11 Days East Africa Epic Wilderness

Touching down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi will mark the beginning of your exclusive African adventure. After meeting your guide in the arrivals hall, you will drive into Nairobi’s leafy suburbs of Langata, arriving at the Macushla House. Founded by an Irish family, this property offers the amenities of a hotel in a personal and warm home environment. With two cozy lounges, a large covered verandah and a swimming pool nestled within a lush garden, this will be the perfect place to unwind after a long day of travel.

Depending on your arrival time and energy level, it may be of interest to explore the neighborhood before joining the lodge for dinner. The hotel is located within walking distance of Giraffe Manor, a conservation site for the Rothschild Giraffe. Here, you can visit an iconic colonial house – currently operating as a lodge – in addition to visiting the AFEW Giraffe Center.

Alternatively, the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage is only a short drive away, and gives visitors the opportunity to watch the adorable orphaned baby elephants interact with their caregivers and each other twice daily. For those interested in absorbing some Kenyan history and culture, the Karen Blixen and Nairobi Museums are only a short drive away, as are a number of craft centers. You will return to the lodge in time for a fresh and local evening meal, served within an intimate dining room, before returning to your private suite for the evening.

You will transfer to the Wilson Airport for your flight to Amboseli National park. On arrival at the Selenkay Conservancy, you will be assisted and check in at the Amboseli Porini Camp.

Safari drives and bush walks will allow you to peer into Selenkay’s staggering stage of wildlife activity, with 4x4 vehicles capable of reaching the most inaccessible areas of the region and strolls with armed rangers showcasing Selenkay’s finest wilderness details. You will journey to observation points overlooking the lush landscapes, where you will spot buffaloes wandering to waterholes and elephants wallowing in the refreshing rivers. In the evening, you will capture images of the African sunset flooding the plains while sipping on sundowners and feeling the fresh breeze rolling in.

You will check out of your camp this morning after breakfast and transfer by schedule flight to the famous Masai Mara game reserve, You will land at the Ol Kinyei Conservancy where you will be met and assisted to transfer with game drive enroute to Porini Cheetah Camp.

The Ol Kinyei Conservancy was the first conservancy to be established within the Great Masai Mara Ecosystem. The conservancy is the result of partnership between 171 Masai landowners and a safari operator. Wildlife is free to roam the conservancy without having to circumnavigate fences or other man made barriers between the various Masai properties. All Masai cattle is now forbidden within the conservancy giving the land a chance to regenerate and recuperate from years of overgrazing. The conservancy’s conservation efforts have resulted in a thriving population of wild animals. It’s home to everything from gazelles to buffalos and from leopards to lions. With a little luck you may even spot a rare wild dog during your stay in the conservancy.

Exclusively located in the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, Porini Cheetah Camp is one of the smaller and more intimate accommodations in the Masai Mara area. Comprising spacious tents, the camp is solar-powered, community-driven and offers you a wide range of safari and cultural experiences. The tents are well spaced under shady trees, affording you privacy when you are not out looking for topi, giraffe, lion, water buck and serval.

Wildlife viewing is the main focus and there are morning, afternoon and night game drives to look forward to in the private conservancy. Located close to a permanent source of water, the area is an especially game-rich one and famous for its abundance of big cats, the most common of which is often cheetah, regularly seen with cubs. You also have the chance to go on full-day safaris in the nearby Masai Mara as well as guided bush walks and cultural excursions to Maasai villages. There is also the optional experience of a dawn hot-air balloon safari, the most dramatic way to greet the rising African sun.

The camp is open all year round with the Wildebeest Migration moving through the region between about July and November. Cheetah Camp welcomes guests over the age of five but parents should bear in mind this is an unfenced camp with no facilities dedicated to children.

Today will be your last day bidding goodbye to Kenya's wildlife crown jewel - the Maasai Mara. After your breakfast, you will be transferred to your airstrip for your schedule flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Tanzania, you will be met and assisted with immigration procedures before embarking on your road transfer to Serengeti National Park. You will arrive at the Singita Mara River camp for a late lunch.

Located on a dramatic riverbend in the remote Lamai triangle in the Serengeti, this permanent tented camp is a modern take on classic East African safaris. Cool & contemporary elegance sets the tone for the laidback luxury that underpins the experience in this intimate setting, with natural fabrics, canvas, stone and raw leather blending in with primary Masai colours and elegant art pieces by young African designers.

Mara River Camp’s remote and unspoilt setting in 98,000 acres of untouched wilderness in northern Tanzania includes access to some of the world’s most prized and private game-viewing opportunities, including breathtaking views of the renowned migratory route traversed annually by more than a million wildebeest.

Activities at Mara River Tented Camp primarily focus on twice daily game drives in the surrounding area. In order to minimise environmental impact, private vehicles are not available at Singita Mara. Instead a maximum of six guests share brand new vehicles. Guided walks are also possible .Singita Mara River Tented Camp provides an excellent opportunity to view river crossings in July, August and September. Although please bear in mind that with so much wildlife surrounding the camp, there can also be quite a distinctive smell of wildebeest! Guests visiting outside of these months will virtually have the whole Lamai wege to themselves and game viewing will be varied because of the permanent water source nearby.

After a superb breakfast, you will proceed via road transfer and drive to Ngorongoro Crater. You will check in at the Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge - Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge is located within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in the southeastern plains of the Serengeti ecosystem, some 5 kilometres or 15 minutes drive from Ndutu airstrip, and about 300 kilometres or 5 hours drive / 1 hour flight from Arusha town. Ndutu is the only place in the Serengeti ecosystem where migratory animals – wildebeest and zebras – roam for more than 5 months, attracting a high concentration and variety of predators. It is the main holding ground, with the short grass plains in Ndutu and southeastern Serengeti providing the necessary calving grounds for zebras and wildebeest, which usually give birth to thousands of calves and foals between January and March.The lodge is also conveniently situated close to the prime game viewing areas of Seronera valley in the central Serengeti about 80kms (1 ½ hours drive), nearby Kusini and Moru in southern Serengeti, and the world famous Ngorongoro Crater 90kms (2 hours drive) to the east.

Spanning cascading verdant hills, luxuriant wetlands, and immense golden plateaus, the Ngorongoro Crater is a dreamy safari destination boasting a wealth of opportunities to witness the wildlife during your short stay in the caldera. From spotting massive lions lounging in the shade to rhinos and their calves peacefully grazing the short grass, you will be eager to discover these momentous creatures as well as the remainder of the Big Five. You may also learn more about the origins of humankind during a visit to the intriguing Olduvai Gorge, a valuable site answering questions on the evolution of our species.

Bidding farewell to the picturesque Ngorongoro crater, you will today proceed to Tarangire National Park. On arrival you will check in at the luxurious Kuro Tarangire Lodge. Kuro Tarangire lodge was opened in 2014, and is one of Tanzania’s newest camps and a classic Nomad safari experience. Tucked away in a secluded area of Tarangire National Park, this is a good option for those wanting Nomad’s tried and tested combination of luxury, environmental awareness and great guiding. Six large, light safari rooms made of canvas and thatch with verandahs and in door and outdoor showers and flush loos. Open-sided, airy, grass thatched lounge and dining room furnished with hides, canvas and a touch of colourful textiles. The family tent consists of two en-suite bedrooms.

Tarangire National Park, notorious for its huge elephant population that increases throughout the dry season, a stay in Tarangire is perfect at the beginning or end of a Northern itinerary for those who enjoy a safari of solitude. The meandering dry Tarangire River is beautiful to drive next to and the baobab studded horizon is perfect for photo opportunities. Buffalo herds number in their hundreds and about ten-percent of the park is also covered by an incredible swamp that attracts an abundance of animals (both prey and predators) during the heat of the day. The variety in landscapes also makes Tarangire is birders paradise, from the open plains to the swamp, there are hundreds of species to tick off here.

For those who want to experience the magic of walking safaris, Tarangire is the perfect place in Northern Tanzania to do so. Heading out with your armed guide and ranger, being on foot in the bush will allow you to explore and understand the smaller components of safari, from the mighty dung beetle to the tiny termite. With Tarangire's abundance of wildlife, do not be surprised to come across the parks bigger inhabitants.

Mornings in Tarangire National Park are magical, and you will be besotted with the blazing sunrise scenes from your marvelous campsite while the symphonies of the wilderness soundtrack these morning moments. You will enjoy a delightful breakfast followed by a short safari drive to conclude your stay in Africa, capturing enchanting portraits of the indigenous wildlife and staggering scenescapes of the far-reaching regions of Tarangire’s untouched wilds. Although the final experience of your trip, you will be thrilled to explore Tarangire one last time before you leave.

You will be transferred to your local airstrip for your schedule flight to JRO.