Safari Quick Facts

From Lake Naivasha we head into the Masai Mara, one of Africa’s premier game parks. The Masai Mara has large herds of plains game (gazelle, antelope, and giraffe) which in turn attract large numbers of carnivores (lion, cheetah, hyena and the ever elusive leopard). In the Masai Mara we do two game drives, one evening drive and one early the following morning. In most national parks it is forbidden to drive at night so all game viewing is done as early and as late as possible to get the best conditions. Looking for game in a National park is not always easy. This is one of the advantages of using a truck, which gives us superior height, making it easier to see over the surrounding terrain.

From the Masai Mara we pass back through Nairobi for an overnight stop.

We depart Nairobi and enter Tanzania and the town of Arusha. Our route to Arusha takes us through more Masai tribal lands and along the western slope of Mt Meru. On this route it is also possible to see Mt Kilimanjaro. Be warned, Kilimanjaro is regularly covered by cloud.
Arusha is situated on the southern slopes of Mt Meru and was originally a coffee town. Safaris have now taken over as the town’s big earner. We will camp in Arusha for the night to prepare for our 4 day excursion off the truck into the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater.
NOTE: PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CHARGE YOUR CAMERA BATTERIES TONIGHT AS THERE WILL NOT BE FACILITIES TO DO THIS OVER THE NEXT 3 NIGHTS.

Early this morning you will be collected from the campsite by our local operator to begin the 4 day excursion into the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. You will need to take any personal items you require with you as the truck stays behind in Arusha.
Leaving Arusha behind us, you will journey through the Tanzanian countryside to the Serengeti National Park, crossing vast plains in search of the Big 5 on our way to our bushcamp in the heart of the National Park where we will spend two nights listening to the sounds of Africa.

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti National park. Expect an early rise in the mornings which give us the best opportunity to view game as they start their day, an unforgettable experience to watch Africa wake up! Afternoon game drives offer their own beauty and give you some amazing photo opportunities.

One last early morning game drive in the Serengeti before returning to camp for brunch after which you will head for the Ngorongoro Crater escarpment where you will set up camp and prepare for an early start tomorrow morning.

We descend onto the Crater floor for an early morning game drive in one of the most stunning natural wonders of the world. At 19Kms across and 600m deep this is the 5th largest crater in the world. It is a world heritage site and boasts a unique ecosystem. The crater itself reflects a mini rift valley. It has a soda lake with flamingos, fresh water, open plains, and a forest area. There is a high concentration of animals here, and it is also a home to a small population of black rhino. We spend around 4½ hours game driving around the crater.
After the excitement of the morning, settle back for the drive to Arusha where you will meet up with the truck and prepare for some well earned R&R on Zanzibar over the coming days.

From Arusha our journey takes us to Dar es Salaam (Swahili for "haven of peace") on the Indian Ocean. The trip will either be one big day on the truck or broken down into 2 shorter drives. Whichever way it is done, we get another chance to see Kilimanjaro and will also see a changing landscape en-route to the coast

We travel to Zanzibar by ferry from Dar es Salaam and this journey can take up to 3 or 4 hours. Conditions are usually smooth but beware the occasional day with rolling seas.
Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island, which comes from the many different spices that were grown there by the original Omani settlers. A lot of spices are still grown on the island and make up a large part of the economy of the island. The island does have a more sordid past in that it was once a major slave trading port; and it is still possible to visit the site of the old slave trading markets. The town centre still shows a lot of its Arabic origins in its architecture. It’s fascinating to walk around the labyrinth of old buildings and walled streets. For the beach lovers you can go out of the town and spend some relaxing time on the isolated beaches. There are spice tours that take in all manners of exotic fruits and spices and you can sample many of the tastes and smells first hand. Just off the coast of the old town is Prison Island, where there is a population of giant land tortoises who are happy to share their stretch of beach. We will spend 4 days on the island, generally split between 1 night in Stone Town and 3 nights on the Coast where accommodation with breakfast is included however all other meals will be at your own expense during this time.
We recommend that you budget around U$200-$300 for your stay on Zanzibar to cover food, transport around the island, optional tours, accommodation upgrades, drinks and souvenirs. Please note that this is a recommendation only as different passengers have widely differing spending patterns.

Detailed Itinerary Information

Detailed Itinerary Information

Detailed Itinerary Information

Today the group will travel by ferry back to Dar es Salaam and rejoin the truck which will transfer you to the campsite on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.

From Dar es Salaam we cross southern Tanzania into Malawi. The route takes us through the Mikumi National Park. This is not an excursion, but, fortunately for us, the road actually passes right through the centre of the park, and it is possible to see numbers of giraffe, antelope and elephants. It is interesting to note that these elephants are very small in stature, which is attributed to the decimation of their gene pool due to poaching.

Malawi is a small country in central southern Africa and is dominated by water and mountainous regions. More than 30% of the country’s landmass comprises of Lake Malawi. On our trip through Malawi we visit a number of the small bays along the lakeshore. Snorkelling and diving are available or people can just swim and laze about on the beaches. There is also ample time to visit local villages and the local markets which abound with woodcarvings, the most famous of these being large carved chairs. These chairs have proved very popular with our clients over the years, only to become a problematic purchase when the time comes to send such a large object home.

See day 17 for Itinerary

See day 17 for Itinerary

See day 17 for Itinerary

See day 17 for Itinerary

Leaving the beautiful beaches of Malawi behind we will head towards the Zambia border camping for the night before crossing into Zambia tomorrow. This is a driving day with no activities planned.

This period is spent travelling to Livingstone, stopping off in Lusaka, Zambia, en-route.
Livingstone is a small town on the Zambian side and not surprisingly was named after David Livingstone, the man who discovered Victoria Falls, known locally as "Mosi oa Tunya", "the smoke that thunders", is one of the world’s natural wonders, though they are neither the highest nor the widest of the world’s waterfalls. They do, however, create a visual spectacle as they cut a massive gorge in the earth and crash 111 meters to the river below. This gorge actually forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and the initial part of our stay we spend on the Zambian side.

See day 23 for Itinerary

Today is yours free to partake in many of the activities available from the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. It is highly recommended that you take the time to view the "Falls" from this side of the border to gain a different perspective

Today the truck will cross into Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls where we will be based for the next few days.

Two full days to enjoy the many activities available including the option to do an evening river cruise on the Upper (above the falls) Zambezi River, which takes about 3 hrs with drinks included.
On the Zimbabwe side there are a wide variety of optional activities, the most famous being White Water rafting on the Lower Zambezi. This excursion takes a full day and has 14 plus rapids none below grade 4 (rapids are graded from 1 to 6). Please note that at certain times of the year the rafting may be restricted or even closed due to high water levels (March – May). Bungy jumping is also an option for all those who wish to throw themselves 111 metres head first off a perfectly good bridge. Another optional activity is Jet Boating, imported and improved on from New Zealand. Various flights are on offer, including light fixed wing aircraft, helicopter, microlight and ultralight, all offering wonderful viewing of the falls. As well as these, there is horse riding, elephant riding and canoeing, not to mention a walk to the falls themselves. Videos and still photographs are available for purchase of most activities, and are a great reminder of your adrenaline filled visit to the mighty Victoria Falls and Zambezi River
Your ends on Day 28 and no accommodation is provided on this day.
NB Please note that entrance (approximately 20 USD) to Mosi oa Tunya (Victoria Falls) National Park is not included in your tour price.

See day 27 for Itinerary