli National Park for a game drive.  Over 53 species of herbivores and carnivores can be seen in the park including elephants, lion, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, rhinoceros, hyena, gazelle among many others. There is a picnic lunch en route. Overnight at the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, a classic luxury safari lodge with excellent cuisine.

Days 4-5:
After a leisurely breakfast we’ll drive across the border to Tanzania and begin the slow climb above 3,000 feet to the small village of Mbahe on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro. Two nights at Mbahe Farm House, a 15 acre ecologically sustainable organic coffee and food farm. Activities include guided walks, a visit to Mbahe Primary School, hike on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, tour of the coffee farm and a discussion of Chagga farming techniques, a bike ride on local paths, tour of local waterfalls.

Days 6-7:
After breakfast, we drive to Tarangire National Park.  The park is known for its resident elephants, large prides of lions, leopards, giraffe, buffalo and an incredible diversity of birds.  Overnight at the Tarangire Safari Lodge which overlooks the Tarangire River.

Day 8:
After an early breakfast, you head to Lake Manyara National Park for a day game drive and a picnic lunch in the park.  Manyara is famous for its dense elephant population, tree climbing lions and bird watching.  Spend the night at Ngorongoro Farm House, situated on a 500 acre working farm that is reminiscent of a colonial farm.

Days 9-11:
In the morning, take a game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater, often referred to as “Africa’s Eden.”  Picnic lunch in the crater.  After lunch we drive to the Serengeti National Park.  Stop along the way and visit Olduvai Gorge, the “birthplace of humankind.”  Three nights in a Mobile Tented Camp which follows the movement of the wildlife. Two days of game drives in Serengeti National Park. Your expert guides will find the best game-viewing opportunities, dependent on seasonal and daily migration patterns.  You may take pre-dawn game drives, late afternoon drives with a rest at camp for lunch or a full day game drive with a picnic lunch.

Day 12:
After a final morning game drive, you’ll board your flight to Arusha with a connection to Nairobi for your flight home.

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Rate (8-10 people): $5220 double occupancy.

Single supplement: $1000

Rate Includes:
Accommodations including all meals on safari
Game viewing activities
Park Fees
All Transfers

Rate Excludes:
International flights to/from Africa, visas, insurance
Health requirements, gratuities, alcoholic drinks
Laundry services at camps