On this comprehensive introduction to East Africa, witness abundant and diverse wildlife roaming vast, sun-drenched panoramas, and stay in comfortable, spacious lodges with ideal locations in the region’s greatest parks and reserves.
A&K Advantages
Discover Africa’s astounding diversity, including the iconic Big Five, in custom-made vehicles with an unobstructed view from every seat
Experience incredible up-close encounters with East Africa’s diverse wildlife thanks to the in-depth tracking skills of our handpicked safari guides
Visit the Canines for Conservation training center for a special behind-the-scenes experience and to meet the talented dogs who sniff out illicit animal products
Stay on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, a privileged location that affords you early access to the crater floor for a quieter, less-crowded safari experience
Privately visit Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakey family discovered fossils linking man to his distant ancestors
Visit a Maasai village to learn about the customs and traditions of these nomadic herders
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
DAY 8
DAY 9
DAY 10
DAY 11
DAY 12
DAY 1
Arrive in Nairobi, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. A microcosm of the African continent, this capital city is your gateway to a dramatic procession of natural spectacles in Kenya and Tanzania, among the most thrilling destinations in the world.
Nairobi Serena Hotel
DAY 2
Drive to Amboseli National Park, known for its thriving big-game population, especially elephants, more than 1,000 of which live in the park. From a distance, take in views of the highest mountain in Africa, the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro, with its impressive Uhuru Peak soaring to 19,341 feet. Arrive at your lodge set beneath acacia trees in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. After lunch, explore the acacia woodland, freshwater swamps, scrub brush and open plains in search of wildlife. Part of the park is composed of a dried-up lake bed, where mirages rise from the shimmering heat. This evening, share in a special welcome dinner with your fellow guests.
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3
Set out on early morning and afternoon game drives, crisscrossing the landscape in search of the park’s large herds of elephants, as well as zebras and wildebeests, along the salt pan trails. Prepare for predator sightings as opportunistic animals begin roaming the plains in search of prey. Return to your lodge for dinner followed by a relaxing evening under African skies.
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4
Cross the border into Tanzania and continue to your hotel on the picturesque slopes of Mount Meru. This afternoon, stop at the kennels of the Canines for Conservation training center for a special behind-the-scene visit with the K-9 cadets trained to detect illicit wildlife products in cargo and luggage. Return to your hotel, enjoying a refreshing Scenic Sundowner on the edge of Lake Duluti before gathering for dinner.
Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5
Drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning game drive, searching for nonchalant baboons, dik-diks that forage for food beneath acacia trees and large herds of buffalo, wildebeests and zebras, which gather on the grassy, sun-drenched plains. Along a narrow belt of acacia woodland, you may even spot the region’s storied tree-climbing lions, which ascend branches for a cool breeze. After lunch, continue to the village of Mto wa Mbu, where you Ride Like a Local on a tuk-tuk, viewing rice fields and the local community as you go. Then, travel to Ngorongoro Crater, ascending its outer wall through dense vegetation. Ngorongoro is the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world and a likely place to view lions, elephants, hyenas and gazelles. This afternoon, participate in a Chef ’s Table demonstration in the hotel kitchen, preparing and sampling local dishes.
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 6
This morning, descend into the crater, arriving ahead of most visitors — thanks to the ideal location of your accommodations on the crater’s rim — to view the resident wildlife at its most active time of day. The prairies of this “Lost World” are great spots for watching buffalo and elephants as well as the countless other species that roam the crater’s 100-square-mile floor. You may even sight flamingos (when in season) or the rare black rhino. Following lunch, visit a Maasai village to gain a better understanding of the nomadic cattle-herders’ daily life and culture.
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7
Drive to vast, wildlife-rich Serengeti National Park and through its spectacular mix of savanna grassland and volcanic hills, stopping en route for a privately guided tour of Olduvai Gorge, one of the key sources of prehuman hominid fossils. Renowned paleontologists Mary and Louis Leakey made many notable finds here, including “Nutcracker Man,” who lived approximately 1.75 million years ago. Visit the on-site museum, take in views from the lookout point and examine the excavations, which revealed 3.7-million-year-old footprints and the 1.8-million-year-old skull of a human. Continue to your lodge, which is framed by commanding views of this land of lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, giraffes and topi. The park also serves as a setting for the Great Migration when it passes through each year. Enjoy your room’s blend of elegant and contemporary design with influences from the traditional Maasai culture.
Meliá Serengeti Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8
Today, revel in true safari country, searching for the Big Five (lions, leopards, Cape buffalo, elephants and rhinos), along with giraffes, gazelles and zebras. Along the rivers, plains and rocky outcroppings, you may also spot some of the Serengeti’s more diminutive denizens, such as leopard tortoises and rhinoceros beetles.
Meliá Serengeti Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 9
Fly to the vast Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya’s finest wildlife spectacle, offering excellent game viewing year-round. The unending landscape hosts some 450 bird species, 95 animal species and all of the great predators, including the country’s largest lion population. After familiarizing yourself with your luxurious tented accommodations, ideally situated at the confluence of the Mara’s four game-viewing regions, drive through the famed reserve.
Mara Intrepids
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 10
Explore a region bestowed with over 500 square miles of savannas, woodlands and tree-fringed rivers on morning and afternoon game drives. You may observe crocodiles basking in the sun, see ever-alert hippos wallowing in muddy water and catch the antics of mischievous monkeys overhead. Watch, too, as African elephants rumble along the forest edge and giraffes snatch leaves from branches high above.
Mara Intrepids
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11
Venture forth on a morning game drive. After lunch, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities:
Set Out on a Guided Bird Walk for the opportunity to spot some of the nearly 500 species of birds in the region.
Make Beads with the Maasai, learning the craft of beading from tribal members and creating your own jewelry.
Throw the Rungu with Maasai Warriors, testing your skills with their traditional wooden hunting club.
Then, go on a late-afternoon game drive for a final look at the Mara’s treasures. Later, enjoy a Scenic Sundowner, sipping traditional cocktails while marveling at the incredible open plains just before dusk — a relaxing prelude to a memorable farewell dinner with your fellow guests.
Mara Intrepids
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 12
Return to Nairobi. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in a reserved dayroom before your international departure flight home.
Nairobi Serena Hotel (dayroom)
Meals: Breakfast
2 days from $595 per person
Single Supplement from $215 per person
DAY 1
Arrive in Nairobi, where you are met by an Abercrombie & Kent representative and escorted to your hotel.
Nairobi Serena Hotel
DAY 2
Meet your guide and depart on an excursion to view remarkable African species in two special settings. Visit the Giraffe Center, where you may hand-feed endangered Rothschild’s giraffes from a platform that brings you to eye level with these majestic giants, who gently snatch food with their long blue tongues. At the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, watch young elephants at play with attentive keepers, who explain the process of reintroducing the elephants into the wild. Continue to the Oloolua Forest, once a hiding place for the Mau Mau Freedom Fighters during the war for independence but today a tranquil respite from the city. Here you enjoy an A&K-exclusive forest folklore stories experience, listening to tales handed down from one generation to the next, followed by lunch. Afterwards, relive a small part of Kenya’s colorful history at the Karen Blixen Museum located in her former home, Mbogani House, made famous by the film Out of Africa. Continue to the innovative Ocean Sole workshop to see how recycled flip-flops are transformed into incredible works of art. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure and begin Kenya & Tanzania Wildlife Safari.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
3 days from $2,295 per person
Single Supplement from $1,595 per person
Take advantage of an incredible opportunity to spend two nights in Dubai before or after your journey.
Accommodations:
Taj Dubai from $2,295 | Single Supplement from $1,595
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai from $3,195 | Single Supplement from $2,495
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach from $3,295 | Single Supplement from $2,695
International air not included.
3 DAYS
Fly to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and check in to your luxury hotel. Discover the best of this dazzling city, viewing its remarkable architecture; visiting the Spice Market and the colorful shops at Deira Gold Souk; and ascending the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper. On the last day, continue on to your journey or board your flight home.
Taj Dubai
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (Day 2); Breakfast (Day 3)
Nairobi Serena Hotel
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Meliá Serengeti Lodge
Mara Intrepids
