Best of East Safari

Kenya National Parks: Lake / Lake / Masai Mara / Amboseli Tanzania National Parks: Serengeti / Ngorongoro Crater / Lake Manyara

Witness the greatest migration on earth on the short-grass plains of the Serengeti OR enjoy spectacular river crossings in the Masai Mara (season depending)! Incredible scenery at with excellent bird watching and great photography opportunities. with white rhino roaming the shoreline and dotted with ancient fever trees. Explore the unique terrain of the Ngorongoro Crater, dotted with wildlife. Lake Manyara, with its vast soda lake and beautiful scenery of the Great Rift Valley. Thrilling wildlife encounters at Amboseli with Mt Kilimanjaro as your backdrop. Lion, Cheetah & Leopard – abundant wildlife! Abundant birdlife. Comfortable land cruisers with pop up roofs for better game viewing & guaranteed window seats. UNLIMITED kilometres on game drives!

2020 SET DEPARTURE SAFARIS: On our Set Departure Safaris clients can book on one of these pre-scheduled dates and travel with other like-minded people in the care of our eXplore Plus Travel & Tours expert Safari Guide.

January 03, 17 & 31 July 03 & 17 February 14 August 07 & 21 March 06 & 20 September 04 & 18 April 03 & 17 October 02 & 16 May 01 & 15 November 06 & 20 June 05 & 19 December 04 & 18

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com

YOUR TOUR IN DETAIL…

DAY 1: Johannesburg / Airport / Nairobi The package includes return economy airfare with Airways from Johannesburg to Nairobi Airport (departing at 12h10 – arriving at 17h15). Our friendly safari team will welcome you at Nairobi Airport and transfer you to the hotel in Nairobi. Overnight at Nairobi Serena Hotel (standard room) with breakfast included. ***Check with us as Kenya Airways also offer direct flights from Cape Town to Nairobi.

Nairobi / Lake Naivasha National Park DAY 2: Distance from Nairobi to the park: 140 km After breakfast, you will receive a briefing before your East Africa safari commences. First stop in Nairobi where we visit the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre in the world. We also visit the Centre, which protects the highly endangered Rothschild's giraffe’s and end the tour with a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum. After lunch in Nairobi, we drive through the Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha. Overnight at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

DAY 3: Lake Nakuru National Park After breakfast, we drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, where you will enjoy a full day of game drives. Nakuru means “Dust or Dusty Place” in the Masai language. The beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park is situated on the floor of the Great Rift Valley and is surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland. The park is fenced off as a sanctuary to protect the highly endangered Rothschild giraffes as well as black and white rhinos. Bird species that inhabit the lake and the surrounding area include flamingo’s, African fish eagles, Goliath herons, hammerkops, pied kingfishers and Verreaux eagles. Overnight at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Lake Naivasha National Park / Masai Mara National Reserve DAY 4: Distance between the parks: 235 km Enjoy a boat excursion on Lake Naivasha, which is the highest and one of the most beautiful lakes in the Rift Valley. Fringed by papyrus and with the extinct as a backdrop, this is a wonderful place to watch and photograph birds. We leave the lake area behind and drive through the Rift Valley to the Masai Mara National Reserve, followed by an afternoon game drive in the park. The annual highlight is the Great Wildebeest Migration (between July and end October), creating one of the world's greatest natural spectacles. Masses of wildebeest create a magnificent sight when entering and crossing the crocodile-infested waters of the Mara River. Overnight at Mara Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Masai Mara National Reserve DAY 5: Optional Activity: Masai Mara Balloon Safari Make a reservation for the early morning balloon safari (cost is not included in your package) or enjoy morning and afternoon game drives (or a full day game drive). With a bit of luck, you will see some of the magnificent "Big Five” animals. The great diversity of species present in this area is impressive. The Masai Mara has the highest concentration of land mammals compared to all other parks! Overnight at Mara Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com

Masai Mara National Reserve / Serengeti National Park DAY 6: Distance between the parks: 350 km After breakfast, we drive from the Masai Mara to the Kenya/Tanzania border at Isebenia/Sirari, west of the national parks on our way to the Serengeti. Enter the Serengeti National Park through the Ndabaka Park and enjoy en-route game drives to the lodge. We will reach the Central Serengeti by late afternoon. Here you will be awed by the large animal herds running across vast open spaces with predators looming around every corner. Overnight at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Serengeti National Park DAY 7: Optional Activity: Serengeti Balloon Safari Make a reservation for the early morning balloon safari (cost is not included in your package) or enjoy morning and afternoon game drives (or a full day game drive). Relax and enjoy the vast beauty that Africa has to offer. The Serengeti is one of the few places in Africa where game sanctuaries have remained entirely unspoiled. Overnight at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Serengeti National Park / Ngorongoro Crater DAY 8: Distance between the parks: 170 km Partake in a morning en-route game drive to the park gate followed by a picnic lunch before heading to the Ngorongoro Crater. After bidding the Serengeti farewell, you will visit Olduvai Gorge, a famous archaeological site. The gorge lies on the location of an ancient lake, covered by thick layers of volcanic ash, which carefully preserved the world's earliest records of humankind and which was unearthed by the devoted Leakey family. The museum displays some of their fascinating discoveries and remarkable artefacts. En-route to Ngorongoro, you can opt to visit a Maasai village near the crater. (The Maasai charge US$30 per person. The proceeds are used to buy water and other necessities for the tribe that you will visit. This entrance fee to the village is not included in your package). Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Ngorongoro Crater / Lake Manyara National Park DAY 9: Distance between the parks: 60 km After breakfast, descend 600m into the magnificent crater for game drives in the Ngorongoro Crater. Witness an unforgettable spectacle of African wildlife. This is an area teeming with animals, including the black rhino. The park sustains a vast variety of animals with its year-round water supply and fodder. Another big drawcard to this picturesque park is its dense population of predators that include lions, hyenas and jackals. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the hippo pool near the Mandusi Swamp. A drive through the haunting forest will allow you to feast your eyes on some of the most spectacular green vegetation you will ever see. Later in the afternoon, we will ascend to the crater rim and continue to Lake Manyara. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

DAY 10: Lake Manyara National Park After breakfast, we drive down into the Rift Valley on the way to Lake Manyara National Park followed by full day game drives and a picnic lunch. The mosaic of the park’s different habitats is like a beautiful portrait: the rift wall, the groundwater forest, acacia woodlands, open grassland, the lakeshore, swamp and the lake itself. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com

Lake Manyara National Park (via Arusha) / DAY 11: Distance between the parks: 320 km After breakfast, we head to Arusha, the central point of the Cape to Cairo route, for a picnic lunch. We continue to Amboseli National Park, crossing and clearing customs at the Tanzania/Kenya border of Namanga. If time permits, you will be treated to a game drive en-route to Amboseli National Park. Overnight at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge (standard room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Amboseli National Park / Nairobi Airport / Johannesburg DAY 12: Distance to the airport: 265 km Amboseli is famous for its vast herds of elephants and stunning views of Kilimanjaro on clear days. Enjoy a morning game drive before returning to the lodge for lunch. You will be transferred to the Nairobi Airport for your onward flight home (departing at 20h50 Kenya time, arriving at 01h05 South African time). End of service

COST OVERVIEW…

Request a quote from our Safari Specialists for the most current rates and availability on our set departure safaris.

INCLUDED: EXCLUDED: • Return economy airfares with Kenya Airways • Entry visas for Tanzania & Kenya from Johannesburg to Nairobi Airport • Yellow Fever inoculation certificate or an o Including airport taxes exemption letter from your doctor – • Transfers upon arrival and departure with COMPULSORY! English speaking driver guide • Travel Insurance (Highly recommended) • Accommodation in Nairobi with breakfast • Meals and drinks not specified • Accommodation on safari on a full board basis • Laundry services (breakfast, lunch & dinner) • Gratuities to the driver/guide, hotel staff & • 4x4 stretched Land Cruiser safari vehicle on a porters shared base. • Maasai Boma visit fee o Roof pop tops for better photography • Balloon safari and game viewing vantage points • All expenses of personal nature o Mini-fridge you can use to stock with • Malaria – Kenya & Tanzania are malaria areas drinks (for your account) o Reference Books & Maps ***International rates exclude flights and airport o Bottled water in vehicles taxes. • 1x Ngorongoro Crater tour • Unlimited kilometres on game drives during the safari • Services of your professional and knowledgeable English-speaking driver/guide • All national park entrance fees (park fees are valid for 24 hours – if you enter the park at a particular time, you need to exit at the same time) • Driving in the parks is allowed between 6 am and 6 pm only (no night drives allowed)

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com

• Comprehensive support from our operational office in Kenya for the duration of the safari • Travel information pack

PLEASE NOTE: • All prices are subject to change due to the rate of exchange fluctuation or any unexpected price increase. • With the Best of East Africa Safari, we hold block booking allotments with the lodges, but due to overbooking that sometimes occur we reserve the rights to re-route the itinerary starting with Amboseli instead of Lake Nakuru without implications on a game drive, OR to use alternative accommodation – same standard. • Term & Conditions apply.

DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMMODATION:

Nairobi Serena Hotel Rating: Luxury

The hotel was built on the outskirts of Nairobi's Central Park. True to being a member of the “Leading hotels of the world”, Nairobi Serena Hotel offers an exceptional standard of accommodation, service and amenities. Total rooms: 199 - designed to be elegant, with an underlying African décor and style

Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge Rating: Semi-Luxury

Set in one hundred and fifty acres of grassland studded with Acacia bushes and trees, the lodge is not only home to resident giraffes, waterbuck and both Vervet and Colobus monkeys. It is also a night stop for the hippos when they leave the lake every night to come and trim the grass on the lawns. Total rooms: 84 - opens out onto the lawns

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com

Mara Serena Safari Lodge (Masai Mara) Rating: Semi-Luxury

Hidden deep within the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Mara Serena Safari Lodge is the ultimate safari destination. Set high on a bush-cloaked hill, embraced by sweeping vistas in a sea of rich rolling grasslands, it takes centre stage in one of Africa’s most dramatic wildlife arenas. It offers you a ringside seat for the greatest wildlife show on earth - the legendary wildebeest migration. Total rooms: 74 – each with a unique view with a small balcony

Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge (Central Serengeti) Rating: Semi-Luxury

Drawing its inspiration from the circular 'Rondavel' dwellings and winding paths of a traditional Maasai village, the lodge features thickly-thatched, stone-built rooms, spaciously set amongst groves of indigenous trees that are cooled by sparkling streams and papyrus-fringed ponds. A delightful water feature runs through the main public areas, creating a natural source of waterborne plants and provides a home to many indigenous species of reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Total rooms: 66 – stone-built, traditionally thatched ‘Rondavels.’

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge (On the crater rim) Rating: Semi-Luxury

The Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is built onto the rim of the incredible natural phenomenon. It is a stunning plant, and local creeper-covered stone lodge, designed to melt into its environment, where guests co-exist in perfect harmony with the surrounding natural environment and wildlife. It's built of stones and boulders and is hidden in the vegetation of the crater's rim, disappearing entirely from view from the crater's floor. Total rooms: 75 – each with a beautiful view of the Ngorongoro Crater

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com

Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge Rating: Semi-Luxury

Proudly strutting its stuff high on the bluff of a dramatic ochre and terracotta streaked cliff above the flamingo-frosted expanse of Lake Manyara’s gleaming alkaline waters, the lodge commands panoramic views across the volcano-studded floor of the Great Rift Valley. Designed to reflect the brilliance of Lake Manyara’s unique birdlife, the lodge draws on an inspirational architectural motif that melds swooping avian curves with the gentle concentric patterns of traditional Maasai ‘Bomas’ while the vibrantly coloured frescoes lining the walls are designed to depict the colourful intricacy of migratory bird patterns. Total rooms: 67 – echo the traditional Maasai “Boma" style of construction.

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge Rating: Semi- Luxury

The lodge is situated in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain and bordered by giant Acacia trees and gently flowing natural spring. In the clean, crisp air of an Amboseli dawn with the snowcapped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro shimmering in the southern sky, you can sit atop a volcanic throne in the middle of the Masai plains and see the world. Total rooms: 98 - decorated in a traditional Masai style with beadwork, gourds and hand-painted murals

Extend Your Stay!!

With just a short flight from Nairobi, Zanzibar is the perfect post-safari tonic. The beautiful island of Zanzibar is bursting with culture and history, seemingly at odds with its idyllic white-sand beaches with palms swaying lazily in the sea breeze. It makes Zanzibar a fabulous place to explore as well as a dream destination to relax and unwind in.

Kenya's coast offers a great beach getaway after any Kenya safari. With a coastline of over 300 miles of palm-fringed beaches includes Diani Beach (Mombasa) with its glistening white sands and Watamu with its crystal clear waters and an underwater world of wonders. Excellent for snorkelling and diving.

We recommend 3 to 4 nights add-on.

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com

We Can Also Offer This Itinerary As A Private Safari!

You can use this itinerary as it is, or you can customise it in any way you desire (based on your taste, budget, people travelling, interests and more). You can use this itinerary for inspirational ideas of what is possible on a Kenya/Tanzanian safari, then make an enquiry allowing us to tailor-make your ultimate holiday journey.

Prices on tailor-made safaris depend on the number of the people travelling, the time of travel, preferred accommodation standards and seasonal prices from the green season (April and May), to the standard season (November to end of March) to the high season (June to end October). Please inquire for more details about dates and prices.

“eXplore Africa… our playground!”

EXPLORE PLUS TRAVEL & TOURS Marketing: +27 12 808 3309 / Fax: +27 86 678 7749 Reservations: SA: 0861 100 078 / Int: +27 12 808 3309 Fax: +27 86 678 6584 [email protected] / www.eXplorePlusTravel.com