Jambo! Welcome to the wild! Kenya and Tanzania is where you see nature unfold itself right before your eyes. A mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, you can get up close and personal with the king of the jungle and feel his mane brush past your hand. From the game parks to wildlife sanctuaries, from the depths of a coral reef to snow capped mountains, from one of the world’s most endangered owls to a herd of wildebeest more than a million strong, the wilderness here is a wonder to behold...

Breathtaking Kenya & Tanzania is a suggested itinerary for a holiday in exotic Africa. Mercury Travels offers customized holidays to Kenya, Tanzania and other exhilarating destinations. Come and see Africa the way you want you to.

SPECTACULAR KENYA & TANZANIA

Nairobi / Lake Nakuru National Park / Masai Mara Game Reserve / Speke Bay / Serengeti National Park / Ngorongoro Crater / Lake Manyara National Park / Nairobi
(10 nights/11 days)

Day 1 – Arrive Nairobi
Welcome to Nairobi, a thriving young city spawned during the construction of the railroad to the Indian Ocean. You are met and transferred to your hotel. In the evening, enjoy an informative presentation about East Africa’s National Parks, reserves and wildlife. Enjoy dinner at the Anghan Restaurant. Overnight in Nairobi.

Day 2 – Nairobi/Lake Nakuru National Park
Depart Nairobi in the morning and drive to the dramatic Rift Valley, making a brief stop at the Rift Valley View Point and proceed to the pink Lake Nakuru for lunch at the lodge. Enjoy an afternoon game drive inside the beautiful Park to view thousands of pink flamingos and numerous wild game, including the rhinos. Dinner and overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge.

Day 3 – Lake Nakuru/Masai Mara Game Reserve
After breakfast at the lodge, depart the Lake Nakuru National Park with
en route game viewing. Cross the Loita Plains as you head for Kenya’s most scenic Masai Mara and arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. An afternoon of game drives inside the Park, followed by dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Lodge or similar.

Day 4 – Masai Mara Game Reserve
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge. Leave with picnic lunches for a full day of game viewing inside the Park. Extend your drive to the hippo point. Between meals you can choose to take an optional visit to the Masai villages for an insight into the local culture. Dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Lodge or similar.

Day 5 – Masai Mara Game Reserve/Speke Bay
Drive down to the Kenyan Tanzanian border town of Isebania for lunch and then onward to the Speke Bay Lodge on Lake Victoria. Spend the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight at Speke Bay Lodge.

Day 6 – Speke Bay/Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, drive to Serengeti National Park. Have a relaxed lunch at the exclusive Serengeti Serena Lodge. Enjoy an afternoon of game drive. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge or similar.

Day 7 – Serengeti National Park
The Masai translation of Serengeti is ‘endless plains’. This expansive park, which covers over 23,000 square miles, is home to thousands of animals. One of the highlights is the annual migration of the wildebeest and the zebra. The migration varies from month to month but the herds are usually in southern Serengeti during December to May. The animals migrate in pursuit of food and water and to bear their young. Early morning and afternoon game drives give you an opportunity to watch the life and death drama unfold before you, as the ever-searching predators follow the masses of migrating animals. Overnight at the Serengeti Serena Lodge or similar.

Day 8 – Serengeti National Park/Ngorongoro Crater
Depart after breakfast and drive across the Serengeti plains, viewing game en route and arrive at Olduvai Gorge, the famous archaeological site where two million year old humanoid fossils of Australopithecus, Homo Habilis and Homo Erectus have been discovered. This steep-sided gorge is about 50 km long and as deep as 90 meters in some places. You will have time to walk through the little museum.

Continue your drive and reach the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater - a dormant and collapsed volcano. The first glimpse of the Ngorongoro Crater is an unforgettable experience. Over 20 kms wide and 600 mts deep, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken, un-flooded caldera in the world. The volcano and surrounding landscape are part of a vast conservation area inhabited by the Masai tribe, as well as an extraordinary variety of big game and bird life. At Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, visitors co-exist in perfect harmony with the natural environment and the wildlife that inhabits it. After lunch at the lodge, take a gentle nature walk with a lodge naturalist. Overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge or similar.

Day 9 – Ngorongoro Crater
After an early breakfast, descend into the crater in a 4x4 vehicle for a full day of game viewing. Over 25,000 wild animals occupy the crater floor. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the crater floor before driving back, later in the afternoon, to your lodge perched on the rim. Overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge or similar.

Day 10 – Ngorongoro Crater/Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast continue by road to Lake Manyara National Par, which is tucked into the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. After lunch, a game drive is planned in the Park. Overnight at the spectacularly located Lake Manyara Serena Lodge.

Day 11 – Lake Manyara National Park/Nairobi
Set off after breakfast to Arusha for lunch. Drive via Namanga border to clear customs and immigration, then onward into Jomo Kenyatta airport for your international departure flight.

Hope you’ve enjoyed your holiday in the wilderness.

Rates are per person in USD from 01 April 2008 to 31 October 2008

Optional:

Balloon ride in the Mara: 500 USD per adult/ per child
Flight Kilimanjaro-Nairobi
Per adult: USD 230
Per child: USD 155

Your Tour Includes:

• Accommodation for 01 night in Nairobi
• Accommodation for 01 night in Lake Nakuru.
• Accommodation for 02 nights in Masai Mara
• Accommodation for 01 nights in Speke Bay Lodge (Kenyan-Tanzanian Border)
• Accommodation for 02 nights in Serengeti Serena Lodge
• Accommodation for 02 nights in Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
• Accommodation for 01 night in Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
• Daily Buffet Breakfast.
• Services mentioned in the itinerary.
• National parks and reserve entrance fees
• Airport transfers as indicated
• Visit to the local Maasai Village at Mara
• Visit to the Ngorongoro Crater
• Visit to Olduvai Gorge
• Transport in an exclusive 7 seater safari minibus in Kenya and 4X4 Land Cruisers in Tanzania with pop up hatch roof for easy photography
• Game drive as per itinerary

Your Tour Excludes:

• Airfares and ticket taxes
• Visa Charges
• Meals not specified above
• Surcharges applicable (especially during Christmas, New Year etc)
• Travel and Medical Insurance
• Tips and Porterage
• Expenses of personal nature
• Anything not mentioned in the inclusions above

Normal Check in time is 1400 hrs and Check out is at 1200 hrs. Early Check in is never guaranteed and can only be requested for. In case you would like a guaranteed early Check in, the room will need to be booked from the previous night.