The East African Explorer Safari (13 Days)

"The East African Explorer" - (13 Days)

An African safari touches something deep within all of us; for it is an experience that will never be forgotten. The following safari combines intriguing cultures, beautiful landscapes and an excellent opportunity for spotting the Big-5. The driver-guides are all very experienced and will certainly make this safari feel special.

Day 1 Nairobi

Upon arrival into Nairobi, you will be met and transferred to the Safari Park Hotel. Afternoon at leisure.

Overnight at Safari Park Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

Safari Park Hotel

Situated only 10km from the city centre and 20km from the international airport, the lively Safari Park Hotel is really an African-theme resort providing deluxe accommodation in 64 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and indigenous forest. All of the 204 distinctively designed and decorated rooms are airy and contain television, bathroom facilities and private balconies. Its six restaurants are excellent and cater to all tastes, including Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Italian, English and African. There is also a casino, several bars, health club, tennis and squash courts (golf nearby) and some of Kenyas most advanced business and conference facilities.

Day 2 Nairobi - Masai Mara National Reserve
Leaving Nairobi after breakfast, you'll travel towards Kenya's fertile highlands and head down the Rift Escarpment on a road built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II. Look for the charming chapel they built at the foot of the escarpment. You'll pass the impressive Longonot earth satellite station as you head across the Valley to Narok, and then travel across acres of wheat and barley, before you reach the Masai Mara in time for lunch. Following lunch and a siesta, there is an afternoon game drive returning to the lodge as the sun sets. Overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

The lodge is set in the Oloolaimutia Valley and built into the surrounding hillside landscape. The accent around the lodge is on the indigenous Masai people and the fabulous wealth of wildlife, birdlife and natural flora seen in every direction. The lodge is luxuriously appointed with all the mod cons one would expect from a Sopa styled lodge in the bush. The bedrooms are spacious, the large pool has wonderful views and theres evening wildlife films and CNN to enjoy during the down-time. All this ensures that your stay will be blissfully comfortable.

Day 3 Masai Mara National Reserve
Early morning and afternoon game drives. Overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Day 4 Masai Mara Lake Nakuru
Leaving the Masai Mara after breakfast, you'll travel across the breadbasket of Kenya, where acres of wheat and barley litter the landscape as you head north to Narok, the district headquarters of this part of Maasailand. Now travel across the vast plains on the floor of the Rift Valley, keeping an eye out for herds of giraffe and gazelle as you head up the Mau Escarpment, before arriving at Lake Nakuru lodge for lunch. The waters here are often coloured shimmering flamingo pink, from thousands of the beautiful birds lining its shores. After lunch you will take an afternoon game drive in Nakuru National park before returning to the lodge. Overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge on a full board basis.

Lake Nakuru Lodge is situated in the heart of one of Kenya's most densely populated wetland National Parks, (Ramsar site) only two leisurely hours' drive from Nairobi, through beautiful forested uplands and passing a series of lakes. On the outskirts of the bustling market town of Nakuru lies a truly remarkable national park which has achieved international fame. Both black and white rhino are being given a new lease of life in this 188 sq km, fully-fenced park - and they are carefully protected. The present rhino population is over 50 and continuing to multiply. The Rothschilds giraffe is another rarity and the park has its fair share of buffalo, leopard, zebra, eland, waterbuck and lion. Lake Nakuru Lodge is in the south-east ecological niche of the park, with commanding views of the lake and the flamingos for which it is justly famous. Lush gardens surround the lodge and cottages. There is a good programme of activities and evening entertainment.

Day 5 Lake Nakuru - Amboseli National Park
After an early breakfast you will depart with a picnic lunch, leaving the Rift Valley behind, you continue towards Nairobi and then head south towards Amboseli. Then proceed with afternoon game drive in the park enroute to the Amboseli Sopa Lodge arriving in the evening. Overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Set on 200 acres of private land on the foothills of Africas highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, the lodge is perfectly poised to provide a luxurious base from which to explore the park and get some great pictures of this incredible mountain. The lodge is also close to where Ernest Hemingway lived whilst writing his famous novel, The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

Each of the 47 rooms has their own private veranda on which to relax, sunbathe and take in the views. All rooms are en suite, with walk-in shower, lavatory, wash basin and shaving socket theyre all modern, spacious and comfortable. Meals are a cosmopolitan combination of European, African and Asian dishes, all made with fresh produce and served from a colourful buffet. There are also several bars, a great pool, TV lounge and many other small niceties that make this a superb location.

Day 6 Amboseli National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives in Amboseli, returning to the lodge as the sun sets. Overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Day 7 Amboseli Lake Manyara
After breakfast, you continue the journey to the Tanzania border post and then on to Arusha for lunch. After lunch, drive across the Masai Steppe to the Great Rift Valley. Here, your hotel is perched high on the rim overlooking the park below. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge on a full board basis.

It would be difficult to find a more dramatic setting than the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge. Situated at the edge of an escarpment, this deluxe lodge overlooks both the Great Rift Valley, which formed millions of years ago, and the beautiful soda lake of Manyara with is lavish supply of bird life. The birds themselves have provided the inspiration for the lodge's architecture. Graceful, curving and free flowing, it is built in the local circular style and exudes an atmosphere of peacefulness where man and nature co-exist. From the patterns in the reception area resembling bird migration paths, to the soft geometric designs in the bedrooms, there is barely a single straight line in its design. The bar and restaurant offer guests both indoor and outdoor seating at each meal. Sumptuous menus, buffets and barbecues are served to guests alongside authentic African dishes.

Day 8 Lake Manyara - Serengeti
After breakfast there is a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park that returns to the lodge for lunch. Leaving Lake Manyara behind, the journey continues North West across the stunning hilly countryside of the highlands which is filled with wheat and coffee plantations, and then into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From here lie the vast plains of the Serengeti, where youll hopefully start spotting game well before you get into the park. Overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

The Serengeti Sopa lodge is located in the Nyarboro Hills in the south west of the Serengeti National Park and is the only tourism development in this section of the park. Year round water and the acacia woodland in this area create an ideal environment for the wide variety of wildlife seen in the immediate vicinity of the lodge. Looking out over the seemingly endless Serengeti plains, this hill side lodge is a tranquil oasis set in thousands of square kilometres of Serengeti National Park. The lodge can accommodate around 170 guests in 79 suites, each enjoying wall-to-wall carpeting, a private lounge with a mini bar, a bedroom with two queen size beds and ample room for a third guest. Each has a private veranda which offers stunning views over the plains. As the sun sets, you may enjoy sundowner cocktails by the pool, and in the evening, after a 4-course dinner, traditional dancers entertain guests. Slide presentations are also held daily by resident naturalists.

Day 9 Serengeti National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti National Park exploring this famous park and all that it has to offer.
Overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Day 10 Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast you depart for Ngorongoro viewing game across the vast Serengeti plains, stopping off at Olduvai Gorge en route. The Gorge acquired its name from the Sansevieria bush that grows profusely in the area, named Olduvai by the Maasai. The Gorge is about 50km long and in some places around 90m deep and is found between the Crater and the Serengeti. It was first discovered by a German entomologist named Professor Kattwinkel, who instigated an expedition just before the First World War.

Later, the exploration was continued by Dr Louis Leakey and his wife, who in 1959 found humanoid remains of Zinjanthropus, later renamed Australapithicus Boisei, an early form of man. You will have time to walk through the simple small museum at the gorge, where you can view copy displays of some of the finds as well as pictures of what life was like for the gorges earliest inhabitants. After a picnic lunch you continue to your lodge, set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

The lodge is located on Lemala Hill on the uppermost eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, making this the only tourist development on the eastern rim of the crater. The views into the crater floor from here are spectacular and sunsets magnificent. Another major advantage here is that guests can enjoy a safari begins within five minutes of leaving the lodge, as the park gate is very close. The lodge is tastefully decorated, spacious and all the bedrooms are modern, comfortable and equipped with everything one would expect from a hotel of this class.

With an altitude of 2,375 metres, the lodge experiences cool and even cold weather, especially during the winter months of June and July when temperatures can get as low as 10' C. However, guests enjoy sunshine during most of the year and must take care when sunbathing by the pool due to the altitude. The food and service here is stylish with meals being a massif collection of delicious international and Tanzanian dishes.

Day 11 Ngorongoro Crater
A highlight awaits you this morning as you depart to explore what is commonly referred to as the
Worlds largest wildlife zoo. After breakfast, youll descend through the early morning mists and 2,000 feet into the crater. Ngorongoro Crater is the Worlds largest intact volcanic caldera and is also one of the Worlds seven natural wonders. Due to its size and diversity, the crater floor is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forest, swamps, lakes and springs, to open grassland and some sandy dunes. Its an awesome wildlife experience.

You return to the lodge for lunch followed by an afternoon excursion of a Masaai Village and return back to the lodge in the late afternoon.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Day 12 Ngorongoro Crater - Tarangire National Park
Departing Ngorongoro Crater after breakfast and head south east en route to Lake Manyara, Mto wa Mbu village and Tarangire beyond. Through the highlands and the Karatu district, youll view the scenic wheat plains and coffee plantations here before journeying down the spectacular escarpment where you turn south on to the main Arusha Dodoma road and into the park. From here to the lodge, youll enjoy a game drive en route to your lodge. After lunch and perhaps a swim, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent on a game drive. Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge on a half board basis.

Tarangire is recognised as one of the best parks on the northern circuit for elephant viewing during the dry season and Tarangire Sopa is ideally placed to experience this. The lodge welcomes guests to its vast marble-floored reception area with cold flannels and iced juice. In the pretty gardens a large circular pool with a central island, a pool bar and elegant wooden loungers demonstrates the lodge's commitment to comfort. Delicious barbecue lunches are often served here. A broad veranda wraps itself around the lodge and gives prime viewing for the waterhole below, which is filled during the dry season and becomes a magnet to wildlife. The rooms at the lodge are simple, comfortable and spacious and arranged in groups of four, in African-style buildings. Large sliding doors open to a private balcony.

Day 13 Tarangire National Park - Nairobi
Depart Tarangire after breakfast and drive back to Arusha arriving in time for lunch. After lunch you continue the journey by road to Nairobi arriving in Nairobi late afternoon and proceed for dinner in Nairobi city centre before drop off at JKIA airport or City center Hotel.

Rates:	16 Dec 09 to 27 Dec 09	28 Dec 09 to 31 Jan 10	01 Feb 10 to 28 Feb 10	01 Mar 10 to 22 May 10	23 May 10 to 27 Jun 10	28 Jun 10 to 31 Oct 10	15 Nov 10 to 15 Dec 10
Currency	US$	US$	US$	US$	US$	US$	US$
Per Person Sharing	4766	4766	4800	4400	4658	4799	4275
Single Room Supplement	900	900	912	796	684	912	621
Christmas Supplement : US$ 60 per person per night from 24 Dec 2010 to 01 Jan 2011 inclusive
Easter Supplement : US$ 60 per person per night from 2 April 2010 to 5 April 2010 inclusive

Child Rates

One child aged under 2 years free sharing with 2 adults
One child aged 2-11 years sharing with 2 adults pays 50% of safari cost

Cost Includes

Meet and greet services
All transport and game drives in Kenya will be in a modern safari cruiser (with seven window seats) with an English speaking driver-guide on shared basis
All transport for Namanga border transfers will be in a modern safari cruiser
All game drives in Tanzania will be in a modern 4x4 Landrover/Landcruiser with an English speaking driver-guide on shared basis
Meals and accommodation as specified
All park fees and government taxes
litre bottle mineral water per person per day on game drives (excludes air safaris)

Cost Excludes

Visas and international flights
Airport taxes (clients pay direct)
Driver-guide gratuities, drinks, dining rooms tips and porterage
Personal travel, baggage and medical insurance
Telephone bill, laundry and any items of a personal nature

Additional remarks

We may have to re-route the itinerary or accommodate in similar lodges in case of non-availability.

Prices for domestic flights, airport taxes park fees or concession fees may be changed without prior notice. This is beyond our control and any increase levied will be passed to you.

Passenger Information

Passengers should bring only soft sided bags on safaris.
All the passengers must have Identification Card/Passport with them for internal flights.
Baggage on internal flights is strictly limited to 15kgs per person (including hand luggage). Any excess baggage will be charged by the airline at check-in.

African Safari Consultants

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