East Africa: Maasai Mara, Serengeti Safaris, & Island Paradise

Arrive at any time. There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.

Included Experiences

• Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Optional Experiences

• Bomas of Kenya Tour: This tour gives you a glimpse into the life of 42 different tribes of the country that make up Kenya's rich culture. Get a better understanding of village life by visiting homesteads and enjoy a display and sounds of folk dances performed. Entrance fee and hotel pick-up included.
• The Carnivore Restaurant: Feast on a range of familiar and exotic meats roasted over an open flame barbecue pit. Ever wanted to try ostrich or crocodile? Here's your chance to do so (at a world-renowned restaurant, at that). Price includes the price of a meal (without a beverage) and hotel pick-up.
• National Museum: Take a stroll through this museum to get a better understanding of Kenya's rich heritage through a range of cultural and natural-history exhibits. Learn more about the region's bird population at the Birds of East Africa exhibit, a huge gallery of at least 900 stuffed specimens. Get a refreshing take on Kenyan history counterpoint to colonial historiographies at the Historia Ya Kenya display. Entrance fee and hotel pick-up included. (53--3 USD per person)
• Karen Blixen Museum : Converted from the former home of pioneer coffee farmer and acclaimed writer Karen Blixen, this museum provides visitors insight into life of a Danish settler in pre-Independence Kenya. Take a walk through the home, and magnificent gardens that provide a stunning view of the Ngong hills. Hotel pick-up and entrance fee included. (34-75 USD per person)
• Railway Museum: Adjacent to the Nairobi railway station, this museum contains exhibits from the East African Railways opened in 1971. (6-34 USD per person)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel in Nairobi then journey by private vehicle through the Great Rift Valley on the way to one of the most famous national parks in Africa, Masai Mara, arrive around lunch time. Head out on a visit to Masai Village and then an afternoon safari drive in the lodge's concession to search for giraffe, zebra, hyena, antelope, lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos & elephants as you enjoy the beautiful scenery. Travel from Nairobi, through the Great Rift Valley on to Kenya's premier wildlife reserve. In the afternoon, arrive in the area and get settled at the safari camp, our base for our time here. Head out for a late afternoon wildlife safari drive with excellent chances of seeing the "big five" — watch for lion, cheetah, buffalo, elephant and giraffe. The varied wildlife and natural environment come together to provide a spectacular safari experience.

Included Experiences

• Safari Vehicle: Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride.
• Masai Village Visit: Experience the rare opportunity to visit a Masai village. Step inside a hut made of cow dung and sticks, let your eyes adjust to the dark, and imagine living in such a small space. Admire the exquisite beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Marvel at the athletic ability of the young men who jump and bob in greeting. Learn about the traditions of these nomadic people, who seek sustenance from both the blood and milk of their cows. Take fantastic photos!
• Maasai Mara Wildlife Safari Drive: Maasai Mara is one of the world’s top safari destinations, known for its abundance of big cats – cheetahs, leopards and lions – as well as the two million wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles and zebra that migrate annually across the vast grasslands in search of water. Set off on safari with our driver/guide and keep your eyes and ears peeled for movement and memories. Watch elephants and giraffe grazing, photograph zebras and wildebeest and, with a little luck, you'll even spot animals feasting on a recent kill.

Enjoy an early wildlife safari drive when animals are most active. Or opt for a Hot Air Balloon Safari. In the afternoon, after your picnic lunch, set off on another safari drive in the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Included Experiences

• Maasai Mara Wildlife Safari Drive: Maasai Mara is one of the world’s top safari destinations, known for its abundance of big cats – cheetahs, leopards and lions – as well as the two million wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles and zebra that migrate annually across the vast grasslands in search of water. Set off on safari with our driver/guide and keep your eyes and ears peeled for movement and memories. Watch elephants and giraffe grazing, photograph zebras and wildebeest and, with a little luck, you'll even spot animals feasting on a recent kill.

Optional Experiences

• Maasai Mara Balloon Safari: The adventure begins just before dawn and lasts an hour in the sky. Fly over the Mara River, plains, and forests of the Maasai Mara. Toast your return to earth with a champagne breakfast, cooked wherever you land. Please note that while single passengers can book on this activity, the balloon will require a minimum of two passengers to take flight. In the rare case that this minimum is not reached by the time of your flight, passengers will be refunded for this activity. Additional fees will apply for passengers exceeding the 120 kg (265 lbs) weight limit.

In the morning leave camp and begin to travel back to Nairobi on a route that allows you to spot some wildlife as your exit the area. Stop along the way for lunch at a G Adventure-supported community project. Arrive back to Nairobi and attend an optional group dinner this evening at a nearby local restaurant.

Included Experiences

• Amani Ya Juu Lunch: In the post-colonial era of East and Southern Africa, Kenya found itself as a refuge for many women who were seeking safety. As a result, a very special G Adventures for Good supported project, Amani ya Juu, was created. Amani ya Juu serves as a community where many of these women can learn entrepreneurship and engage in fair trade activities that allow them to create opportunities for themselves and their families. By creating unique handicrafts symbolic of their cultures, the women can express themselves and receive an impactful income, leading to economic independence. Here you’ll enjoy a locally sourced lunch prepared by women and youth of the community, engage in conversation to learn of their history, and build a greater connection with this incredible program.

Travel closer to the Tanzania border today on your journey from Nairobi to Amboseli National Park. Arrive at the lodge in the afternoon for an included lunch and then enjoy a safari drive into the park. Amboseli is known for its stunning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, especially on a clear day, along with the presence of large herds of elephants, and five distinct habitats. Take in the beautiful scenery and remain on the lookout for the wildlife everyone comes to Africa to see.

Included Experiences

• Transport: Settle in and scan the scenery as you journey to your next destination.
• Amboseli Wildlife Safari Drive: Charge up your camera batteries and get ready to document the drama of Amboseli. Big sky. Big mountain. Big elephants. Visit with some of the 1,500 African elephants that roam the park. Look for other wildlife and meet the resident Maasai along the journey. Marvel in the beauty of Mt Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest free-standing mountain, as it reigns over the landscape of this uniquely African location.

Enjoy some breakfast at the lodge before your morning safari drive in Amboseli National Park. Then, drive to Arusha crossing into Tanzania at the Namanga Border. The group will stop for a packed lunch along the way. Arrive to the hotel in the late afternoon and get settled before choosing to attend an optional group dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Included Experiences

• Amboseli National Park Morning Safari Drive: Travel into the park during the morning's golden hour to search for wildlife amid the rising sun. This is a great opportunity to witness the daily patterns of certain species and a great chance to get out into the park before the heat of the day becomes unpleasant.
• Border Crossing (Kenya - Tanzania): Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.

After breakfast the group will travel to Tarangire National Park. This park is special due to its large elephant population, presence of ancient baobab trees, and a unique dry season migration. The elephants gather around the Tarangire River that flows through the park. Enjoy a safari drive upon arrival to see the diverse wildlife here for yourself. Sit down for a picnic lunch inside the park before continuing onwards to Karatu where you will spend the evening.

Included Experiences

• Transport: Settle in and scan the scenery as you journey to your next destination.
• Tarangire National Park Safari Drive: Spend a little over four hours enjoying the wildlife viewing opportunities inside Tarangire National Park. Half way through the drive you will stop for a picnic lunch inside the park. Enjoy the outdoor surroundings and remain alert to the sounds of the birdlife around you. Admire the ancient baobab trees and the presence of far fewer crowds. In this lesser-known, but mighty national park.

Spend a free morning in Karatu. Choose to have a leisurely wake up and relax at the hotel or pre-book the optional Lake Manyara Morning Safari Drive. Later, in the afternoon engage with local farmers on a coffee tour where you will learn about the harvesting of the beans and participate in hands-on sorting and roasting. Dinner will be had at the hotel in the evening.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Take advantage of a free half day in Karatu. Choose to pre-book a safari drive to Lake Manyara to checkout the bird and other wildlife there, or simply relax at the hotel. Lunch will be on your own at the hotel property.
• Coffee Farm Visit and Tour: Find out where your cup of java comes from. Visit a local farm to learn more about the process of making coffee, from harvesting, to husking, drying, and roasting the beans before finally being able to enjoy that fresh cup of coffee. Engage with the local farmers and immerse yourself in the aromas and flavors of freshly brewed coffee as you gain a newfound appreciation for Tanzania’s prized export.

Optional Experiences

• Lake Manyara Safari Drive: Lake Manyara is known for its diverse birdlife, including flamingos that flock to the lake's alkaline waters. Enjoy a morning safari drive through the park and search for wildlife like elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, and the distinctive tree-climbing lions. You will begin around 6AM and finish by 1:30PM to head back to the hotel in Karatu.

Today will be an early start as the group travels to the Ngorongoro Crater. Once here, you will go on a scenic wildlife safari drive. This geographical wonder is the world's largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera. The uniqueness of this environment has allowed for a self-contained ecosystem that offers visitors a high concentration of wildlife like, lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo. Enjoy lunch in the park amid this serene setting before departing for Serengeti National Park. Enter through the Naabi Hill Gate and experience a safari drive en route to your tented camp for the evening where you can relax under the stars.

Included Experiences

• Ngorongoro Crater Wildlife Safari Drive: Set the alarm and prepare for an early start to see the wonders of the Ngorongoro Crater. Masai herdsmen appear in the morning mist. Our driver/guide takes us down into the crater and drives us to all the best spots to view wildlife. Watch for zebra, gazelles, buffalo, and warthogs. The swamp and forest are home to hippos, rhinos, elephants, baboons, and monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled and camera ready to capture a pride of lions or a lone leopard walking along the savanna.
• Serengeti National Park Wildlife Safari Drive: This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras and more. Enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow and the up-close look at wild Africa.

Choose to set an early morning wake-up call and pre-book the Serengeti Balloon Safari for epic views from the sky. Then, after breakfast set out on a full day safari drive through the Serengeti. Sit down for a picnic lunch inside the park, scan the landscape for wildlife, and listen to bird calls all around. Return to your tented camp and relax for the evening amid your outdoor surroundings.

Included Experiences

• Full-Day Serengeti National Park Wildlife Safari Drive: Spend the entire day in the gorgeous landscapes of Serengeti National Park, a true icon of Eastern Africa. The park is most famous for the Great Migration, where over a million wildebeest, along with zebras and gazelles, migrate annually across the plains in search of food and water. Try to spot the big five and simply enjoy the views across the vast, open grasslands known as the "endless plains". Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.

Optional Experiences

• Serengeti Balloon Safari: Spirited aloft in a hot-air balloon, view the wildlife and terrain of the Serengeti that only the birds see. Enjoy a champagne breakfast and keep that shutter-finger good and limber—you’ll be using it plenty over the course of your hour in the air. Please note, additional fees will apply for passengers exceeding the 120 kg (265 lbs) weight limit.

Gather for a breakfast at camp amid the morning life of the Serengeti before beginning the journey back to Arusha. Stop along the way for lunch at Mto wa Mbu, a G Adventures-supported initiative. Arrive to Arusha in the late afternoon and get settled at the hotel. Dinner will be on your own this evening.

Included Experiences

• Mto wa Mbu Community Visit and Lunch: Take part in a cultural walk to learn about life in this East African town. Mto wa Mbu has attracted some 18,000 residents from 120 different tribes. During the two-hour tour, visit the community's local market, go right to the farmer's fields, see how huts are constructed, and meet artisans in their shops. Afterwards, sit down with our new friends and enjoy a traditional lunch of meat and plantains.

Enjoy free time on your own in Arusha before the next leg of your adventure.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Explore on your own or simply relax at the hotel and catch your breath on this free day in Arusha.

After breakfast transfer to the airport in Arusha and board your flight to Zanzibar. Upon arrival enjoy an orientation walk of Stone Town before going to Jambiani. Grab lunch on your own and then take advantage of free time to settle into island life. There are plenty of local restaurants in the area for you to have dinner at your leisure this evening.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
• Stone Town Orientation Walk: This orientation walk is just a brief introduction. If you'd like to learn more in depth information about Stone Town, we recommended going on a guided city tour.
• Free Time: You'll have some free time late this afternoon and evening to get used to island life and slip into the relaxing vibes of Jambiani. Visit the stunning beaches and experience the fishing village atmosphere still present here with a big focus on local life over commercialized tourist areas.

Head out on an included spice tour to gain a sense of Zanzibar's history and the spice plantations that brought the beginnings of the slave trade here dating back to the 1840s. The remainder of the day is free for you to do as you please. Perhaps, pre-book the snorkelling to witness the underwater life here off of Tanzania's coastline, or head to the nearby Jozani Forest for a tour. You can also simply relax on the beach and swim. Dinner this evening is at your leisure.

Included Experiences

• Spice Plantation Tour: No visit to Zanzibar would be complete without a visit to the spice plantations. Your senses will be aroused as you will receive a detailed description on the assortment of spices (black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, breadfruit, jackfruit, vanilla, lemon grass) and their various uses. It was the spice plantations that brought the beginnings of Zanzibar’s infamous slave trade that dates back to the 1840’s.
• Free Time: Enjoy yourself on the island of Zanzibar. Choose to pre-book snorkelling or maybe go on a guided tour of Jozani Forest. Relaxing on the beach, working on your tan, and cooling off with a swim, is a great option too.

Optional Experiences

• Zanzibar Snorkelling: The Blue Lagoon is a small snorkeling spot on the east coast of Zanzibar, located on the Michamvi Peninsula, halfway between Pingwe and Dongwe. The Blue Lagoon is about 40 meters wide and 100 meters long, naturally dug into the flats. The depth reaches 12 to 15 feet/4 to 5 meters in the center of the lagoon. Despite the coral-poor bottoms, this sheltered lagoon attracts lots of reef fish. Among the most remarkable, are the Powder-blue tang, the Moorish Idol, the lionfish, or the Goldbar wrasse, which darts from reef to reef. In the shade of the overhangs, you will probably notice schools of sweepers. Sea anemones host two species of anemonefish: the Skunk clownfish and the Twobar clownfish, which are easy to see at shallow depths. In the blue, you may spot a school of garfish or convict surgeons.
• Jozani Forest Tour: Known for the red colobus monkeys, a visit Jozani forest is a highlight when in Zanzibar. Explore the nature trails while following in the footsteps of a guide who will inform about the impressive flora and fauna surrounding you. (36-160 USD per person)
• Swimming: Grab your bathing suit and go for a refreshing swim.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel in Jambiani before your included group transfer back to the airport outside of Stone Town. You should arrive at the Zanzibar airport by 11:30AM where your tour ends. Please do not book onward flights prior to 2PM.