6-Day Highlights of Kenya and Tanzania - Luxury

You will go on an early morning drive to Maasai Mara National Reserve. It is one of the few places left on earth where wildlife still lives comparatively undisturbed, in the numbers that once roamed the plains and forests of Africa. As the northern tip of the vast Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara hosts the spectacular seasonal migration of many thousands of wildebeests, zebras and attendant predators. Arrive in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive.

You will spend a full day in the Maasai Mara. After breakfast, we have a full-day game drive with a packed lunch provided. The reserve is well known for its black-maned lions and abundant resident wildlife, and it's one of the few places where it's possible to see the Big Five during a morning's game drive. Many cheetahs are so used to vehicles that they seek shelter from the hot sun under them, and several even climb onto the roof to get a better view of prospective prey. For bird enthusiasts, almost 500 species have been recorded; 16 species of eagles, many hawks and falcons, 6 species of vultures, 8 species of storks, 4 species of bustards (including the kori bustard, the world's heaviest flying bird), and 9 species of sunbirds.

We will initiate the day with an early morning game drive in the Maasai Mara while driving out of the national reserve. After border formalities, we will drive to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It will be a long day of driving, but the game drives in and out of the parks can be surprisingly incredible.

You will spend the full day in the Serengeti with a flexible schedule and unlimited mileage. As you crest the hillside, the vast Serengeti spreads out before you as far as the eyes can see. Serengeti means "endless plains" in Kiswahili, and this 6,900 sq. mile (18,000 sq. 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 which 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. Enjoy an afternoon game drive en route to the campsite.

Today, you will wake up early for a morning safari before breakfast. This will allow you to spot the animals when they are more active and also to enjoy a fantastic sunrise. The sunrise in the African savannah is one of the most beautiful experiences. After the game drive, return to the camp for brunch. In the afternoon, transfer to Ngorongoro, the 8th Natural Wonder of the World. With walls 2,000 feet high and a crater floor that spreads for 102 sq. miles, the crater is a virtual Noah's Ark, inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa, including the rare black rhino. The crater has the greatest concentration of wildlife on the planet. The large bull elephants that reside here have extremely large tusks due to the rich mineral content of the volcanic soil and grasses.

We will start the day very early and descend into the crater floor for an incredible morning of wildlife viewing in one of the most stunning places on Earth. After the game drive, there will be time for a picnic lunch near the beautiful Hippo Lake. After lunch, we will have time for a short game drive, and then we will ascend the crater and exit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area towards Arusha. We expect to be back in Arusha around 5 pm, although we are flexible if there is a flight to catch or another situation.