Outstanding East Africa

Duration: 20 days

Highlights: Nairobi, Lewa Conservancy, Masai Mara National Reserve, Bwindi National Park, Grumeti Reserve, Mahale Mountains National Park, Arusha

From rewarding scenic views of the Rift Valley and exciting cultural experiences with the Maasai to up-close encounters with the mountain gorilla and off road game drives in the exclusive Singita Grumeti Reserve, this itinerary showcases some of the most extraordinary spaces in East Africa.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Nairobi

Upon arrival you are met by our representative at the airside, who escorts you through immigration and customs and collect your luggage. Board your helicopter for a 10-minute transfer to Marula Lane, thereafter board your transfer vehicle to Hemingways Nairobi for check in.

Hemingways Nairobi is a boutique hotel in the serene, green suburb of Karen. The hotel bears South Carolina plantation style dimensions, huge verandahs and enormous windows that let all the light in and deliver views across the knuckles of the Ngong Hills. Inside a graciously winding Gone with the Wind staircase leads from the lobby to the top floor. The hotel sports 45 beautifully furnished rooms with high ceilings and king-sized beds. And, despite an elegant retro feel - punkahs gently paddle the air to keep it cool, potted palms dot the interior - is up to the minute modern with express check in, Wi-Fi, spa and gym. Hemingways prides itself on a uniquely individual service which includes a personal butler who assists with unpacking as necessary, pressing anything that's creased in transit, delivering morning tea and generally anticipating your every whim.

Overnight: Hemingways Nairobi

Meal Plan: L,D

Day 2 - Nairobi

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at Hemingways Nairobi. Thereafter join your driver guide at the hotel lobby for a full day sight-seeing tour of Nairobi with visits to Karen Blixen Museum and Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage aboard a vintage car.

Karen Blixen Museum
Located in Karen, the beautiful Nairobi suburb that was once part of Karen Blixen’s vast coffee estate, ‘Mbogani’ was Karen’s home from 1917 until 1931. The house and grounds were made famous by the film ‘Out of Africa’ and have been restored by the Danish community of Kenya. Visitors have a glimpse of typical colonial life in Kenya at the turn of the twentieth century. As well as many of Karen’s original belongings, replicas replace items that have been lost over the years.

From the beautiful gardens there are magnificent views of the Ngong Hills, held dear by Karen and described so tenderly in her writings. At the front of the house the original millstone tables can be seen from which Karen conducted much of her farm business.

Drive back to Hemingways for lunch.

At 15:00, meet your driver guide at the hotel lobby and drive to the elephant orphanage for a private visit that includes the adoption of an elephant.

Set on the edge of Nairobi National Park, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was set up by the late Dame Daphne Sheldrick in 1977 in order to raise and rehabilitate orphaned wild animals (mainly elephant and rhino) and later successfully reintroduce them into the wild. The sanctuary provides a perfect home for growing youngsters, with the habitat and space mimicking those that elephants enjoy in the wild. The orphans grow up in mini herds, are bossed about by mini matriarchs and enjoy mud baths, filled with a hose pipe, when they slap wet mud to their skins as sun block and insect repellent. Their care in the sanctuary is described by the head keeper during a visit, as are the harrowing reasons many became orphans, mostly the result of poaching.

Overnight: Hemingways Nairobi

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 3 - Lewa Conservancy

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Hemingways.

After check out, you transfer to Marula Lane for your 2-hour helicopter scenic flight to Lewa conservancy. Fly into Kenya’s central province towards the Aberdare Mountain range and enjoy views of the stunning Karuru and Gura Waterfalls; fly over the Aberdare National Park before you make your approach to Mount Kenya. Weather permitting, explore the peaks, lakes and valleys of this prolific mountain. Enjoy a scenic stop on the slopes of Mount Kenya before flying onwards to Sirikoi.

You arrive in time for lunch at Sirikoi before going out on an afternoon game drive with a sundowner cocktail.

In an enclave of private land surrounded by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the Laikipia plains sits the award-winning Sirikoi Lodge. This family run tented lodge is small and intimate, offering the ultimate in luxury and comfort alongside unrivalled wildlife viewing - perfect for the discerning traveller who appreciates an exclusive view of Africa within intimate and sophisticated surroundings. Five beautifully appointed tents, each with vast bathrooms and Victorian baths, overlook a well-watered lawn which tempts the wildlife into graze. A secluded two-bedroom family cottage offers just that: seclusion if that's what you're after. The three-bedroomed Sirikoi House is tucked into a private corner of the camp near wetlands where elephant and buffalo are regular visitors. All the rooms are sumptuously decorated, huge, bright so that Africa seems to spill in, and full of glorious fabrics and furniture. There's masses to do at Sirikoi, you can walk with a guide, go game driving, quad-biking, camel-riding, take a flight over Mount Kenya, get to know the local tribes - Samburu and Maasai, or just hang out by the pool and watch Africa drift by

Overnight: Sirikoi Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 4 - Lewa Conservancy

Today the day is yours to do with it as you wish – you may want to start the morning off with a horse ride through the plains of Lewa Downs. This is a magical way to see the scenery as there is no sound of an engine in the background and you get a real feel for how vast the distances are and you can start to imagine how daunting it must have been for the first explorers.
Here are the various activities you can enjoy today:

Bush walks / Camel walks:
Accompanied by an experienced armed ranger, a bush walk takes you into a complete sense of connection and appreciation for even the smallest things in nature and the environment around you. Apart from big game viewing, your guide shares his intimate knowledge of the bush. Stop and learn about insects and even the fascinating system ants have to build and maintain their anthills. Your guide also points out animal signs and how to identify animal tracks which are everywhere, but not that easily noticed. Camel walks are supported by camels which you can ride when the terrain allows. See the stunning landscapes and a variety of game.

Horse riding:
Another wonderful way to explore the bush in Lewa and the Laikipia area is on horse. A string of home reared polo ponies and horses to suit all riding standards are available.

Community and conservation development projects:
There is strong commitment to community development and conservation projects in this area. The projects have proved successful improving the standards of living, helping to provide water and healthcare and also helping in conservation by educating the local villages on the importance of wildlife and preservation of the environment. There are several projects in the area that you can visit.

Overnight: Sirikoi Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 5 - Lake Turkana

Depart early and fly north all the way to the southern end of Lake Turkana. Flying close to beautiful springs and the amazing Singing Wells certainly leaves you awestruck. The incredible beauty of this part of the country takes your breath away, with its variety of landscapes including the Suguta Valley, Silale Crater, the Southern Dunes, Lake Lojipe, Cathedral Rock, and the Laikipia plateau.

Overnight: Sirikoi Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 6 - Masai Mara National Reserve

Breakfast at leisure and check out. Board your helicopter for the transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve. Fly to Lake Bogoria enjoy views of the hot springs and geysers, flamingos are often sited on the lake. Stop for refreshments on the shores, fly down the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha and land at Hippo Point for lunch before departing for the Maasai Mara.

Mara Plains Camp is located on the northern border of the Masai Mara Game Reserve in the Olare Orok Conservancy. The camp areas are hidden among the bush and guests cross a swinging bridge across the river to get to the main area. There are two lounges, one has a small library and writing area, a dining room with a grand wood table and a magnificent chandelier and the décor is rich in browns, coppers and reds, encouraging a relaxing break from the day's adventures. Accommodation is in seven large 'rooms' under canvas which open on three sides to the outside and have raised decks overlooking the vast savannah and the Ntiakatek River. Floor to ceiling net walls and the marquis ceiling make for very open-air environs. The en-suite facilities consist of a double basin vanity, flush toilet and shower with hot water 24 hours a day. A wide range of activities are offered including game drives, night game drives, nature walks, and visits to a local village.

Overnight: Mara Plains Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 7 - Masai Mara  National Reserve

Spend today in Masai Mara with a morning game drive and later visit a local Maasai village and school.

A trip to the Masai Mara is never complete without a visit to a cultural village. The colourful and vibrant Maasai people are one of the few communities in Kenya to retain their culture and traditions. Their history is fascinating, and their way of life never grows old. Clients are welcomed by traditional dancing followed by a guided tour of the village by the chief. He also gives a brief talk to the group and you have a unique opportunity to experience their nomadic lifestyle as you are introduced to the Maasai families and welcomed into their homes. Learn from the women how to make their beautiful bangles and bracelets that have been a symbol of the community for centuries. This intricate beaded jewellery is almost as amazing as the height that the men can jump or how easily they make fire using just two sticks and grass. Their iconic red blanket always comes in handy on a chilly night.

Overnight: Mara Plains Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 8 - Masai Mara National Reserve

Enjoy a guided morning walk with a bush breakfast and return to the camp at leisure. Later depart on an afternoon game drive that culminates with a sundowner.

The jewel in Africa's crown, Maasai Mara is host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. Her 1,510 square kilometers (593 square miles) of open savannah, woodlands and tree-lined rivers creates an eco-system which supports huge numbers of bird and mammal species. The western border of the park is the spectacular Siria Escarpment, and together with the acacia dotted plains, creates scenery of stunning beauty. Lion are found in abundance throughout the park as are elephant, giraffe, a variety of gazelle species and zebra. Cheetah and leopard are also regularly seen and, if lucky, you may also find rhino. Game viewing is never dull in the Mara, and patience is often rewarded with unique sightings: a pride of lion stalking their prey; a solitary leopard retrieving its kill from the high branches of an acacia tree; male wildebeest sparring to attract females into their harem; or even a herd of elephant protecting their young from opportunistic predators. The annual wildebeest migration traditionally is present in the Mara from July-September and at this time nature's dramas unfold before your very eyes at every turn. As well as wildlife, the Maasai Mara is also home to many members of the colourful Maasai tribe who may be seen around the borders of the park - morans (warriors) loping across the plains, young boys herding goats, or elders grouped under a tree discussing matters of the day.

Enjoy lunch back at the camp then there is some time to relax in the afternoon.

At about 16:00, afternoon tea is served  and then an afternoon game drive. As the sun sinks lower towards the horizon your driver stops the car at the top of a valley, under a convenient tree with a stunning view over the plains and sunset. You are then able to experience the Kenyan tradition of Sundowners – with an ice cold drink in hand and delicious bitings (canapés) to nibble on you can sit and enjoy the stunning view and watch as the world is bathed in golden light. Once the sun has gone down and the darkness closed over, you make your way back to the camp for dinner.

Overnight: Mara Plains Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 9 - Entebbe via Kisumu

Early breakfast and check out.

Depart on your one hour flight to Kisumu International Airport for customs clearance and passenger immigration before flying to Entebbe International Airport. Upon arrival, you are met by our representative and transferred to Hotel No.5.

Tucked into the verdant suburbs of energetic Entebbe, Hotel No. 5 is cocooned by a well-maintained garden which can be enjoyed from guests’ private terraces or balconies; all rooms boast one. The gardens are so lush and so rich in endemic flora that several indigenous birds have made themselves at home amongst the trees – including African Grey Parrots. A swimming pool, spa and gym help guests sink deeper into the hotel’s atmosphere of relaxation. Hotel No. 5 also offers a creative menu which has been well-reviewed, and from your terrace a lovely sunset view can be admired whilst sipping cocktails. With its great location – only ten minutes from Entebbe International Airport and very close to the city’s best attractions – and exceptionally accommodating staff, Hotel No. 5 is a must for those visiting the city.

Overnight: Hotel No.5

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 10 - Entebbe – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early breakfast, you are met by our representative who drives you to Entebbe Airport where you take your charter flight at 10:00 to Bwindi National Park. The flight is about 1 hour 15 minutes. Upon arrival at Kihihi airstrip, you are met and transferred to Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp which is about 1 hour 30 minutes' drive. 

The gloriously named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is aptly named: 'bwindi' means darkness and this densely tangled green wilderness is deeply shaded, steeply rising - the elevation soars from just over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) to almost 3,000 (9,840 feet) - and so rugged and tightly packed, that it's only accessible on foot. Located in south-western Uganda, it is one of the richest, oldest and most diverse rainforests in the region, 25,000 years old boasting over 400 plant species. Within its 330 square kilometers (127 square miles) live 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies and 27 species of frogs, chameleons and geckos. The park is also home to over 600 mountain gorillas – more than half the world's population - some habituated so guests can observe them: standing quietly aside, you can watch these enormous animals getting on with the business of living: feeding, playing, watching you back. They aren't the only primates; they share the forest with almost a dozen other species including chimpanzees.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 11 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early breakfast, your guide escorts you to the Uganda Wildlife Authority Park headquarters for your gorilla tracking briefing. You meet fellow trackers and your gorilla guide who then leads you into the forest to find the Mountain gorillas. The trekking may be fairly strenuous - up to six hours or longer is not uncommon – at relatively high altitude. Mountain gorillas are wild animals, and so, sightings cannot be guaranteed, however the success rate is well over 95%. These massive primates are extremely rare, only approximately just over 1,000 remaining. You get within meters of the family and be privileged to spend up to one hour amongst them.

Returning to the lodge later in the day, you may choose to visit the spa and enjoy a relaxing treatment. If you’re up to it, join your guide for a forest walk.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 12 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

You wake up early and head over to the UWA headquarters for your second trek. No two treks are ever the same, but the experience is magical every time.

After going back to the camp, you have the choice to go out and explore the Bwindi area.

Head out on a community walk which gives you real feel for the singular nature of this place. Have a go at brewing local banana beer,  speak to the traditional medicine man and then cap it all off with a dance performance by the Batwa pygmies. On the way you could also experience some of the AK Philanthropy Projects which includes the Bwindi Community Hospital & Nursing School, the Ebenezer Primary School and the Women’s Bicycle Enterprise.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 13 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Entebbe – Grumeti Reserve

After breakfast this morning, you depart for Kihihi airstrip for your charter flight back to Entebbe departing at 09:45, arriving Entebbe at 11.25. Drive to Kihihi airstrip is about 1 hour 30 minutes from the lodge and the flight to Entebbe Airport takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.

At Entebbe you fly to Mwanza in Tanzania to clear customs and immigration here. You then fly to the Grumeti Reserve, Serengeti where you are met by your Sasakwa driver guide and transferred to your lodge.

Serengeti means ‘endless plains’ in Maa, the language spoken by the Maasai, and Sasakwa Lodge certainly enjoys an impressive view of the miles and miles of savannah that spill all around it and vanish over huge horizons which meet Africa’s enormous skyline.

The cottages’ huge French windows and private plunge pools accentuate this glorious vista and the beauty of the surroundings are complemented by the lodge’s extravagant colonial-style interior. Chandeliers, African artwork, Venetian mirrors, gold Victorian wallpaper and a tennis court and spa collaborate beautifully to create an out-of-this-time atmosphere about the lodge.

One of only three lodges within the private Grumeti Reserve, Sasakwa feels splendidly remote with guests enjoying offbeat game drives and some of the best horseback safaris in Tanzania. The guides are like walking encyclopedias and ensure you experience top-range safaris within or outside the migration season.

All the money made by Grumeti Reserve is put back into the local area and people, so you can be sure that this isolated bush gem is conserved for years.

Overnight: Sasakwa Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 14 - Balloon Ride, Bush breakfast, game drives

05:00 - An early start for the experience of a lifetime.

At 05:30, you are collected from your lodge/camp & transferred to our launch site on Singita Grumeti Reserves. Here you meet your pilot, receive a briefing and watch the inflation of your balloon. At dawn we take off, rising as the sun rises and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take you. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon- sometimes at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below. At other times he will probably ascend to 300 meters (1000feet) or more to see the enormity and wonderful panorama of Singita Grumeti Reserves. From time to time the pilot must put more heat into the balloon with the powerful whisper burners. In between these burns, there is silence apart from the natural sounds below. The flight is for about one hour depending on conditions. Arrive back at camp at about 08:30 ready to continue your day's activities.

After the balloon excursion, enjoy a bush breakfast, and this can be followed with game viewing or watch the game on the plains below with your own telescope.

Overnight: Sasakwa Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 15 - Walking Safari

After breakfast, you track animals on foot on an exciting game walk in the Grumeti Reserve. Head out to the Grumeti anti-poach observation post to learn about conservation efforts from the rangers and thereafter visit one of the villages bordering the concession and learn about the lodge’s initiatives with the community. After dinner sit out and enjoy views of the African sky with an hour of stargazing.

Overnight: Sasakwa Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 16 -  Mahale Mountains National Park

After breakfast at the lodge this morning, you are transferred to the airstrip for your charter flight to Mahale Mountains National Park. On arrival, you are met by a Greystoke Mahale guide and transferred to your lodge.

Greystoke Mahale sits on a pristine, white sandy beach overlooking the turquoise water of Lake Tanganyika, with the forested slopes of the 2400 metres (8000 feet) Mahale Mountains rising behind. The lodge is careful not to impose too much on the stunning environment, hence it sits quietly amongst the trees; built almost entirely from recycled local materials, such as old fishermen’s canoes. That's why the rooms are tucked back into the forest line, so that your only view is of beach, and the lake beyond. The main mess is the only structure on the beach and it's the focal point of camp. Here is where you can look out over the lake to the mountains of the Congo in the haze beyond.
Your days start there, eating breakfast whilst waiting to hear news of the chimps and deciding what to do with your day. Evenings end with sundowners on the rocks of the headland, where drinks are served around the lamp-lit bar whilst the mountains, rising behind camp, disappear into the darkness.

Overnight: Greystoke Mahale

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 17 - Chimp Trekking

Mahale Mountains is famous for containing some of the last remaining wild chimpanzees in Africa and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. The terrain is mostly rugged and hilly, and is dominated by the Mahale Mountains chain that runs from the northwest to the southeast across the park.

Enjoy this rare opportunity to track the chimpanzees in their natural habitat, walking through the forest for an hour or two or maybe more. Once you find the chimpanzees sit quietly on the forest floor for the next hour watching them go about their daily life. As time progresses, you notice the different relationships, gestures, sound and expression of the various chimps and watch the young fall about the floor and play remarkably human games.

Overnight: Greystoke Mahale

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 18 - Mahale

Today you may like to hike the forest paths looking for birds and butterflies, as well as the other shy mammals that quietly live there. Swim in cool pools up in the mountain waterfalls, take a kayak out for a dawn paddle towards the middle of the lake, and enjoy the sunrise coming up over the mountains.

Go for sundowners on the old wooden dhow, lazily following the shoreline and stopping to fish along the way, or just relax on the warm sands of the beach with a drink in hand.

Overnight: Greystoke Mahale

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 19 - Fly to Arusha

After breakfast, you are transferred to the airstrip for the charter flight to Arusha. On arrival in Arusha, you are met by our representative and transferred to your lodge.

Legendary Lodge sits within a working coffee farm, its tropical gardens and handsomely maintained lawns quite unperturbed by the bustle and busyness of nearby Arusha town. Each cottage has a view of the meticulously maintained gardens with Mount Meru towering in the background. Jacaranda and frangipani trees pepper the grounds inside this hidden oasis.

The cottages all bear the Kiswahili names of different antelope and combine African craft décor with old-style colonial. The cottages and Old Farm House, where you take your meals, exude a cozy, friendly vibe. To wind down after a long safari, the lodge provides therapeutic spa treatments.

Shopping excursions into town are easily arranged otherwise, if you're understandably reluctant to leave this little have, enjoy a coffee tour around the grounds.

Overnight: Legendary Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 20 - Transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport - Departure

After breakfast and an exciting safari through East Africa, meet your driver at the lodge lobby and transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure flight.