Visions of Africa

15 days - from $4250

This two-week adventure holiday through Kenya and Tanzania visits the highlights as well as some of the more hidden but equally fascinating areas, encompassing many of the treasures that this region has to offer. We enjoy safaris in the world-renowned nature reserves including the Masai Mara and the Serengeti Plains, explore Masai homelands with local guides and spend time in the little-visited Usumbara Mountains, where we have the opportunity to hike through the forest and learn first-hand about the local way of life.

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Nairobi Today is an arrival day, so you may arrive at any time. A pre-departure meeting takes place at 6.30 pm at the hotel. You may choose to eat at the hotel restaurant this evening or venture out to one of the many fine restaurants that Nairobi has to offer (own expense). Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, was established at the turn of the century by the Europeans as a stores depot during the building of the East African Railway. Without plan or design it established itself as the capital of the British protectorate, and today has a population of around three million comprising a mixture of African, Asian and European. While the predominant tribe is the Kikuyu, the city does not have one single dominating ethnic group. Its accidental choice as capital, virtually located on the meeting territories of three important tribes, has been diplomatically fortunate for the economic growth of the country. If you have spare time before the tour there are many places to visit in and around Nairobi. Options include Daphne Sheldricks's Elephant Orphanage, the Karen Blixen Museum, Langata Giraffe Centre and lunch at the famous Carnivore restaurant, where meat lovers can taste a variety of barbecued game meat. Please be aware of your personal belongings when in the hotel complex. Although hotels are gated and secure often restaurants and bars are open to the public. Please do not leave your belongings unattended and wary of people around you. Day 2 - Lake Nakuru (Driving time: approx 3 hours) We depart early for Lake Nakuru and arrive in time for an afternoon safari. The lake is renowned for large concentrations of flamingos and is also a sanctuary for the endangered black rhinos and white rhinos. It is a very shallow, strongly alkaline lake covering 118 square kilometres. The park covers the lake and a land strip around the northern, eastern and western shores and south to Makalia Falls. The shores are surrounded by swamps, which during the driest seasons disappear to give rise to huge white salt crusts. The riverine forest opens up southward in a bush and acacia tree savannah. The eastern and western shores are framed by ridges that offer splendid lookouts over the lake. At the west shore Baboon Cliffs are the preferred habitat for some of the park's species, while in the east a part of Lion Hill is covered by a magnificent euphorbia, or candle tree forest, giving the landscape a prehistoric look. Several hides have been erected near the lake for bird observation, and in addition to birds and rhinos, the park is home to a large number of mammals, including lions and leopards. Day 3-4 - Maasai Mara National Reserve (Driving time: approx 8 hours) After a morning game drive we head to the Masai Mara, where we enjoy a safari on arrival. Reputed to have one of the highest densities of wildlife to be found on the continent, Masai Mara National Reserve is arguably Kenya's finest game reserve, covering 1800 square kilometres of the south-west corner of Masailand. The Masai Mara continues northwards as an extension from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The park has an amazing concentration of wildlife, as well as outstanding scenery. The country has forests and rivers as well as hilly escarpments, but is mostly plains, bush and scrub. Traversed by the Mara River it is noted for its lions, hyenas, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and leopards. It is also renowned for the vast herds of wildebeest and zebra, which pass through the park as part of their annual migration. Antelope species include Grant's and Thomson's gazelle, topi, eland, hartebeest and waterbuck. In the Mara River, pods of hippo and crocodile can often be seen. On Day 4, we enjoy a full day of game drives through this amazing nature reserve. Day 5 - Lake Victoria (Driving time: approx 9 hours) We leave the Masai Mara behind and cross into Tanzania before heading for the shores of Lake Victoria. This lake is immense; at around 70,000 square kilometres, it is Africa’s largest lake and borders three countries - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Scattered throughout the lake are more than 3000 islands, many of which are inhabited, some of which are now wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. The lake plays a pivotal role in supporting the millions of people who live around its shores in one of the most densely populated regions on earth, as the local economy is almost entirely on fishing and tourism. Lake Victoria is also widely thought to be the main source of the Nile with rivers from western Kenya, northern Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda all gathering here to begin the long journey through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. Day 6-7 - Serengeti National Park (Driving time: approx 3 hours) We drive to Serengeti National Park. The Serengeti, which means ‘endless plains’ in Masai, is Tanzania’s largest park, covering an area of 14,700 square kilometres. Its main claim to fame lies in the fact that it is home to over three million animals including a multitude of plains animals that provide for the greatest wildlife spectacle in the world. A unique phenomenon is the annual migration. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra trek the route annually, in some places simply grazing, in other places rushing madly across rivers and plains. The game most likely to be seen in the Serengeti in addition to the wildebeest and zebra are gazelle, lion, cheetah, warthog, hyena, hippo and ostrich. In all there are more than thirty-five species of plains animals, as well as a great profusion of bird life. The landscape changes within the park from the vast treeless central plains to thick scrub and forest in the north. Linking these areas is the savannah, dotted with acacia trees and magnificent rock outcrops. Perhaps the ultimate way to go game viewing, a hot air balloon safari over the great plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara is an unparalleled experience. Shortly before sunrise you take off and rise slowly into the air to drift along in near silence, carried by the breeze. You'll watch the sun climb over the edge of the earth and turn the grasslands golden, at times climbing high to clear the tree canopy, and the view will open up to reveal the vastness of the savannah stretching away on all sides. Sometimes you'll descend to get a close-up look at the wildlife, passing silently above the herds as they graze on undisturbed. Hot-air ballooning in east Africa offers an unforgettable way to see a truly spectacular part of the world. Your tour leader will be able to give you information on how to book this activity. We enjoy a further full day of game drives on Day 7. Day 8 - Ngorongoro Crater (Driving time: approx 3 hours) After an early morning game drive we depart for the Ngorongoro Crater. Upon arrival we descend to the crater floor, where we hope to see some, if not all, of the 'Big Five'. Ngorongoro Crater is indisputably one of Africa’s most beautiful nature reserves and is certainly one of the most spectacular settings to be found anywhere. It is the largest intact crater in the world and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. Geologically, Ngorongoro is the remnant of a volcano that blew apart, leaving a flat plain area ringed with steep walls. The Ngorongoro volcano, before it exploded and collapsed 2 million years ago, was one of the world's tallest mountains. Unlike the Serengeti and Masai Mara, the migration in the Ngorongoro Crater is scant, as it has an abundant year-round food and water supply, and the walls of the collapsed volcano discourage migration. Animals within the Ngorongoro Crater are less shy of people and safari vehicles, so it's easier to view the animals up close. Views from the rim of the crater are sensational. On the crater floor, grassland blends into swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland and hills. The Masai are permitted to water their cattle at the permanent lake and can be seen leading their animals in and out of the crater. The most commonly seen animals are lion, wildebeest, zebra, eland, bushbuck, cheetah, jackal, buffalo, Grant’s gazelle, Thompson’s gazelle and black rhinoceros. Day 9 - Ngorongoro Crater - Mto Wa Mbu - Lake Manyara (Driving time: approx 3 hours) Today we travel through the Ngorongoro Highlands to the quaint town of Mto Wa Mbu. Here we embark on a cultural program with local guides. We explore nearby villages and learn about the various aspects of life here, with plenty of chances to interact with the local people along the way. In the afternoon we continue to Lake Manyara where our lodge awaits. The lodge is perched on the top of the escarpment, with unparalleled views overlooking Lake Manyara National Park. Day 10 - Mto Wa Mbu After a morning at leisure, we take an afternoon game drive through Lake Manyara National Park. This is one of the most diverse of Tanzania’s national parks, a tiny (325 square kilometres) combination of Rift Valley lake, dense woodlands and steep mountainside. Made famous by elephant researcher Dr Iain Douglas Hamilton in his book, ‘Among the Elephants’, Manyara was established specifically to protect the elephant herds that have made the area world famous. Heavy poaching in the 1970s and 1980s decimated the herds, although they are now recovering to their former numbers. Manyara is a birding paradise (more than 380 species), especially for waterfowl and migrants, and the forests are one of the best places around to see leopards. Lions hunt on the grassy shores of the lake and were once known for their habit of climbing trees, although this behaviour seems to have been abandoned in recent years. We return to our lodge at the end of the day. Day 11 - Lake Manyara - Mount Kilimanjaro (Driving time: approx 3 hours) Departing Manyara, we make a short stop in the 'safari capital' of Arusha. Arusha is a bustling regional city located right in the heart of Africa - it's claim to fame is that it's halfway point between Cairo and Cape Town! We then drive to Moshi at the base of Mt Kilimanjaro, to spend the night. Set at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Moshi offers spectacular views of the mountain, particularly at sunset. Melt water from 'Kili' ensures the surrounding land is fertile and coffee is grown on the lower slopes of the mountain. With an open-plan layout, tree-lined avenues and abundant greenery, Moshi has a pleasantly laid-back feel to it. It's used as a base for many safari companies in the region and, as a popular tourist destination, there are many good bars, cafés and restaurants to choose from. Traditionally nomadic pastoralists, a series of skirmishes with the Maasai led to the Chagga tribe settling in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro roughly 300 years ago, where they practice small-scale subsistence farming, growing maize, bananas and beans on plots of land called Shambas. The fertile volcanic soil is ideal for coffee and the Chagga produce much of Tanzania’s crop for export. As a tribe they tend to be fairly well-educated, probably because of the mission schools set up in the region in the 19th century, and they also have a strong entrepreneurial streak – Chagga can be found working in businesses throughout Tanzania. Nevertheless, opportunities in the Kilimanjaro area are limited, so many make their living acting as guides and porters on the mountain. Day 12 - Mount Kilimanjaro We spend today walking through superb forest on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Situated south of the equator with a summit at 19,340 feet (5895 metres), Kilimanjaro is usually snow-capped despite the tropical location. This is Africa's highest mountain and the highest 'free-standing' mountain in the world. Huge permanent glaciers flow down from the peaks and spectacular views and beautiful ice formations are found at the summit. The foothills around the mountain have lush forests to explore where monkeys can sometimes be seen in the canopy. We visit Maundi Crater before descending back to Moshi for the night. Day 13 - Usumbara Mountains (Driving time: approx 2 hours) Travel to Lushoto in the Usumbara Mountains, where we visit a local farm and sample some of their produce. We have time to explore this seldom-visited part of Tanzania. Stretching for over 100 kilometres across the Eastern Arc chain of Tanzania, the granite Usumbara Mountains jut out of the savannah, rising to a peak of 2440 metres. Thickly forested on the lower slopes, the mountains are home to some unique species such as the Naduk eagle owl and the Usumbara weaver. Lushoto is the main settlement in the area, with a pleasantly cool climate due to the altitude. Tanzania was a German colony and Lushoto became the unofficial summer capital - the main street almost resembles an alpine settlement, but with an African cast. Day 14 - Usumbara Mountains A free day to enjoy the wealth of activities that are available here. The Usumbara Mountains form a biologically distinct area and are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, where flora and fauna has been isolated from other pockets of rainforest and developed uniquely. We have the chance to take hikes in the forest, visit local villages and spot some of the unusual mammal and bird life that lives here. Day 15 - Dar es Salaam (Driving time: approx 8 hours) Travel to the bustling port city of Dar es Salaam, where our tour ends on arrival. To most travellers, Dar es Salaam is just a convenient port of call on the way to more exotic destinations of Zanzibar, the game parks, Pemba or Mafia Islands. This is a great pity, because 'Dar', as it is affectionately called by aficionados of the city, is a fascinating rabbit warren of a tropical port, often surprising you with scenes of great beauty. Life in 'Dar' es Salaam revolves around the huge harbour, with the business district fanning out from here in a series of fascinating side and main streets. There is something irresistible about whiling away a few hours sitting at the water’s edge, watching dhows, as traditionally rigged as they have been for centuries, slipping under the bows of huge cruise liners and cargo ships as they skilfully navigate the waters of the port. On the northern arm of the harbour is Kivukoni Front, with its bustling fish market, where every morning at dawn the dhows sail in to offload the night’s catch and yelling fishwives compete with each other for the best of the catch. The city itself is an eclectic mix of Swahili, German, Asian and British architecture, reflecting its colonial past and more recent history. It is a relatively new city – Sultan Majid bin Said, then the sultan of Zanzibar, saw the potential of Dar as a deepwater port because of its strategic position at the centre of the East African coast. Wandering the streets of Dar is nowhere more rewarding than in the Asian business district, along India Street and the intersecting Indira Ghandi Street. Here the flavours and smells are of a little Bombay, and if there’s anything you need to buy for your holiday, this is where you’ll find it. In this concentrated section of the city, you’ll find some of the best restaurants in East Africa, notably on Jamhuri, Mkunguni, Zanaki and Kisutu Streets.

Included

Included Driver, tour leader, activities, accommodation, transport including Landcruiser-type safari vehicle, meals and sightseeing as indicated.

Excluded

Excluded: International flights, local payment, arrival and departure transfers, airport/departure taxes, visas, pre-tour or post-tour accommodation, all other meals, drinks, all optional additional tours or activities during free time, transfers outside of the tour program, travel insurance, tips and items of a personal nature, laundry and flights (unless specified).

Trip Reference: KTVI