Safari Overview
The 17 Days Kenya Tanzania wildlife safari with a beach holiday experience has been carefully crafted to give you a memorable African wild safari adventure coupled with a beach experience. In these 17 days, you will traverse the pristine savanna grasslands of both Kenya and Tanzania that are filled with a myriad of African wild mammals, birds and dramatic landscapes. You will visit some of the best wild eco systems on the African continent such as Lake Nakuru National park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro crater, Amboseli National Park, L Naivasha and Nairobi National Park. Count yourself lucky because during this safari, you are prized to encounter several of the Africa Savanna big five wild mammals which are the king of the jungle the African lion, the largest land mammal, the Elephant, Cape Buffaloes, Rhinos and the Leopard. After all this wild rush, you will climax this safari with a relaxation at the white sand beaches of Mombasa.
Safari highlights
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to the hotel
Day 2: Visit Sheldrich elephant orphanage, giraffe center and an afternoon game drive in Nairobi NP
Day 3: Transfer to L Nakuru National Park and engage in an afternoon game drive
Day 4: Do a morning game drive in Nakuru National Park before you transfer to Lake Naivasha and engage in an afternoon boat cruise in crescent island park
Day 5: Transfer to Masai Mara and enjoy an afternoon game drive
Day 6: Full day Masai Mara
Day 7: Another full day Masai MARA
Day 8: Transfer to Isebania border crossing point and cross over into Serengeti Park for an afternoon game drive.
Day 9: Full day Serengeti National Park
Day 10: Full day Serengeti National Park
Day 11: Transfer to Ngorongoro National Park for an afternoon game drive
Day 12: Transfer to Amboseli National Park and engage in an afternoon game drive here
Day 13: Full Day Amboseli National Park
Day 14: Transfer to Mombasa for a splendid beach holiday experience
Day 15: Full day on the beach for relaxation
Day 16: Another day on the beach
Day 17: Transfer to Mombasa airport for your flight to Nairobi airport where your safari comes to an end.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Airport pick up and drop off at a hotel in Nairobi
You will be received at Jomo Kenyatta international airport Nairobi city upon your arrival by one of our expert safari guides who will usher into Magical Kenya. You will then be transferred to your Nairobi hotel where you will get to relax and unwind from the jetlag of your flight to this amazing country.
Accommodation: Sarova Panafric Hotel
Meal Plan: Bed and breakfast
Day 2: Visit Sheldrick, Giraffe center and Nairobi National Park
You will wake up early in the morning to have breakfast at the hotel then our guide will give you a small briefing about the entire safari. After this briefing you will kick start this African safari adventure with a visit to Sheldrick elephant orphanage. This orphanage was created by Daphne Sheldrick in 1977 in the loving memory of her husband David Sheldrick who was a famous naturalist and served as the first park warden of Tsavo park area. The orphanage specializes in rehabilitating Elephants and Rhinos that have been hurt physically and psychologically by poachers and rescuing baby Elephants that have been left motherless by the death of their matriarch mothers. You will get to see the tremendous efforts that are being put in by the staff and owners of this orphanage into caring for these lovely creatures giving them a second hope to a better life after the ordeals they’ve endured in their past. From the orphanage, you will proceed to visit the giraffe center, this center was created in 1979 by a couple Jock and Betty Leslie Melville who upon realizing a detachment between the native Kenyan people and their beautiful wildlife wanted to close it by educating school going children and youths of Kenya about their country’s magnificent wildlife. The Giraffe center looks after the Rothchild’s Giraffes that were almost going extinct in Kenya by the time of its foundation. Over the 40 years of its existence, the center has managed to breed and translocate over 300 giraffes into various conservation areas around Kenya. You will have a lunch break after which you will drive into Nairobi National Park, Nairobi city is the only major town in the world where you can have an encounter with wild animals due to the presence of this national park. A visit to this national park gives you a chance to see animals such as giraffes, leopards, lions, Zebras and many more. After this visit, you will return to your hotel and this ends the day.
Accommodation: Sarova Panafric Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Day 3: Drive to Nakuru National Park and engage in an afternoon game drive
Today, you will drive to L Nakuru National Park, this park is located 155km or 3-4 hours drive West of Nairobi city. Upon your arrival here, you will engage in an afternoon game drive, A visit to this park ensures that you are primed to encounter wild mammals such as the both the black and white Rhinos, Cape Buffaloes, Hippos and Giraffes. If you are into birding, Lake Nakuru is a birders heaven as its home over 400 bird species and its famous for its high concentration of both Greater and Leser Flamingos. Other bird species to look out for while in Nakuru include Greater white Pelicans, Abyssinian thrush and the Bateleur. After your game drive, you will retire to your lodge and relax on your porch as you take in the sights and sounds of Lake Nakuru.
Accommodation: Sarova Lion Hill
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Morning game drive in Nakuru and an afternoon boat ride to Crescent island
You will wake up to the sweet melodies of Nakuru made by a symphony of animal calls and birds chirruping to the new day dawn. Enjoy a heavenly breakfast then check out of the lodge an embark on a morning game drive to discover more of the hidden wild treasures of Lake Nakuru National Park. After this game drive you transfer to Lake Naivasha and take a boat cruise to visit a hidden gem called Crescent island park. This visit to this island comes with encounters of numerous smaller wild mammals such as Impala, Burchells Zebras, Deffasa waterbucks, Grants Gazelles, white tailed Mongoose, Dirks Dik dik and many more. At the end your visit to the island you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Transfer to Masai Mara and do an afternoon game drive here
This day kicks off with a transfer to Masai Mara. Masai Mara lies about 230km or 3-4 hours drive from Naivasha. Upon you arrival to Masai Mara, you will undertake an afternoon game drive which is meant to reveal to you the hidden wonders of the Mara plains.
Accommodation: Zebra Plains Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Full day spent in Masai Mara
Today you will have a chance to experience Masai Mara to the very best outcome given that you’re going to spend the entire day exploring this vast eco system filled with natural wonders. The day commences with a sumptuous breakfast that’s not only aimed at giving your taste buds a thrill of Magical Kenya’s food but also to feel you up so that you can have a wonderful game drive experience without worrying about being hungry. The guide will take you on a morning game drive adventure as you follow some of the game tracks that will ensure to maximize your chances of having an encounter with some of the big five dwellers such as the largest land mammal the African Elephants, the king of the jungle lions which you might spot patrolling their territories, the cape buffaloes that roam the grasslands of these Masai plains, the African Leopards that are famous for their stealth abilities that enable them to catch their prey with surprise. Beyond the big five you still have a chance to see numerous wild dwellers such as Wildebeests, Plain Zebras, and Masai Giraffes and many more. It is safe to note that Masai Mara has the highest concentration of predators more than anywhere else in Kenya. If you are a birding enthusiast, you’re in the right place because Masai Mara is home to over 500 bird species and this game drive will surely put in a prime position to see several of these birds which include the secretary birds, Sooty Chat, Usambiro barbets, Swahili Sparrow. After about 3-4 hours of endless exploration, you will return to your lodge to catch your breathe and also have lunch. After lunch you will go back out their and engage in a second game drive to further your chances of seeing more of your favourite wild game and birds. You will return to the lodge in the evening and settle in for dinner after which you can choose to enjoy watching the stars light up the skies if the skies are clear and also listen to the numerous calls made by the wild mammals that call this reserve home. After all this, you can retire to your bed and rest for the day. Besides doing game drives, you can choose to engage in any other optional activities that are available in Mara and these range from a wild hot air balloon experience which will see you wake up very early in the morning and take to the skies over Mara. The beauty of experience is that, it gives you a bird’s eye view of the sprawling plains hence enabling you to view all its dwellers from a vantage point. You can also choose to visit a Masai community. A visit to any of these communities that dot the Mara plains puts in you a great space to come close to these amazing people that have managed to co-exist with the wild animals that are found here for thousands of years. You will also have a chance to interact with Masai warriors who are highly rated for their spear throwing skills, in the past, these guys were highly revered for their bravely as they only got these titles through managing to kill lions with their spears. However due to conservation efforts, this practice has been largely abandoned by many these people hence nothing should worry you in that regard. You will also have a chance to enjoy the rather rhythmic Masai dance which involves these towering Masai men jump to towering heights while not bending any part of their body.
Accommodation: Zebra Plains Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7: Second day fully spent exploring the Mara plains
Day 7 is more or less like day 6. You will get to wake up to the amazing wild melodies of Masai Mara as you get to hear various animals sound their alarms and birds twitter to welcome the new day. You will have breakfast then go for a morning game drive to perhaps a different sector of Mara then an afternoon game drive is also available should you need it.
Accommodation: Zebra Plains Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8: Transfer to Serengeti via Isebania border post
This is your last day in Masai Mara and you will check out of your lodge and embark on a 150km or 3-4 hours drive to the Isebania border post. On reaching the border post, you will be processed for crossing into Tanzania and then our safari guide on the Tanzanian side will take over your safari from the Kenyan guide. This shouldn’t worry you at all because you’re still in a safe pair of hands with our expert guide in Serengeti. Serengeti national park is the epitome of all Africa wildlife safari journeys as it boasts of being home to most of the African savanna wildlife species. the Serengeti eco system will stretch you gaze as it will seem to go on forever in every direction you look. A safari game drive is in Serengeti is indeed something that to look forward to by every African safari adventurer as it comes with returns of wild encounters ranging from Elephants, Lions, Cape Buffaloes, Leopards, Cheetahs, Burchells Zebras, Giraffes, and an array of antelope subspecies that roam these vast lands. Of course, it becomes quite pointless to speak of Serengeti and don’t mention the fact that Serengeti is the birth place of the dramatic and bewildering natural wonder of the world – The annual Wildebeest migration which sees over 2 million hooves of numerous wild animals make a tremendous and equally treacherous journey up North in search for greener pastures. The good thing with a safari to this park, you, in most cases, you’re more likely to encounter this migration as it happens in phases over the year given the vastness of this park. For a person who is also keen for birds, Serengeti boasts of housing over 500 bird species including the Black headed Gonolek, Fischers Love bird, Grey backed Fiscal, Southern ground hornbill, Verreaux Eagle, Secretary bird and many others. At the end of this game drive you will transfer to your lodge and unwind from your today’s wild escapades.
Accommodation: Into Wild Africa Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Full day to be spent traversing Serengeti
You will wake up to the unbelievable sounds of wild Serengeti and have breakfast which you will depart from the lodge and follow on of the numerous game drive tracks that have been carefully paved to optimize your chances of encountering many of the wild dwellers of this park. After about 4-5 hours of traversing Serengeti you will return to your lodge to take a lunch break in order to regain your strength that is very much need for round two of game drive that’s to come.
Accommodation: Into Wild Africa Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Another day in Serengeti
This day is also fully dedicated to discovering all there is to see in Serengeti. You are entitled to 2 thrilling game drives or you can opt to engage in any of the other available optional activities which include a visit to a Masai community to indulge in a cultural exchange experience or take to the skies above the Serengeti and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the sprawling savannah grasslands and all their wild animal contents.
Accommodation: Into Wild Africa Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Cross into Ngorongoro crater for an afternoon game drive
Day 11 will have you cross to Ngorongoro crater, this crater is a constant reminder of how strong the natural forces that molded this earth particularly here were, the Ngorongoro crater is a remnant of the geological forces of volcancity that occurred here millions of years ago. After blowing off the top of what is said to been a relatively higher Ngorongoro mountain, this crater is all what is left behind and to your advantage enjoying a geological lecture isn’t the only thing that you’ve come here for, this crater is part of the larger Serengeti eco system and as such its filled with numerous wild savanna mammals and a game drive here promises nothing short of epic sightings of animals like lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Cape Bufaloes Wildebeests, Leopards and Cheatahs etc all roaming these savanna fields.
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Neptune luxury Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Transfer to Amboseli via Namanga border post
After breakfast you will checkout of your lodge then embark on a drive to Namanga border post where you will cross back into Kenya and picked up by your former guide who you commenced this safari with 12 days ago in Nairobi. You will have lunch break while still at the post because after this break you will drive straight to Amboseli National park. A game drive in Amboseli is nothing short of spectacular because this park is highly revered for its large population of Elephants, Cape buffaloes and many other wild animals such as Lions, Cheetahs and Zebras, Giraffes and Wildebeests.
Accommodation: Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Full day spent in Amboseli with 2 game drives
The beauty of waking up in Amboseli national park is that on a clear day, you’re in for dramatic sightings of the Kilimanjaro snow capped top which forms a spectacular back drop to this park. Mountain Kilimanjaro is the roof top of Africa as it rises upto the elevation of 5895m above sea level hence giving you a beautiful coat of white on its top which very visible from anywhere you stand in this park. Day 13 is all about Amboseli and you will spend it conversing different corners of this park to see what they have in store for you.
Accommodation: Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Transfer to Mombasa
This is the last day of your wild adventures and it also marks the beginning of your beach holiday experience. You will depart from Amboseli National park and embark on a 6-7 hours drive to Mombasa where you get to relax from what has been an exhilarating wildlife safari adventure.
Accommodation: Water Lovers Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 15: Spend day 15 fully on the beach
Today you can choose to explore the beautiful coastal town of Mombasa by engaging in a rather spectacular Mombasa city tour. This tour will reveal to you what this historical town as in store for you. You can visit historical monuments like Fort Jesus which was built by the Portuguese who ruled this place in the 16th century. Inside the fort you will be able to see numerous relics and artefacts that have been well preserved and still symbolize their rule today. You can also decide to visit the spice markets especially if you’re a foodie as this visit to this particular market will expose you to hundreds of spices that can bring color and flavor to your food hence a shopping spree might ensue. After the city tour, you can choose to also engage in a mesmerizing and experiential Tamarind dhow or ship. This cruise will lead you to embark on an authentic experience of how the earlier voyagers of the Indian ocean the Indians and Arabs used to sail these waters on ships similar to this particular one as they carried out trade between East Africa and the Arabia world between 1000-1800ad. Still on this very cruise, you will take your taste buds on a magical culinary journey as you get to savor any of an array of sea foods and several other coastal cuisines that are served in plenty. This cruise returns to the dock at around 3pm hence giving you enough time to return to you resort and relax from the what has been rather a full filling day.
Accommodation: Water Lovers Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Day 16: Another day on the beach
You can choose to spend this day on the beach soaking in the tropical sunshine that will do wonders for your skin tan as long as you have your favorite sunscreen lotion in hand to mitigate the extreme ramifications of the tropical sun on your skin. If you’re a rather reserved person, you may also need to have a good book to keep you company if you don’t want other people’s company as you busk in the sun on the white sands of Mombasa. You can also decide to venture out and see more of what the Indian ocean has to offer. If you choose the latter, then allow yourself be taken on a boat cruise to Wasini island where you will have a chance of encountering several marine creatures that call this ocean their home. At the island you pose a chance to swim with some creatures of the under sea such as Dolphins that can be clearly seen in the clear waters of this ocean.
Accommodation: Water Lovers Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Day 17: Drive to Mombasa airport then fly to JKIA for your outbound flight
This is the last day of what has been a remarkable African experience, you will vacate your resort and go to Mombasa airport for your flight to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where your safari with us comes to an end.
