9-Day Premium East Africa Safari: Amboseli, Ngorongoro, Serengeti & Zanzibar

0800 Hours: You will be picked up from your residence in Nairobi to depart for Amboseli National Park, the most prestigious park in east and central Africa where you will arrive in time for lunch. 

This park boasts of being an Elephant heaven and above all being the home of the most amazing, elegant and Magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro that stands and the back ground faintly. 

OL TUKAI LODGE

Ol Tukai Lodge shares in the rich cultural history of Amboseli involving The Maasai Community, The Colonial Government and The Early European explorers. The culmination of all these defines our hospitality offering of authentic African Safari experience and culture. The lodge opened its doors in 1996, on the original setup for the film crew who shot Snow at Kilimanjaro in 1948 starring Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward and Ava Gardner – an adaptation of The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories, a compendium of short stories authored by Ernest Hemingway that was published in 1961. 

The lodge is strategically located at the heart of Amboseli National Park. As such, it is designed to take advantage of its scenic environment; Mt. Kilimanjaro and the abundant wildlife of Amboseli, making it a world-renowned spot to observe African Elephants. We started out by offering unique Safari experiences to leisure travelers but we have since expanded our services to the corporate world. Our strength lies in our flexibility to offer hospitality excellence to diverse travel individuals. Integrity is deeply woven into our business culture. We also promote a working environment that cultivates job satisfaction. We are disability-friendly, family-friendly, and eco-friendly.

Check in, early afternoon at Leisure and thereafter proceed for an evening game viewing drive. 

Later return to the lodge at dusk for a sumptuous dinner and overnight.

Dinner and overnight at Ol Tukai Lodge. (FB)

Breakfast at the Lodge.

You will depart for Namanga border where you will change from the Kenyan Vehicle and guide to a Tanzanian Vehicle and guide.

You will depart for Ngorongoro with our Tanzanian guide.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northeastern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority administers the conservation area, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region. The western portion of the park abuts the Serengeti National Park, and the area comprising the two parks and Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve is home to Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals. The conservation area also contains Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world.

NGORONGORO RHINO LODGE

Situated a few hundred metres from the southern rim of the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, Rhino Lodge offers comfortable accommodation and friendly staff. While not on the rim of the crater itself, the lodge has beautiful surroundings and provides easy access to the road into the crater. Here, one can marvel at Ngorongoro's concentration of wildlife, including the Big Five, and breathtaking scenery.

Highlights

Easy access from the lodge to the road into the crater

Spectacular game viewing both in the crater and surrounding areas

Opportunities to meet local Maasai people

Beautiful walks to suit all levels of fitness around the lodge and in the area

Warm and comfortable accommodation with woodburning stoves

Rhino Lodge has 24 en-suite rooms arranged around a courtyard, with a veranda facing onto the beautiful montane forest. Although the living quarters get blocked off at night, the courtyard area is unfenced so wildlife ambles past, including an elephant fondly called Jino Moja.

The rooms are simple but comfortable, with woodburning stoves for chilly nights. En-suite bathrooms have a toilet, basin and shower with hot water. Bright blankets and throws made from Maasai fabrics add a splash of colour.

Main lodge area

The main lodge is simple and practical, with stone walls, floors and fireplaces to keep the highlands chill at bay. Comfy sofas provide the perfect spot to read a book after a day spotting wildlife in the crater. A small curio shop sells gifts and mementoes.

The restaurant has beautiful views overlooking the forest, with a wooden deck on which to sit if you'd prefer to eat al fresco. Inside, two fireplaces create a warm and cosy setting for the simple yet delicious food which is a mix of local and international tastes. Depending on the number of guests at the lodge, meals can be buffet or à la carte.

Game viewing activities

Most people coming into Ngorongoro come with their own vehicles and guide but, if not, Rhino Lodge will happily connect guests with local guides and vehicles. Vehicles are only allowed into the crater during the day. An early start and easy access from the lodge into the crater ensure an incredible safari experience.

Due to the high concentration of wildlife on the crater floor, you can expect to see vast numbers of animals during a day drive, including the rare and endangered black rhino, lion, elephant, zebra and many varieties of antelope.

Things to do

Ngorongoro Crater is within the vast Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which encompasses a number of great places to visit, including the fascinating archaeological site at Olduvai Gorge and Ngorongoro Crater's smaller sister crater, Empakaai.

While walking safaris are not allowed on the crater floor, the surrounding areas offer a wide range of activities, from trekking and hiking to mountain biking and meeting with the local people to learn about their culture and traditions.

There are numerous guided hiking trails to suit all levels of fitness, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the spectacular African bush.

Getting there

By car - Rhino Lodge is about three hours by car from Arusha.

By air - The flight from Arusha to Manyara airstrip takes about 40 minutes. From there, it's a scenic 45-minute drive to the lodge. Arusha is served by two airports; the domestic Arusha Airport and Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Our take on Rhino Lodge

Rhino Lodge is simple but comfortable, with great staff. While it doesn't offer views over the crater floor, its affordability, the views over the montane forest and of passing animals and its close proximity to the road leading to the crater floor make up for that. From here, you can get an early start and miss the crowds that often build up at the gate into the crater.

Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge

Breakfast at the your preferred Lodge in Ngorongoro.

Check-out and depart by road for Serengeti National Park.

The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serengeti hosts the world's most massive[3] land animal migration (in terms of total body weight), which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.

SERENGETI KATIKATI CAMP

Serengeti Kati Kati Camp is a mobile camp strategically situated in central Serengeti, ideal for exploring the extensive Serengeti plains. The camp offers comfortable accommodation together with the unique opportunity to enjoy a real safari experience on a camp. In its comfortable tents one will feel completely immersed in the surroundings and one can enjoy the rich animal life and vegetation of the area.

An original form of accommodation which resembles the old camps of the first explorers in Africa, with all the commodities of today.

Located a two hour drive along a panoramic route from the Olduvai Museum and the river Grumeti, two of the indispensable visits for all travellers to Tanzania.

Lunch at the Lodge.After lunch, have an afternoon game viewing drive then later enjoy a sundowner.

Breakfast at the Lodge.

Full day game viewing drive at Serengeti National Park with packed lunches.

DINNER AND OVERNIGHT AT SERENGETI KATIKATI CAMP

After breakfast you will be transferred to Seronera airstrip for scheduled flight to Zanzibar - Seronera / Zanzibar  1000 / 1300.

On arrival in Zanzibar you are met and transferred to your beach Hotel.

Zanzibar is an insular semi-autonomous region which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 km (16–31 mi) off the coast of the African mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre, Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site.

Zanzibar's main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism. The main spices produced are clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut, and black pepper. The Zanzibar Archipelago, together with Tanzania's Mafia Island, are sometimes referred to locally as the "Spice Islands". Tourism in Zanzibar is a more recent activity, driven by government promotion that caused an increase from 19,000 tourists in 1985, to 376,000 in 2016. The islands are accessible via 5 ports and the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, which can serve up to 1.5 million passengers per year.

Zanzibar's marine ecosystem is an important part of the economy for fishing and algaculture and contains important marine ecosystems that act as fish nurseries for Indian Ocean fish populations. Moreover, the land ecosystem is the home of the endemic Zanzibar red colobus, the Zanzibar servaline genet, and the extinct or rare Zanzibar leopard. Pressure from the tourist industry and fishing as well as larger threats such as sea level rise caused by climate change are creating increasing environmental concerns throughout the region.

NUNGWI BEACH RESORT BY TURACO

Located directly on the Nungwi beach, Nungwi Beach Resort by Turaco is 75 minutes away from Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, offering access to 2 restaurants, 4 bars, a coffee shop and a wide variety of recreational and sightseeing activities. Relax by our private beach, cool off in our outdoor freshwater pool or simply treat yourself to relaxing massage at our Wellness Centre.

Accommodation at Nungwi Beach Resort by Turaco in Zanzibar.

Breakfast at the Resort.

Day at leisure 

Accommodation at Nungwi Beach Resort by Turaco in Zanzibar.

After breakfast transfer to Zanzibar airport