DAY 1

• ARUSHA

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• Get In and Get Some Rest
• While in our care, your safety and security are our number one priority. As such, in the unlikely event of serious illness or injury, all guests are provided with a “Flying Doctors” insurance policy. This emergency evacuation insurance covers the cost of the evacuation flight back to Nairobi for treatment, however, does not cover the cost of any medical treatment received. We highly recommend travel insurance for full coverage.
• You will be greeted by a private English-speaking guide in the public waiting area of Kilimanjaro International Airport after passing through baggage claim. This guide will transfer you to your hotel and assist with check-in.
• Before departing on your first day of activities, a trip representative will meet you at your hotel to discuss the details of your trips and answer any questions you may have.

DAY 2

• ARUSHA TO NGORONGORO TO MANYARA

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• The Adventure Begins
• Your guide will pick you up in Arusha and drive you to Lake Manyara National Park to take in some wildlife viewing before transferring you to the impressive Ngorongoro Crater.
• Best known for its baboon population, the Manyara region is a land of sweeping plains, giant figs and mahogany trees, and is host to a range of herbivores including hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, warthogs and giraffes. The scenic Lake Manyara National Park has the wall of the Great Rift Valley to one side and the lake on the other, and affords guests with incredible photography opportunities. Today you will explore this diverse land on a game drive alongside an expert guide. Lucky guests may spot the rare tree climbing lion while in Manyara, and following your exploration, you will be transferred to your lodge or camp.
• During your stay in the Ngorongoro region, a range of optional activities are available to you. From bush picnics to cultural visits to local Masai villages to guided wildlife discovery walks to sundowner cocktails, the choice is yours. As well, excursions to the massive Ngorongoro Crater can also be arranged where you’ll discover an incredible range of wildlife. If you would like more information on any optional activity, please speak to your Destination Expert.

DAY 3

• NGORONGORO

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• Where the Wild Things Are
• An experienced tracker-guide and private vehicle will accompany you today while exploring Ngorongoro National Park.
• Today discover one of the most remarkable wildlife conservation areas in Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Crater. Departing in a privately driven vehicle alongside a local expert guide, you will make your way to the setting for today’s adventure. The world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera, this geological marvel was formed as the result of a gigantic explosion which caused the volcano to collapse on itself, thereby creating the massive crater. Roughly 12 miles wide and some 2,000 feet deep, the trip from crater rim to floor takes approximately 45 minutes by vehicle. The extremely fertile crater floor has attracted incredibly dense populations of wildlife, and at present over 25,000 large animals call the crater home, including some of the world’s last remaining black rhinos. The crater floor is also host to some of the highest concentrations of carnivores in the world, featuring large prides of lions, packs of hyenas and solitary predators like cheetahs and jackals. A keen eye paired with expertly procured search patterns from your guide is sure to help you spot a wide range of wildlife and perhaps some of the more elusive species like leopards, servals, and bat-eared foxes.

DAY 4

• NGORONGORO TO SERENGETI

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• A Change of Scenery
• Your guide will pick you up from your lodge in Ngorongoro and drive you to the famous plains of the Serengeti. On this drive you will have the option of stopping at Olduvai Gorge, the Serengeti Welcome Center and Lookout Point, or to stop for a picnic lunch. After entering the Serengeti, you will have the chance to enjoy a game viewing drive as you track through the park en route to your next accommodation. The drive takes five to six hours depending on the number of stops you make and the length of your game viewing experience. Longer transit times should be expected during the rainy seasons.
• The massive Olduvai Gorge, or Oldupai Gorge, is often referred to as “The Cradle of Mankind.” Beginning in the eastern Serengeti plains, the cavernous ravine is some 30 miles long and is the result of millions of years of natural erosion. The gorge features a steep-sided gully that cuts its way through the Great Rift Valley stretching along eastern Africa, and is named after a commonly used plant by the Masai people; Sansevieria-Ehrenbergii, or Olduvai for short. This plant grows plentifully in the area, and is used for making bandages, rope, baskets, roofs and clothing. Today, discover the Olduvai Gorge firsthand alongside your expert local guide.

DAY 5

• SERENGETI

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• The Mane Attraction
• One of the most well-preserved national parks on Earth, the Serengeti today looks much like it did thousands of years ago. Here, the patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves. Set out in the morning to explore this magnificent park and to track animals while taking in the breathtaking beauty of this abiding landscape of rolling plains, acacia trees and outstanding biodiversity.
• Get ready for an afternoon to remember as you set out in the company of an experienced tracker-guide to explore the expanses of the Serengeti. The park is world renowned for its healthy populations of resident wildlife species, in particular the African Big Five consisting of buffaloes, elephants, rhinoceroses, leopards and lions. Although sightings are considered a rarity, a small group of black rhinoceros also live within the park grounds. Heavy concentrations of topi, gazelle, waterbuck and Coke’s hartebeest ensure that local carnivores including cheetah, hyenas and African wild dog are ever present. The park is also home to more than 500 species of birds, including ostriches, crowned cranes, marabou storks and secretary birds; some of the most sought-after and photogenic birds on the planet.

DAY 6

• SERENGETI

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• Under African Skies
• This morning, your African adventure begins with an exploratory game drive through Tanzania’s oldest and most recognized National Park, the Serengeti. A land of unparalleled game viewing, from great herds of grazing herbivores to tactically cunning packs of carnivores, life on the plains of the Serengeti truly epitomizes the “circle of life.” A paradise for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts alike, it is all but guaranteed that you will spot giraffes and elephants feasting on shrubbery, impalas, gazelles and buffaloes traipsing carefully through the plains to avoid being noticed by on-looking lions, cheetahs and hyenas, and a spectacular range of birdlife flitting through the sky.
• On today’s afternoon game drive, the choice is up to you: search for the Big 5 or expand your horizons to discover something different. The Serengeti not only has a rich mix of animals – it also has an incredible array of bird life with almost 450 different species.

DAY 7

• SERENGETI TO ISEBANIA TO MASAI MARA

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• Across the Plains
• This morning, your guide will drive you from Serengeti to the Isebania border. This day-long commute includes game viewing in the Serengeti en route, as well as a multi-hour drive across highway and bumpy patches of road to the border. Depending on your camp location and the stops on your game drive along the way, the drive to the Isebania Border is anywhere between three and five hours.
• Upon arrival to the Isebania Border Crossing, switch to a Kenyan vehicle and continue your safari with a Kenyan guide.
• Kenyan Visas can be purchased at the border at the cost of $50 USD. Please Note: Visas must be paid in USD, and in cash. No bills can be older than 2006 as a local counterfeiting safeguard. A Single Entry Visa is valid for three months and can be used for multiple entries into Kenya and Tanzania. It is also required that you have your Yellow Fever certification handy upon crossing.
• After clearing the Isebania Border Crossing, you will continue onward to the Masai Mara. This last section of driving will be partly on a paved highway and partly by dirt road. Approximate travel time to the Masai Mara is between two to four hours, depending on road conditions.
• Head out this afternoon on an exciting game viewing adventure. The locations visited will be determined by your expert guide as they have an intimate understanding of the daily routines of animals and how best to track them. On this afternoon excursion, visit several wildlife hot-spots with an aim to espy elusive animals such as the leopard. These spotted cats blend almost seamlessly into the tall grass and shrubbery, and are even more challenging to spot when in their favorite hangout, the trees. Exploring the region, your guide will take you to nearby watering holes where on a hot day you’ll spot many birds and mammals, including, with luck, the elusive leopard. After a thrilling afternoon game drive, you will be returned to your lodge in time to freshen up for a delicious safari dinner.

DAY 8

• MASAI MARA

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• Safari Sightings
• Just like the wildlife, your day’s adventure will begin bright and early this morning. Alongside an experienced tracker-guide, set out for the day’s first game drive and discover the dazzling bio-diversity of the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The most recognized animals are known worldwide as the African Big 5, and this group includes the African elephant, Cape buffalo, rhinoceros, leopard, and the king of the beasts, the lion. The term “Big 5” was first coined by big-game hunters as a way to acknowledge that these species were the most difficult and dangerous to track and hunt, however, in subsequent years the term has been adopted and re-purposed by the tourism industry and painted in patently positive light, focusing now on the preservation and protection of these magnificent creatures. Numerous other species of bird and wildlife also inhabit this dynamic region, including hyenas, gazelles, impalas, giraffes, zebras, vultures, cranes, eagles, falcons, and ostriches, many of which you’ll spot on this morning drive through the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
• On today’s afternoon game drive, the possibilities for adventure are endless! Search for the Big 5 or expand your horizons to discover some of the regions lesser known animals. The Masai Mara not only has a rich mix of mammals both large and small, but is also host to an incredible array of birdlife that includes approximately 450 different species, from the fierce bateleur (or short tailed eagle) to the musical sooty chat.

DAY 9

• MASAI MARA TO NAIROBI

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• The Journey Continues…
• Your guide will drive you from Masai Mara to Nairobi, with short stops for refreshments and souvenirs along the way. The drive will take approximately 6 hours.
• Please note that the first half of this drive will be on rough & bumpy roads and the last towards Nairobi will be on paved roads.
• Stop at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant. The site of the original farmhouse built in 1906 now serves as a beautiful location to enjoy a meal surrounded by large, hundred year old trees and beautiful gardens with hundreds of different varieties of blooming flowers. Enjoy a prix fixe menu including starter, main entree, and coffee/tea.  Please let us know in advance if you are vegetarian, have any food preferences or dietary requirements.

DAY 10

• NAIROBI TO VICTORIA FALLS

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• Onward and Upward
• A private transfer between your hotel and the airport in Nairobi is provided.
• Board a flight in Nairobi with service to Victoria Falls. Approximate flight duration is three hours and 15 minutes.
• Transfer between the Victoria Falls Airport and your lodge with a private driver and vehicle.
• Today enjoy a spectacular sunset as you cruise down the magnificent Zambezi River. After a transfer from your hotel, board the vessel resembling a turn-of-the-century riverboat. Merely skimming the water, it takes up to 14 guests and it is furnished in teak and brass for a taste of Victoria splendor. As you float gently down the river with a beverage in your hand, take in your serene natural surroundings, listen to the sounds of birds and admire the views of the African bush. Snacks are also served. Upon the conclusion of your tour you will be transferred back to your accommodation.  

DAY 11

• VICTORIA FALLS

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• Cross an Item off the Bucket List
• The Victoria Falls – Now In Its 150 Millionth Fantastic Year - Reaches Its Zenith In About May Each Year. It’s a truly awe-inspiring experience – the sight, the sound, the smell; the humbling feeling that here indeed is Nature’s Supreme Masterpiece. No photograph can begin to depict the reality, and nothing prepares you for your first sight. This tour is conducted in the morning and afternoon. En route, you may be taken past the ‘Big Tree’ where you may stop and take photos. You will be accompanied through the rainforest by one of our qualified guides, who will give a brief history of the Falls themselves as well as detailing the flora, fauna, bird & wildlife and other points of interest. Guides are also happy to assist you with photographs whilst visiting this most spectacular of waterfalls. Raincoats are provided when needed.
• Victoria Falls hosts an array of exciting activities that you can book from your hotel, such as helicopter rides, fishing, whitewater rafting, Chobe game park day trips, jet boat tours, cultural tours, and more. Additional charges will apply.

DAY 12

• VICTORIA FALLS TO CHOBE

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• On the Road Again
• A private transfer from Victoria Falls to your Chobe-area lodge is provided. Approximate transfer duration is 2 hours.
• Chobe is famous for its large herds of elephant and buffalo, along with numerous predators - including lions, leopards and wild dogs. There is a great diversity of plains game and an astonishing array of bird species. Guests staying at the Muchenje Safari Lodge can be assured that a variety of activities are made available for them to enjoy including game drives in comfortable 4x4 safari vehicles. Game viewing by boat on the Chobe River offers you a chance to see huge herds of elephants, as well as many other mammals and birds attracted to the water’s edge, not to mention those animals which also live in the River! Walking safaris allow you to learn about the intricacies of the bush. Your guide teaches you about the spoor, trees, plants and insects that make for such exciting and interesting additions to the wildlife experience. Night game drives in the lodge’s own concession are an opportunity to put spotlight on the local ‘night life’, which can range from the small mammals to buffalo and elephant. Village visits provide for a cultural experience and to meet the people that make Botswana the delightful country that it is.

DAY 13

• CHOBE

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• Rollin’ on the River
• Set out into the wilderness of the Chobe National Park alongside an experienced local guide from your lodge. Explore this famous African game viewing destination during this once in a lifetime opportunity where you’ll experience all that the recognized Chobe National Park has to offer. Keep your camera handy as the local big game can appear at any time. With a little bit of luck, you will be able to spot a variety of wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, giraffes, kudus and hippos. Exploring this dynamic flood-plain provides a unique game viewing experience as the animals are constantly on the move pursuing new sources of fresh drinking water.
• Gliding across the picturesque Chobe River is considered by many as one of the finest game viewing experiences in all of Africa.  Boasting from 80,000 to 120,000 elephants in the park alone, the area provides visitors with very frequent sightings of these majestic creatures along the ubiquitous waterways and flood plains of Chobe.  Get your camera ready, or simply settle into your comfortable seat an enjoy the tranquil ride. Other African wildlife including hippos, buffalo, crocodiles, and waterfowl are also often spotted, providing for a truly exciting safari adventure.

DAY 14

• CHOBE TO KASANE TO JOHANNESBURG TO CAPE TOWN

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• En Route
• A transfer between your lodge and the airstrip is provided.
• Board a flight in Kasane with service to Johannesburg. Approximate flight duration is one hour and 50 minutes.
• Upon arrival into Johannesburg, South Africa you will be met on arrival inside the airport by airport staff with your name on a paging board. You will be assisted through immigration, baggage collection, customs and on to check-in for your onward flight.
• Board a flight in Johannesburg with service to Cape Town. Approximate flight duration is two hours and 10 minutes.
• Enjoy a private transfer between your hotel and Cape Town airport.

DAY 15

• CAPE TOWN

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• Explore with an Expert
• Beat the crowds and start the day early with your private guide by visiting Cape Town’s most iconic landmark, Table Mountain. One of the most spectacularly bio-diverse places on Earth, an estimated 1,500 unique species of plant-life are found on Table Mountain alone, many of which are endemic and found nowhere else on the planet. Ascend by cable car as the mist from the clouds open up to the main plateau while striking views of Cape Town come into crystal-clear focus. Now with a better understanding of the city’s layout, walk past Cape Town’s storied past as your guide recounts the colorful histories of the Houses of Parliament, the Castle of Good Hope (South Africa’s oldest building) and the well-tended Company Gardens. Bargain your way through the lively Greenmarket Square in search of souvenir while meeting local artisans along the way. As you enter another one of Cape Town’s famed stop at Bo-Kaap, learn how the Cape Malay community, with its cobbled streets and brightly colored houses became one of city’ most vibrant neighborhoods. There’s no better way of understanding local history than through your Capetonian guide. From here you have the choice of being dropped off at the V&A Waterfront to experience this landmark at your own pace, with its many shops, restaurants and pubs - or at your hotel to end the tour. Should you choose to visit the waterfront, please speak to your Destination Expert for a range of recommendations for lunch.
• The V&A Waterfront is surely one of the top attractions in Cape Town no matter your age, interests or group dynamic. To name a few highlights, the Two Oceans Aquarium is home to an incredible array of exotic, seemingly other-worldly creatures from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Behind the aquarium, a small colony of Cape fur seals are almost always found on the docks, ready and waiting to pose for your camera. Chavonnes Battery, Cape Town’s first fortification, is now a museum with artifacts from centuries past. At the heart of the waterfront lies the Clock Tower of Cape Town, and for those wanting to learn more about the harbor's history, a stop at the SA Maritime Museum is a must. For your shopping needs, a visit to the Victoria Wharf Shopping Center is the perfect stopover for designer items and authentic Cape souvenirs.

DAY 16

• CAPE TOWN

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• Winding the Wind-Swept Shorelines
• After meeting your expert local guide in Cape Town, begin the day with a visit to one of the more popular leisure hubs for locals – the glorious beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, where impressive white sand beaches hug the shoreline with the Twelve Apostles as a stunning backdrop. Learn about the fascinating history of this breathtaking land from your Capetonian guide as you begin the spectacular sea-side drive to the quaint village of Hout Bay. After a stop in the village, you will track along the extraordinary Chapman’s Peak Drive, known as one of the most picturesque roadways world-wide. With the flexibility to spend as little or as long as you would like in this region crammed with incredible panoramic lookouts, the benefits of having a private vehicle and guide truly come into play. Further along you will reach the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve where, at Cape Point, you will board a funicular or walk up the stairway that leads to the Cape Point Lighthouse; it is here that you will observe the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans while enjoying fantastic views of False Bay. Departing from Cape Point, head northward to Simon’s Town to enjoy lunch (included). Although the city is host to a number of tasty dining options, consider indulging in fresh-caught fish & chips, the town’s specialty. After a refreshing lunch and a bit of time to learn about Simon’s Town, set off with your camera ready to visit Boulders Beach, a nearby nature preserve that is home to a colony of African penguins. Wrapping up your day’s adventure, tour the idyllic Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a sprawling park brimming with rare and exotic plant-life that is surely one the finest examples of botany the world over, before being returned to your hotel.

DAY 17

• CAPE TOWN

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• Taste and Tipple on a Vineyard Visit
• The world-famous Cape Winelands are known for more than just their award-winning wines. The region, replete with mountain ranges, Cape Dutch-style homesteads, quaint towns and meticulously kept vineyards, is a veritable postcard throughout. Alongside your private guide, wind your way through the picturesque heart of the Cape Winelands to tour a few of the county’s most popular and innovative wineries – tastings included – and to explore Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Walk under the cover of centuries-old oak trees as you explore the many cafes, boutiques and art galleries that colonial Stellenbosch has to offer, a canal-lined university town in the Western Cape. Exiting the town, be sure to have your camera ready as you depart for Franschhoek through the scenic Helshoogte Pass. A town set within a gorgeous valley, Franschhoek was founded by French Huguenots in the 17^th century and is often billed as the “gourmet capital of South Africa.” Enjoy a sample of fine wine at a local vineyard before testing the fabled culinary skills of local chefs at one of the many top-tier restaurants in town (your guide will make recommendations to suit your interests and appetite). Working your way back toward Cape Town, you will also visit Paarl, one of the first farming districts in South Africa which is also home to a cluster of granite domes that the town is named after. Here you will enjoy your third and final wine sample before being returned to your hotel after an absorbing and serene day in the Cape Winelands and countryside.

DAY 18

• CAPE TOWN
• Bon Voyage
• Enjoy a private transfer between your hotel and Cape Town airport.

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Mount Meru Hotel

Farm House Valley Lodge

Mbalageti Camp

Mara West

Radisson Blu Hotel

Batonka Guest Lodge

Muchenje Safari Lodge

Four Rosmead