Dear Friends,
I hope you will join us on this remarkable safari in Kenya and Tanzania.
Your welcoming committee here will include vast herds of zebra, wildebeest and gazelle stretching over the plains. Prides of lions lazily watching. Giraffes, elephant, leopard, cheetah, hippo and several hundred species of birdlife adding to the spectacle. Brilliant orange sunrises and blazing red sunsets. Crisp, clear nights lit by a million stars. And, of course, the warm hospitality of the African people.
Consider also the luxurious hotels, lodges and tented camps. The aircraft to whisk you comfortably over vast African landscapes. And a convivial lunch at the home of my parents, Micato Kenya’s founders, Felix and Jane Pinto.
Your adventure will also include an inspiring visit to a charitable project operated by Micato’s award- winning nonprofit arm, AmericaShare. The mission of AmericaShare is to help disadvantaged Kenyan women and children through school sponsorships, health and empowerment initiatives. Countless Micato travellers have visited an AmericaShare project during their safari and declared it the most meaningful part of their trip.
Come and see for yourself why Micato has been voted #1 “World’s Best Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter” by the readers of Travel+Leisure magazine for an unprecedented eight years.
As you may know from past years, we traditionally fill our agent trips within days of the invitation being sent. Hence, I urge you to return your application quickly. Until then!
Cordially yours,
Dennis Pinto Managing Director Familiarisation Safari Safari. The very word evokes a flurry of imagination. Majestic mountains, stunning savannahs, wide-open skies. The deliberate gait of an elephant, the stealth of a stalking leopard. The kaleidoscopic menagerie of life and landscape—complete immersion in another world, bearing witness to the wild. This is safari.
Join us on this unforgettable journey…. Africa beckons!
Day 01 Arrive in Nairobi Monday Arrive in Nairobi this evening, and you will be met and transferred to the historic and elegant Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel.
Day 02 Nairobi Sights Tuesday The New York Times East Africa bureau chief reported that “Kenya’s capital is emerging as a destination in itself. It has great restaurants, endless shopping, classy colonial-era hotels and plenty of wildlife within the city limits.” We explore this new Nairobi including the Giraffe Centre to hand-feed endangered Rothschild giraffes and the home of Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa. Enjoy lunch at the home of Micato Kenya’s founders, Felix and Jane Pinto.
Day 03 Samburu National Reserve Wednesday Today it is a quick flight to Samburu—Kenya’s northern frontier, wild and rugged. Samburu is fiercely beautiful with its arid savannahs watered by the lovely Uaso Nyiro River. Stay at the exquisite Larsens Tented Camp, an oasis of luxury in a dry landscape. Day 04 Samburu National Reserve Thursday Samburu is well known for its spectacular scenery and wildlife not found in the south. Morning and afternoon game drives will give us plenty of time to observe these creatures.
Day 05 Mount Kenya Safari Club Friday Drive to the legendary Mount Kenya Safari Club, on the slopes of the eponymous peak. This fabulous hotel is renowned for its glamorous Hollywood history, and is considered one of the safari “musts” of East Africa.
Day 06 Maasai Mara National Reserve Saturday Fly to the Maasai Mara, considered Kenya’s finest game reserve. Activities in the Mara include a tour of a Maasai village, where we will interact with the people and even meet with a Maasai Elder. Nights are spent under canvas at the luxurious Fairmont Mara Safari Club Camp.
Day 07 Maasai Mara National Reserve Sunday Game drives set off at first light, and an optional hot air balloon safari is available for those who wish to view the magnificent Mara from above. Plus, an extraordinary experience awaits: Sundowner cocktails on the escarpment, with views of the colourful sky above and the vast savannah below.
Day 08 Nairobi/AmericaShare Visit/Farewell Monday Bid farewell to the bush and fly to Nairobi. This afternoon participate in Micato’s Lend a Helping Hand on Safari programme by visiting a project of AmericaShare, Micato’s non-profit arm. You will spend a few hours in an impoverished area of Nairobi where AmericaShare is working to better the lives of the people there. International flights depart this evening. Optional Tanzanian Extension to Singita Grumeti Reserves
Day 08 Nairobi/AmericaShare Visit Monday Bid farewell to the bush and fly to Nairobi. This afternoon participate in Micato’s Lend a Helping Hand programme by visiting a project of AmericaShare, Micato’s non-profit arm. Stop by an orphanage or school in one of Nairobi’s slums, interact with the local people, and see the life-changing work being done by AmericaShare here.
Day 09 Nairobi/Arusha/Singita Grumeti Reserves Tuesday Sharing its border with the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, Singita Grumeti Reserves encompasses 400,000 acres of unrivalled, pristine wilderness. Days spent exploring the private acres of glorious bush and nights of absolute comfort lie ahead.
Day 10 Singita Grumeti Reserves Wednesday You will set out on an early morning game drive before the sun shows its full face and when it’s hiding again in the evening. As you become acquainted with some of the Big Five—leopard, lion and elephant—you will notice that the animals here come thrillingly close to your open-top, four-wheel drive vehicles.
Day 11 Singita Grumeti Reserves/Arusha/Nairobi/Farewell Thursday Fly to Arusha and connect to Nairobi, arriving mid-afternoon.
Your Safari Includes Flights, Hotels, Meals Tours and Activities • All meals throughout the safari • Meeting with a Maasai Elder and village visit • Spectacular accommodations in • Bush Walk with naturalist guide luxurious properties • Sightseeing of the “New Nairobi” • Internal flights between Nairobi and Samburu, • Myriad game drives Mount Kenya and the Maasai Mara, Maasai Mara and Nairobi Micato Amenities • Safari vehicles with bottled water, soft drinks, • Micato wheeled duffle bag a safari library and binoculars for all • Micato flashlight with attached reading light • Passport wallet Special Events • Authentic bush hat • Lunch at the home of Felix and Jane Pinto Other Inclusions • Sundowner cocktails in Maasai Mara • No tipping necessary. Ever. • Bush dinner in the Maasai Mara • Services of the Flying Doctors, if needed
15 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10010 • Phone: 212-545-7111 • 1-800-MICATO-1 Email: [email protected] • www.micato.com MICATO SAFARIS FAMILIARISATION APPLICATION FORM A limited number of spaces are available. Kindly respond by July 13, 2012. You will be advised if your application has been accepted.
Your Name: Title: Travel Agency: Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: Fax: Email: Travelling Companion:
To reserve your place: 1. Please complete this form and fax it to Fran Doherty at 212-545-8297. 2. Include your credit card authorisation form for the total amount below. 3. Include your signed IATAN list. You need to be employed by the agency for a minimum of 12 months.
Please choose your departure: November 5 – 12, with optional extension through November 15 December 3 – 10, with optional extension through December 13
DESCRIPTION # TO RESERVE AMOUNT DUE Kenya Familiarisation Safari Travel Agent Rate: $1,670 Single Supplement: $ 325 Companion Rate, sharing (Adults only): $1,970 Internal airfare per person: $ 650 Singita Grumeti Extension Travel Agent Rate: $ 595 Companion Rate, sharing (Adults only): $ 695 Internal airfare per person: $ 755 Options Available Balloon Safari in Maasai Mara $ 450 Additional nights: Norfolk Hotel Per person, sharing $ 70 Single supplement $ 40 Total Amount: $
Travel Insurance available from $129 depending upon options. Please call Fran Doherty if interested at 1-800-MICATO-1.
Please reserve your space promptly as space is limited and sells-out within days of invitation being sent. Your credit card will be charged only if your participation can be confirmed. Once confirmed, cancellation penalties apply; please inquire. Single accommodations are limited. MICATO SAFARIS FAMILIARISATION SAFARI CREDIT CARD AUTHORISATION FORM
Guest Name(s): ______
American Express Visa MasterCard Security Code: ______
Card Number: ______Expiration Date: ______
Card Holder Name: ______(Please print name as it appears on the credit card)
Card Holder Billing Address: ______
City: ______State: ______Zip Code: ______
Card Holder Telephone Number: ______
As the credit card holder, my signature on this form authorises Micato Safaris to charge the full amount of the Travel Agent Familiarisation Trip.
Card Holder Signature: ______Date: ______
For Accounting use only