East African Explorer with Serena Lodges

Welcome to Nairobi! Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure to explore this fascinating city. Nairobi is not only deemed the wildlife capital of the world, but it is one of the fastest-growing metropolises in all of Africa. You can see lions, zebras, and giraffes in the city as it is filled with national parks and wildlife reserves that are waiting to be explored. Or, in the case of an early morning arrival, you may join any of our optional tours. You will spend the night in the 5-star Nairobi Serena Hotel, regularly voted the “Best Hotel in Nairobi” by international travel magazines and airlines. You can go swimming in the outdoor pool or play a round of golf at the club.

Overnight in Nairobi

Optional: Half Day Out of Africa Excursion
Follow in the footsteps of Karen Blixen as you travel towards the Ngong Hills. You will feel swept immediately onto the film set of Out of Africa the moment you arrive. The old colonial farmhouse is simple, housing a few items that Karen Blixen chose and once enjoyed herself. There are also the colorful gardens to explore, where several old coffee machines have laid untouched for decades. From here you will visit the Giraffe Centre, where the highly endangered Rothschild giraffe lives in peace. With an elevated viewing of the feeding platform, this tour is a wonderful option for children.

Tour Departs: 08:30 – 09:00 or 14:00 – 14:30

Tour Ends: 12:30 or 18:00

Meeting Point: From your Nairobi hotel or city centre

Optional: Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage Excursion
Travelers will be transferred to Eka Hotel for breakfast on their own arrangements. From there, they will continue with the excursion. Depart to Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, situated on the outskirts of Nairobi (approximately a 45-minute drive). This Sanctuary is run by Daphne Sheldrick and is set on the grounds of her house. Here, you will see the orphaned animals and meet the people who handle and care for them. This is a fascinating excursion and the team running the orphanage will always be happy to answer any questions visitors have to ask. Upon completion, return to hotel or city centre by approx. 12:45 PM (lunch will not be included). It is suggested that due to demand, visits should be pre-booked. At certain times there may not be any animals in care. Visiting times are limited to approximately one hour and are between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM daily.

After breakfast, you will depart Nairobi and make your way towards the Masai Mara, a key highlight of Kenya vacation packages. This is one of the best places in the world to see the Great Migration take place, as millions of animals make their way from Tanzania to Kenya every year in search of food and water as the seasons start to change. Spend the day driving down the long road, passing by acres of wheat and barley to this legendary national reserve, which is teeming with wildlife. You will arrive just in time for lunch, after which you will set off for your first official game drive. See how a whole host of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles cross the Mara River as you fend off crocodiles in the process. This will be a phenomenal experience you must not miss — especially during the peak season! After your game drive, you will return to your lodge as the sun sets over the sky. Spend the next couple of nights in the Mara Serena Safari Lodge, situated in the heart of the Mara Triangle. Take in the incredible views of the savannah from your safari lodge,e which sits high on a bush-cloaked hill as you sip on some fresh fruit juice, refreshing cocktails, fine wines, strong spirits, or tasty liqueurs.

Overnight in the Masai Mara National Reserve Area

Following an early morning breakfast, head out for an exhilarating game drive. Spend the first part of your day searching for some of Africa’s greatest predators, where lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos, elephants, wildebeests, impalas, and many more fascinating creatures can be found roaming around the lands. After this incredible experience, you will return to your camp in the mid-morning. Top the morning off by fueling up with a delicious “Bush Breakfast” by the Mara River Hippo Pools. Say “Jambo” (hello) to the chefs and Masai warriors as they welcome you to a wonderful breakfast buffet of cold cuts, fruits, cereals, and hot dishes with eggs made to your specifications. The hippos will keep you company and only say “Kwaheri” (goodbye) after you have had enough. After a delicious lunch (and perhaps a siesta), set out for another game drive and visit the Masai Village, where you will get the opportunity to learn about the local tribes and the traditional ways of life. Return to your beautiful lodge later on as the sun sets.

Overnight in the Masai Mara National Reserve Area

Leaving the Masai Mara after breakfast, you will travel across the ‘breadbasket’ of Kenya, where acres of wheat and barley are scattered across the land as you make your way up north to Narok — the district headquarters of this part of Maasailand. Drive across the vast plains of the floor of the Rift Valley, keeping an eye out for herds of giraffes and gazelles as you head up the Mai-Mahiu. You will arrive at your destination around midday. Once you are in the park, view the game en route to the lodge. Following lunch, you will set out for an exhilarating game drive, before you return to your lodge as the sun sets. The National Park, known for its abundance of birdlife, offers a wonderful possibility to see flocks of flamingos as thousands or millions of them reside in the area. The Park is also home to Black and White Rhinos as well as the endangered Rothschild Giraffe. You will spend the night in the extravagant Elementaita Serena Camp, situated on the shores of the sapphire-blue lake, where you will find a fascinating mix of modern luxury and aristocratic elegance.

Overnight in the Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp

Following an early morning breakfast, you will make your way to Lake Naivasha for a scenic boat ride. This beautiful freshwater lake attracts an abundance of animals including monkeys, antelopes, buffalos, warthogs, and giraffes, paired with over 400 species of birds. If you are lucky, you might be able to see some of these fascinating creatures up close! From there you will leave the Rift Valley behind as you travel to Nairobi for an early lunch (or a picnic lunch depending on the road conditions). Make your way south towards Amboseli, where you will arrive at the lodge by late afternoon. Amboseli National Park is famous for its incredible shots of elephants and other animals nurturing one another in the foreground while the dramatic peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, rises in the background. This landscape is a photographer's dream — and it will be all yours to take in! Enjoy a couple of nights’ accommodation in the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, an extravagant 5-star lodge set against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, surrounded by giant Acacia trees and breathtaking gardens where you can see plenty of animals pass by!

Overnight in the Amboseli National Park Area

Today you will set out for a full-day game drive through Amboseli National Park, with a stop for a picnic lunch. This National Park has so much to offer visitors, between the breathtaking views of Kilimanjaro and the picturesque plains and wetlands. The rich variety of wildlife you might come across includes giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, and hundreds of species of birds. This is also the best place on the planet to get up close to free-ranging elephants! The western section is dominated by the vast Lake Amboseli, which is dry outside of the rainy season. You will return to the lodge in the late afternoon, where you may rest and relax in your room or spend some time by the pool before dinner.

Overnight in the Amboseli National Park Area

In the morning after breakfast, continue your journey southwest to cross the border into Tanzania. Make your way over to Arusha, where you will have lunch. After lunch you depart Arusha and pass through the Maasai Steppe filled with many picturesque African villages as well as maize, coffee, and banana plantations. At the town of Makuyuni continue to Tarangire National Park Gate to clear formalities. Enter the park and begin exploring and game viewing as you continue to your lodge arriving for dinner.

Overnight in the Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, board your safari vehicle for game viewing within the park in search of its large lion prides and elephant herds. Drive through the baobab tree lined park and explore the silale swamp. Return to your lodge for lunch. Afternoon drive north through the park and to the town of Makuyuni where you continue the journey through a scenic escarpment that brings you to your lodge, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley with stunning views over the distant Lake Manyara

Overnight in the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge

Enjoy your breakfast you will head on a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park that will take you back to the lodge for lunch. Leaving Lake Manyara behind, the journey continues Northwest across the stunning hilly countryside of the highlands which is filled with wheat and coffee plantations, and then into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From here lie the vast plains of the Serengeti, where you begin spotting wildlife as you approach the entrance gate. Complete the formalities and enter the park with game viewing en route to the lodge arriving for dinner.

Overnight in the Serengeti National Park Area

Today, enjoy breakfast followed by exhilarating morning and afternoon game drives through Serengeti National Park. Serengeti is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has in recent times been declared a Worldwide Wonder. This fascinating site is undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Serengeti National Park is located approximately 320 kilometers to the northwest of Arusha, sitting in a high plateau between the Ngorongoro highlands and the Kenya-Tanzania border. The park almost stretches to Lake Victoria to the west, covering a total area of 14,763 square kilometers. Appropriately named the “endless plains” by the Maasai people, you will discover the immensity of the Serengeti as you enter the southeastern plains of the park.

Overnight in the Serengeti National Park Area

After an early breakfast, you will depart Serengeti and travel to Ngorongoro with a picnic lunch stop along the way, where you will get the opportunity to see wildlife roaming through the vast plains of the Serengeti. Discover the lush forest areas which are inhabited by monkeys and elephants, and the lake area, where you may see pink flamingos and open savannahs were lions hunt for food. Later, a picnic lunch will be served in the crater. From there you will continue to your lodge, set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, where you will arrive in time for dinner. You will stay at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge for the next couple of nights, built from the stones of the nearby river and cloaked in indigenous vines, styled with prehistoric cave paintings, and flaming torches.

Overnight in the Ngorongoro Area

After an early breakfast, you will set out to explore the Ngorongoro Crater, which is commonly referred to as the world’s largest natural wildlife arena. Prepare to drive to the crater entry gate and descend with a picnic lunch through the early morning mists and 2,000 feet into the crater. A UNESCO-protected World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve; the Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. The craters of the Ngorongoro are preserved entirely for wildlife, while the rest of the Conservation Area is shared by wildlife, people, and livestock. Due to its great size and rich diversity, the floor of the crater is comprised of several distinct areas, ranging from forests, swamps, lakes, and springs to open grasslands and sandy dunes. You will set out for a truly unique wildlife experience. Return to your lodge in the late afternoon.

Overnight in the Ngorongoro Area

After breakfast, you will depart Ngorongoro and continue your journey northeast to Arusha. Upon arrival in Arusha, you will be provided lunch and transferred to the Kilimanjaro Airport to board your international departure flight home.