Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari

This is the Serengeti, one of the world’s extraordinary safari experiences. In Tanzania, you can find a birdwatcher’s paradise in Lake Manyara and Africa’s “Garden of Eden” in Ngorongoro Crater. The circle of life continues in the savannas of Kenya, where indescribable vignettes play out before your eyes in Masai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park… Immerse in the Earth Journeys experience, featuring on-tour film vignettes custom-made by BBC Earth natural history experts plus other select BBC Earth touches. Return to a time when the Great Rift Valley held the secrets of the origins of mankind… Observe huge herds roaming the Serengeti, the “lost world” of Ngorongoro Crater, and free-ranging elephants in Amboseli National Park.. soar in a hot air balloon over the Masai Mara at dawn – capped by a champagne breakfast in the bush… view rescued chimpanzees and protected black rhinos at Ol Pejeta Conservancy… attend a special barbecue dinner accompanied by Maasai cultural performance in the Serengeti… visit the William Holden Wildlife Foundation’s animal orphanage during a two- night stay at fabled Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club… meet the weavers of a local village… travel in exclusive open-top safari vehicles, and stay in luxurious tented camps and safari lodges…

Only With Tauck

TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – On-tour film vignettes custom-made for Tauck by BBC Earth natural history experts; field equipment may include FLIR® thermal imaging cameras and camera traps
Hot air balloon ride at dawn over the Masai Mara game reserve, followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush

Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All safari expenses and adventures, lodge and hotel accommodations, entertainment, land transportation, admission fees, porterage, the hot air balloon ride in Masai Mara, the services of local guides, drivers and the Tauck Director are included. A representative of Tauck will greet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport, regardless of the time of your arrival, provided we have accurate flight arrival information at least three weeks before the start of the your tour, and provide transportation to Arusha Serena Hotel on the shores of Lake Duluti in Arusha, Tanzania. If you do not provide your flight arrival information in time, or choose to transfer on your own, you are responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation, which currently costs approximately $50 USD per vehicle. If you choose to arrive on Day 2 or later, after the group has already departed for Ngorongoro Crater, you are responsible for your own transportation, which costs approximately $500 USD per vehicle from Arusha to the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge. We will provide you with transportation to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from the Nairobi Serena Hotel on the last day of the tour. Transfers to and from airports may be shared with other Tauck guests.

Rates and schedules are not guaranteed until booked and will vary based on departure date.

ITINERARY

INCLUDED

INCLUDED HOTELS

Day 01 :

Arusha – Tanzania's safari gateway

Tour begins: Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa. A transfer is included from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your hotel, Arusha Serena Hotel in this safari gateway city at the foot of Mount Meru, the second-highest mountain in Tanzania.

Day 02 :

Lake Manyara National Park

The vast Serengeti beckons as you begin a four-night safari in Tanzania, and a five-night Kenya safari. Take your first game drive through Lake Manyara National Park, where you might get your first glimpse of giraffes, baboons, hippos, and elephants along with hundreds of species of birds. Arrive in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, populated by an estimated 30,000 large mammals. Your lodge for the next two nights is on the Ngorongoro Crater rim overlooking the caldera below, an excellent spot for our welcome reception and dinner.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 03 :

Wildlife in the "Garden of Eden" – Ngorongoro

Thought by some to be Africa’s original “Garden of Eden,” Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest calderas in the world and contains a variety of ecosystems and an astounding concentration of birds and animals. Your four-wheel-drive vehicle, built exclusively for Tauck, provides an excellent mobile viewing platform when encountering massive herds of zebras, wildebeests, and gazelles. This area affords an opportunity to spot the Big Five – elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater today.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 04 :

Early human history at Oldupai Gorge

Study the development of humankind at Oldupai Gorge, where, over 50 years ago, archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the fossilized remains of some of the earliest known human species, an estimated 1.8 million years old. Continue wildlife viewing while driving the rough dirt roads across the plains to your safari lodge in the Serengeti, built for unprecedented pampering. Enjoy a special barbecue dinner in your lodge’s Boma Grill tonight, enhanced by a Maasai traditional dance performance.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging – Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Day 05 :

The Serengeti's amazing wildlife

Look for wildlife in the heart of the vast savanna of the Serengeti today on both morning and afternoon game drives. Sightings might include lions, zebras, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, jackals, gazelles, and giraffes. When the sunset paints the sky in the evening, enjoy the show from the luxury of your lodge in Serengeti National Park, and enjoy Pan- African cuisine at dinner tonight.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging – Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Day 06 :

Tauck's Kenya safari tours begin in Amboseli

Leave the Serengeti behind as you fly to Arusha, Tanzania en route to Kenya. Dominating the skyline, majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro peaks over surrounding landscapes from more than 15,000 feet up. Have lunch at the Cultural Heritage Center in Arusha prior to continuing into Kenya and begining a two-night stay at your safari lodge in Amboseli National Park, where herds of free- ranging elephants and other wildlife like to roam; enjoy a private lecture on the elephants of Amboseli before dinner tonight.

Meals- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 07 :

Private game drives and more in Amboseli

Private safari game drives in Amboseli National Park offer an opportunity to view elephants, hippos and buffaloes seeking the park’s natural watering holes and graceful antelopes grazing in the flat grasslands. An early morning visit to a Maasai village precedes a morning game drive, after which you’ll return to the lodge for breakfast. Spend time at leisure prior to lunch, then another game drive, and time to spend as you please at the lodge for the remainder of the afternoon. Enjoy an included dinner at your leisure at the lodge this evening.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 08 :

Mount Kenya Safari Club & an animal orphanage

A morning flight brings you to the world-famous Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, straddling the Equator and your luxurious home for the next two nights. The former retreat of actor William Holden, the Safari Club, founded in 1959, was once the playground of such illustrious members such as Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby. Following lunch and an Equatorial demonstration, pay a private visit to the nearby William Holden Wildlife Education Center and animal orphanage; this sanctuary for animals that have been orphaned or injured and need special care also teaches local children to cherish and appreciate the unique wildlife of their homeland.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging – Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club

Day 09 :

Rhinos, chimpanzees & village crafts

An exciting day begins at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to the largest resident black rhino population in East Africa and other members of the Big Five. It is also home to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, founded by Jane Goodall, which gives lifelong homes to orphaned and abused chimpanzees, and which you’ll visit this morning. While at Ol Pejeta, enjoy Tauck’s special access to visit a compound where endangered black rhino are bred. After lunch at your hotel, take a look at local life on a private visit to a nearby village, where villagers spin colorful tales into their handmade wool rugs, sweaters and shawls right before your eyes. Return to your celebrity resort late afternoon. Tonight, attend our private barbecue dinner held under the stars on the lush manicured lawns of the Mount Kenya Safari Club.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging – Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club

Day 10 :

The Masai Mara & an evening game drive

Your safari continues as you pack your Tauck duffel bag and fly to the Masai Mara National Reserve in southern Kenya, where you’ll be welcomed by Maasai warriors. Have lunch upon your arrival at the luxurious Fairmont Mara Safari Club, where an elegant tented camp is your home for the next three nights. Spend the afternoon relaxing, swimming, taking in the views and otherwise becoming acquainted with the Safari Club and your luxury tented camp accommodations, evoking the classic safaris of yesteryear. Embark on an evening game drive across the plains of “the Mara” in search of animals that make their homes here; perhaps you’ll see lions, antelopes, elephants and zebras in their daily rituals. Return to camp for a briefing on tomorrow’s hot air balloon flight, followed by dinner.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging – Fairmont Mara Safari Club

Day 11 :

Ballooning over the plains of the Masai Mara

Today will be one that you’ll always remember as you arise before dawn to board a hot air balloon* and float over the Masai Mara’s awakening plains below as the sun rises. When you land, a special champagne breakfast will be awaiting you right there in the bush! Spectacular isn’t quite strong enough a word to describe such an experience, a Tauck Exclusive on your Kenya safari! Back on the ground, look for lions, impalas, cheetahs, giraffes, and the other animals you’ve come to love as you return overland to the camp for lunch and an afternoon at leisure – and later on an evening game drive with an opportunity to use special technology to enhance your safari experience. Have dinner back at your tented camp.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging – Fairmont Mara Safari Club

Day 12 :

More game drives in the magical Masai Mara

Unparalleled wildlife viewing is the watchword on your final day in the spectacular Masai Marai – and the last full day of your Tanzania and Kenya safari adventure – as you set out on a morning game drive… return to your tented camp for lunch, and perhaps a bit of swimming and down time… and then head back out across the plains for a final afternoon game drive in the bush. After returning to your tented camp, join us for a perfect ending to your unforgettable Kenya safari, in true Tauck fashion… a farewell dinner in the boma of the Fairmont Mara Safari Club.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lodging – Fairmont Mara Safari Club

Day 13 :

Fly to Nairobi and journey home

Tour ends: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Fly to Nairobi this morning for your journey home. We have reserved a

day room for you at the Nairobi Serena Hotel; depart the hotel for the airport after dinner. Allow 3 hours for flight check-in.

Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Night 1
Arusha, Tanzania

Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa

Nestled at the foot of the wooded slopes of Mount Meru, this unique hotel stands amid coffee plantations on the shores of tranquil Lake Duluti. Designed to echo the traditional style of the colonial coffee farm, which originally stood on this site, Serena Mountain Village – Arusha Serena Hotel offers a range of tastefully presented cottage-styled rooms set amid extensive landscaped grounds. Standing at the gateway to the famous Tanzanian ‘Northern Safari Circuit’, the hotel offers a broad range of attractions, which include: walking, mountain biking, canoeing on the lake, and trips to the nearby Arusha and Mount Meru national parks. The hotel features a stone-built reception with adjoining lounge, library, restaurant, boutique and business centre. Imposing in stature and spacious in concept, the design of the new building echoes the hotel’s original incarnation as a working coffee farm dating back to colonial times. Enjoy the elegant dining room and garden terraces, as well as the extensive flower gardens and lawns.

Nights 2-3
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

The impressive stone structure of the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is built into the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater itself, not far from the Olduvai Gorge. Great care was taken to ensure that it would blend seamlessly into its surroundings so as to take nothing away from the stunning natural beauty of the area and, as it is covered with creepers and other vegetation, it is virtually invisible from the floor of the crater. The attractively furnished, comfortable guest rooms have private terraces affording wonderful views of the crater below. Meals are taken in the restaurant, with its log fire and attractive adornments. The well- traveled readers of both Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler consider the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge to be among the 500 best hotels in the world.

Nights 4-5
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Strategically located in the central north region of Serengeti National Park, Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti reigns over the wilderness with 74 luxury rooms and suites that make the most of their scenic setting. Individually air conditioned guest rooms invite with four-poster beds (and delicate mosquito netting!), spacious walk-in closets, flat-screen television, a private refrigerated bar, bathrooms with a view and a rain shower, and private sundecks to enjoy a relaxing moment under the Tanzanian sun. Indoors, the lodge offers guests use of a well-stocked library and game room; outside, an infinity pool overlooks a natural waterhole for the ultimate comfort in impromptu wildlife spotting. Dining here is an event in itself and includes, true to its authentic setting, dining around an open fire pit at the Boma Grill, contemporary international and African dishes at Kula’s Restaurant, and lighter fare at Maji Bar.

Tauck Guests enjoy complimentary Internet access in guest rooms!

Nights 6-7
Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Set against the backdrop of mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge is ideally located in the heart of world-famous Amboseli National Park. Look around and you’ll see a grove of acacia trees, golden plains, emerald-green swamps and uninterrupted mountain views, picture-perfect landscapes that attract elephants, hippos, buffalo and plains game. Look inside and see local color and hand-painted murals adorning the lodge and guest rooms, each reflecting a traditional Maasai theme. Ensuring your comfort, guest rooms feature king-sized beds or twins, bathrooms with a walk-in shower, and a private veranda. The hotel’s central dining area is accessed by a timbered bridge over a melt-water stream and features an expansive terraced lounge and fire-pit where evening cocktails can be enjoyed. In typical safari style, sumptuous buffets include full English breakfasts and bountiful lunches. Table d’hôte dinners showcase local ingredients from communities that surround the

reserve.

Nights 8-9 Nanyuki, Kenya

Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club

Founded by actor William Holden and set in over 100 acres of landscaped gardens in the shadow of majestic Mount Kenya, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is something of a legend. Its illustrious members have included Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Bob Hope, the Aga Kahn, Lyndon Johnson and Lord Louis Mountbatten. Virtually everything that one could ever wish for can be found at this exclusive retreat. All luxuriously appointed guest rooms have fireplaces as well as an array of amenities appreciated by today’s modern explorers. The resort offers an array of genteel leisure pursuits to fill your day, including (but certainly not limited to) trout fishing, golf, tennis and horseback riding (all available at an additional charge). No matter which dining venue you choose, dinners are an elegant affair at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. To get a feel for the Africa experienced by travelers years ago, be sure to visit the Trophy Lounge.

Nights 10 – 12
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Fairmont Mara Safari Club

Set at a bend on the banks of the Mara River amidst the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Fairmont Mara Safari Club represents the epitome of a luxury tented camp experience surrounded by the African bush. Accommodations are in raised, en- suite tents furnished with four-poster beds, electric lights, electrical outlets, hand-woven rugs and its own game-viewing veranda. Baths are stocked with Lonrho toiletries and have solar-heated hot as well as cold water, a flush toilet and a shower. The restaurant, serving cosmopolitan cuisine with European, African and Asian influences, and the lounge / bar are located in the main building. An inviting free-form swimming pool awaits upon your return from a game drive, and there is a bar at the pool.