From the legendary Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli in Kenya to the epic Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania - this East African wildlife safari explores them all.
This Kenya & Tanzania Safari combines the most famous safari destinations in Africa, Masai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park, staying at tented eco-camps and lodges throughout. Add to that Kenya's scenic Amboseli National Park renowned for its big elephant herds flanked by Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Nakuru with its prolific birdlife, endangered rhinos, and Rothschild's giraffes.
On Tanzania's Northern Safari Circuit, head to Lake Manyara where lions climb trees and baboon troops thrive, as well as dipping into the game-rich Ngorongoro Crater for unparalleled wildlife viewing.
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__large.jpg "Ngorongoro tented room")
__large.jpg "Mara room")
At the start of this budget Kenya and Tanzania Lodge Safari, you are collected from your pre-safari hotel at 7h30 in Nairobi and briefed about the unforgettable wildlife adventure that lies ahead.
The safari begins with one of Africa's best safari destinations - the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya. Our drive takes us via the incredible landscapes of the Great Rift Valley, swooping north-to-south through East Africa, and into the land of the Maasai tribes.
Arriving at the legendary Masai Mara National Reserve in the afternoon we immediately set off on our first rewarding game drive. Exploring one of the finest wildlife havens on earth, we go in search of the Big Five of Africa (lion, rhino, leopard, elephant and buffalo), along with the plethora of other wild animals roaming the plains. We stop to admire a peaceful sunset over the wilderness as our first eventful day on safari in Kenya, draws to a close.
The Masai Mara is big game country - the open savannahs, the iconic bush settings seen in films of untamed Africa. Watch loping giraffes, dazzling zebras, strange-looking wildebeest and slender antelopes feeding on the acacia-studded grasslands and look out for predators such as hyenas, foxes, jackals and cheetahs.
After our game drive, we head to our comfortable tented camp located inside a private conservancy near Masai Mara Game Reserve. The camp is on the banks of the Oloirigynyisho River, which is frequently visited by elephants, wildebeest, zebra, and other animals.
Today the entire day is dedicated to spending time in this quintessential African game park. Driving around in Masai Mara we gaze across the wild grasslands encountering all shapes and sizes of wildlife. More than 450 animal species inhabit this unspoiled reserve, ranging from the dangerous crocodile and hippo to the swift gazelle.
On day two you have the chance to take a hot air balloon ride over the national reserve (optional extra). This is an amazing way to view Masai Mara and the prolific wildlife here.
The Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya forms part of the larger Serengeti ecosystem, incorporating the Serengeti National Park in neighboring Tanzania. These two premier game parks together host one of the most massive wildlife migrations on the planet - the Great Migration. Also known as the Wildebeest Migration this wildlife spectacle entails the seasonal movement of millions of wildebeest, zebra, and other grazers. The Great Migration is a truly awe-inspiring wildlife phenomenon with stampeding hoofed mammals charging across the open plains and plunging into the crocodile-infested rivers in search of fresh grazing. Of course, these great herbivore numbers attract an array of eager predators, in addition to the hungry crocs.
Spend another peaceful night at the luxury-tented camp close to Masai Mara. Sleep in permanent, walk-in tents with en-suite bathrooms, beds, and small verandahs where you can relax in nature and admire the stars.
Day three begins with breakfast at the tented camp inside a private Masai Mara conservancy area. Then we take a scenic drive northeast through the Great Rift Valley to our next stop - Lake Nakuru National Park. We arrive in time for lunch at our lodge followed by an afternoon game drive in this compact national park.
Lake Nakuru was first declared as a bird sanctuary, later being designated as a national park, primarily to protect rhinos. One of Kenya's top game parks, Lake Nakuru National Park is home to a sizeable population of endangered black rhinos and white rhinos. The national park protects an assortment of wild animals hosting numerous hippos, zebras, buffalos, waterbuck, baboons, and endangered Rothschild's giraffes. Animals you don't want to walk into include lions, leopards, and pythons, as well as hippos. Lake Nakuru National Park is a birding paradise, attracting a multitude of migratory and endemic birds, especially water birds like pelicans and flamingos.
We stay over at a comfortable lodge inside Lake Nakuru Park. The lodge is set in lush gardens with a swimming pool and offers beautiful views of the lake and surrounding wilderness.
On day four of this Masai Mara & Serengeti Lodge Safari, we start with an early breakfast and then head southeast towards the Kenya-Tanzania border, returning to Maasai lands.
Our next stop is Amboseli National Park, famous for its scenic location with Mount Kilimanjaro towering in the background, just over the border in northern Tanzania. In Amboseli, the landscape changes from shimmering, dusty plains to lush swamplands over the seasons and years with underground water from Kilimanjaro's snowy peak feeding the grasslands as it melts.
We have lunch en route, taking hampers with us, and arrive at this top Kenya game reserve in time for an afternoon game viewing excursion. Our game drive takes us into Amboseli National Park for some great wildlife photo opportunities. From Amboseli, we head to Kibo Safari Camp, where we enjoy dinner and unwind.
Embark on a scenic morning and afternoon game viewing drive in Amboseli today.
Majestic Kilimanjaro rising above open plains graced by impressive herds of giant elephants - this is the scene of Amboseli National Park. The park is best known for providing close-up photographic opportunities, especially of the big tuskers, sporting some of the largest tusks in Africa. In addition to its big elephant herds, Amboseli is home to a variety of antelope species, from Grant's gazelle to Coke's hartebeest, and three other members of the Big Five - lion, leopard, and buffalo. One of Kenya's best game parks, other animals include caracals, hippos, jackals, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, wildebeests, and cheetahs. This popular reserve also offers good bird watching with over 300 species recorded here, including various raptors.
After exploring the national park we return to Kibo Safari Camp (or similar) for dinner and our second night in the Loitoktok region of the Rift Valley Province.
Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times for spotting wildlife in the bush, so it's up early again on day six for a quick breakfast before game viewing on our way out of Amboseli National Park.
Today our safari in northern Tanzania begins as we continue south, leaving Kenya at the Namanga crossing. Our drive takes us via the town of Arusha, the gateway to Tanzania's Northern Safari Circuit - the most popular safari region in this game-rich East African country.
Our first game viewing destination in Tanzania is the Lake Manyara National Park, one of the region's wildlife gems. Approaching this relatively small yet diverse national park we are met by stunning views over this beautiful wilderness area. Located along the western edge of the Great Rift Valley escarpment the game park is set around Manyara Lake, a soda lake that attracts a multitude of birds. Lake Manyara is a good place to see water birds, including large flocks of flamingoes when they migrate to its shores.
Arriving at this peaceful, pretty spot we make our way to the Nysa Lodge (or similar) for the night.
Rise and shine early for a morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Game viewing highlights include tree-climbing lions that can be seen lounging in the trees like leopards. If the flamingoes are visiting the pink flocks make for an amazing sight, although the bird life is rich at any time of the year. Baboons are commonly sighted, as Manyara is home to some of the largest baboon troops in Africa, as well as hosting numerous giraffes, warthogs, buffalos, elephants, and wildebeest. Zebras and various antelope species are also frequently sighted, along with hippos, crocodiles, and monkeys.
From Lake Manyara Park we continue northwest to Serengeti National Park, Masai Mara's equally famous southern neighbor. Prepare for the open savannahs that epitomize untamed Africa.
En route to Ikoma Safari Camp (or similar), we keep our eyes fixed on the wild horizons in search of the abundant wildlife of the Serengeti Plains.
Today we venture out into this massive wilderness area on a morning and afternoon game drive. Immersing ourselves in this 14 736 km² African wildlife haven, open grasslands stretch endlessly around us.
In this region of Tanzania, the wildlife drama of Africa unfolds in a captivating battle for the survival of the fittest. The Serengeti Park is where the spectacle of the Great Migration plays itself out every year when millions of hoofed mammals migrate in search of fresh vegetation. This mass movement of herbivores is made up mostly of stampeding wildebeest, hence the phenomenon's other name - the Great Wildebeest Migration. The wildebeest are joined by Grant's gazelles, zebras, many other antelopes (impala, eland, waterbuck, roan, and more), and an assortment of other herbivores, like giraffes and warthogs. Such as massive congregation of prey species naturally attracts a menagerie of predators, from the big cats (lion, leopard, and cheetah) to the scavenging hyenas, jackals and foxes.
The Serengeti Plains provide ample natural habitat for an abundance of wildlife and birds year-round, so excellent sightings can be expected even when the migration isn't taking place here.
Returning from the biggest and best-known game park in Tanzania, we enjoy dinner and a relaxing evening at Ikoma Camp (or similar), near Serengeti Park.
Today we grab an early breakfast before heading southeast to the famous Ngorongoro Crater, often referred to as the Eden of Africa.
Reaching the largest intact caldera (volcanic crater) in the world we glimpse the game-rich plains below, descending the steep, 600m high crater walls. We spend the whole day inside this massive unflooded crater, taking packed lunches with us from the lodge.
The Ngorongoro Crater is home to one of the highest concentrations of African wildlife. Almost every animal species found in East Africa is found in this diverse 8300km² conservation area, with one of the notable exceptions being giraffes.
We take packed lunches with us into this beautiful crater, considered by some as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's top safari destinations and the high-density game-viewing gem of Tanzania's Northern Safari Circuit. After spotting an abundance of large mammals we make our way back up the crater walls, admiring the stunning views as we drive. We spend the night at Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge (or similar) where we also have dinner.
On the last day of our East African odyssey, we take things slowly, enjoying breakfast before completing the final leg of the trip.
After breakfast at the lodge, we set off for Arusha where you have the option of ending your safari. Arriving in Arusha at about 12:00 you can catch the shuttle bus traveling north to Nairobi. At about 18:00 we arrive in bustling Nairobi, where you are transferred to the airport for your onward travels.
For the remainder of 2023, this safari is conducted in a custom-made minibus in Kenya and a 4x4 Land Cruiser in Tanzania. For 2023 safari bookings, you can upgrade to a 4x4 Land Cruiser in Kenya at extra cost (see full pricing tab).
As of January 2024, 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.
The accommodation establishments mentioned in the itinerary are used subject to availability. We reserve the right to use similar accommodations of the same standard on this lodge safari.
Tour Accommodation: Tented eco-camps and self-contained tents and lodges.
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.
This tour does not take children.
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