11 Days Best of Kenya and Tanzania safari

Safari Overview

This 11 Days Best of Kenya and Tanzania Safari; couples both Kenya and Tanzania. This safari is a refinement of the Masai Mara safari package consisting a visit to Maasai Mara National Park to view wildlife and most especially the big five, it also consists of balloon rides and later drive to Lake Nakuru National Park to view more wildlife.

This safari then continues to Tanzania to various National parks. We bring you the 11 days best of Kenya and Tanzania in one safari itinerary.

KENYA – Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru and Amboseli.  TANZANIA – Serengeti & Ngorongoro and Tarangire.

Brief Itinerary: 11 days best of Kenya Tanzania safari

• Day  1: Transfer to Masai Mara-Afternoon Game Drive
• Day  2: Morning Game Drive or balloon ride
• Day  3: Transfer to Lake Nakuru via the Rift Valley region
• Day  4: Transfer to Amboseli National Park-Afternoon Game Drive
• Day  5: Full Day Game Drive
• Day  6: Transfer to Lake Manyara National Park- Afternoon Game Drive
• Day  7: Lake Manyara to Serengeti National
• Day  8: Serengeti
• Day  9: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
• Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive to Tarangire
• Day 11:  Tarangire to Arusha 

Detailed Itinerary: 11 days best of Kenya and Tanzania Safari

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you will be met by your Jewel Safaris driver guide, given a short briefing about the itinerary, and taken to your hotel to check-in.

Depending on the time of arrival and level of fatigue, you may choose to take a city tour of Nairobi; depending on the time of the day; your guide can take you to a local Kenyan restaurant for lunch so that you can experience some of the traditional foods offered.  The city tour will include cultural and historical sites in the greater Nairobi area, as well as a visit to the Maasai Market to explore the great variety of handicrafts produced in Kenya. ( optional and not included in the price)

Before nightfall, you will return to your hotel for dinner and overnight as you prepare for an early morning transfer to the Masai Mara. If you choose to go out for a night in town, consult with the Jewel Safari guide, who will be a wealth of information on what is available; Nairobi is a vibrant city with many clubs, bars, restaurants, and music venues.

Day 1: Nairobi> Masai Mara.

The Jewel Safari driver guide will pick you from hotel in Nairobi and transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve.  Depending of the arrival time lunch will be taken at the lodge/ camp or en- route.  Shortly after lunch, your guide will take you on an afternoon game drive, which lasts about 3-4 hours.  Maasai Mara is famous for its cats; lions, cheetahs, leopards are all present in the Park and there are many of them to see.  In addition, Maasai Mara does have dozens of mammals to view, such as the zebra, elephant, buffalo, various antelopes as well as warthogs, wildebeests, eland, and hundreds of bird species.

After the game drive, before nightfall, you will be driven to your lodge/ camp for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 2: Masai Mara.

After breakfast you have the option to go for either a morning game drive or a balloon ride.  The balloon ride is a totally different perspective; seeing the wildlife roaming the plains of Maasai Mara, with a bird’s eye view can be quite extraordinary. Silently floating above the herds of animals gives you a unique photographic opportunity.

You will return to the lodge/ camp for lunch and a little relaxation before going out again to search for more wildlife.

After lunch, we continue with another gamedrive, the magnitude of wildlife in the park will enable you to certainly experience a “kill”, the ultimate viewing and photographic experience. Return to the lodge/ camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Masai Mara Rift Valley & Lake Nakuru.

After breakfast you will check-out and depart Masai Mara, driving East through the Rift Valley region of Central Kenya to Lake Nakuru.  En route, you will have opportunities to stop and shop at the Masai handicraft stores and street vendors that offer locally made crafts.

You will be taken for lunch to a local Kenyan restaurant to experience traditional food; this will be either in Narok or in one of the other towns along the way.  You will also see many vendors selling locally grown vegetables and fruits on the side of the road; the Rift Valley is the fruit and vegetable garden for this sector of East Africa.

After lunch, proceed to Lake Nakuru National Park to view the millions of flamingos as they gather at the shores of Lake Nakuru to feed. This will be followed by a game drive to seek and view the largest concentration of rhinos in East Africa.

Day 4: Lake Nakuru > Amboseli National Park.

After breakfast  the safari continue with the  drive to Amboseli National Park, via Nairobi.

The 2-3 hour’s drive is very scenic, especially along the rim of the Rift Valley wall. Spectacular vistas of the Rift Valley can be enjoyed as you move in an easterly direction through the lush green agricultural lands. On arrival in Nairobi, you will have lunch at The Carnivore Restaurant; famous for its barbequed game meats. As you enter the restaurant, you will see a large chalkboard displaying the day’s catch – dozens of game animals, everything from warthog to crocodile, as well as domesticated animals, are prepared for your tasting.

After lunch, you will proceed to Amboseli National Park, home of the proud Maasai tribe and almost 2,000 elephants. After checking-in at your hotel and a short rest, you will go on an afternoon game drive. Crossing over the dry lake bed of Lake Amboseli is most interesting as you follow along with large groups of Ostriches, crossing from one side to the other. Before nightfall, you will return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.

Day 5: Your Jewel Safaris guide will take you on an all-day game drive within the park.  Lunch will be a picnic served on a site facing Mount Kilimanjaro, which is just south of the park on the Tanzanian side of the border.  The snow-capped mountain sits in contrast to the overwhelming heat of the sun on the park’s plains area.

You will encounter many hippos and buffaloes in and around the swampy areas of the park; here you will also see many water birds that co-exist with the large mammals that enjoy the cool wetlands. Dinner and overnight in the lodge or camp. 

Day 6: Amboseli > Lake Manyara.

After breakfast, you will check-out and transfer to the Tanzanian border-crossing of Namanga; after clearing with both the Kenyan and Tanzania immigration and customs, you will proceed to Lake Manyara National Park.

The scenery changes radically as you leave the lush oasis of Amboseli National park, and so does the wildlife.  Along the way, you will have an opportunity to stop and purchase locally made crafts; many Maasai craftsmen and women sell their products in small shops and on the roadside. You will be served lunch at your lodging after check-in.  There will be some time for a rest before continuing with your day’s activities. Shortly after lunch, you will be taken on an afternoon game drive to seek out some of the wildlife that roam for food and water.  Large herds of animals can be seen, especially later in the afternoon as they seek a safe place to spend the night.

Day 7: Serengeti National Park & Olduvai Gorge.

Today after breakfast,  you will depart Lake Manyara for Serengeti National Park.  En route, you will pass via Olduvai Gorge, where you will enjoy both the unusual topography and the wildlife that exists within the gorge. Lunch at your lodging in the Serengeti, after checking in.

After lunch, you will go on an afternoon game drive in the Serengeti. The Serengeti is Africa’s most diverse ecosystem with an unbelievable number of animals, birds, reptiles, and insects.  The vastness of the Serengeti makes game drives unusually quiet; even though it is the most visited National Park in East Africa, one can go for hours without encountering other visitors; photographers enjoy this aspect, as in other venues there can be vehicles full of tourists in the background of so many wildlife pictures.

Day 8: Serengeti.

After an early breakfast, you will be taken on a morning game drive.  There are many animals that can only be viewed at this time of the day, as after the sun comes up, it gets extremely hot in the open plains and many species seek shelter under trees and in bushy areas.  It is also a good time to see a “kill”, as the predators are out and about hunting for food.

After a few hours, you will return for lunch at your lodging. There will be some time to rest a bit as well, after the long game drive and early morning start.

Shortly after lunch, you will be taken on an afternoon game drive to continue your search for different species. The wetlands and river banks are excellent places for the afternoon, as many animals seek the water to cool themselves off from the scorching sun.  Crocodiles sit waiting for their next meal by the river banks and it can get exciting watching them feed. Before nightfall, you will return to your lodging for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Serengeti > Ngorongoro Crater.

Today we depart the Serengeti for Ngorongoro with gamedrive and lunch en-route. Arrival at Ngorongoro for dinner and overnight at the campsite or lodge.

Day 10: Ngorongoro.

There is a very good chance of spotting the big 5 in one day: lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard. The Ngorongoro Crater is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which consists of several volcanic mountains and craters – covering an area of ​​8288km ^ 2. Until 1959, this area was part of Serengeti National Park. Out of respect for the local Maasai, its status has changed so that it now protects both the rights of the animals and the Maasai: They are allowed to go down the crater with their livestock to fetch water, but they cannot stay in the crates permanently The cattle must be out of the crater the same day. From Arusha it is approximately 180 km (4-5 hours) to the Ngorongoro Crater. Follow the road to Serengeti past Lake Manyara through the trading town of Karatu. The first view of the crater is at Heroes Point (2286m). Lunch will take place at the picnic place at the bottom of the crater. In the afternoon we drive to Karatu junction budget hotel or lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 11:Ngorongoro > Tarangire National Park:

Located just 120 km from Arusha and located in the south-east of Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park is known for its density of wildlife, which is most spectacular between June and December. During this time of the year, thousands of animals migrate from dry Maasai steppe to Tarangire River for water. Covering an area of ​​2,600 sqkm, Tarangire is known for its large herds of elephants and buffalo. Other popular species to see here are lions, giraffes, impalas, wildebeest, zebras and gazelles. It is also the only known reserve where the fringe-eared Oryx is seen. Olduvai Gorge: Located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Olduvai Gorge is 180 km from Arusha. It was here that Dr. Louis Leakey discovered the remains of Homo habilis aka “Handy man” which was considered the first step up mankind’s ladder of human evolution. Many fossils of prehistoric elephants, giant horned sheep and huge ostriches have also been discovered here.
We do a game drive in the park. Return to Arusha in the afternoon.

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