Join us on the vast plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara, which comprise one large contiguous region teeming with wildlife. This truly classic safari also features the parks of Ngorongoro, Amboseli, and Lake Manyara.
Safari in Kenya and Tanzania
From the Serengeti to the Masai Mara
16 days from $10,996
Join us on the vast plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara, which comprise one large contiguous region teeming with wildlife. This truly classic safari also features the parks of Ngorongoro, Amboseli, and Lake Manyara.
Tour Details
JOURNEYS DISPATCHES
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Fairmont The Norfolk
Nairobi, Kenya
First opened in 1904, the Norfolk has long been a gathering place for adventurers, expats, and businesspeople. This Nairobi landmark has seen the city grown up around it, and remains a sanctuary of tranquil gardens and old-world charm. Rooms and suites are tastefully appointed and offer modern conveniences and patios or balconies overlooking the courtyard gardens. Two restaurants serve excellent cuisine; a stylish bar with indoor and outdoor seating offers tapas and drinks; and guests can enjoy afternoon tea and Kenyan coffee in an elegant lounge. The hotel also features a heated swimming pool, a fitness center, and a spa with a steam bath and sauna.
Number of nights: 3
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Set against the backdrop of stunning Mt. Kilimanjaro in the midst of Amboseli’s rolling grasslands and savannahs, Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge offers a classic safari experience. The 92-room lodge, built with eco-friendly materials, blends in the natural environment and reflects traditional Maasai motifs, colors, and textures. Amenities and activities include dining area, outdoor pool (fed by the waters of ice melt from Kilimanjaro), natural timber game viewing decks, watering holes for the animals, jogging trails, nature walks, bird watching, cultural talks, massage and spa services, library, gift shop, complimentary Wi-Fi internet access, and laundry service (for a fee). Guest rooms, outfitted in traditional Maasai style featuring beadwork, gourds, and hand-painted murals, have private bath with shower, hair dryer, in-room safe, ceiling fan, mosquito nets, and offer uninterrupted views of the game-filled plains.
Number of nights: 2
Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania
This 54-room lodge high above the waters of Lake Manyara reflects the stellar birdlife that abounds here, with an architectural motif of swooping avian curves and the traditional concentric patterns of traditional Maasai boma (encampments). Lodge facilities and amenities include an outdoor pool, massage and beauty services, gift shop, library with books on Africa, complimentary Wi-Fi internet access, board games, safe deposit boxes, and laundry service (for a fee). Guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, private verandas with lake views, mosquito nets, and phone.
Number of nights: 1
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is perched on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater itself and offers endless and unparalleled views from its clustered boulder-built buildings. Ethnic Maasai handcrafts – bright-beaded robes, intricate carvings, iron spears – decorate the lodge, and sensitivity to the environment marks all aspects of development here. The lodge offers a dining room and bar; traditional music, culture, and dance; guided walks; massage and beauty treatments; complimentary Wi-Fi internet access; laundry service (for a fee); and a gift shop and boutique. Guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, private balcony, and phone.
Number of nights: 2
Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Situated high on a tree-clad ridge with panoramic views over the vast Serengeti, the Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge fuses traditional African architecture with contemporary amenities. Circular “rondavel” dwellings with thatched roofs and the winding paths of a traditional Maasai village mark the lodge that sits amidst groves of indigenous trees surrounded by streams and ponds. Amenities include an outdoor pool; two-tiered dining room dominated by a central barbecue area; traditional music and dance; massage and spa treatments; laundry service (for a fee); complimentary Wi-Fi internet access; and safari boutique and gift shop. Guest rooms, in individual rondavel huts, feature private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, wildwood balconies, intricately carved furniture, mosquito nets, and phone.
Number of nights: 2
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya
Located within Kenya’s richest game reserve, Masai Mara, the Sarova Mara Game Camp features 73 well-outfitted tents for a comfortable bush experience in keeping with the natural surroundings. The camp sits atop a slight elevation flanked by two streams, offering outstanding views of the Mara’s vast plains. Camp amenities include an indoor/outdoor restaurant, bar with fireplace; complimentary Wi-Fi internet access (in public areas); outdoor pool massage and spa services; and laundry service (for a fee). Guests can enjoy such activities as game drives, bird watching, nature walks, traditional Maasai entertainment and cultural lectures, and optional game-viewing balloon rides (at additional cost of $450 per person; cash or credit cards are accepted). Private tent accommodations all have en suite bath with shower, permanent roofs, zip-up fronts, mosquito nets, and electricity.
Number of nights: 3
Activity Level 3: Active
Expectations: Long touring days with many full-day safari drives. Although safari vehicles are comfortable, game drives can incur sitting for long periods of time during long, bumpy rides over very rough dusty terrain. Although some roads have been cleared through the game parks, the surfaces are unpaved and there can be deep tire ruts cut into the roadbeds. Walking is sometimes over difficult terrain. Safari viewing also requires very early morning departures from the lodge for better opportunities to spot animals. Generally, there is afternoon leisure time on those days. Transfers from one lodge to the next is over gravel roads in safari vehicles. Guests will also ride in small planes to access remote areas.
Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with long days of touring (both walking tours and driving time).
Mount Kenya Post-Tour Option –3 days, 2 nights
Encounter more wildlife during a stay at the Mount Kenya Safari Club, which houses the Conservancy founded by actor William Holden. This extension includes:
- 2 nights accommodations at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club (Deluxe); day room in Nairobi at Tamarind Tree Hotel (First Class)
- 6 meals: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
- Extensive sightseeing, including animal orphanage at Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy; game drive; and Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Sanctuary; Mpala Research Centre, where Smithsonian fellows and research staff lead important research projects
- Services of a professional representative
- Private transportation
- Transfer to Nairobi airport
- Gratuities for tour representative, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and driver/guide
Accommodations:
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
The Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club sits on over 100 acres of landscaped grounds and offers a traditional colonial atmosphere with lovely views of Mount Kenya. The resort features comfortable, traditional interiors and boasts a range of amenities including a restaurant, lounge/bar (which, interestingly, is positioned directly on the equator), cigar lounge, and pool bar; fitness center; full spa with a range of services; outdoor swimming pool; golf course; complimentary Wi-Fi internet access (in public areas), and laundry and dry cleaning services (for a fee). Optional resort activities (some at additional cost) include horseback riding, fishing, croquet, mountain climbing, and nature walks. Air-conditioned guest rooms have private, marble bath with rainfall shower, hair dryer, in-room safe, minibar, tea- and coffee-making facilities, fireplace, TV, and phone.
Offering a comfortable, relaxing stay just south of Nairobi, the Tamarind Tree Hotel includes two restaurants, a lounge, and a coffee bar; comfortable common areas; an outdoor swimming pool; fitness center; complimentary Wi-Fi internet access; and laundry and dry cleaning service (for a fee). Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with rainfall shower, hair dryer, in-room safe, tea- and coffee-making facilities, TV, and phone.
Highly Recommended
Also Recommended
For the convenience of our travelers, Travel Guard provides an on-tour Insurance Plan. On-tour emergency evacuation insurance (up to $100,000), medical expense coverage (up to $25,000), dental expense coverage (up to $500), travel medical assistance and worldwide travel assistance (U.S. Residents only). It also includes up to $25,000 medical and up to $500 dental expense coverage, and 24-hour worldwide travel and medical assistance. Please click here to view complete coverage details.
Please visit www.TravelGuard.com/SmithsonianJourneys or call Travel Guard at 1-800-208-6142 to learn about additional (optional) coverage.