Kenya & Tanzania's Great National Parks Lodge Safari

Arrive in Nairobi for a short briefing about the upcoming 10 days before making your way north to the Ol Peteja Conservancy in the scenic Mount Kenya region. You’ll drive straight into your first game viewing experience of your safari on arrival at Ol Peteja in hopes of seeing some of the park’s endangered rhinos and African wild dogs before heading for the Sweetwaters Serena. Enjoy a sundowner on the private terrace of your safari tent as you watch the resident wildlife stroll by.

Head for Lake Nakuru National Park after a tasty breakfast, making a stop at Thomson’s Falls in Nyahururu to watch the waters of the Ewaso N’iro River plunge 72 metres (236 feet) in a magnificent cascade. Your time at Lake Nakuru begins with an afternoon game drive. A bird lover’s paradise, twitchers have the chance to spot some of the more than 500 recorded species, including the park’s large population of flamingos with their pretty pink plumes. Look out for the rare Rothschild’s giraffe as well as black and white rhino before settling at Flamingo Hill Tented Camp for the evening.

Today you’ll drive south to the Masai Mara National Reserve, passing Kenya’s flower capital, Lake Naivasha, and Mount Suswa, an inactive volcano. One of the most spectacular places for wildlife sightings in Africa, you are sure to spot big cats (lion, leopard and cheetah) and many other species in the next few days. If you’re travelling between July and November, you could be lucky enough the witness part of the Great Wildebeest Migration. You’ll spend two nights at Julia’s River Camp on the banks of the Talek River, before moving to the western part of the reserve and the wonderfully remote Mara West Camp. Keep an eye out for the nocturnal bush babies jumping through the trees as you relax around the fire in the evenings.

It’s an early start on your last morning in Kenya. Take in the views of the Mara one last time before heading south for Tanzania and Lake Victoria. With the afternoon free, you’re able to relax at the Serenity on the Lake resort, taking a leisurely stroll, dipping in the pool or spending some time at the spa.

A 20km (12mi) drive from Serenity on the Lake takes you to the Serengeti National Park for more wildlife encounters. If you’re travelling during migration season and you missed the action in Kenya, this may be your chance to see this natural spectacle. With open grassland as far as the eye can see, it makes sense that the Maasai people named this the land of the ‘endless plains’. Look out for prides of lion napping in the shades of the acacias or on the small rocky outcrops as you make your way to the Kati Kati Tented Camp, your base for the next two nights.

An early departure from the Serengeti gives you the opportunity to see plenty of predators as big cats are more active in the cooler temperatures. By lunch time, you will have arrived in the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, an inactive volcano that is home to more than 25 000 animals seasonally. Large herds of zebra and buffalo as well as prides of lion roam freely in the confines of this truly unique wildlife haven. You’ll continue on to nearby Karatu after your game drive to spend your last night on safari at the tranquil Ngorongoro Farm House.

Make your way to Arusha after a relaxed breakfast at Ngorongoro Farm House, before heading home or on to Zanzibar for some post-safari relaxation.