16 Days East Africa Highlights

On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you will be warmly welcomed by a member of Asai Africa Safaris team, who will drive you to The Nairobi Serena Hotel, where you will spend the night.

This morning drive north of the Equator to Ashnil Samburu Camp, on the edge of Kenya’s semi-desert lands where you may encounter some of the animals and vegetation that are typical of this region such as the Grevy’s Zebra, the Reticulated Giraffe and the Somali Ostrich. The best feature of Samburu is not the wildlife of the picturesque surroundings, but the fact that it is one of the lesser visited regions in Kenya. The peaceful atmosphere and the authentic wilderness experience set it apart from the better known wildlife reserves in Kenya, there is plentiful wildlife and the bird watching is especially good. The reserve is fairly hot and semi-arid, making for easy game viewing.

Enjoy 2 days full of game viewing in this harshly beautiful terrain where wildlife abounds along the Uaso Nyiro River, the park’s only source of drinking water.

Check out after breakfast and drive south to the Sweetwaters Sanctuary for lunch and an afternoon game drive. Visit the remarkable Chimpanzee and Rhino Sanctuaries. Incorporated within the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the sanctuary is the only place in Kenya where the highly endangered and remarkably intelligent chimpanzee can be seen and houses the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. Dinner and overnight stay SweetWaters Tented Camp, experiencing the charming ambience of under-canvas living.

Today after breakfast you descend into the Rift Valley via Thomson's Falls to Lake Nakuru National Park for lunch. Here, due to an abundance of algae in the lake, flamingoes famously line the shores sometimes (in season) all that can be seen is an incredible moving mass of pink! Enjoy an afternoon game drive hopefully spotting beautiful flamingos on the lake and the resident rhino. Thereafter you will be checked in at Lake Elementaita Serena Camp where you will spend your overnight

A drive across the lunar landscape of the Great Rift Valley will take you to Kenya’s best-known game reserve the Maasai Mara. Check in at the Mara Serena Lodge before you begin to explore the rolling hills and plains for a wonderful sight of the great numbers of different species of animals found here. Two days filled with game viewing activities to look for the park’s more than 60 species of animals, and perhaps see a lion kill. This is where the great migration of the wildebeest takes place at the end of June and extends to early September.

Early check out after breakfast and dive to the border point of Isebania where you will cross the border into Tanzania, and meet our Tanzanian driver. Enjoy a picnic lunch en route to the Speke Bay Lodge situated on the shores of Lake Victoria. The afternoon is free to take optional excursions such as a canoe-trip on Lake Victoria to a fishing village, mountain bike trip through Masamba hills, fishing on Lake Victoria, a lake cruise or a bird walk. (NOTE: Today’s drive is very long from the Mara Serena Lodge to Speke’s Bay and can take upward of 8+ hours depending on road conditions, game sightings en-route as well as the border crossing time from Kenya into Tanzania at Isebania)

Today you will drive to the Serengeti Plains, game watching all day en route to the Serengeti Serena lodge. A full day in the world famous Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives discover the thrill of encountering the ‘Big 5’ - Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Cape Buffalo. The Serengeti National Park is one of the world's most celebrated wilderness areas. Tanzania's oldest game reserve, it is renowned for the part it plays in the annual Great Migration of two million antelopes. This epic, seasonal journey is a deeply moving experience.

After breakfast depart in your 4x4 safari vehicle towards the awe inspiring Ngorongoro Crater, stopping to visit the Olduvpai Gorge, site of archaeological findings, where traces of pre-historic man dating back to 3.5 million years were discovered, and have a picnic Lunch en route. Arrive in the afternoon at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on the rim of the crater in time to view the magnificent sunset. Spend the morning visiting the crater floor, your 4x4 vehicle takes you down the steep walls of the Caldera into the primeval paradise of woodland, lake, river, swamp and plain that shelter approximately 20,000 animals.

Spend a pleasant morning being driven to Manyara National Park where you will check in at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, famous for its lovely views of the Rift Valley. Lunch at the lodge is followed by an afternoon game drive in the park, renowned for a large elephant and buffalo population. Manyara is famous for its tree-climbing lions and you may have the opportunity to locate a few perched high in the trees.

After breakfast, drive through the Namanga Border to one of the most popular parks in Kenya, Amboseli National Park, home to around 900 elephant. Located near Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, weather permitting you will be able to witness the snow-capped peak. Amboseli National Park offers an incredible chance to encounter the endangered black rhino and magnificent herds of elephant. Following an exciting afternoon game drive, you will spend two nights at Amboseli Serena Lodge. Experience early morning and afternoon game drives in Amboseli National Park, where, with its low vegetation, it is renowned as one of the best wildlife viewing areas in Africa. Look out for lion, buffalo, zebra and a diverse range of birdlife. The park’s dry and dusty form is due to the volcanic ash that came from Mt. Kilimanjaro on its last eruption, yet the lush green areas are a result of a continuous water supply from the mountain’s melting snow.

Check out after breakfast and drive back to Nairobi for lunch then to The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward journey.