Monday 11th January. Welcome to Nairobi! We’ll be there to collect you at Nairobi Airport. Your first night will be spent at a pre-expedition hotel in the centre of town. There will be a pre departure meeting at 17.00. On day 2 we head north to the market town of Nanyuki, a popular tourist resort due to its proximity to Mount Kenya, Kenya’s highest peak. Overnight - Nairobi (L:1, D:1)

Heading north-west we travel to Samburu National Reserve on day 3. Samburu is a small and unspoilt reserve, which is unique due to its populations of Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx and Reticulated Giraffe. We take an afternoon game drive through the park. It’s an early start on day 4 as we head out for a morning game drive before we set off towards the Great Rift Valley and the town of Nakuru, Africa’s fourth largest town. Overnight - Samburu (1) Nakuru (1) (B:2, L:2, D:2)

Early this morning we head out to Lake Nakuru and it is in this incredible natural setting that we watch ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF 2010, shortly after sunrise and witness the effect it has on the wildlife around us.

An Annular Eclipse occurs when the Sun and the Moon are in perfect allignment. The moon is farther from the Earth than normal and hence its apparant size is not quite sufficient to cover the sun completely. Hence the moon appears slightly smaller in diameter than the Sun and a thin ring of sunlight will remain visable around the dark silhouette of the moon.

The phenomena will begin at 06.06am, when the moon will first touch the sun. The moon will then continue to creep over and pass in front of the sun till it reaches the start of annularity. Annularity will start at 07.24am last for approximately 8 minutes, during which the moon will reach it's maximum magnitude at 07.28am with a maximum obscuration of 83.28% and continue through to 07.33pm. As the event unfolds the sky will darken to a deep purple colour and resemble that of twilight and the horizon will take on hues of bright orange and red resembling that of a brilliant sunset.

Eclipse site co-ordinates * 36° 05′ 00″ E, 0° 16′ 00″ S

06.06am - The moon first touches the sun - start of the annular eclipse (1st contact).

07.24am - Annularity begins (2nd contact)

07.28am - The moon reaches its maximum magnitude and obscuration of 83.10%

07.33am - Annularity ends (3rd contact)

09.13am - The moon is no longer blocking the sun - end of the eclipse (4th contact)

After we have watched this incredible event unfold we enjoy game drives in Nakuru National Park which is famous for the thousands of lesser and greater flamingo that flock around the lake, it’s an incredible sight! The park was established as a sanctuary for black and white rhino, which can often be spotted. Overnight - Lake Nakuru (B, L, D)

Today we depart Nakuru and enter Masai land, where these habitual pastoralists are often seen tending their cattle from the side of the road. Overnight - Masai Mara National Park (B, L, D)

On day 7 we reach possibly Kenya’s most famous natural attraction - the Masai Mara National Reserve. The highlight of the Mara is no doubt the annual wildebeest migration, when literally millions of these beasts plus zebra and Thomson’s gazelle stray north from the Serengeti in neighbouring Tanzania in search of lush grass on the savannah plains. Elephant, lion, cheetah, giraffe and a multitude of hooved herbivores also inhabit the reserve. A morning and evening game drive through the Mara gives us the chance to spot the Big Five. During our stay we can also opt to visit a local Maasai tribe. We have two days to enjoy this plethora of wildlife. After breakfast on day 8 we drive back to Nairobi for the night. Overnight - Masai Mara (1) Nairobi (1) (B:2, L:1, D:1)

On the morning of day 9 head into neighbouring Tanzania, to a campsite in Meserani on the outskirts of Arusha. Day 10 we visit the Meserani Reptile Park and Masai Cultural Museum before travelling via the Masai town of Mtu Wa Mbu (Mosquito River) up the Rift Valley Escarpment to picturesque Karatu where we spend the night. Overnight - Meserani (1) Karatu (1) (B:1, L:2, D:2)

We depart early to reach the incredible Ngorongoro Crater which plays host to nearly every species of African animal. After our game drive we head past the ‘Cradle of mankind’ en route to the Serengeti National Park. Crossing vast plains we game drive through the southern and central areas of the park. Tonight we camp out in a campsite without fences, surrounded by the African wilderness! Overnight - Serengeti National Park (B, L, D)

Enjoy one last morning game drive in the Serengeti before heading back to Arusha in the afternoon, where we spend our final night. Overnight - Arusha (B, L, D)

Saturday 23rd January. Enjoy some free time in Arusha in the morning, before we drive back to Nairobi, where our trip finishes late afternoon. (B)