This morning you will be briefed by your guide before we depart for the Uganda border to complete border formalities. A short drive to our first activity, the Batwa Trail, a cultural experience that offers a glimpse of the traditional life of the Batwa (pygmies) who were forest dwellers. The activity introduces travelers to Batwa life comprised of hunting, fruit gathering, collecting honey and performing of rituals in the caves within the forest. The Batwa lived in harmony with forest animals including the mountain gorillas for over 500,000 years. They are the main beneficiaries of the activity. Continue to check in to our lodge in the Bwindi area for check in, dinner and overnight rest.

Today you set off on your Uganda gorilla tracking adventure in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – home to half of the world’s total mountain gorilla population. While trekking through the dense forest you’ll have the opportunity to view the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of the Gentle Giants of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park surely is the most exciting and poignant wildlife encounter that Africa has to offer. After this captivating and unforgettable experience you will head back to your lodge for some relaxation.

We depart this morning to return back across the Rwandan border and on to Kigali where a tour will be undertaken the Genocide Memorial site, a grim reminder of a senseless massacre of innocent’s lives in 1994. Learn about Rwanda’s history from pre-colonial times to the 1994 genocide and how Rwanda has dealt with that past. The recovery has been incredible, a testament to humankind’s resilience. After a visit we continue to the airport for your flight to Nairobi (cost of flight not included). Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Depart this morning with your guide for a day tour of Nairobi. Our first stop is for a visit to the Giraffe Centre where you can interact with the Giraffes. Next we will head to the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage for the public viewing between 11 AM – 12 PM to gain insight into the great work the trust does in working with orphaned elephants. We’ll make a stop ay the Tamambo Blixen’s Coffee Gardens where you have the option of buying lunch. Our last stop will be at the Kazuri Beads Factory which is a women’s cooperative whose work is distributed and prized around the world. Back to the hotel to freshen up before our Welcome Dinner at Carnivore Restaurant.

Depart Nairobi after breakfast and drive to the Masai Mara area with the opportunity for a few scenic photo stops as we drop down into the Great Rift Valley. 

The Mara is the best wildlife arena in Kenya and offers wonderful scenery and plenty of game. We will be basing ourselves in the Mara Triangle area, known for its huge concentration of animals while being a bit more remote and much quieter than the National Reserve side.  It also offers some opportunities to do a little bit of offroading, something not possible in the main Reserve.  Settle into our tented camp for the next three nights, perched on the Oloololo Escarpment. The Oloololo offers unforgettable views of the Mara River and the Mara plains, truly the “the Gods’ window”.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive in the Mara.

Note: Some departures in 2023 will stay at Kilima Camp, also located along the Oloololo Escarpment.

Depart again for a day of game drives in the Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives or you may opt for a full day game drive with picnic lunch (to be discussed with your guide).  In the months of July – October you may be lucky to catch the ‘Great Migration’. It is these mighty rivers that are the greatest obstacles for the hundreds of thousands of wildebeest on their journey north. The currents are strong, the banks are steep and thousands perish in the jaws of massive Nile crocodiles. Crossings are spectacular and frenetic and provide thrilling game viewing either from a vehicle.

Depart again for a day of game drives in the Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives or a full day game drive.  The plains around the camp are filled with an extraordinary concentration of wildlife, from plains game to large herds of elephant and buffalo – and, of course, predators. You may wish to book an optional Mara Balloon Safari for an additional cost, an experience you won’t soon forget!

After breakfast transfer to Ol Kiombo airstrip for a short 30 minute morning flight to Migori Airstrip where upon arrival you road transfer across the border for immigration procedures into Tanzania. Continue to Tarime airstrip for a 30 min flight to the Serengeti. Met on arrival by your Tanzanian guide and proceed for check in to Acacia Bliss Tented Camp for the next three nights. Enjoy lunch followed by your first game drive in the world-renowned Serengeti.

You will enjoy a full day of game drives in the Serengeti today either with morning and afternoon excursions or a full day exploring the reaches of the Seronera area, the most wildlife-rich region of the Serengeti. Whilst the annual migration is the Serengeti’s most famous attraction, the park is also renowned for its wealth of lion,cheetah, zebra, giraffe, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, eland, impala, klipspringer, hippo and warthog.

Spend all day on safari in the reserve with morning and afternoon game drives. The Serengeti is one of the most densely populated wildlife arenas anywhere on earth. You also have the option of doing a memorable morning Hot Air Balloon Safari at an additional cost.

After breakfast depart with game drive en route through the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. We will stop for a visit to the world-famous Olduvai Gorge Palaeolithic site and reputed ‘Cradle of Mankind’ as well as visit a traditional Masai homestead. Continue to the Ngorongoro area and check in to the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge which offers the finest location of all the crater rim lodges. This afternoon is free for you to enjoy the majestic setting of the lodge.

Rise early with a packed breakfast to descend for half day game drive in the crater. Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife arenas. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world covering a total area of 264 square kilometres. An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbours grasslands, swamps, forests, salt pans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. It boasts a high concentration of wildlife with exceptionally close range viewing opportunities. Leaving the crater behind, we will continue to the visit our local school project, Simba Milima Primary School where you will have the opportunity to learn about the school and interact with the students. After this experience continue to check in to Manyara Escarpment Luxury Lodge for a late lunch and much needed rest.

Depart the camp this morning for a game drive at Lake Manyara. Stretching for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600m high Rift Valley Escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”. Continue to check in for your flight from Manyara airstrip to Zanzibar. On arrival in Zanzibar you will be met and taken to your historic hotel in Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage City.

Today you will enjoy a tour of the backstreets of Stone Town, a wonderful introduction of Zanzibar that gives you the feeling of the rich cultural heritage. Magnificent architecture, narrow alleys, sand and stone ancient built houses where some of them are over 200 Years old that have Arab/Indian carved wooden doors. We begin this tour at the main City market which was opened in 1904, where tropical fruits, vegetables, spices and fresh fish from the island are sold. Our next stop will be at the Anglican Church of Christ built by Bishop Steers in 1873 on the site where slaves were being auctioned. Other highlights include the Sultan’s Palace, House of Wonders, The Africa House, Jamituri Gardens and a visit to the Old Fort.

After this you are transferred to the idyllic beaches of Zanzibar’s Coast and transfer out to Marijani Beach Resort & Spa for three nights, an oasis by the sea where understated beach luxury is a lifestyle enhanced by a refined and restrained tropical Islamic architecture. With 82 rooms spread across multiple buildings linked by quiet walkways, the resort is a picture of intimacy and seaside seclusion. Rooms at Marijani Beach Resort & Spa offer rooms decorated in traditional Islamic style with gracious beds, lattice-work screens, and baths featuring both showers and soaking tubs. Private patios or balconies take ample advantage of the area’s mild climate, while garden, sea, or combination views offer scenes primed for a moment quiet contemplation. 

Today in time for your flight you will be transferred to the airport. Extra Nights and Room Upgrades at Zanzibar available on request.