Overview
Stop at remote market towns, spend a night in a Maasai village and another night by the largest tropical lake in the world and soak up all the chances to chat with the locals read more and learn about their culture. This trip is like a crash course in what East Africa is all about.
Itinerary
Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight in Nairobi. If you arrive early, why not check out the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya, where traditional homesteads of Kenyan tribes are displayed within an outdoor village.
After your meeting tonight, maybe head out for an optional welcome dinner to get to know your fellow travellers.
Depart Nairobi this morning, stopping in Narok along the way for some food shopping. Today's drive crosses the Great Rift Valley – Africa's huge divide – to the remote region of Loita Hills. This is the home of the Maasai people. When you arrive, you’ll grab some lunch and then visit the Maasai, known for their dazzling red dress and elaborate jewellery. Gain an insight into the culture and ancient ways of this proud East African community. A local elder will deliver a fascinating talk, and you'll be shown around a traditional Maasai home and see where the resident cattle are kept.
Travel from Loita Hilla to the Maasai Mara National Reserve today. The Maasai Mara is one of those classic African experiences – wide open plains, perfect blue skies and some of the world's great wild animals. After setting up camp, sit down to some lunch. Then, it's time to jump aboard your 4WD and go for a safari through the wilderness of the Mara.
Adventure into the reserve for a full-day 4WD safari. You'll explore this diverse environment and most likely see a lots of different wildlife like lions, elephants, leopards and rhino. If you’re up for an early start, an optional balloon ride over the Mara at sunrise is highly recommended. If you have pre-booked this activity, you’ll be picked up before sunrise and driven to the launch site for a safety briefing from your pilot.
Then, glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, which provides amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you’ll ascend, getting an overview of the enormity of the plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. After landing, you'll be treated to a bush breakfast, then return to your campsite to meet up with your group.
Travel towards the Kenya-Tanzania border and to the shores of Lake Victoria. This is not only Africa's biggest lake – it's the largest tropical lake in the world. It shares its shores with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. You'll arrive in the late afternoon, with time to chill out lakeside with a cold drink at sunset. Make the most of the ATM and local market to stock up for your next three days of adventures in the wilderness. You’ll be camping on the shores of the lake tonight, at one of its least visited campgrounds on the outskirts of a small town called Musoma, far from the tourist track.
Today, you’ll travel from Lake Victoria to the gate of Serengeti National Park on a smooth road. Stop for a picnic lunch on the way, then enter the Serengeti and start your overland vehicle safari on the way to your campsite. These plains – green after rain and brown and burnt in the dry season – are home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators, so see how many you can spot! Your campsite is right in the action, within the park itself, so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep tonight.
Embark on a full-day 4WD safari adventure in the Serengeti. Spend the day venturing out in search of rhinos, leopards, lions, hippos, elephants, impalas and zebras. You'll return to your campsite in time for dinner. There's the option of an early-morning balloon ride here too, so if you didn't take one in the Mara, today's your chance!
Rise and shine for a final chance to spot Serengeti wildlife as you make your way out of the park this morning. At the Naabi gate, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater. This vast, impressively intact volcanic crater is home to some 30,000 animals. Among these are endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor is great for wildlife viewing all year round and the photo-ops here are next level. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater before heading back out on safari all afternoon. After, travel on to Karatu town, arriving at camp for a freshly prepared dinner with your group.
Take it easy this morning with a relaxed breakfast at camp. Maybe set off for Mto Wa Mbu for an optional guided village walk or take a bike ride around the farming areas, spotting milling machines, local homes and farmlands. Mto Wa Mbu offers a snapshot of small-town East African life. Then, hit the road to Arusha where you'll spend your final night together.
Your adventure comes to an end this morning, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to explore East Africa. A departure transfer can be booked at an additional expense, to either Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). Alternatively, you can join the overland truck and travel back to Kenya to finish your trip in Nairobi at around 5 pm. If you need to organise additional accommodation, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
Trip Inclusions
- Spend the night in a Maasai village in the remote Loita Hills region – be welcomed with traditional warrior song and dance, learn about local life from community elders and maybe even learn to throw a spear.
- Search for wildebeest, lions and leopards on a game drive in Maasai Mara National Reserve, then listen to the African wilderness come alive after sunset at your bush camp.
- Venture into the Serengeti on a 4WD safari – a quintessential East African experience. Think vast plains spotted with thorn trees and huge herds of zebras and gazelles.
- Explore the gigantic Ngorongoro Crater – the world's largest intact volcanic caldera and a home for around 30,000 large mammals. Look out for elephants and hippos as you drive along the crater floor.
- Stop in places like Karatu and Musoma for a chance to chat with locals, swap stories and learn about their culture.
- Hotel (2 nights)
- Camping (with facilities) (5 nights)
- Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights)
- Overland vehicle
- 9 Breakfasts included
- 8 Lunches included
- 8 Dinners included
- Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
- Intrepid regularly update their itineraries throughout the year based on feedback and local conditions. Therefore the itinerary you see now may differ from when you booked. Global Journeys will provide you with detailed trip notes at the time of quoting, along with a finalised itinerary and trip notes before your trip departs.
Operator
Our Basix trips are designed for travellers of any age on a budget. Using simple, clean and centrally located accommodation (typically with a 2-to-2.5-star average rating), local transport where we can, along with plenty of free time.
This means you can do the things that suit your budget and interests, rather than paying for inclusions you don’t want. Meals are generally not included, but your experienced local leader will have some great suggestions!
Dates & Pricing
AUD
Flexible Deposit
GJ Loyalty Discount
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Enquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Intrepid. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
