Accommodation as indicated, meals as indicated, game drives as indicated, transportation on tour, drinks at Elephant Bedroom Camp and Entim, light aircraft flights, park fees, airport transfers, professional guides.
Itinerary: Kenya Flying Safari & Tanzania
Day 1: Nairobi – Sunday, Feb 12
Arrival day: On arrival you are transferred to the Tamarind Tree Hotel. Rest of the day is free.
(For those doing the Gorilla Trek pre tour: 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). On arrival you are transferred to the Tamarind Tree Hotel.)
Day 2: Nairobi – Monday, Feb 13
Today you will be collected for a day tour to the sights of Nairobi including visits to the Giraffe Centre, Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Kazuri Beads Cooperative with a stop for an included lunch. This evening we will enjoy an included dinner in one of the local restaurants.
Days 3-5: Samburu National Reserve – Tuesday, Feb 14 – Thursday, Feb 16
After breakfast transfer to Wilson airport for your flight to the Samburu National Reserve. Rugged and remote, this wildlife reserve provides some the best and most colourful game viewing in the country. You will make Elephant Bedroom Camp your home for the next three nights. The camp offers luxury in a setting of breathtaking beauty. It is set along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River and shaded by doum palms and other trees that make up this green belt of riverine forest. The surrounding Samburu National Reserve is an area of spectacular scenery; its dry plains bisected by the meandering river, with the backdrop of Africa’s dramatic mountains, including Mt Kenya. The spacious tents have rustic and colourful African touches, offering all the comforts; including a private plunge pool on the deck, hot and cold running water, electricity and complimentary herbal shower and bath products. The lounge and dining area is decorated with vibrant safari style, its soft intimate lighting assuring that this is the ultimate place to relax in between exciting game drives. Elephant, Monkeys, Impalas are amongst the camp’s many regular wild visitors, whilst Samburu National Reserve has a good number of lions and leopards and offers the opportunity to see many species endemic to northern Kenya. Samburu’s hot dry climate is also perfect for al-fresco breakfasts and three course lunches. Four course candlelit dinners can be enjoyed in the cozy dining area under the magnificent African sky.
Game Drives
Enjoy game drives in Samburu with morning and afternoon game drives. The Samburu National Reserve is an area of spectacular scenery; its dry plains bisected by the meandering river, with the backdrop of Africa’s dramatic mountains, including Mt Kenya. These are taken in open sided 4×4 safari vehicles for the best possible game-viewing experience.
Guided Bush Walks
The safari camp has a resident naturalist who imparts a wealth of knowledge. The educational guided bush walks take guests as close as possible to the indigenous plants and animals to learn how the local people use the surroundings in their everyday routine.
Samburu Village Visit (Optional)
You have the option of booking a visit to a local Samburu Village where you will gain some insight into the Samburu culture and witness a little of Samburu life.
Days 6-9: Masai Mara National Reserve – Friday, Feb 17 – Monday, Feb 20
This morning your will transfer to the airstrip for your flight to the Masai Mara National Reserve offering wonderful scenery and plenty of 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. Settle in to the Entim Mara Camp for the next four nights which offers 12 luxury tents close to the Mara River. Entim was designed with a purpose in mind; to be in the best possible location to view the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara game reserve. For a few months of the year the migration is on our doorstep on the Mara river. After lunch enjoy your first game drive in the Mara. Returning to the camp, enjoy some relaxation on your private veranda, sundowners and dinner in the central dining area.
Spend your days on game drives in the Mara. The camp is situated right on the Mara River. 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 or when simply relaxing in camp, watching from your own tent. 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.
Day 10: Stone Town – Tuesday, Feb 21
Transfer this morning to the airstrip for your flight to Nairobi Wilson. On arrival you will connect to your flight to Zanzibar where on arrival you will be met and taken to your historic hotel in Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage City.
Days 11-13: Michamvi Peninsula – Wednesday, Feb 22 – Friday, Feb 24
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 transfer to KonoKono Beach Resort for the next three nights. Konokono Zanzibar Beach Resort is located on the Michamvi Peninsula, on the South East Coast of Zanzibar – one of the most authentic and secluded places on the island – and overlooks the wonderful Chwaka Bay.
Several kilometres of white pristine beach face Konokono. The resort is a quiet paradise offering privacy and tranquility in the heart of nature. In this quiet surrounding you will find all the modern luxuries such as a beach bar, restaurant, pool and spa which were designed with your comfort in mind. Perched on top of a cliff, the restaurant offers a panoramic view of Michamvi bay. Guests will enjoy splendid cocktails and dinners while viewing sunsets, or star-filled nights. The 900-m2 restaurant offers the guest a unique culinary experience which matches its location and the menu, a fusion of local and international flavors, is conceived to satisfy all sensory needs. The attentive service offered by our staff will meet all your standards of what is expected of 5-star service. The pool at Konokono Zanzibar Beach Resort is an oasis of relaxation. The white and blue hues of the pool mirror the colors of the sea and its vast white beach stretching several kilometers. Guests can enjoy long private walks along the beach surrounded by lush forests. At the end of the day beautiful sunsets will provide the perfect setting for sundowners. With its huge white pristine beach, Konokono Zanzibar Beach Resort is the ideal place to indulge in rest and regeneration. The resort’s unique and exclusive atmosphere is present also in the Infinity pool, overlooking the magnificent Chwaka Bay.
Day 14: End of Itinerary – Saturday, Feb 25
Today in time for your flight you will transfer to the airport for your flight onward.
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Itinerary: Optional add-on
Gorilla Safari trek in Uganda
Day 1: Kigali – Thursday, Feb 9
On arrival at Kigali Airport you will be met and transferred to the Kigali Ubumwe Grande Hotel for your overnight rest.
Day 2: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Friday, Feb 10
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.
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest- Saturday, Feb 11
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.
DAY 4 : End of Itinerary – Sunday, Feb 12
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.
