Kenya & Tanzania – Fascination East Africa

Today your 10-day safari to the most popular national parks in Kenya and Tanzania begins. We meet you in Nairobi for a short briefing about the coming ten days. After you have met your guide, you head to the exceptional Solio Game Reserve in the Aberdare region. This private conservation area is a model for the successful protection of rhinos – it is probably the best place in all of East Africa to see numerous rhinos. And the best part: it is a well-kept secret, and on your game drive through this exclusive game reserve you will encounter only a few other travellers. Solio is also home to lions, buffalo, waterbuck and many bird species that live in the beautiful fever tree forests. You spend your first night on the road at the family-run Rhino Watch Safari Lodge. With a little luck, you may even see Mt Kenya in the distance. Welcome to Kenya!

On safari, the day starts early. After a delicious breakfast, you drive towards Lake Nakuru National Park. On the way, you make a short stop at Kenya's highest waterfall in Nyahururu and watch the water plunge 72 metres down. You pass small villages until you arrive at Lake Nakuru in the afternoon and head out on a game drive. This paradise for bird lovers is particularly famous for its large flamingo colonies, which, depending on the water level and season, make the lake shimmer pink. Lake Nakuru is also home to the rare Rothschild's giraffe and the endangered white and black rhinos. As the sun slowly sets, it is time to relax at Egret Savanna Camp. This is where you spend the night.

Prepare to be enchanted! Today you head south, with the Masai Mara as your destination. On your way through the Great Rift Valley, you pass Lake Naivasha, Kenya's flower capital, and Mt Suswa, a dormant volcano. You drive deeper into Masai country until you arrive at one of the best places for wildlife viewing on the continent. Your first of many game drives through the Mara begins in the afternoon. In the home of the Big Five – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard – and many other animal species, you spend the next few days spotting and watching wildlife together with your guide. Your home for the next two nights is Julia's River Camp, an intimate tented camp on the banks of the Talek River. Animals pay no attention to park boundaries, so you can always expect them close by.

You set off early and so have the whole day to explore the Masai Mara Game Reserve. If you are travelling during the Great Migration, when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebras follow the rains and migrate from Tanzania's Serengeti to Kenya, you make a stop at the Mara River. With a little luck, you may witness a “crossing” here, as the animals cross the river while trying not to get too close to the hungry crocodiles. The wonderful thing about today: you have time. You are not in a rush and can enjoy every moment to the full. Once you have seen the Big Five, your attention turns to the other animals: hyenas and cheetahs roam the savannah, waterbuck and zebras come to the river to quench their thirst, while hippos protect their sensitive skin from the sun in the murky water. Return to Julia's River Camp and share your stories with the other guests over dinner and another evening in the bush.

Another day full of exciting wildlife experiences awaits you in the Mara. Today you explore the western part of the game reserve, giving you a deep insight into the Mara ecosystem. You will be surprised how much you already know about Kenya's flora and fauna. With your guide at your side, you see your surroundings through the eyes of a local and see more than perfect sunsets and proud lion manes. You learn about the structures and fragility of the ecosystem. Tonight you stay at the remote Mara West Camp. From here you enjoy the panoramic view over the Masai Mara and can reflect on the experiences you will always associate with this area, while bushbabies leap from branch to branch around you.

Your last morning in Kenya also starts early. Let your gaze sweep once more over the vast expanses of the Mara before you set off for Isebania and the border with Tanzania. After the entry formalities, it is on to today's destination: Lake Victoria. Along the shores of Africa's largest lake, you can spend the afternoon at Serenity on the Lake Resort however you please. Shake the dust of the past adventurous days out of your clothes, relax a little or check your emails so that you don't have to worry about them in the coming days. But above all: enjoy the view of Lake Victoria. You also spend the night at Serenity on the Lake Resort. Welcome to Tanzania!

Your first morning in Tanzania begins with a canoe trip on Lake Victoria. Together with a local fisherman, you paddle across Africa's largest lake while he explains the methods of traditional fishing. Back in the fishing village, you can marvel at the previous night's catch. Now it is time – back into the bush. After just under an hour's drive, you reach the gates of the Serengeti and your game drive begins. Together with the Masai Mara, the Serengeti is the setting for the Great Migration, the great migration of wildebeest and zebras. If you missed the herds in Kenya, you may have the chance to see this natural wonder in Tanzania. The name Serengeti translates as “endless plains”, and you will quickly see why: grasslands stretch seemingly endlessly to the horizon – it will take your breath away. The vast plains are interrupted by kopjes, the large rock formations and favourite spots for lions wanting to take a nap. In the late afternoon, you arrive at Kati Kati Tented Camp. In the middle of the Serengeti, this exclusive, unfenced camp brings you as close to the wilderness as hardly any other.

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Wake up to birdsong and the rising sun and enjoy a wonderful bush breakfast in the Central Serengeti. Together with your guide, you can explore the Serengeti all day long. Turn left when others turn right and you will experience truly private moments among Tanzania's wildlife. The Serengeti is known for its large prides of lions, which you can watch in many different situations. Look up into the branches of the trees too, where leopards hide while they devour their prey. No day on safari is like another, and you will be surprised how many new things you discover on this eighth day of your great East Africa safari. Return to Kati Kati Tented Camp and join the other guests in front of the “bush TV”, the crackling campfire.

As you leave the Serengeti this morning, make the most of the opportunity and look out for big cats – when temperatures are cooler, the cats are more active and go hunting. In the late morning you reach the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and, before lunch, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a final spectacular game drive. This dormant caldera is seasonally home to more than 25,000 animals. Large herds of zebra, buffalo and prides of lions roam across the crater floor. The steep crater walls are covered in dense mountain forest and are always in view, tracing the outline of this wildlife paradise very precisely – a truly unique place. After your game drive, you drive to Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands, where you spend the last night of your trip in one of the three beautifully situated Tanganyika Wilderness Adventure Lodges.

After a relaxed breakfast, you set off for Arusha, where you will arrive around midday. 10 days have flown by – your eventful safari ends here in the city or at one of the airports (Arusha/Kilimanjaro).

Breakfast | Lunch

We would also be happy to suggest a suitable offer for a beach holiday in Zanzibar or on one of the beaches of Mombasa. Feel free to contact our team.