A well-priced Kenya & Tanzania Safari to the most famous wildlife parks (Masai Mara and Serengeti) along with other top game reserves and cultural highlights.
This private African safari stays at mid-range safari lodges in and around a diverse selection of Kenya and Tanzania safari destinations. From Nairobi head to Masai Mara, Hell's Gate (Lake Naivasha), and Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Then cross into Tanzania to explore Materuni (Moshi), Olpopongi Maasai Cultural Village, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Experience a fantastic mix of cultural and wildlife adventures in Kenya and Tanzania on a great budget!
Our Kenya & Tanzania Safari begins in Nairobi where you are collected from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. From the airport, your guide transfers you to our hotel in the city. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax at the hotel with a pool and free WiFi or explore Nairobi, the bustling capital of Kenya.
This morning we leave Nairobi and travel west to Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya's leading safari destination. Along the way, we drive through the Great Rift Valley and stop to admire the spectacular scenery. Upon arrival at our tented camp in Masai Mara, lunch is served. The safari camp is located along the Oloirigynyisho River where zebras, elephants, wildebeests, and other animals congregate. It is set in a private concession area within Masai Mara, called Siana's Conservancy.
Later in the afternoon, we embark on our first exhilarating game drive in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve. One of the best wildlife parks in Africa, Masai Mara hosts an abundance of wildlife year-round. This afternoon you are sure to see an array of wild animals, including members of Africa's Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo). After our first exciting game drive, we return to the tented camp overlooking the Oloolotikoshi Hills for dinner and a relaxing evening in nature.
The next two days of our Kenya & Tanzania Safari are set aside for exploring the Masai Mara National Reserve. Your expert guide takes you to see the prolific wildlife and birds of Masai Mara in an open 4x4 safari vehicle.
Our days start with an early morning game drive. Then we return to our tented camp for lunch and a rest during the hottest part of the day. Later we embark on afternoon game drives as the day cools. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times of day for game viewing as many of the animals are at their most active at these times. In the evenings we return to the tented camp to enjoy the comforts of the lodge and its wild setting.
Masai Mara is famous for the Great Migration which moves through here at certain times of the year. If your safari coincides with the Wildebeest Migration you may get to see thousands of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles on the move. That said, Masai Mara offers superb game viewing at any time of year. It is known for its excellent big cat sightings, especially lions and cheetahs. This Kenya national reserve also hosts an abundance of elephants, buffalos, giraffes, migratory wildebeest, and various antelope species, as well as rhinos and leopards.
You can also take an optional hot-air balloon safari in Masai Mara (at extra cost) on one of our days here. This is an unforgettable wildlife experience and one of the highlights of Masai Mara safaris, offering sweeping views and excellent wildlife sightings from above.
Day five of our Kenya & Tanzania Safari begins with breakfast at the lodge before we hit the road. Leaving Masai Mara we drive northeast to Hell's Gate National Park, just south of Lake Naivasha. Named after a narrow passage in its cliffs, this compact national park is, despite its intimidating name, a family-friendly safari destination. Hells Gate is known for its diverse wildlife and topography, pretty scenery, and exciting range of activities.
Due to the absence of large predators, you can explore the park on foot or hire a bicycle (at extra cost) and cycle around - both rare activities in Kenyan national parks. After exploring the Hell's Gate National Park we head to our overnight hotel at Lake Naivasha.
After breakfast, we set off for the next Kenya safari destination, Amboseli National Park. Our journey takes us via Nairobi with packed lunches to enjoy en route. This afternoon we embark on a scenic game drive in Amboseli, Kenya's second most popular national park. The park is famous for its close-range elephant sightings, often with the towering Mount Kilimanjaro as the backdrop. After our game drive, we head to our tented lodge just outside of the national park for dinner and a laid-back night.
Today we spend a full-day game viewing in Amboseli National Park. Our Kenya & Tanzania Safari takes us on a morning and afternoon game drive in the national park, returning to the tented lodge for meals and downtime in between.
Amboseli National Park is one of the best places to see elephants in Africa and is known for its old bull elephants with large tusks. There are plenty of other animals found here too, including cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards, buffalos, lions, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, and more. Keep an eye out for herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles, along with an array of other grazers. Amboseli is a particularly scenic wildlife area due to its varied habitats and location at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, near the Kenya-Tanzania border. On a clear day, you'll get to see the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Birders will be delighted with the abundance of birds in Amboseli, with over 420 bird species recorded, including pelicans, bee-eaters, kingfishers, African fish eagles, and pygmy falcons.
Our Kenya & Tanzania Safari travels into Tanzania today. The day kicks off with breakfast at the tented camp before our journey continues. Then we drive south to the Tarakea border with packed lunches on hand. At the border, you meet up with your Tanzanian safari guide who takes over from here.
Your first stop in Tanzania is Materuni Waterfalls, near the town of Moshi. We explore this beautiful area on a short hike to the waterfall. Materuni is an impressive waterfall with crystal-clear waters and pools. This scenic waterfall is about 150 meters tall and well worth the 30-minute walk through farmlands where coffee, bananas, fruits, and vegetables are grown. On our hike, we'll see smaller waterfalls and the waterways that irrigate the local farmers, along with the pretty local fauna and flora. At the waterfall, we pause for lunch and you can take a refreshing dip in the pools or simply admire the beautiful sight.
Then we head to the nearby village of Materuni for our first cultural experience in Tanzania. The village is located at 1300m (4300ft) above sea level, surrounded by dramatic landscapes draped in rainforests. We walk around the small village and meet the locals, gaining insight into the daily lives of the Chagga tribe of Tanzania.
After our exploration of Materuni, we drive to our hotel in Moshi for dinner and a well-deserved rest. Moshi is the place where most climbers begin their Kilimanjaro treks, lying close to the famous peak.
After breakfast, we drive to the Olpopongi Maasai Cultural Village. This is a great place to learn about the Maasai tribe and their traditions. Upon arrival, the village chief and local Maasai welcome you with chilled drinks. Olpopongi is a recreated Maasai boma (fenced homestead) constructed to create an authentic representation of the traditional Maasai bomas. The village also features a small museum where you can learn more about this proud African tribe's history.
We take a walk around the village with our local Maasai guide who tells you more about the Maasai of Tanzania, their past and present. Find out about the culinary culture of the Tanzanian Maasai and taste a traditional tea (chai) prepared on the wood fire. Then we enjoy a tasty lunch sampling a variety of local foods. This afternoon we embark on an exciting walking safari in the bush around the village. This educational guided walk is led by Maasa warriors who tell you all about the local medicinal plants, extraordinary trees, animal tracks, and wildlife. While out in the bush, your guides also show you how to use Maasai tools and spears for hunting, and how to start a fire in the traditional way.
Returning to the village on foot we take a break and enjoy some freshly brewed coffee and cake. Then at sunset, a group of Maasai men and women gather around to showcase a traditional song and dance performance. We spend the night at the Olpopongi Masai village for a full cultural experience.
On day 10 we have breakfast at the cultural village before driving to Lake Manyara National Park. One of Tanzania's top national parks, Lake Manyara is our first destination on the famous Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit.
Arriving at Lake Manyara we embark on our first game drive in Tanzania. This is a compact and scenic Tanzania national park set around Lake Manyara in the Great Rift Valley. Our game drive offers a chance to spot tree-climbing lions, elephants, giraffes, and many other animals. During our game drive, we stop for a picnic lunch inside Lake Manyara National Park. Later we check in at our nearby lodge and enjoy dinner with a view of Mount Meru.
After breakfast on day 11 of our Kenya & Tanzania Safari, we continue our journey to Serengeti National Park. Tanzania's top safari destination, Serengeti Park is one of the finest game reserves in all of Africa. It is often ranked as the best wildlife park in Africa, along with Kenya's Masai Mara.
Entering Serengeti National Park we take a game drive to our camp in the Seronera region. The game-viewing adventure begins as soon as we enter this legendary African park. Seronera is the central region of Serengeti Park, famous for its high concentration of big cats (lions, cheetahs, and leopards) and a diversity of other wild animals. Settle in and enjoy dinner at our tented camp in the heart of Serengeti, taking in the views and keeping an eye out for wildlife.
A full day on safari in Serengeti National Park awaits! We head out early in the morning and begin exploring the renowned Seronera region. Serengeti is the largest wildlife park in Tanzania, covering 14,736 km² (5690 mi²) of wilderness. It shares unfenced borders with Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, enabling wildlife (but not people) to move freely between these two famous parks.
The game viewing in Serengeti is unforgettable year-round. It is home to huge numbers of diverse wildlife species that can be spotted throughout the year. If your safari coincides with the Wildebeest Great Migration in Serengeti then you may witness the massive herds stampeding or grazing in large numbers. Depending on the time of year, you might catch the calving season (about January to March) when many animals give birth. The Great Migration sees a population of about 2 million wildebeests and other herbivores migrate between Masai Mara and Serengeti in search of fresh grazing, every year. Other animals that join the herds include zebras, Thomson’s gazelles, impalas, topi, Grants gazelles, eland, Kirk’s dik-dik, klipspringer, roan, oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe, and even warthog. This gathering of herbivores in turn attracts plenty of hungry predators, such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, and bat-eared foxes.
Serengeti National Park is also a rewarding birding destination with a wide array of species, including ostriches, kori bustards, lilac-breasted rollers, larks, finches, and raptors.
Wake up to the untamed bush in the heart of Serengeti National Park and enjoy an early breakfast at the tented camp. Then we make our way out of Serengeti Park, game viewing en route, and drive south to the famous Ngorongoro Crater. Most of day 13 on our Kenya & Tanzania Safari is spent game viewing in the crater. We descend to the crater floor in the morning, taking packed lunches with us.
The Ngorongoro Crater is known as the 'Garden of Eden', hosting one of the highest densities of wildlife in Africa. This is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera (unflooded volcano chamber). The scenery is spectacular and the wildlife is unbelievably abundant. Almost every large mammal species of Tanzania is represented in the caldera. It is one of the best places to see rhinos in both Kenya and Tanzania and an excellent spot for lion and elephant sightings. You will soon see why Ngorongoro is often called one of the natural wonders of the world.
After marveling at the riches of Ngorongoro Crater we ascend to the rim and drive to our intimate private lodge nearby.
After breakfast on day 14, we hit the road for Tarangire National Park. Arriving at Tarangire we embark on a game drive in the final wildlife destination on our Kenya & Tanzania Safari adventure.
Entering the park we drive to the Tarangire River where herds of elephants, antelopes, and other animals gather. As the only permanent water source in the park, the Tarangire River attracts most of the park's wildlife activity. Tarangire National Park is famous for its large elephant herds and is widely considered the best place to see elephants in Tanzania.
After our thrilling game drive in Tarangire National Park, we proceed to our tented lodge on the banks of the Tarangire River, near the park.
The final morning of our Kenya & Tanzania Safari begins with a leisurely breakfast at the tented lodge. Then we drive to Arusha where your private transfer to Nairobi awaits. The estimated time of arrival back in Nairobi is about 18h00. Here your driver transfers you to your post-safari hotel in the city or the international airport for your onward flight.
This safari will be conducted in a custom-made 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof for game viewing in both Kenya and Tanzania. The 4x4 Land Cruisers are adapted for game viewing and fitted with refrigerators to keep your drinks cold out in the bush.
Group Size: Small group safari with a maximum of six passengers per safari vehicle to guarantee window seats.
Please note that the Wildebeest Great Migration is seasonal. As a natural wildlife phenomenon, it is fluid and unpredictable. For this reason, seeing the Great Migration cannot be guaranteed.
The wildebeest and other wild herbivores migrate between Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania. These herds move in a massive circular route covering some 1200 miles (1931km). It is a continuous movement of wildlife that can be seen in different areas at different times of the year. During certain phases of this annual trek the animals disperse or slow down, whilst at other times the migration picks up speed, with the herds becoming larger and denser. Not only does the Wildebeest Great Migration vary from place to place and season to season but the movement of these large wildlife herds varies from year to year.
Please talk to a travel expert from African Budget Safaris about seeing the Wildebeest Great Migration on your safari to find out more. Also, check out our detailed article about the Great Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
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