Friday October 3 - Vancouver to London
Our great adventure begins with an overnight Air Canada flight to London. Dinner, breakfast and drinks on board.

Saturday October 4 – London to Nairobi
On arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport we will transfer to a convenient and comfortable hotel where day rooms have been booked for us. The afternoon is at leisure to relax, take a taxi to Windsor or the Underground into the city. This evening we will transfer back to Heathrow Airport for our Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi.

Sunday October 5 – Nairobi
On arrival in Nairobi we will be met and transferred to our hotel in Nairobi.

The Nairobi Serena is situated in the lush gardens surrounding Nairobi's Central Park. Here, you can enjoy quiet and peaceful moments away from the bustling city and yet remain within walking distance of it. The superlative accommodation, excellent cuisine, impeccable service and luxurious facilities have all contributed to the Nairobi Serena acquiring the status of being a member of the "Leading Hotels of the World". Fully air-conditioned, a variety of restaurants and a magnificent swimming pool ensure that our stay here will be a treat!

This afternoon, after we have had a chance to settle in, we will visit Giraffe Manor and the Karen Blixen Museum.

Overnight at Nairobi Serena on a bed and breakfast basis.

Monday October 6 - Samburu National Reserve
This morning we will be met at our hotel by our driver/guides. We will then drive north in our comfortable safari vans through everchanging landscapes to Samburu National Reserve. We will enjoy a lunch stop at the Trout Tree Restaurant.

The first thing we will notice on our Samburu safari is that it is a world apart from the other parks in Kenya. It is a hot and arid area characterised by a parched landscape of hills and plains. The good news is that the refreshing waters of the Uaso Nyiro River run through Samburu and attract plenty of wildlife - including elephant, lion, giraffe and zebra. Leopards are also regularly spotted. Samburu is also well known for providing the opportunity to see wildlife that only lives in the dry north of Kenya. Your safari wouldn't be complete without seeing a gerenuk - an odd yet distinguished gazelle with a long neck, which stands on its hind legs to feed.

Samburu Sopa Lodge is built overlooking the wildlife-rich banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river, and is comprised of 60 en-suite rooms in 30 cottages, all with balconies from which to view the hills, plains and river surrounding the lodge. The public areas are airy and spacious with views of the surrounding area. The reception is decorated with local artifacts, and rich earth colours typical of the Samburu area have been well blended. This is the only lodge in Samburu with a waterhole. This allows animal viewing right in front of the lobby and the waterhole can also be seen from bedroom verandahs, especially during dry seasons. A welcoming swimming pool allows the guests to relax at the end of a memorable day of game-viewing.

Overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Tuesday October 7 – Samburu National Reserve
Today we will enjoy a game drive and visit a Samburu village for an insight into the lives of the local tribal people as we interact with them.

Overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Wednesday October 8 – Sweetwaters Game Reserve
This morning we will drive to the privately owned Sweetwaters Game Reserve. This wonderful place enjoys magnificent views across the African bush to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya for lunch at Sweetwaters Tented Camp.

Sweetwaters Tented Camp and Chimpanzee Sanctuary lies in the heart of the privately owned Sweetwaters Game Reserve. A 3 hour drive from Nairobi, this wonderful place enjoys magnificent views across the African bush to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya. Overlooking a floodlit waterhole, the camp offers visitors an unforgettable opportunity to watch and photograph game in its natural habitat. Accommodation is provided in 25 luxuriously appointed tents set under thatch with en suite facilities and private verandah. Game drives are offered by four wheel drive vehicle, walking safaris escorted by a knowledgeable ranger, and night game drives ensure that there is always plenty to do! There is also a swimming pool for relaxation.

This afternoon we will be taken on a game drive and a visit to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary is the only one of its kind in Kenya. The riverine forest and savannah grasslands that make up the 1 square kilometre sanctuary are home to 26 orphaned chimps varying in age from 2 to 15 years. Most of these chimps originally came from the Jane Goodall Institute in Burundi, where a great many were placed after being rescued from a miserable existence. Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary is playing a critical part in finding a solution for the plummeting population of chimps in the wild through education and rehabituation of this, our closest living relative. It is a wonderful experience to see these marvelous creatures in a natural environment.

Overnight at Serena Sweetwaters Tented Camp on a full board basis.

Thursday October 9 – Lake Naivasha
This morning we will descend into the Great Rift Valley with its stunning volcanic landscapes. Lunch at Lion Hill Lodge and afternoon game viewing and birdwatching around Lake Nakuru, seasonal home to millions of flamingo and a multitude of other birdlife. Continue to Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge.

In a sylvan setting of acacia woodland, the Naivasha Simba’s park-like grounds are visited by a wide variety of birds and wildlife. Situated on the edge of Lake Naivasha, the property opened its doors in 2003. The green lawns, shaded by acacias and spreading fever trees, stretch down to the lake’s shore. The hotel offers varied number of sporting activities for both the energetic and more laid back. There is abundant birdlife and several activities in the area such as boat trips and visits to Crescent Island. Accommodation is in 70 rooms, all en-suite. Other facilities include restaurants, bars, a swimming pool, resident lounge, conference room and shops. Each bedroom has a private balcony, as well as en-suite bathroom. All rooms have an overhead fan. The swimming pool is heated, and there is a tennis court. Nature and bird walks take place along the lake shore, and the hotel has 3 motor boats for to take you out onto the lake. The health centre provides the latest gym equipment, massage, sauna and steam bath.

Overnight at Naivasha Simba Lodge on a full board basis.

Friday October 10 – Masai Mara
This morning we will be driven to the Masai Mara arriving in time for lunch at Keekorok Lodge. After lunch we will have an afternoon game drive through the Park to our lodge.

Set in the heart of Africa's Great Plains, the Masai Mara boasts 1,672 square kilometres of unspoilt wilderness. It is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent. Throughout the year the Mara is a place of natural drama, a kaleidoscope of colour, life and activity. The famed "Big Five" - elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard - roam the reserve, together with hundreds of others from the fastest animal on earth, the cheetah, to one of the most secretive and unknown, the bat-eared fox.

After the rains, when the first flush of grass turns the Mara's golden savannah green, the most mesmerising wildlife spectacle anywhere takes place here: the Great Migration. This is the time when 1.5 million wildebeest, accompanied by vast numbers of zebra and gazelles make the long and dangerous trek from drier lands in Tanzania, northwards to this corner of Kenya. For most of the century the Mara has drawn those searching for adventure and the thrill is still the same today with days spent face to face with nature at its most untouched and enthralling.

Situated in the heart of the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Mara Serena Safari Lodge is set on the saddle of a hill overlooking 1 800 square kilometres of rolling plains and woodlands that contain one of the world's richest wildlife sanctuaries. Few other lodges have such a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape and the game and birdlife that inhabits it. It is on this very terrain, stretching endlessly before the lodge, that the annual migration takes place, when millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle traverse the landscape to feed on the rich new grass and give birth to their young.

The Mara Serena is an interpretation of a traditional Masai Manyatta village of domed huts that are styled and arranged to blend into the natural landscape. The public areas of the lodge include a restaurant, bar, lounge, curio shop, swimming pool and beauty salon. There are 76 huts with en suite shower facilities, mosquito nets, direct dial telephones and a private verandah. Each hut is well spaced to give an uninterrupted view of the plains, the meandering riverine forest and the silhouetted hills beyond. Breakfasts, cocktail parties and dinners are served on the terrace overlooking the waterhole where big game comes to feed. The evening entertainment includes musicians, Masai dancers, wildlife films and talks given by a resident naturalist. Game viewing can be done from the lodge or on the daily game drives onto Masai Mara plains. Safaris by balloon or plane are also offered at an additional cost.

Overnight at Mara Serena Safari Lodge on a full board basis.

Saturday October 11 – Masai Mara
Morning and afternoon game-viewing with an overnight at Mara Serena Safari Lodge on a full board basis.

Sunday October 12 – Serengeti National Park
After an early breakfast we will cross into Tanzania at Isebania then drive through the Western Corridor of the Serengeti National Park with a picnic lunch and game viewing en route.

The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. "Serengeti" means "endless plains" in the Masai language, and within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen here including the so- called "big five" - elephant, rhino, lion (more than 2,000 of them), leopard and buffalo. The huge herds of wildebeest and zebra are in the northern Serengeti and the western corridor during the dry season, July-October, returning south again as the November rains approach. In their wake follow the predators; lion, cheetah and hunting dogs with vultures circling overhead. Other common species found here include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkeys and a profusion of almost 500 bird species.

Serengeti Serena Lodge is set high on a hill with breathtaking vistas of a landscape teeming with game. The wildlife defines the Serengeti - countless zebra, buffalo, gazelle, wildebeest, and other species make it their home. Big game feed in full view of the lodge itself. The terrain is the main stage for the great wildebeest migrations, an awesome spectacle involving millions of these beasts. The lodge design is simple but stunning. Inspired by a traditional African village, separate rondavel "huts" house the luxury guest rooms. From the overall impression to the smallest detail, the lodge is rich in local atmosphere created by indigenous handicrafts and art.

Overnight Serengeti Serena Lodge on a full board basis.

Monday & Tuesday October 13-14 – Serengeti National Park
Today will be spent on morning and afternoon game-viewing drives in the Serengeti. Look out for leopard along the riverine forest or marvel at the vast herds of wildebeest and zebra out on the plains, while lion and cheetah may be spotted lurking around the rocky Kopjes.

Overnight at the Serengeti Serena Lodge on a full board basis.

Wednesday October 15 – Ngorongoro Crater
This morning we will be transferred to the Ngorongoro Crater, stopping en route at Olduvai Gorge for a picnic lunch. It was here that Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the remains of some of mankind’s earliest ancestors.

Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the incomparable Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world's largest "caldera". A caldera is the broad, crater-like basin of a volcano formed by the collapse of the central cone. Dominated by cliffs standing some 600 meters high and presenting a sheer drop down to a wide open space of some 264 square km, the crater is one of the most amazing sights seen anywhere. The Crater is home to 25,000 larger mammals, almost half of them zebra and wildebeest. There are also gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and wart hog. Such vast numbers attract predators aplenty, mainly lion and hyena but also cheetah and leopard. More than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted here. Countless flamingos form a pink blanket over the soda lakes.

Spread out along the uppermost, eastern rim of the Ngorongoro World Heritage Site, the Ngorogoro Sopa Lodge offers breathtaking views of the crater floor far below. The lodge can accommodate 190 guests in 92 suites, each enjoying wall-to-wall carpeting, central heating, a private lounge with a mini bar, a bedroom with two queen size beds and ample room for a third, an en-suite bathroom with shaver sockets and a hair dryer, and a private solarium which offers stunning views either down into the crater floor below or of the setting sun over the western horizon. A swimming pool is situated on the very edge of the crater itself and the water is bracing, even invigorating, to say the least, at any time of year. The bar and dining room feature large log fires in the evenings.

Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Thursday October 16 – Ngorongoro Crater
A half-day game-viewing in the crater with picnic lunch. The huge variety of wildlife and stunning landscapes make Ngorongoro one of the world’s great natural phenomena.

Overnight Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on a full board basis.

Friday October 17 – Lake Manyara National Park
This morning we will drive from the Ngorongoro Crater to Lake Manyara National Park with a coffee break at Gibbs Farm and lunch at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge.

Lying in a shallow depression at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment is the scenic Lake Manyara National Park. Most famous for its tree-climbing lions, which drape themselves over branches of umbrella-shaped thorn trees to catch cool breezes, the reserve boasts over 40 species of large mammals and some 380 birds. There are several different types of forests with a variety of fauna – hippo, giraffe, elephant, zebra and monkey just to name a few.

The Lake Manyara Serena Lodge has a dramatic setting overlooking the Great Rift Valley and the beautiful soda lake of Lake Manyara National Park. The area is rich in birdlife and from them much of the lodge decoration has been inspired. The Lodge facilities include a swimming pool; spacious, comfortable public areas and a restaurant and bar - all which take advantage of the breath-taking view.

Afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Look out for the famous tree-climbing lions as well as hippo, flamingo, elephant and giraffe.

Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge on a full board basis.

Saturday October 18 - Arusha
This morning we will drive to Arusha. After lunch at Redd’s Restaurant (a buffet in a beautiful setting on the grounds of a coffee plantation) we will drive back to Nairobi through the Namanga border.

On arrival we will be dropped off at the Nairobi Serena Hotel for an overnight stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

Sunday October 19 – Nairobi to London
This morning we will visit the Daphne & David Sheldrick’s Animal Orphanage which was founded by the late David Sheldrick, formerly Warden of Tsavo East National Park, and is now run by his wife Daphne. The Animal Orphanage helps to rehabilitate severely traumatized orphaned animals, particularly elephants and rhinos, thus enabling them to live their natural lifestyle once reintroduced into the wild.

Tonight we will transfer back to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and check-in for our overnight flight to London on Kenya Airways. Dinner, breakfast and drinks on board.

Monday October 20 – London To Vancouver
We will arrive in London early this morning and will spend a few hours in a day room in a hotel near the airport before connecting to our Air Canada flight to Vancouver where our trip ends.

Optional extensions to exotic Zanzibar or the Kenyan Coast are available at additional cost.

Please contact us for details about these options at time of booking.