CAMPING SAFARI: From Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara to the vast plains of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Spot the Big Five, meet Masai warriors and witness Africa’s stunning natural beauty!
Trip Highlights
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Itinerary
Masai Mara
Nairobi - Masai Mara. Today we make our way through rolling grasslands to the Masai Mara National Reserve, where these habitual pastoralists are often seen tending their cattle from the side of the road. We pass through the town of Narok, hopefully catching a glimpse of wildlife along the way.
The main section of road between Nairobi and the Reserve is in a very poor state, so be prepared for a rough ride as we make our way to our campsite which looks on to the Meguarra hills Arriving in the evening, we enjoy the sounds of the wilds with an evening at leisure. The Reserve remains unfenced, allowing wildlife to roam freely across into the surrounding area and if they choose – through our own camp! No need to be afraid, as the local ‘Askari’ will keep a look out for any unwanted predators.
Overnight: Masai Mara | Lunch, Dinner
Masai Mara
Masai Mara. The Masai Mara, well known as one of East Africa’s best National Reserves, is ours to explore today. Departing shortly after sunrise, we enjoy a game drive into the Reserve, most famous for the Annual Migration, when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelles cross over from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The Masai Mara is most popular between July and October when these vast herds feast on the fresh grazing here, and Africa’s predators are not too far behind, often seen at a kill during this period. We search of the ‘Big 5’- elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion & leopard, along with the many other species of animals, reptiles and birds which call this wilderness home.
Overnight: Masai Mara | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lake Nakuru
Masai Mara - Lake Nakuru. Leaving Masai Mara we head towards our first overnight stop in the area of Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya’s most popular parks.
Overnight: Lake Nakuru | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru. This morning we begin our exploration of the Lake Nakuru National Park. The park was established as a sanctuary for black and white rhino, which are often seen. We spend the day searching for these pre-historic looking beasts as well as the elusive leopard, encountering buffalo, giraffe, and various antelope.
Overnight: Lake Nakuru | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Kisii & the Gusii Highlands
Lake Nakuru - Kisii/Kericho Area. After breakfast we leave the Lake Nakuru and head to Kisii/Kericho passing through the picturesque tea plantations along the way. These towns are the main commercial centres in the Gusii Highlands, where cash crops like tea and coffee thrive because of its equatorial climate. We replenish our stocks before heading for Tanzania tomorrow.
Overnight: Kisii/Kericho Area | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Musoma
Kisii/Kericho - Musoma. We depart Kenya and head south into Tanzania. After border formalities, our drive takes us through the scenic granite landscapes adjacent to Africa’s largest lake – Lake Victoria. We spend the night at a campsite on the banks of Lake Victoria in the fishing town of Musoma.
Overnight: Musoma | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Serengeti National Park
Musoma - Serengeti. Today we head to the Serengeti National Park, entering the park after lunch. The Serengeti (Masai for “endless plains”) is famous for its enormous concentration of game (especially the big cats) and for the annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelles. The abundance of plains game in this area is truly astounding. We enter the park through the lesser travelled western corridor and game drive en-route to our campsite in the centre of the park. Tonight we bush camp (no ablutions) in the wild surrounded by the sounds of the African bushveld, pierced only by the calls of the nocturnal wildlife.
Overnight: Serengeti National Park | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ngorongoro Crater
Serengeti - Ngorongoro Crater. After an early start we pack up our camp and continue our game drive through the Serengeti National Park in search of the resident wildlife and head to the southern part of the park where we have the chance to see the endless plains this park is renowned for. With some luck, we may see some of Africa’s ‘Big 5’! We cross from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Conservation area at lunch time and begin our climb up the steep Crater edge. Tonight’s camp (basic ablutions) on the crater rim sharply contrasts the warmer plains below - we suggest you bring your winter woollies as it can get very cold at night.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Crater | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Arusha
Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha. The Ngorongoro Crater with its 600 m high walls and 20 km width is a natural marvel. The Crater’s rim offers spectacular views, but the true scale of this caldera is only appreciated from the floor itself where the abundance of its animal inhabitants becomes apparent. It is home to nearly every species of African animal and offers a chance to view an incredible concentration of East African mammals, such as elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippo, lion and plain’s game. After spending the morning game driving in The Crater we continue to our campsite outside Arusha where we spend the evening musing over our thrilling wildlife experience.
Overnight: Arusha | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Nairobi
Arusha - Nairobi. After breakfast, we begin our journey back to Nairobi. On arrival in the late afternoon, we exchange addresses and part ways, having just experienced a trip of a lifetime!
Breakfast
Prices & Dates
Departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. Prices are per person when there are 2 people sharing a tent. Solo travellers will be matched up and share a tent with another solo traveller of the same gender.
Read MoreLocal payment - $1030pp paid in USD
Please note that this is payable locally on day 1 of your trip in the currency specified.
Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard.
Kenya Comfort Hotel, Nairobi
Comfortable dormitory accommodation in central Nairobi (upgrades available on request). The Kenya Comfort Hotel also features an outdoor pool, restaurant serving a good array of local and international dishes as well as a fully stocked bar - perfect for relaxing before or after your epic overland adventure.
Our Guide was very informative and told us a lot about life there, especially as a woman. She also introduced us to locals in Kenya as well as Tanzania and we had the opportunity to spend time with them in multiple places. She was always helpful and made sure everything was taken care of.
The tour itself was great, too. Great places to visit (Masai Mara was a highlight, also Musoma and Ngorogoro and Lake Nakuru), great food, all in all an amazing tour with a great group of people.
Thanks for all the help before the tour though l had an amazing time all in all. ”















Loved it! Our crew was fantastic...Leah, our Lead kept us organized and on schedule with good humour; our cook Reuben kept us well fed with tasty, satisfying meals prepared with great care and pride; Isa, our driver expertly manoeuvred the overland vehicle over all kinds of terrain ensuring we arrived at our destinations safely. They were warm, welcoming and gracious hosts who did everything they could to ensure we enjoyed our trip.
Being there during the migration meant that we got to see the "Big 5"! Our game driver, William was wonderful and his experience was invaluable.
The safari camps were great. Most had shower and toilet facilities, free wifi and a place to get a beverage after setting up camp.
The optional sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Maasai Mara followed by a champagne breakfast was worth every penny.
There were a lot of early mornings and long days but all worth it. I would not hesitate to recommend this tour.
My only suggestion to enhance this package would be to offer optional upgraded accommodations for pre and post safari nights.
Many thanks to travel consultant Sam at OTG for his assistance in arranging this memorable vacation!”















I just wanted to write and say that Leah was an absolutely amazing Tour Guide. It seems she was born for this job - she is approachable, friendly, knowledgeable and has a laugh with the guests. The first day of our trip our truck broke down - she handled this with a cool head and had a solution in place almost immediately. Her approach to every aspect of the tour - timings, long days, the history and culture of both Kenya and Tanzania, was without fault. She is an extremely valuable asset to your organisation and I am grateful to have shared my African safari with her. ”















This trip was superb, We had a wonderful time and saw so many animals, many times more than we had expected. Our guide, Leah, was friendly, enthusiastic, and helpful. Our cook, Reuben, was a miracle worker, preparing so many delicious meals using rudimentary outdoor equipment. To our delight, we discovered that several campsites offered showers. Similarly, several provided the option to locally upgrade to a room instead of a tent. ”















Great value tour, we really enjoyed ourselves.
A few members of the tour seemed upset about having to make tents, help with cooking and cleaning for lunches and dinners, etc. But we thought that part of the tour was fine and it helped get to know the guide, cook and driver when we were working with them.
We would have liked to spend a bit more time with people in Tanzania and Kenya in order to get more of a feel for the countries. So, some free time in some local communities would have been nicer, the Maasai village seemed a bit too structured rather than just getting a chance to talk to the people for example. The way the orphanage visit was set up was great though, as we got some time with the kids during dinner and got to chat with them on our own.
The game drives were great, especially paying extra for the jeep in the Masai Mara. It was our highlight of the tour.
We came away loving Africa and wanting to come back. We will be considering On The Go for our next tour as well.”















We couldn't fault anything, the tour was great with opportunities to see loads about Kenya and Tanzania - not just the parks and reserves. Our tour guide, Leah was great and very knowledgeable - and not phased out by any questions we asked!”















I cannot express my gratitude towards Hesbon, Reuben Mwendwa and Jacob Hinga enough. I have worked as a manager for a long time now and I can assure you that you simply cannot recruit, train or buy the expertise, passion and professionalism that these gentlemen gave throughout my visit in Africa.
Hesbon clearly had a deep knowledge of Kenya, Tanzania, wildlife and the culture. Nothing was ever a problem and he was a friend as apposed to a guide. He did everything to ensure that I (we) felt comfortable and I soon felt at home in a country that was so far away and different. Thanks to Hesbon I have the most excellent memories, photos and an experience that has left such a positive impact on my life.
I must also mention how much passion, effort and care went into the food. It was a privilege to work with Reuben and how one man can produce such a variety of exquisite food over a charcoal fire and a gas ring is truly inspirational! He was so laid back, lovely to work under and again added to a most fantastic atmosphere throughout the trip. I have never been so happy to chop vegetables or wash pans!
Jacob was a master of the road and indeed watching him maneuver the truck as though it was a Mini was both exhilarating and fascinating. Other than the fact that Africa drive on the same side of the road as to us, that was the only similarity. Jacob made sure we remained safe on the rugged savanna roads whilst also making every effort to avoid the 'bumps'. Despite driving for hours at a time, Jacob was always alert and great to talk to.
If I can only nominate Hesbon for recognition then so be it but I cannot champion enough the team. They are a true asset to your company and if this feedback can be sent to a director level I would gladly break-down in a very detailed level how much effort and care went in from all of them.
One last time, you have a very very good team in Kenya. I/we all formed a lifetime friendship and that they have my up most respect, I know they are 100%reliable and I would trust all of them deeply. Those three men have ensured that I will definitely use your company again! ”















Great tour, very friendly leader, cook, and driver. Camps were great, although didn't always have hot water if busy. Cannot fault anything”















Wow just wow!
This tour surpassed anything I could have thought it could be!
Our crew was the number 1 reason for our amazing time!
You have some great staff, and I can not wait to be back!”















Hi Charlie,
I am pleased to say that I myself and my wife both thoroughly enjoyed our safari trip with On The Go to Kenya and Tanzania. Overall, the trip was very well organized. We did see a lot of interesting animals and birds in the four national parks/reserves that we visited. These were the Masai Mara, the Lake Nakuru National Park, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Of the Kenyan staff, our cook was the best. He was always cheerful and he always managed to produce very good meals under rather primitive conditions. Also, he did this in such a clean manner that no one in our group of 15 got any stomach upsets during the safari trip. ”
At a Glance
Extra Tour Info
Our Guide was very informative and told us a lot about life there, especially as a woman. She also introduced us to locals in Kenya as well as Tanzania and we had the opportunity to spend time with them in multiple places. She was always helpful and made sure everything was taken care of.
The tour itself was great, too. Great places to visit (Masai Mara was a highlight, also Musoma and Ngorogoro and Lake Nakuru), great food, all in all an amazing tour with a great group of people.
Thanks for all the help before the tour though l had an amazing time all in all. ”