Classic East Africa

Trip Type: Wildlife
Kenya | 13 Days | 1 - 16 People
Starts From:

NZD 12,065.00 /Person

On this 12-day safari adventure through the everchanging landscapes of East Africa, you’ll take multiple game drives in the Maasai Mara, Serengeti ...

Classic East Africa

On this 12-day safari adventure through the everchanging landscapes of East Africa, you’ll take multiple game drives in the Maasai Mara, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Amboseli National Park. With expert guides and a handy local leader, you’ll visit spots far off the tourist trail, including the base of Mt Meru, where you’ll go on a hike through the slopes of the mountain to a waterfall, and Lake Naivasha for a boat safari. Visit a Hadzabe tribe and learn about their way of life, getting a unique insight into a small community with ancient roots. Spend time in Arusha and take part in a traditional cooking class with a company that supports and empowers the local women and visit the Patinaai Osim project, supported by the Intrepid Foundation and working to fight inequality of women and girls in Indigenous communities. With all of this and more, you’ll hit all the iconic wildlife, landscapes and highlights of Africa and gain a special understanding of this incredible land – what are you waiting for?

Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. When you arrive at the airport today, you’ll be met by a representative and taken to your hotel. Your adventure then begins in Nairobi with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, maybe head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya, where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village.

This morning, drive to the famous Masai Mara National Park – with sparse open plains, dramatic skies and the world's most iconic animals living within its boundaries, this is the quintessential African experience. When you arrive, you can opt to explore this diverse environment on an afternoon 4WD game drive with expert local guides, looking out for the abundance of wildlife that call this park home.

This morning, you have the option to take part in a hot air balloon ride and bush breakfast, giving you a rare chance to see the Masai Mara from a different perspective, above the open plains at sunrise. Today, you’ll venture into the Masai Mara National Reserve with expert local driver guides for a day-long 4WD safari. You'll explore this diverse environment and most likely see a multitude of wildlife – look out for lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and hippos.

Today, you’ll drive to your lodge on Lake Elementaita, which sits between Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley. This shallow soda lake is known for its huge concentrations of flamingos. This afternoon, you’ll head to Lake Naivasha – one of the few freshwater lakes in the valley, Naivasha has floating islands of papyrus reeds and a border of flat-topped acacias. It's also home to a healthy population of hippos, giraffes, zebras, and buffalos, which graze along the shores, and a huge variety of birds. Here, you’ll go on a boat safari – see how many kinds of birds you can spot while floating along the still waters!

Board your private vehicle bound for Amboseli National Park. This park is home to the largest population of African elephants in Kenya, many of which have impressively long tusks, known as ‘big tuskers’. Tusker elephants are increasingly rare in Africa due to poaching, but Amboseli is one of the few places where they can still be seen. You may even spot a ‘super tusker’ - a male bull elephant with tusks that weigh over 45 kg (100 lbs) each, usually so long they scrape the ground! If you're lucky to visit on a clear day, you'll be treated to amazing views of Mt Kilimanjaro. When you arrive, you'll have the option to set off on a night safari to spot predators, like lions and hyenas, and nocturnal animals, like porcupines and aardvarks that emerge once it gets dark.

After breakfast today, visit the Patinaai Osim project – supported by The Intrepid Foundation, this project supports Indigenous Maasai women in creating sustainable livelihoods and rising above poverty and inequality. Learn how this Community Care Organisation is committed to changing the narrative of girls and women in Indigenous communities and how they work to protect their fundamental human rights. The project also provides access to information and safe spaces for young girls.

‘Home of the African Elephant’ and crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya's most picturesque parks, and today you will spend the full day on safari exploring. With your expert guides, you’ll get a deep dive into the wildlife of Kenya's thriving natural world. Spot herds of elephants as you look out for the other wildlife that call this park home, including lions, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeest and leopards. Don’t forget your camera, the views of the wildlife backdropped by Kili are nothing short of epic!

Today, drive to Arusha National Park to hike in the foothills of Mount Meru – Tanzania’s second highest peak and a colossal dormant volcano sitting at an altitude of 4566 m (15,000 ft). When you arrive, you’ll head to Kitoto viewpoint to start your day hike. A perfect spot for wildlife spotting and exploring the diverse landscape, this hike offers the chance to experience the lower slopes of Tanzania’s mountains. From your starting point, trek through the Afromontane Forest and into the crater, looking out for warthogs, giraffes and zebras along the way. As you gain altitude, you’ll be surrounded by dense forest – the prime habitat for Kilimanjaro colobus monkeys and forest duiker (a pint-sized antelope). Follow the trail up to Meru Falls, the ideal spot to enjoy a picnic lunch before you head back down the slopes.

Head to Arusha, often referred to as the ‘safari capital’ of Tanzania, and start the day with a traditional cooking class that supports local women. The Mamas (skilled local cooks) will teach you how to cook traditional Tanzanian dishes, as well as some simple words in Swahili. Connect with the women, then sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labour for breakfast. After finishing your meal, head to Rhotia and enjoy a free afternoon to relax. If you're up to more adventures, you'll also have the opportunity to visit a Hadzabe community near Lake Eyasi. This area has been their home for over 10,000 years and is one of the few places in Africa where traditional tribal life continues without modern influence. Learn how this community still lives the hunter-gatherer lifestyle – men typically hunt and bring home honey to feed their families, while women and children gather fruits, berries and roots – and how they use locally made poisons and camouflage. By connecting with the locals, you’ll gain an insight into an ancient culture and have a chance to learn about their ways of life. Maybe even join in on daily activities, like hunting, gathering and dancing. You’ll also learn about their unique ‘click’ language, believed to be one of the oldest languages still in use.

Depart for the wide-open plains of the Serengeti today. The Serengeti landscapes see a huge contrast of colours during the year – green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season. The never-ending land is home to thousands of animals travelling as herds across the plains. This region gets its name from the local Maasai word ‘siringet’, meaning the place where the land moves on forever. After entering the park gates, enjoy an en-route game drive to your accommodation for lunch. After lunch, you’ll head back out for an afternoon 4WD safari to spot the local wildlife. Tonight, listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift to sleep.

This morning, there’s the option of a balloon ride over the park to see Serengeti and its vast plains from a bird’s eye view. You’ll head out today for a full-day game drive through the wilds of the national park. A unique habitat with the riverine forests, this is a favourite spot for hippos and crocodiles, and you might also spot some long-neck giraffes, zebras, Topis, impala and gazelles.

Say goodbye to Serengeti National Park today and soak up the final views of this incredible spot, before entering the Ngorongoro Conservation area. When you arrive at the crater, take in the spectacular views from the crater's rim as you make your way to the bottom, where animals roam the lakes, rivers, woodlands and hills. The animals here are less wary of humans and vehicles, and as a result, it's easier to watch them up close. Keep an eye out for wildebeest, lions, zebras, cheetahs, buffalo, gazelles and the endangered black rhino. Later, you have the option to head to the village of Mto wa Mbu for a guided tour and dinner. Here, you can acquaint yourself with the village and get a snapshot of small-town African life.

Set off early this morning to begin your final journey of the trip. Your first stop will be at Kilimanjaro International Airport where you'll have the option to end your trip. If it’s more convenient for you, there’s the option to travel back to Nairobi. You’ll be dropped at a centrally located hotel, however, no accommodation will be provided tonight. If you’d like to extend your stay in Nairobi, please speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

Meals
12 Breakfast(s), 10 Lunch(s), 11 Dinner(s)

Transport
4WD Open Safari Vehicle , Private Vehicle

Accommodation
Hotel (1 nights), Lodge (7 nights), Permanent Tented Camp (4 nights)

Included Activities
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - Full Day 4WD Game Drive
  • Lake Naivasha - Boat Trip
  • Patinaai Osim (The Intrepid Foundation partner) visit
  • Amboseli National Park - Full Day 4WD Game Drive
  • Mount Meru - afternoon hike, walk around Mt. Meru
  • Serengeti National Park - Afternoon 4WD Safari
  • Serengeti National Park - Full Day 4WD Game Drive
  • Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Take 4WD safaris through five iconic wildlife parks and spot the African wildlife you’ve always wanted to see, including herds of elephants, lions, cheetahs, zebras, flamingos, hippos and so much more.
  • Hike at the base of Mt Meru – look out for local wildlife as you soak up the incredible views, on the way to a thundering waterfall for lunch. You might see buffalo, giraffes, zebras, Kilimanjaro colobus monkeys and Harvey’s red duikers along the way.
  • Learn about the Patinaai Osim Project – one of The Intrepid Foundation partners – and how they’re working to fight gender inequality for Indigenous communities, and how they provide a safe space or local women and girls.
  • Visit a small Hadzabe tribe to learn about their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle and their unique ‘click’ language, which is believed to be one of the oldest languages still in use today.
  • Take a traditional cooking class in Arusha in Tanzania with local women who will show you the tips and tricks of local food before you tuck into a delicious breakfast together.
  • This is a 4WD overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in 4WD vehicles, visiting remote communities and world-renowned wildlife parks. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days. This trip includes a hike in the foothills of Mount Meru. The hike is quite steep and takes approximately 4 hours. A reasonable level of fitness is required. We recommend bringing sturdy, comfortable hiking or trail shoes with good support. Please see Day 8 of the Itinerary for more information. The day-to-day itinerary features a selection of optional activities. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and is intended only as a guide. Prices are approximate and may change at the discretion of the local provider, and all activities are subject to availability.

Departing

Finishing

Availability

Price: NZD 12,065.00

Price: NZD 12,545.00

Price: NZD 12,545.00

Price: NZD 12,545.00

Price: NZD 13,030.00

Price: NZD 13,030.00

Price: NZD 12,545.00

Price: NZD 12,065.00

Price: NZD 12,065.00

Price: NZD 12,065.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 12,670.00

Price: NZD 13,030.00

Price: NZD 13,030.00
Provided by
Intrepid Travel
Reference Code:
YGKA
Trip Location
Trip Starts:
Nairobi, Kenya
Trip Finishes:
Karatu, Tanzania, United Republic Of
Countries Visited:
Kenya
Tanzania, United Republic Of
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Destination Details
Kenya | 13 Days | 1 - 16 People

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