14 Days East African Safari Adventure

The 14 days East Africa safari adventure will give you an opportunity to watch the flamingos at Lake Nakuru, enjoy the game drives in masai mara and serengeti nationals while sighting big cats as well as smaller Predators like a bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal and spotted hyena and later trek the steep slopes covered by thick forests searching for the endangered mountain gorillas. After the gorilla trek you will have a chance to visit the Batwa pygmies for a Tale of their lifestyle while they lived in the forest and the present-day life on the suburbs of the forest.

Overview

The Masai Mara is Kenya’s flagship Park. Sightings of four of the Big Five are pretty much guaranteed. The black is more elusive, but can sometimes be spotted in the Mara Triangle. The reserve is one of the best for big cats, but sightings of smaller Predators like a bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, and spotted hyena also tend to be rewarding. Antelope includes impala, reedbuck, Thomson’s gazelle, eland, and Topi, while buffalo, elephant, and giraffe are relaxed and easily spotted Wildlife Highlights The legendary wildebeest migration is one of the world’s most amazing wildlife encounters. Sometime in July and August, millions of animals leave the Serengeti and head into the Masai Mara around September. The crossing of the Mara River along the way is the most spectacular part of the migration. Around October, the migration slowly heads back into the Serengeti again. It should be noted that, although the pattern is well known, the exact timing of the migration is unpredictable as animals move with the rain looking for greener pastures. Best Time for Wildlife Viewing Wildlife viewing in the Masai Mara is good throughout the year. The best months for the wildebeest migration are September and October. June to October is relatively dry and offers the best general wildlife watching.

Lake Nakuru is Kenya’s most popular national park. The park’s main feature is a large, shallow lake supporting great birdlife, including big flocks of pelicans and variable flocks of flamingos. The lake was once famous for its flamingos, however, since 2012, conditions have become unfavourable for these birds and most have moved to other Rift Valley lakes.

Most big safari animals are present in Lake Nakuru NP with the exception of elephants. The park is known for its populations of black and white rhino. White rhino is particularly conspicuous, and different groups can be encountered throughout the day. Hippo, waterbuck, Burchell’s zebra and Thomson’s gazelle are common on the floodplains.

Lake Nakuru offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year, but the rains might interfere with your game drives in the wettest months, April and May. Although there is great birdlife at the lake, conditions in recent years have become unfavorable for flamingos, which used to be a real attraction here. As a result, the flamingos have moved to other lakes in the Rift Valley.

The Serengeti is considered Tanzania’s best park. Big herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and many antelope, such as eland, topi, kongoni and impala are resident at any time of the year. All three big cats are easily seen. Lion are often found on a kill. Cheetah are very common on the south-eastern plains, while leopard can typically be found lazing in one of the big trees along the Seronera River.

After experiencing Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara & Serengeti for an epic safari experience, Let now get a chance to unwind at the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar. For an exotic African island experience with a difference, you can’t go wrong with a Zanzibar holiday. Tours to Zanzibar combine laid-back beach accommodation with plenty of activities and superb locations to offer a culturally-rich but super-relaxed vacation.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park, is a UNESCO world heritage site and home to over half of the world’s living mountain gorilla population. Located in the southwestern part of Uganda, this park is part of the Trans Virunga Massive. Trek the steep slopes covered by thick forests searching for the endangered mountain gorillas. After the gorilla Trek you will have a chance to visit the Batwa pygmies for a Tale of their lifestyle while they lived in the forest and the present-day life on the suburbs of the forest.

The trip starts in Nairobi Kenya and ends in Entebbe Uganda.

Safari Highlights

Mau Escarpment
Masai Mara National reserve game drives
Masai Village Visit Sundowner
Air Balloon Safari with Champagne Breakfast
Lake Nakuru National Park Game drives
Serengeti Game drive Experience
Zanzibar Stone town Tour
Spice Farm Tour
Prison Island Tour
Lake Mutanda dugout canoe
Bwindi Mountain Gorilla trek
Batwa Pygmies
Community experiences

Itenerary

Day 1: Arrival

Arrive in Nairobi meet and greet with our representative and transfer to the hotel, overnight in Nairobi. Dinner will be provided. Depending on flight arrival time, an option to be transferred to L. Nakuru hotel is open for an overnight stay. This will also incur an extra cost.

Approximate Distance : 25 Km (30 mins drive)

Meals : Dinner

Accommodation : Serena Nairobi

Day 2: Nairobi-Lake Nakuru National Park

You will be picked up at 8 am from your Nairobi hotel and depart for Lake Nakuru with a stopover at the Valley viewpoint to arrive for check-in and lunch. Rest briefly, enjoy the lodge facilities, followed by an afternoon game drive until sunset, and return to your lodge.

Approximate Distance : 179 Km (3 hours 30 mins drive)

Meals : Breakfast, lunch & Dinner

Accommodation : Sarova Lion Hills

Day 3: Lake Nakuru National Park -Masai Mara National Reserve

Early morning game drive and return to your lodge for breakfast. After that depart for Maasai Mara to arrive in time for check-in and lunch. Have a short rest followed by an afternoon game drive from 3 pm to 6:30 pm and return to your lodge to freshen up for dinner.

Approximate Distance : 207 Km (3 hours 50 mins drive)

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation : Serena Mara

Day 4: Masai Mara National Reserve

A full day will be spent in the Maasai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives in search of the wildlife found in the reserve and relax and enjoy the lodge facilities in between game drives. You can also opt for a full-day game drive with packed lunch from 8 am to 4 pm.

Approximate Distance.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation : Serena Mara

Day 5: Mara Mara National Reserve – Serengeti

You’ll have a morning game drive in Masai Mara. We will initiate the day with an early morning game drive in Masai Mara while driving out of the national reserve. After border formalities, drive to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. On the way, there’s an option to stop at the famous Olduvai Gorge, where Dr Louis and Mary Leakey made their discovery of the first man that walked the earth. After attending a short lecture describing the archaeological digs and geology of the gorge, you’ll have time to visit the small museum.
It will be a long day of driving but the game drives in and out of the parks can be surprisingly incredible.

Approximate Distance : 155km (drive from Mara to the hotel in Serengeti)

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation : Serengeti Serena Lodge

Day 6-7: Serengeti National Park

You’ll have two full days in the Serengeti with a flexible schedule and unlimited mileage.
As you crest the hillside, spread out before you, as far as the eyes can see, is the vast Serengeti. Serengeti means “endless plains” in Kiswahili. These 6,900sq miles (18,000sq km) park is inhabited by more than 2 million large animals including more than a million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of plains zebras, and Thomson’s gazelles. Large predators including lions, cheetahs, and hyenas are drawn to the area by this abundance of prey that migrates throughout the park. Many smaller animals like rock hyrax, bat-eared fox, mongoose, honey badger, jackal, monkey, baboon, and African hare also inhabit the area along with nearly 500 species of birds. In the afternoon, you’ll have a game drive en route to the Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Approximate Distance : 155km (drive from Mara to the hotel in Serengeti)

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation : Serengeti Serena Lodge

Day 8: Serengeti National Park – Zanzibar

An early Morning Game drive and return to your lodge for breakfast. Transfer to JRO/ Arusha airport for a flight to Zanzibar and transfer to hotel for overnight.

Approximate Distance : 1 Hour 20 mins Flight

Meals : Breakfast & Dinner

Accommodation : Serena Zanzibar

Day 9-10: Zanzibar

You will be picked up at 10 AM at your hotel, after breakfast. Today we will have a tour of Stone Town, with its labyrinthine streets and bustling bazaars, reflective of its rich multicultural history. Persians, Arabs, Portuguese, Germans, British, Indians, and Africans have all left their mark here. Zanzibar has the infamous historical distinction of being the centre of the slave trade in East Africa. We will also have a chance to visit the spice tour, and Prison Island, and afterward transfer to Bwejuu Beach for an overnight.

On the 10^th Day, we will have full relaxation as you enjoy the white sandy beaches.

Approximate Distance : 1 Hour 20 mins Flight

Meals : Breakfast & Dinner

Accommodation : Breezes Beach Resort & SPA

Day 11: Zanzibar – Entebbe

After breakfast transfer to the airport for a flight to Entebbe Uganda! On arrival Entebbe international Airport at 13 50, you will be met and greeted at the Airport by a Valiant Safaris representative who will then transfer to your hotel for an overnight.

Approx. Distance : 4km, 10 Minutes transfer

Meals : None

Accommodation : Marriot Protea Hotel

Day 12: Entebbe – Bwindi Impenetrable N.P.

Morning transfer to Entebbe international airport for a 07 00 local lightweight flight to Kisoro Airstrip, our representative from the lodge who will be waiting for your arrival, meet and greet then transfer to lake Mutanda for a dugout canoe riding experience to the lodge.
Check-in, lunch and relax at the lodge contemplating on the Gorilla Trekking adventure that lies ahead the next morning.

Approx. Distance : 1hr 30 min flight & 40 Kms, 1 hr 30 Minutes’ Drive

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation : Four Gorillas Lodge

Day 13: Bwindi N.P Gorilla Trek Experience

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in south-western Uganda at the edge of the great east African Rift Valley. It is a home to over 400 species of mountain gorillas, about half of the world’s population. Many of these are habituated in families that are visited daily by tourists. The forest is also a home to over 350 species of birds and 400 flora species.

Gorilla trekking starts at 8am after a briefing at the park headquarters, you will trek through the dense steep forest searching for the gorillas depending on where they were seen making nests the previous evening. The trekking can last 2-7 hours depending on how soon you find the Gorillas, this is influenced by the location they stayed overnight. Trekking can be a tasking adventure, but coming to a facial close-up with these close relatives to human is a reward worthy to earn. If you return from the trek early, you may choose to relax at the lodge or take a community walk and visit the Batwa living adjacent to the forest.

Approximate Distance.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunchbox and Dinner

Accommodation : Four Gorillas Lodge

Day 14: Bwindi N.P – Entebbe – Departure

The last day of your safari starts with a morning transfer to Kisoro Airstrip at 07 30, where you will board a 08 45 lightweight flight back to Entebbe, on the flight from Kisoro to Entebbe you will be able to see several stunning sceneries from above. Upon arriving Entebbe international airport you will have some time for yourself before check-in for your evening departure flight.

Approximate Distance :40 Kms, 1hr 30 Minutes’ Drive & 2hr 40 min flight

Meals : Breakfast.

Accommodation : None

End of Safari.

Includes & Excludes

Package Includes

Accommodation and meals as indicated above or similar deepening on availability at the time of booking
Transfers and transportation in a 4×4 Safari Vehicle or by the lodge Vehicle
Services of a professional experienced English-speaking driver-guide
1 x Gorilla trekking permit Bwindi Forest ($700 per person)
Park entrance fees
Game drives and all activities indicated above
Safari Air Balloon with Champagne breakfast
Relaxation by the beach at Zanzibar
Dugout canoe on Lake Mutanda
Community visits and Batwa experience
Regional Flights Serengeti – Zanzibar – Entebbe
Local light-weight flight Entebbe-Bwindi return (15kgs luggage in soft bags)
A liter of drinking water person per day in the car
AMREF Emergency evacuation insurance (You need medical insurance)
All applicable government taxes