15 Day Tanzania and Kenya Tour – East Africa Migration

As soon as you arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel, where you will spend the night relaxing.

For those who are interested in shopping, we visit the Kazuri Beads Center and workshop after breakfast. In Swahili, Kazuri means “small and beautiful” and describes the striking ceramic beads formed by hand by the women employed at the Kazuri workshop. Afterward, we will visit the Masai Mara, the traditional territory of the Maasai people, who have permission to graze their cattle in this area. This protected area encompasses the riverine forests along the banks of the Mara and Talek rivers, acacia forests and savannah plains.

We spend the entire day viewing game in the world-famous Masai Mara National Park. The varied habitats here are home to a wide range of wildlife, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeests (gnus), giraffes, buffalo, jackals, topis, gazelles, impalas and elephants. There is a great deal of wildlife in the rivers, including hippopotamus and crocodiles, as well as a great deal of bird life.

After crossing the Tanzanian border this morning, we continue our journey southwards to Lake Victoria. The afternoon may be spent relaxing or taking a bird walk along the lakeshore. The border crossing into Kenya will require a change of guides and vehicles.

The morning of our trip will be spent participating in a boat excursion to a local fishing village before bidding Lake Victoria farewell and continuing our journey south to the Serengeti National Park. During our journey, we pass through the villages of the Sukuma tribe, which cultivates ground nuts, sorghum, and cassava, as well as keeping livestock. There are a few poignant reminders of the 20th century here, but life goes on as it has for centuries. By way of the stunning central plains, we travel towards the Serengeti. A major attraction of the Serengeti is its endless, undulating grassland dotted with isolated rocky outcrops that provide refuge to wildlife.

A full day of game viewing is scheduled for today in the Seronera area of the Serengeti. There are three main areas in the Serengeti: Seronera is the most central and accessible region, and it is here that the Serengeti Park Headquarters is located as well as most of the larger lodges and communal campsites. A large area of grassland characterizes this part of the Serengeti, which is teeming with wildlife. A great deal of game viewing is possible all year round along the Seronera River, which serves as the lifeblood of the Serengeti. It is also particularly good for lion and cheetah sightings, as well as the most elusive of all big cats, the leopard.

The Serengeti National Park awaits us for another exciting day of exploration. The afternoon is spent on a game drive, scanning the endless plains, spotting many animals, and truly understanding why this park is so highly regarded. We return to the lodge in the late afternoon for an overnight stay.

Leaving early this morning, we will travel through the stunning Southern Plains of the Serengeti. On our way to the world renowned Ngorongoro Crater, we will go on a game drive. The experience of witnessing this wildlife spectacle is considered by many to be the pinnacle of their safari. As well as all five of the ‘Big 5’, the Ngorongoro Crater also contains a small population of the endangered black rhinoceros. Upon arrival in Karatu, we spend the night in the small village.

We start the day with a visit to the market and see a Chagga family producing banana beer, passing by many different farms on the way. After breakfast, we set out to experience the cultural diversity of Mto-wa-Mbu. In the course of the tour, your guide will introduce you to a variety of fruits and vegetables that are grown in the area and explain the irrigation system that sustains them. Our cultural encounter begins with a delicious homecooked meal in a local Mama’s home followed by a visit to the Maasai Boma. Known for their distinctive traditional attire, the Maasai people live semi-nomadic herding lifestyles. A walking tour of Lake Papyrus takes place in the late afternoon. This magnificent lake is home to an abundance of birdlife as well as hippos. The waterfall can be reached by light hiking if time permits. A visit to the local village will conclude the tour. From here you will be able to view the lake on top of the Rift Valley wall, as well as the banana plantation and rice field. Our journey concludes with an overnight stay at the lodge, followed by dinner.

We will collect you from the hotel after breakfast and take you to the Lake Manyara National Park. At the foot of the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment, the reserve lies at the north-western corner of Lake Manyara, a large, shallow soda lake. It is a pleasure to experience a scenic drive in this park that is known both for its large flocks of flamingos and for its elusive tree climbing lions.

You will be collected from the hotel for a half-day game drive in Tarangire National Park after breakfast. A stop at Tarangire is truly memorable due to the breath-taking views of the Maasai Steppe and the mountains to the south. There is a large elephant population in Tarangire as well as baobab trees. As part of their annual migration, up to 30,000 zebras, 25,000 wildebeests, and 3000 elephants pass through this area. As we approach Arusha, the gateway to Kilimanjaro National Park, we arrive in the late afternoon.

We will travel to Amboseli today after a leisurely breakfast. The route passes the Marangu waterfalls – a moderately strenuous walk (sturdy shoes are recommended and a reasonable level of fitness is required). Our journey continues north to Amboseli National Reserve, where we will arrive in the afternoon. Please note that there will be a change in the guide and vehicle at the border crossing into Kenya.

We are going to spend the day at Amboseli National Park, one of Kenya’s most famous parks. The elephants in Amboseli are known for their large tusks, which make for the perfect safari photograph when set against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped peak.

Following breakfast, we return to Nairobi. We will visit the Karen Blixen Museum after lunch. During the period of 1917 to 1931, Karen Blixen, author of “Out of Africa”, lived in the farmhouse where the museum is located until she left Kenya after a number of personal tragedies. We will then visit the Giraffe Centre and the Daphne Sheldrick Animal Orphanage. Founded in 1948, Tsavo East National Park in Kenya was named after the wife of David William Sheldrick, a famous naturalist who served as the park’s warden from 1948 to 1976. You will be able to spend an hour with the baby animals at the orphanage after they have been brought from the national park for a mud bath. Arrive at your hotel late in the afternoon.

The tour ends after breakfast, and you will be transferred to the airport.