East Africa Adventure Travel (Kenya and Tanzania) CTS - 408

For many, a safari in East Africa is a life-time dream. While you are virtually guaranteed to see animals with any reputable safari operator, we will give you something above just game viewing. We strive to understand exactly what your dream is and to turn your trip into an unforgettable adventure in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

For the African holiday we offer a full range of options including luxury safaris, Africa holidays. Nowhere on earth offers an experience quite like a holiday in Africa. Whether you're haggling your heart out amongst the hurly burly of masai Mara, or relaxing on a sun bed of Kenya the  beautiful white sandy coastline, holidays in Africa offer an unforgettable experience and a wealth of memories you'll cherish forever. Whatever takes your fancy, one thing's for sure - holidays in Africa offer something quite unlike any other holiday.

Through this vast land of abundant wildlife, beautiful scenery, diverse cultures and friendly people, join us on Safari in Africa, enjoy the holiday of a lifetime beyond your wildest dreams. The richness of the African wilderness is unsurpassed and this intriguing continent continues to draw the people of various nations to the countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

16 Days Ngorongoro - Lake Manyara-Amboseli-Nairobi-Lake Nakuru-Lake Naivasha-Maasai Mara National Park-

Tour code -CTS - 408

Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda Overland Safaris
Encountering the wildlife of the famous Masai Mara and Serengeti Ecosystem, photographing legions of flamingos at Lake Nakuru National Park, viewing wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater from 4x4 safari vehicles.

DAY 1 NAIROBI
Upon arrival in Nairobi, transfer to your hotel. The rest of the time is free to explore this stunning city. Overnight will be at the Boulevard hotel in Nairobi

DAY 2 NAIROBI TO NAKURU (L, D)
Approximate Distance: 156 km
Estimated Travel Time: 4 hrs
The journey begins early with a brief welcome meeting in the morning (7am) before we travel north from Nairobi (approximately at 8am) through the Great Rift Valley stopping at Lake Nakuru National Park, home to a vast variety of birdlife, particularly hundreds of thousands of flamingoes. Search for white and black rhino, buffalo, impala, hyena, and even leopard on our afternoon game drive in this renowned game park.

Kenya's fourth largest town and the capital of the Rift Valley province, Nakuru, meaning “dusty place” in the Masai language, is a cheerful and vibrant agricultural town with a variety of colorful local markets. We camp outside of the town itself and within the Lake Nakuru National Park, the area’s principal highlight and best natural attraction.

Lake Nakuru itself is one of the Rift Valley soda lakes. The alkaline lake's abundance of algae attracts the large quantity of flamingos, estimated into the millions, which famously line the shore. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. There are two types of flamingo species: the lesser flamingo can be distinguished by its deep red carmine bill and pink plumage unlike the greater flamingo, which has a bill with a black tip. But flamingos are not the only avian attraction; also present are two large fish-eating birds, pelicans and cormorants. The park is rich in other birdlife, including grebes, white winged black, stilts, avocets, ducks, and in the European winter, the migrant waders. Dinner and overnight at water back hotel

DAY 3 LAKE NAIVASHA (B, L, D)
Approximate Distance: 86 km
Estimated Travel Time: 2.5 hrs
At the beautiful Lake Naivasha, spend your time enjoying various optional activities, such as a walking safari to view giraffes and antelope on Crescent Island, or a visit to the flamingo-filled Green Crater Lake, or simply viewing birds and wildlife around your camp - spotting ibis, lovebirds, fish eagles, hippo, and the black and white Colobus monkey on the banks of this scenic lake.

The name Naivasha comes from the Masai “Nai’posha”, which means “rough water”, though Lake Naivasha is general calm in the morning, the best time for spotting hippos, crocodiles, and birdlife. A freshwater lake, Lake Naivasha is currently about 20km long and 15km wide, but the lake levels have fluctuated enormously over the years. In the early 1880s during the time of Joseph Thompson’s travels, it was reduced to a swamp, while in the 1920s lake levels were about eight meters higher than at present. Surrounded by forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea, known as the yellow fever tree, Lake Naivasha has a fairy-tale beauty to it which is rarely matched. Abound prolific birdlife from majestic fish eagles and waterfowl to tiny malachite kingfishers, is known as a world class birding destination, and is an international Ramsar site.

Between 1937 and 1950 this beautiful, peaceful lake was used as a landing place for plane passengers destined for Nairobi. The flying boat from London would land on the lake where the Lake Naivasha Country Club now stands, and travelers would board a bus for Nairobi. Today the lovely lake, with its cool climate, has become a retreat for Nairobi residents and tourists looking for peace. Because the lake is fresh water and the surrounding soil fertile, this is a major production area for fruit and vegetables and, more recently, vineyards. Many animals call the area home; giraffes wander among the acacia, buffalo wallow in the swamps and Colobus monkeys call from the treetops while the Lakes large hippo population sleeps the day out in the shallows. Dinner and over night at the Marina luxury tented camp near the lake.

DAY 4 MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE (2B, 2L, 2D)
Approximate Distance: 202 km Estimated Travel Time: 4 hrs with its vast open plains and distinctive flat-topped acacia trees, no visit to Kenya would be complete without a visit here! Spend time game viewing, with excellent chances of seeing the Big five - lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino, and marvel at gazelles, impala, and ostrich from wonderful vistas along the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment. In addition, stop at a traditional Masai village for an optional visit to learn about the local Masai culture.

The Masai Mara (also spelled Maasai Mara) is a game reserve in southwestern
Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Named for the Masai tribes people, who are the traditional inhabitants of the area, and the Mara River, which divides it, the reserve is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of the wildebeest every September and October, a migration so immense to be called the Great Migration. Thousands of wildebeest die in the crossing due to crocodile attacks. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving an immensity of herbivores: some 1,300,000 wildebeest, 360,000 Thomson's gazelle, and 191,000 zebra.

With an area of 1510 km sq., the Masai Mara is not the largest Game Park or reserve in Kenya, but it is probably the most famous. The entire area of the park is nestled within the enormous Great Rift Valley that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to Mozambique. The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland, with clusters of the distinctive acacia tree in the south-east region. The western border is the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley, and wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good. The easternmost border is 224 km from Nairobi.

The Masai Mara is perhaps most famous for its lions, though the other members of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhinoceros) are as well found. This said, the population of black rhinoceros is severely threatened, with a population of only 37 recorded in 2000.

Hippopotami are found in large groups in the Masai Mara and Talek Rivers, and many cheetahs, zebra, impala, gazelles, hartebeest, warthog, ostrich, topi, the Masai giraffe, among other mammals, all consider the “Mara” their home territory. As well, the large Roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders. Like in the Serengeti in Tanzania, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitant of the Masai Mara, and their numbers are estimated in the millions.

Around July of each year these animals migrate in a vast ensemble north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. These numerous migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by a block of hungry predators, most notably lions and hyena. The Masai Mara is a also major research centre for the spotted hyena. Additionally, over 450 species of birdlife have been identified in the park, including vulture, marabou, and secretary bird, hornbill, crowned crane, ostrich, long-crested eagle, and pygmy falcon. Our two nights will be spent at the enchoro wildlife tented camp in masai Mara National Park

Day 5 Masai mara National Park

DAY 6 KISII (B, L, D)
Approximate Distance: 200 km
Estimated Travel Time: 6 hrs
Ascend from the plains to the green hills of Kenya's premier tea-growing, and soapstone region of Kisii. Kenya is the world's 3rd largest tea exporter (after India and Sri lanka), while tea accounts for 20-30% of the country’s export income. The town of Kisii is the commercial hub of the Kisii (also known as Gusii) Highlands. Located in the highlands just east of Lake Victoria, the town and area of Kisii is one of the most densely populated areas in Kenya. Because of the dense population, agriculture is a key component of the daily life of the local people. Along with tea, the main crops of the region are millet, yams, and pumpkins. Approaching Kisii, you will experience breathtaking views of the vast rolling hills covered by the tea plantations that are one of the economic backbones of the local economy. Scattered among the tea plantations are neatly arranged housing complexes for the tea "Pluckers” who roughly every 17 days picked the tea leaves on a rotational basis. Good pickers can collect up to 100kg of leaves a day! Dinner and overnight at the nyakoe hotel in Kisii

DAY 7 MUSOMA (B, L, D)
Approximate Distance: 163 km
Estimated Travel Time: 6 hrs (including border crossing) Crossing into Tanzania, arrive to the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. Take a boat or canoe ride on the lake, or do some fantastic bird watching on its shores.
Dinner and over night at the Tembo beach hotel in Musoma

DAY 8 SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK (B, L, D)
Venture to the world famous Serengeti National Park, often touted as Africa's best game park. The park is to Tanzania what the Masai Mara Game Reserve is to Kenya, though with an area of 14,763 sq km, it is actually over 7 times as large! Enter from the less-visited western gate, and enjoy the multitude of animal and bird life while cruising through the acacia-spotted savannah. En route to the central Seronera plains, you will begin to experience the sheer vastness of this territory, and you will marvel at the multitude of animal and bird life while cruising through this acacia-spotted savannah.

After an early rise we enjoy an early morning game drive, returning to camp for a hearty lunch followed by a brief but well-deserved rest. Later on in the afternoon, as the animal kingdom comes alive, continue your search for the "Big 5" - lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino – while taking in the vastness of the Serengeti plains. The Serengeti National Park is to Tanzania what the Masai Mara Game Reserve is to Kenya, though with an area of 14,763 sq km, it is actually over 7 times as large! The Serengeti, which derives its name from the Masai for “endless plain”, is the jewel of Tanzania’s protected areas, together with the Masai Mara and the Ngorongoro Conservation area it protects the most varied and greatest collection of wildlife on earth. With the Big Five, the Small Five and the extensive amounts of wildlife, this region offers arguably the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world.

That said, with its vast size and varied terrain, game viewing is only one aspect of the Serengeti - the scenery is simply breathtaking. The Masai people arrived into the Serengeti plains in the 17th century, displacing the Datoga pastoralists who had previously lived there. They lived an undisturbed, nomadic life in the region for hundreds of years, until the first westerner, American Stewart Edward White, passed through in 1913. He recorded the plains in the chronicles of a journey that began in Nairobi, Kenya. What he wrote still applies today: “... We walked for miles over burnt out country... Then I saw the green trees of the river, walked 2 miles more and found myself in paradise”. There is no bad time to visit the Serengeti as every season has its own special highlight – even the rainy season has the daily thunder and lightning to look forward to. Changing seasons and light patterns form the most beautiful backdrop to view Africa’s majestic and incredible wildlife.

It has more than 1.6 million herbivores and thousands of predators. Blue Wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and buffalos are the animals most commonly found in the region. This area is most famous for the migration that takes place every year; in October over a million herbivores travel toward the southern plains, crossing the Mara River from the hills to the north. They continue west across the Serengeti, and then north once again, crossing the Mara River, after the rains around April, and often totals more than 800km. This phenomenon is sometimes also called the Circular Migration. Over
250,000 wildebeest alone will die along the journey from Tanzania to Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya. We will spend the two nights at the Ikoma tented camp

DAY 9- Serengeti National park
Dinner and overnight will be spent at the Ngorongoro wildlife lodge or
Rhino lodge.
Day 10:
Approximate Distance: 82 km
Estimated Travel Time: 5 hrs (including a Serengeti game drive en route)

Day 10 Serengeti National park -NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA (2B, 2L, 2D

Approximate Distance: 255 km
Estimated Travel Time: 4 hrs
Break camp and take in the active morning wildlife as you cross the Serengeti plains and journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, famous for Africa's best game viewing. The views from the Ngorongoro Crater rim are stunning, and there is an ever-present abundance of wildlife, due to the permanent water supply on the crater floor. The 8,300 km˛ Ngorongoro Conservation Area is named after its central feature, the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, and arguably its most spectacular natural arena. Ngorongoro Crater has often been described as one of the wonders of the world, not only because of its inherent geological significance, but also because it serves a quite extraordinary natural sanctuary for some of Africa’s most dense population of large mammals.

The Ngorongoro was part of the original Serengeti National Park proclaimed in 1951, but it was made a separate conservation area in 1956 so that the Masai could graze their cattle there. The Ngorongoro Crater became a World Heritage Site in 1978. Land in the conservation area is unique to Tanzania as it provides protection for the wildlife whilst allowing human habitation. The landscape is made up of a blend of volcanoes, grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests, where the wildlife is extensive. The southern and eastern boundaries are approximately defined by the rim of the Great Rift Valley, which also prevents animal migration in these directions. The annual ungulate migration passes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with wildebeest and zebra moving south into the area in December and moving north in June. The area has healthy resident populations of most species of wildlife.
Dinner and overnight will be spent at the Ngorongoro wildlife lodge or Rhino lodge.


DAY 11 Ngorongoro wildlife -NAIROBI
Approximate Distance: 283 km
Estimated Travel Time: 9 hrs (including border crossing)
Leave for Kenya passing by Mt. Meru and hopefully catching a glimpse of the mighty Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. Nairobi's convenient international airport is your gateway to this 10-day adventure that serves up all of Africa's wildness for a decidedly mild price. Here, you'll head out across the acacia-spotted savannah of the Serengeti and the plains of the majestic Masai Mara in search of the Big Five. Our overland truck and smaller 4x4 safari vehicles will ferry you through the incredible scenery of Kenya and Tanzania safely and in good spirits — and camping will keep you close to the action. With this much stunning African wilderness so close at hand, expect your shutter finger to get a hefty workout. Overnight will be at the Boulevard hotel in Nairobi for those who will be flying to Uganda the following day.

DAY 12: NAIROBI - KAMPALA, UGANDA
Fly to Kampala, upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. The rest of the time is free to explore this Stunning city. Speke Hotel

Day 13: KAMPALA to BWINDI
Our guide/driver picks you at 8:00 am from your hotel or place of residence in Kampala. Drive to Mbarara (283km from Kampala) via Masaka. Make a first stop over at Equator crossing for snacks and photography. Proceed with a visit to Igongo Cultural village this is more rewarding and amazing as you visit the Ankole museum. Lunch break is made at Agip Motel Mbarara. After lunch, drive to Bwindi. This is the lushest highland rain forest on earth, filled with primates and exotic birds, valleys, hilltops and papyrus swamps. Dinner and overnight stay at either Buhoma Lodge) High end facility) Lunch and Dinner. Dinner and over night at the Buhoma community Bandas

Day 14: BWINDI Gorilla Trekking
Begin the day with breakfast ready for trekking, which begins at 8:00 am with a briefing from the UWA staff. Ensure to carry along with you rain jacket, drinking water, snacks, jungle boots etc The guides will lead you inside the jungle to see the shy Primates for a group you have been booked for. Do not forget to take your lunch boxes and all the necessary gear to track the rare Mountain Gorilla, perhaps one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on earth. The tracking may take between 2 and 6 hours but its well worth the effort. The afternoon is spent on a foot safari around the local communities living around the park. Dinner and overnight stay at either Buhoma Lodge) High end facility), Engagi Safari Lodge, (Mid range facility) or Buhoma community Bandas (Budget facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and over night at the Buhoma Community Banda’s.

Day 15: BWINDI-KAMPALA
After your morning breakfast, drive back to Kampala using Kasese-Fort Portal road via Queen Elizabeth National Park for en-route game viewing if you lucky you may spot the Elephants, Antelopes and the Warthogs. Enjoy the winding scenery of the foot hills of Mt. Rwenzori arriving in Fort Portal for lunch thereafter continue to Kampala for the overnight stay at speke hotel.

Day 16 Kampala – Nairobi : After breakfast relax after which you will be taken to the air port to catch your flight back home either through Entebbe air port in Uganda or Jommokenyatta international air port in Kenya depending on to catch up your evening flight back home. Meal Plan B-L

Kenya and Tanzania per person sharing will pay US $ 2540
Single supplement adds USD $ 280

Total per person doing the gorilla safari will be US $ 1180
Single supplement adds USD $237.

The total cost for the safari will be 3720


What's Included?

• Entrances and game drives in Masai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Nakuru, Serengeti National
• Parks and Ngorongoro Crater.
• Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners in the itinerary.
• permanent tented camp and lodges and hotels
• 4x4 safari vehicle(s) in Tanzania beacuse of the Ngorongoro Crater.
  
• certified safari guides/drivers
• group experience; Max 22, Avg 30
• Transportation by safari van in Kenya
• Staying at basic accommodation facilities while on gorilla safari but can beupgraded
• The costs also cover the services of English speaking driver/guide
• 1 soft drink per meal i.e. a soda or mineral water at/during lunch and dinner on gorilla safari.
• Park entrance fees
• One gorilla permit per person
• Community visit
• Ranger fees
• Lots of fun in the African Sun
• Return Airport transfers
• Two nights accommodation in Kampala
  
  Excluded in the Safari are:
• Local and international flights, airport transfers if self arranged air tickets, personal travel insurance, Accommodation in Nairobi from ngorongoro for the group that will be going to gorilla safari, Visa Fees, drinks, Masai village in Masai mara National Park, Hot air balloon safari, cigarettes, tips, souvenirs and any other items of personal nature.