Ashford Tours & Travel Website !

KENYA TANZANIA SAFARIS  >> 13 Days Kenya Deluxe Tour + Tanzania Ext 

Why Choose This Tour
An ideal safari for those who want to combine Kenya and Tanzania! It includes:

-       The cosmopolitan city of Nairobi,

-       Cross the Equator to Samburu game Reserve in the Northern part of Kenya,

-       The silent Aberdares National Park, and stay in a The Ark Hotel built with the architect of the biblical Ark built by Noah.

-       Stay in the luxury Mount Kenya Safari Club. Golf playing available here.

-       The Great Rift Valley and its lakes,

-       The famous Masai Mara Game Reserve where the spectacular annual migration of wildebeests take place,

-       Serengeti National Park which borders Masai Mara,

-       Ngorongoro Crater where some of the world’s last black rhino’s are sheltered,

The package Includes:

• 12 nights First Class hotel accommodation on the following order

• 1 night accommodation at the [The Stanley Hotel], Nairobi

• 2 night accommodation at the [Sarova Shaba Lodge], Samburu Shaba Game Reserve

• 1 nights accommodation at the [Mount Kenya Safari Club], Mount Kenya.

• 1 nights accommodation at the [The Ark Hotel], Aberdare National Park.

• 1 night accommodation at the [Sarova Lion Hill Lodge], Lake Nakuru National Park

• 2 nights accommodation at the [Sarova Mara Tented Camp],  Mara Game Reserve

• 1 night accommodation at the [The Stanley Hotel], Nairobi

• 1 nights accommodation at the [Ngorongoro Serena Lodge], Ngorongoro National Park

• 2 nights accommodation at the [Serengeti Serena Lodge], Serengeti National Park

• 36 Meals: 12 Breakfast, 12 Lunches and 12 dinners

• Transport by private safari minibus with pop-up roof for game drive in Kenya.

• Transport by 4x4 safari vehicles in Tanzania

• Professional English speaking driver guides.

• Half Day Excursion in Nairobi on last day.

•  All game viewing drives and park entrance fees

• All Airport transfers in Nairobi.

• Vehicle fitted with 2 way high frequency radio communicating system.

13 Day Kenya Deluxe Tour + Tanzania Ext

Day to day Itinerary for this program

Day 1 – Arrive Nairobi, Kenya: 

Arrive in Nairobi. After clearing customs and immigration, meet your local Airport representative and transfer to your hotel. Nairobi is a cosmopolitan and lively city, the largest between Johannesburg and Cairo.

Day 2 – Nairobi – Samburu Shaba Game Reserve: 

After breakfast, journey north (approximately 4.5-hour drive) passing near Thika, which boasts the world’s third largest pineapple plantation, and Karatina with its colorful market. Head further north, past the Equator and the dusty outpost known as Isiolo. From here, it’s a fairly short ride to your lodge, located on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, in the heart of the Shaba National Reserve, famous for the “Out of Africa” film. It has now been made famous once again with the shooting of the third edition of the television phenomenon “Survivor” on this location. Arrive for lunch at the lodge and enjoy an afternoon game drive in the reserve. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3 – Full day in Samburu Shaba:

Enjoy a full day of exploring the Shaba and Buffalo Springs National Reserves.

The Shaba Reserve is named after an outcrop of volcanic rock that dominates the region. Evidence of the intensity of its upheaval is demonstrated by the formidable lava flow that travelers must cross to reach the reserve and the lodge. The Reserve’s northern boundary is marked by the width of the Ewaso Nyiro River, which empties into the Lorian Swamp. The tall doum palms mark its course in silent contrast to the rugged and pitted tracts, which make up much of the sanctuary.

Many small hills dot the landscape and, with four springs, Shaba is better watered than its neighbors. Animals commonly seen are elephants, lions, cheetahs, Grevy’s zebras, giraffes, gerenuks, buffalo, oryx, grants gazelles, Dikdiks and waterbuck. The river forest also attracts a wide variety of birds.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4 – Samburu - Mount Kenya: 

After breakfast, depart for the exclusive Mt Kenya Safari Club (approximately 3-hour drive). Mt Kenya is Africa’s second highest massif, and its twin peaks top one of the world’s highest national parks. As you travel around to the other side of the mountain, you’ll come to the town of Nanyuki, nestled into the lush slopes of this mountain astride the Equator. It is here where you come to rest in time for a buffet lunch at the incomparable Mount Kenya Safari Club, playground to the rich and famous for years, and understandably so, with its lush, landscaped gardens, golf course, swimming pool, and, of course, breathtaking views of the snow‑capped mountain. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Note:  Smart Casual wear is required during dinner in the main restaurant and in all public areas after 1900hrs (07:00pm). Jeans, T-shirts, Sneakers, Sandals etc are not permitted

Day 5 – Mount Kenya – Aberdare National Parks: 

After breakfast depart for Aberdare Country Club, the base hotel for The Ark. After lunch at the club, drive to The Ark, a uniquely shaped lodge tucked away in the Aberdares National Park forest. The lodge’s water hole and salt lick are well lit at night when the animals come to drink, and a well-concealed “hide” affords eye‑to‑eye viewing of forest elephant and other game, including the endangered black rhino. Look out for baboon, buffalo, bushbuck, bush pig, civets, duikers, giant forest hog, Columbus and Syke’s monkeys. The birdlife includes some species not common in other places among them being: green ibis, rufous sparrow hawk, mountain buzzard, crowned eagle and the silvery-cheeked hornbill. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Note: Only a small overnight bag is required at the ARK. The rest of the luggage is stored at the Aberdare Country Club at no cost. Warm clothing is advisable, as nights tend to be chilly. 

Day 6 – Aberdare - Lake Nakuru National Park: 

After breakfast at the Ark, return to the base hotel where you will proceed to Lake Nakuru with a brief stop at Nyahururu to view Thompson’s Falls and its 237-foot cascade. Then travel south to Lake Nakuru, colored a shimmering flamingo pink from thousands of the beautiful birds lining its shores. You’ll arrive at Lion Hill Lodge – affording unforgettable views of the lake from its hillside perch. The lodge is also a perfect base from which to explore the lake, with its fabulous array of birds as well as many types of game, including waterbuck, rhino, leopard and buffalo. Buffet lunch at the lodge.

Afternoon game drive in the park, which is, of course, known for its birdlife – as thousands of flamingos make this their home, among hundreds of other species. But wildlife is also in abundance here. You’ll see large numbers of waterbuck, warthog, impala, buffalo, plains game, cheetah, and now rhino, as Lake Nakuru National Park now hosts one of Kenya’s rhino sanctuaries.

Your lodge is an oasis of comfort and excellent service with its commanding views of the surroundings and the animals, which graze peacefully close by. The Acacia and Euphorbia Forests are havens for animals during the heat of the day, making an excellent game-viewing destination, whilst the “Hippo Pool” is a favorite spot for picnics. The park is known for its birdlife, as thousands of flamingos make this lake their home, among hundreds of other species. But wildlife is also in abundance here: you’ll also see large numbers of waterbuck, warthog, impala, buffalo, plains game and cheetah. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7 – Lake Nakuru - Maasai Mara Game Reserve:

After breakfast at the lodge, leave the flamingo-fringed Lake Nakuru behind, and drive to Narok, gateway to the Maasai Mara and district headquarters of this part of Maasailand (approximately 5 ½ hour drive). Arrive at the lodge in time for lunch. Enjoy free time until 1600hrs when you start your first game viewing drive in the reserve, regarded as the most magnificent natural theatre in the world. Set in the heart of Africa’s Great Plains, the Maasai Mara boasts 1,672 sq kms of unspoiled wilderness and is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent. The Masai Mara Game Reserve is the natural habitat for lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, hippo, rhino, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and much other game.

Sarova Mara Camp is set in the African bush but the luxurious tents all have permanent roofs, zip-up fronts, electricity and en-suite facilities. Relaxing outside your own tent listening to the orchestra of rasping cicadas, croaking tree frogs and the intermittent call of birds and monkeys is a memorable symphony. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8 – Maasai Mara Game Reserve: 

Enjoy a full day in the Maasai Mara with two game drives included. After breakfast this morning you will be taken on a complimentary visit to a Maasai Village.

The Maasai Mara National Park is situated to the west of Nairobi, on Tanzania’s northern border and is the extension to the larger Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The Maasai Mara offers wonderful scenery and an abundance of big game. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. It is a reserve of breathtaking vistas, panoramas of vast rolling plains, hills and woodland groves, well watered by the lovely Mara River, which bisects the Reserve from north to south. The Mara is home to the largest population of lions in Kenya. These magnificent beasts spend most of the day sleeping in the shade of acacia trees. Vast herds of buffalo, zebra and wildebeest roam the plains. Impala, gazelle, giraffe and hartebeest grace the landscape, and the cautious topi may also be seen standing sentinel on earth mounds on constant lookout of predators. The waters of the Mara River are home to crocodiles and pools of hippo, the acacia woodlands and riverine forests favored by leopard and elephant, and the open savannah and dry bush areas play host to the plains game and their attendant predators such as lion, cheetah, hyena and jackal. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9 – Maasai Mara - Nairobi:  

After an early breakfast, bid farewell to the Mara as you set off on your journey back to Nairobi (approximately 5 ½ hour drive). Transfer to the hotel where a day room has been arranged for you. Enjoy a lunch at the Carnivore restaurant followed by a visit to the Giraffe Center and a Nairobi dusk city tour. You will overnight at the hotel. (Breakfast)

Day 10 – Nairobi/Ngorongoro:  Pick-up from hotel at approximately 8:00am and transfer by road to Kenya/Tanzania border where you will change vehicles and proceed to Arusha for lunch. Later drive to Ngorongoro National Park.

Arusha is a small town nestled in the shadow of Mount Meru with commanding views of the mighty Kilimanjaro and is the safari capital of Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Crater is considered Africa’s ‘Garden of Eden’. It is the largest ancient caldera in the world with rich pasture and permanent water, sheltering thousands of animals. It is a World Heritage Site and is considered by many to be the Eighth Natural Wonder of the World. The Maasai and their cattle co-exist with the wildlife in this area, and visitors are able to appreciate this ancient interplay between wildlife and man. Interpretive game drives through the emerald plains and forests of the Crater floor engender guests with a respect for the people and wildlife of this world wonder. This evening is at leisure to view the Crater from the rim and enjoy a buffet dinner at the lodge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 11 – Ngorongoro/Serengeti:  After breakfast a highlight awaits you as you begin your descent into the Crater for a half-day of game viewing. As the early morning mist begins to clear, you will begin to see tiny ‘specs’ of wildebeest and zebra walking across the plains. Ngorongoro is an extraordinary sanctuary for one of the largest concentrations of mammals in Africa. The Crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas. The Lerai Forest is a densely forested area almost entirely of yellow fever trees. Close to the forest is the best place to see waterbuck, bushbuck and eland. Elephant stay close to Lerai forest as well, and you will most likely get a chance to see them at fairly close quarters. The elephant population in the Crater is all old males, so you probably see some with incredibly long tusks. The forest is also a great hiding place for the elusive leopard, and with luck, you may spot one.

Lake Magadi is a shallow soda lake that lies north of the forest; a veritable magnet for a wide variety of birdlife. Generally, the lakebed is filled with flamingos, giving it a pale cast when seen from a distance. The Mandusi Swamp is a great place to view herons, ducks, storks and all kinds of waders. Be on the lookout for a kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird. You may spot ostrich and the beautiful crested crane. Return to the lodge for lunch. Later drive to Serengeti Park for overnight.

Built on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the plains of the southwestern Serengeti National Park, home to many thousands of wild and rare animals, Serengeti Sopa Lodge lies within an area of outstanding natural beauty, providing an oasis of cool relaxation from the equatorial sun. The lodge allows its guests to soak up magnificent sights and enjoy interaction with land and animals difficult to find elsewhere in the world, at the same time enjoying the highest level of cuisine and hospitality. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 12 – Serengeti:  Spend all day in Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives. The name Serengeti conjures up the image of one of the last remaining wildlife spectacles on earth, vast herds of antelope feeding on the plains, columns of wildebeest, trudging along their traditional migration routes, and prides of lions, sometimes sleeping, sometimes alert and carefully stalking their prey. A buffet lunch will be served at the lodge. Later, depart for an afternoon game drive. 

Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language and appropriately means ‘endless plain’. Altitude varies from 3120 to 6070 feet. Nearly 500 species of birds and 35 species of large plains animals can be found in the Serengeti. The park may contain as many as 1.3 million wildebeest, 250,000 Thompson Gazelles, 200,000 zebra, 70,000 topi, 30,000 grants gazelle, 20,000 buffalo, 9000 eland, 8000 giraffe, 1500 lion and 800 elephant. Most of the Serengeti is vast open plain broken by rock outcrops. There is also an acacia savannah, savannah woodland, riverine forests, some swamps and small lakes. You can see first hand why so many naturalists and photographers are drawn to this place. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 13 – Serengeti/Nairobi:  After breakfast at the lodge, transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Arusha. Lunch in Arusha (on your own), and then proceed to the Kenya/Tanzania border (approx 2½ hour drive) where you will change vehicles and be transferred to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (approx 3 hour drive) for your flight back home. (Breakfast)

Notes:

-       Reservation done for a group of more than 4 Adults traveling together will attract a discount of US$350 on the Adult rates.

-       Reservation falling on December 24, – January 02, is subject to Christmas and New Year Supplements.

-       Similar lodges may be used incase those mentioned on the itinerary are not available.

-       Guaranteed Departure (Minimum 2 people) available with arrival dates in Nairobi as follows:

Group 01 - September 11, 2009

Group 02 - October 09, 2009

Group 03 - November 06, 2009

Group 04 - December 04, 2009

Group 05 - January 15, 2010

Group 06 - February 12, 2010

Group 07 - March 12, 2010

Group 08 - March 26, 2010

Group 09 - May 21, 2010

Group 10 - June 25, 2010

Group 11 - August 27, 2010

Group 12 - October 01, 2010

Price do not includes
-International airfare
-Visa charges
-Laundry, telephone, fax charges in hotels and lodges
-Telephone and/or Fax
-Beverages in hotels and lodges
-Tips / gratuities for driver / hotel staff
-Any extras that are not mentioned above.
-Airport Departure Tax for International Flights if any
-Items of personal nature i.e. souvenirs etc
-Travel insurance including damage or loss of luggage and/or personal injury

Home | About us | Contact us | Travel Guide | Newsletter | Guest Book