The Discovery Journey to
Kenya & Tanzania
Safari is that wonderful Swahili word that means ‘journey’ but implies – Africa. Experience the magic of East Africa as you journey across some of its most beautiful regions – the Maasai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Tsavo, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. Discover a kaleidoscope of colors, wildlife and people that have changed little throughout the centuries. What has changed is the ease and comfort of how you see them, staying in luxury lodges and resorts every step of the way.
Days 1/2 - New York/Nairobi
Board your overnight flight and arrive the next morning in London, where you connect with your flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival in the evening, your Classic Escapes professional naturalist and driver/guides escort you to your luxurious hotel at the edge of the city. NAIROBI SAFARI PARK HOTEL. (Meals Aloft)
Days 3/4 - Maasai Mara/Northern Serengeti
Your safari truly begins as you board your minibus and journey to the Maasai Mara, Kenya’s most famous reserve (an optional flight is available for $200). Much of it the setting for the film Out of Africa, it’s legendary for its classic savannah grasslands, plentiful animals and spectacular vistas. Experience exciting wildlife viewing crossing the dreamlike endless plains, home to lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard, rhino, giraffe, zebra and hippo. Look for over 500 resident bird species in the park, including larks, sunbirds and the Lilac-breasted Roller. Each year up to two million wildebeest and thousands of zebra escorted by carnivores cross the plains following the rains and succulent new grass best viewed in the Mara between end of July through mid October. Exciting optional activities (at additional cost) include witnessing dawn over the Serengeti from a hot air balloon, flying to Lake Victoria to fish for giant Nile perch or visiting a Maasai Village. Your accommodations are an interpretation of a traditional Maasai Manyatta village of domed huts with an amazing view of the surrounding landscape. MARA SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)
Days 5/6 - Lake Naivasha
Drive to the Great Rift Valley, a geological fault-line that stretches round one-sixth of the Earth’s circumference and is visible from outer space. Over 2,000 feet deep and 30 miles wide with bubbling springs and geysers, the landscape is spectacular. Enjoy an afternoon boat ride on Lake Naivasha to see hippo, freshwater lilies and a plethora of birds. Walk on Crescent Island among gazelles, giraffe and wildebeest. Next day, enjoy a hike at Hell's Gate and an afternoon of leisure. Duties permitting in pre evening meet with American Mary Wykstra from the Cheetah Conservation Fund Kenya, who will discuss their efforts to save this magnificent animal, and join you for dinner. LAKE NAIVASHA SOPA LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)
Days 7/8 - Nairobi/Tsavo West National Park
Return to Nairobi and enjoy lunch at the historic Norfolk Hotel. Afterwards, continue to Tsavo West, the largest national park in Kenya. Its rolling volcanic landscape is carpeted in long grass, dominated by giant baobab trees and dense bush. Tsavo West is famous for the Mzima Springs. This pool of natural spring water has underwater viewing hides for observing hippos and crocodiles in their worlds. On wildlife drives, you may have close encounters with lion, leopard, cheetah, zebra, giraffe, kongoni, waterbuck, buffalo and elephant – whose skin has been dyed red by Tsavo’s earth. Visit a nearby local village and school. Your lodge’s views are made even more magnificent by the snowy dome of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Elephant are usually seen at the lodge’s waterhole. KILAGUNI SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)
Days 9/10 - Taveta/Arusha/Serengeti National Park
Drive to Taveta and cross the border into Tanzania. In Arusha eat lunch at Serena Mountain Village before flying to Serengeti National Park, referred to by the Maasai as Siringitu – ‘the place where the land moves on forever.’ Here life’s possibilities seem as infinite as the endless variety of wildlife you will see such as lion, leopard and cheetah and their prey – giraffe, topi, buffalo and impala. The kopjes (prehistoric rock outcroppings) host hyrax, dwarf mongoose and often a sleepy black-mane lion. This, too, is a setting for the migration with calving taking place in the southern Serengeti in January, February, and March and the animals moving towards the north in April on through July and their return in November. Visit the Serengeti Research Station and walk the Serengeti Nature Trail onto a granite kopje to learn first-hand about the Serengeti habitat and research projects. Your stunning lodge is inspired by a traditional African village. Separate rondavels, or huts, house the luxury guest rooms with beautiful views of the Serengeti plains below. SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)
Days 11/12 - Ngorongoro National Park
Visit Olduvai Gorge where Mary and Louis Leakey found 1.7 million-year-old Zinjanthropus and Homo Hablis. Continue to Ngorongoro Crater, a World Heritage Site, which is an extinct volcano and the largest unbroken caldera in the world. The crater is a microcosm of East African scenery with abundant wildlife – more than 25,000 larger animals, mostly zebra and wildebeest. This is the best place to see black rhino in Tanzania, as it is protected around the clock. Look for one of the many magnificent black-mane lions. The mist that often obscures the crater floor from the surface only adds to the sense of wonder as you descend 2,000 feet into the crater, the next morning. Discover elephant lumbering through the primeval forest, lion resting in the tall grass, black rhino grazing on tender grass and the distinctive grunting of the hippo as you visit its pool. Visit a colorful Maasai Village and see how little life has changed throughout the ages. Your lodge is built into the rim of the crater, affording panoramic views. NGORONGORO SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)
Days 13/14 - Arusha/New York
Drive back to Arusha where a dayroom awaits you at the SERENA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE. Shop at the African marketplace or relax poolside. After dinner, transfer to the airport for your return flights home. (B,L,D; Meals Aloft)
3-Day Optional Post Extension to Zanzibar
Extend your African adventure with three days on the exotic spice island of Zanzibar. Rinse that safari dust off snorkeling or windsurfing in the Indian Ocean. Explore the mix of Swahili, Arab and Indian influences in Stonetown – a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and unique carved, wooden doors. Dazzle your senses at a spice plantation and watch as the rare red colobus monkeys play overhead in Jozani Forest.
Your Safari Includes:
- Roundtrip air transportation from New York to Nairobi, returning from Arusha.
- Superior accommodations as indicated or similar.
- All Meals as specified.
- All wildlife viewing by private minibus or land cruiser, driven by a naturalist driver/guide. A window seat is guaranteed.
- Bottled water in vehicles and during meals.
- Lecture by Mara ranger, duties permitting.
- Lecture by Mary Wykstra of Cheetah Conservation Fund Kenya, duties permitting.
- Visit to the Serengeti Research Station and lecture by scientist.
- Complimentary bottled water and set of field glasses in vehicles.
- Professional naturalist with a minimum of 10 travelers.
- All applicable hotel/lodge taxes and gratuities for baggage handling.
- All park entry fees.
- Complimentary backpack, baggage tags and passport wallet.
2008 Dates |
Price Main Trip |
Single Supplement Price/Main |
Optional Extension |
Price Extension |
Single Supplement Price/Ext |
Mar 8 - 22 |
$7,795 |
$995 |
Samburu & Lewa Downs |
$3,595 |
$995 |
Jul 26 - Aug 9 |
$8,495 |
$1,495 |
Samburu & Lewa Downs |
$3,595 |
$995 |
Sep 27 - Oct 11 |
$8,395 |
$1,495 |
Samburu & Lewa Downs |
$3,595 |
$995 |
Nov 1 - 15 |
$7,795 |
$995 |
Samburu & Lewa Downs |
$3,595 |
$995 |
*Prices do not reflect applicable departure taxes.