Best of Tanzania & Kenya – East Africa Safari

The morning starts with a short safari briefing, and once your luggage is stowed in the safari vehicle, your Kenya and Tanzania safari begins with the first national park, Tarangire National Park, south-west of Arusha.

The park is home to the largest elephant population in northern Tanzania and of course many other animals of the East African savannahs, such as lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas, hippos, various antelope species, wildebeest and much more.

Seasonal swamps and tree savannahs shape the landscape of this protected area, with the mighty baobab trees found everywhere.

You spend the rest of the day on extensive game drives in Tarangire. Your home for today is the beautifully situated Sangaiwe Tented Lodge.

A delicious breakfast awaits you before you head back into Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is one of the most wildlife-rich national parks on the northern safari route, and on today’s game drive you will surely see animals that escaped you yesterday.

Your guide shares his extensive knowledge of the local wildlife and ecosystems with you. Impressive baobab trees are scattered throughout the park; these baobabs make Tarangire a truly beautiful park to explore.

In the late afternoon you leave the park and drive to Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands. If there is still some time after your arrival, you can take a short walk through the coffee plantations (optional) and learn all sorts of interesting facts about coffee growing.

You stay at one of the beautifully situated Country Lodge Karatu.

An early start is unavoidable today. Well fortified, you set off in good time for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and soon you are heading down an adventurous track into the famous Ngorongoro Crater.

Its wealth of wildlife is varied and astonishing – look forward to a unique safari experience! Countless wild animals roam the vast grass savannahs and acacia forests, and with a little luck you can even see the Big Five within a few hours.

On the shores of Lake Magadi, large flocks of flamingos also gather seasonally, putting on a colourful spectacle. After extended game drives and a picnic in the crater, you leave Ngorongoro behind.

After crossing the crater highlands, the wide plains of the southern Serengeti soon come into view. This impressively reveals the origin of the name Serengeti, derived from the Maasai word Siringitu (endless plain).

The grass savannahs of the southern Serengeti stretch to the horizon and are interrupted only by so-called kopjes, bizarre rock formations. This area is ideal for cheetahs and other big cats. Today and the following day you stay at Moyo Hembe Tented Camp.

A whole day is at your disposal for exciting game drives in Serengeti National Park. Your experienced guide knows the area inside out and takes you to the most interesting places.

Experience the extraordinary diversity of wildlife in the Serengeti! With a little luck you will come across large herds of wildebeest and zebra, which in this natural area follow the rains and thus the fresh grazing grounds.

Usually the herds migrate from Kenya’s Masai Mara through the northern Serengeti to the plains in the south during the short rainy season in October and November, and slowly return through the western and north-western Serengeti after the long rainy season in April and May.

You spend another night at Moyo Hembe Tented Camp.

After a relaxed breakfast you set off for the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Victoria. During the drive to the western park gate of the Serengeti, you can look out once more for animals you have not yet got in front of your camera lens.

The area around Lake Victoria is among the most fertile and most densely populated regions of Tanzania. Here you have the opportunity to learn more about the country, its people and life in rural Africa.

Today you stay right on the lake shore at Serenity on the Lake Resort.

In the morning you take a canoe trip on Lake Victoria with a guide and local fishermen. The destination is a fishing village where you can marvel at the night’s fresh catch. On the way you learn all about the fishermen’s tricks and their traditional fishing methods on the lake. Afterwards, the longest driving stretch lies ahead of you, on partly very poor roads (depending on the season!). The journey to the Masai Mara should not be underestimated and takes several hours. In the end, however, the effort is worth it, and you reach the next highlight of your Kenya and Tanzania safari: the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The reserve is regarded as one of the protected areas with the highest lion density in Africa. Of course, the other big cat species and the other members of the Big Five are also present in impressive numbers. Today you stay outside the park at Mara West Camp, with a picturesque view over the expanses of the Masai Mara.

Today is all about wildlife viewing. In your 4×4 safari vehicle, together with your guide, you explore the north-western part of the Masai Mara, the Mara Triangle. The landscape is characterised by wide grasslands and acacia woodland, and especially during the Great Migration countless wildebeest, zebras and gazelles can be found here. Look forward to, among other things, a detour to the Mara River, which is one of the biggest hurdles for the herds on their annual migration. Spectacular scenes unfold when thousands of animals cross the river, where hungry crocodiles wait for their prey. As the sun slowly sets, you return to Mara West Camp, where you will spend another night.

Two more days full of exciting game drives in Masai Mara Game Reserve lie ahead of you. Be curious about everything nature has in store for you – every day on safari is a new experience. Together with your guide you set off on the trail of the Big Five and other animals such as giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas, eland, topi and many more. Use your time to also enjoy the small moments in nature that make your safari unique. The enchanting Mara Legends Camp, which lies within the game reserve on the bank of a small river, is your home for the two nights.

After a relaxed breakfast and a last bit of wildlife viewing on the way to the park gate, you leave the Masai Mara and head for the next stage of your trip – Nairobi. You reach Kenya’s bustling capital in the late afternoon. The rest of the day is at your free disposal. Put your feet up and enjoy dinner in the evening at the famous Carnivore Restaurant (at your own expense). You stay at the Tamarind Tree Hotel in the city.

Today’s destination is Amboseli National Park, south-east of Nairobi. The highlight of this extraordinary national park is – besides the species-rich wildlife it is home to – of course the unforgettable view of the Kilimanjaro massif. Here you have the chance to capture one of the world-famous pictures of Africa’s highest mountain with animals in front of the snow-capped summit. Huge herds of elephants, numbering up to 1,000 animals, as well as lions, cheetahs, giraffes, various antelope species, ostriches and much more roam the park. In the afternoon and throughout the whole of the next day you have plenty of time to explore Amboseli National Park on game drives. Countless opportunities for wildlife viewing await you, and you will be surprised how much you have already learned from your guide over the past few days. You spend two nights at Ol Tukai Lodge.

On this last day of safari, you go on final game drives in the morning on the way to the park gate. Then your impressive Tanzania and Kenya safari slowly but surely draws to a close. With many unforgettable experiences and adventures in your luggage, you head back to Nairobi. Your guide takes you to the airport or your hotel in the city and says goodbye. Until next time!