Kenya and Tanzania Adventure

Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya’s vibrant capital – there are no scheduled activities today, so take time to relax and settle in. Around 6pm we meet our tour leader and fellow travellers to get to know one another and hear about the adventure ahead. Our tour leader then organises a warm Kenyan welcome with a group dinner. If you wish to explore further or arrive early, you can arrange additional hotel nights through your sales representative.

We bid farewell to Nairobi and travel west into the Great Rift Valley on a scenic drive to lakeside Naivasha, our home for the night. While the crew set up camp, we enjoy a boat ride with the chance to spot beautiful birdlife and elusive hippos.

This morning we drive to Lake Nakuru National Park for a superb game drive. Although small, the park hosts an impressive variety of wildlife and birds, and the soda lake is sometimes edged by thousands of flamingos. We hope to see endangered white and black rhinos, lions and, with luck, the elusive leopard. From Baboon Cliffs there is a stunning view over the lake and we may spot a rock hyrax, a small furry relative of the elephant. Tonight we stay just outside the park at a campsite with showers and flush toilets.

We travel into the Masai Mara, one of the world’s most celebrated ecosystems. Vast grasslands teem with life – wildebeest, gazelle, topi, zebra and buffalo – with predators such as cheetah, lion and hyena never far away. Between mid–August and late October the annual migration brings thousands of wildebeest, gazelles and zebras. Nothing is guaranteed on safari, but with the help of our brilliant guides we should see and learn a great deal as we game drive this afternoon, switching to 4x4 vehicles for the best experience. We stay in a campsite just outside the reserve for the next two nights.

We spend a full day game driving in the Masai Mara to maximise our chances of wildlife encounters. We pause at a quiet spot in the park to enjoy lunch by our vehicle, gazing across the plains. You can also choose optional excursions today, including a visit to a traditional Maasai village.

Today’s long drive through the Western Highlands offers ample time to enjoy the scenery. We descend from the neat rows of tea bushes and cross into Tanzania at the Sirari/Isebania border, then camp at Musoma on the shore of Lake Victoria.

We turn east and enter the vast Serengeti Plain, one of Africa’s largest parks. Our route depends on conditions – in dry weather we take the 80 miles (130km) Western Corridor, usually rich in plains game, while in wet weather the black cotton soil can be impassable and we enter from the north at Ndabaka gate. We camp at Seronera in open bush with no fences, so wildlife may wander through at night – a true taste of wild Africa.

We set off early, game driving through the eastern Serengeti, where it is common to find a lion pride resting beneath a broad, shady tree. Crossing the grasslands, we reach Naabi Hill Gate, the main entrance to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, then drive up to the crater rim. From the top we gaze over the world’s largest unbroken caldera – grassy plains, forest, a soda lake and abundant wildlife – with the rim dropping some 1,970ft (600m) to the floor below. At the crater entrance we switch into 4x4s for a game drive on the crater floor before continuing to our camp just outside the conservation area, which is basic but has wifi.

We leave camp and continue to the edge of the Rift Valley for sweeping views over Lake Manyara, often tinted pink by large numbers of flamingos. Later, we arrive in Arusha, ready for tomorrow’s flight to Zanzibar.

This morning we fly to Zanzibar, an island 22 miles (35km) from the mainland. First visited by Arab traders in the eighth century and famed for spices, it later became a centre of the East African slave trade. We spend our first night in Stone Town and then two nights by the beach. Stone Town is a labyrinth of alleys and markets, and we recommend a spice tour of the island’s plantations with opportunities to taste and buy.

After a free morning in Stone Town, we transfer to our beach hotel. You can unwind on the eastern and northern shores, enjoy excellent snorkelling, sail in a dhow and savour fresh seafood. Local buses are efficient and allow you to explore the island independently – a fascinating blend of culture, history and superb beaches.

Our adventure ends after breakfast and we begin our journeys home. If you would like more time to explore, your sales representative can help you extend your stay.