Kenya & Tanzania Wildlife Safari

Arrive in Nairobi, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. A microcosm of the African continent, this capital city is your gateway to a dramatic procession of natural spectacles in Kenya and Tanzania, among the most thrilling destinations in the world.

Drive to Amboseli National Park, known for its thriving big-game population, especially elephants, more than 1,000 of which live in the park. From a distance, take in views of the highest mountain in Africa, the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro, with its impressive Uhuru Peak soaring to 19,341 feet. Arrive at your lodge set beneath acacia trees in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. After lunch, explore the acacia woodland, freshwater swamps, scrub brush and open plains in search of wildlife. Part of the park is composed of a driedup lake bed, where mirages rise from the shimmering heat. This evening, share in a special welcome dinner with your fellow guests.

Set out on early morning and afternoon game drives, crisscrossing the landscape in search of the park’s large herds of elephants, as well as zebra and wildebeest, along the salt pan trails. Prepare for predator sightings as opportunistic animals begin roaming the plains in search of prey. Return to your lodge for dinner, followed by a relaxing evening under African skies.

Cross the border into Tanzania and continue to your hotel on the picturesque slopes of Mount Meru. This afternoon, stop at the kennels of the Canines for Conservation training center for a special behind-the-scenes visit with the K-9 cadets trained to detect illicit wildlife products in cargo and luggage. Return to your hotel, enjoying a refreshing Scenic Sundowner on the edge of Lake Duluti before gathering for dinner.

Drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive, searching for nonchalant baboons, dik-diks that forage for food beneath acacia trees, and large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra, which gather on the grassy, sun-drenched plains. Along a narrow belt of acacia woodland, you may even spot the region’s storied tree-climbing lions, ascending branches for a cool breeze. After lunch, travel to Ngorongoro Crater, ascending its outer wall through dense vegetation. Ngorongoro is the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world and a likely place to view lions, elephants, hyenas and gazelle. This afternoon, participate in a Chef’s Table demonstration in the hotel kitchen, preparing and sampling local dishes.

This morning, descend into the crater, arriving ahead of most visitors — thanks to the ideal location of your accommodations on the crater’s rim — to view the resident wildlife at its most active time of day. The prairies of this “Lost World” are great spots for watching buffalo and elephants as well as the countless other species that roam the crater’s 100-square-mile floor. You may even sight flamingos (when in season) or rare black rhinos. Following lunch, visit a Maasai village to gain a better understanding of the nomadic cattle herders’ daily life and culture.

Drive to vast, wildlife-rich Serengeti National Park and through its spectacular mix of savanna grassland and volcanic hills, stopping en route for a privately guided tour of Olduvai Gorge, one of the key sources of prehuman hominid fossils. Renowned paleontologists Mary and Louis Leakey made many notable finds here, including “Nutcracker Man,” who lived approximately 1.75 million years ago. Visit the on-site museum, take in views from the lookout point and examine the excavations, which revealed 3.7-million-yearold footprints and the 1.8-million-year-old skull of a human. Continue to your lodge, which is framed by commanding views of this land of lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, giraffes and topi. The park also serves as a setting for the Great Migration when it passes through each year. Enjoy your room’s blend of elegant and contemporary design with influences from the traditional Maasai culture.

Today, revel in true safari country, searching for iconic species, such as lions, leopards, Cape buffalo and elephants, as well as giraffes, gazelle and zebra. Along the rivers and rocky outcrops, you may also spot some of the Serengeti’s more diminutive denizens, such as leopard tortoises and rhinoceros beetles.

Fly to the vast Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya’s finest wildlife spectacle, offering excellent game viewing year-round. The unending landscape hosts some 450 bird species, 95 animal species and all of the great predators, including the country’s largest lion population. After familiarizing yourself with your classic tented accommodations, ideally situated at the confluence of the Mara’s four game-viewing regions, drive through the famed reserve.

Explore a region bestowed with over 500 square miles of savannas, woodlands and tree-fringed rivers on morning and afternoon game drives. You may observe crocodiles basking in the sun, see ever-alert hippos wallowing in muddy water or catch the antics of mischievous monkeys overhead. Watch, too, as African elephants rumble along the forest edge and giraffes snatch leaves from branches high above.

Venture forth on a morning game drive or enjoy an optional hot air balloon ride (at an additional cost), viewing the Masai Mara and its wild inhabitants from a new perspective. After lunch back at camp and time to relax, head out on a lateafternoon game drive for a final look at the Mara’s treasures. Later, enjoy a Scenic Sundowner, sipping traditional cocktails while marveling at the incredible open plains just before dusk — a relaxing prelude to a memorable farewell dinner with your fellow guests.

Return to Nairobi. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in a reserved dayroom before your international departure flight home.