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Itinerary

Day-By-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Nairobi, Kenya

Day 2: Arrive Nairobi After arriving in Nairobi this evening, we transfer to our hotel.

Day 3: Nairobi We see highlights of Kenya’s cosmopolitan capital city today, including the City Market, with produce, flowers, and handcrafts; and the house and museum of Danish writer Karen Blixen, who as Isak Dinesen wrote Out of Africa. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel. B,D

Day 4: Nairobi/Masai Mara This morning we drive via Narok to Masai Mara, Kenya’s – and Africa’s – premier game reserve rich with animal life and homeland of the native Maasai people. Known ­espe­cially for its annual wildebeest migration, the Mara comprises 200 square miles of vast plains, acacia ­forests, grass-covered hills, and slow-flowing rivers. B,L,D

Day 5: Masai Mara We spend today “on safari,” venturing out on game drives during prime viewing hours to glimpse some of the lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebra, giraffe, gazelles, wildebeest, ele­phants, buffalo, hippo, rhino, and other wildlife that call the Mara home. When not out in the bush, we can enjoy the activities and amenities of our luxury tented camp including a spa and swimming pool, cultural and wildlife talks, and Maasi dance ­performances. B,L,D

Day 6: Masai Mara After a morning visit to a local school, again today we’re on safari in this preserve that’s almost the size of Rhode Island. As we explore we’re sure to encounter native Maasai, the semi-nomadic people who have called the Mara home for millennia and whose deep-rooted culture dictates they live in harmony with the wildlife surrounding them; hence they rarely hunt. B,L,D

Day 7: Masai Mara/Amboseli We fly today to Nairobi then drive to Amboseli National Park, in the shadow of snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Maasi’s “white mountain.” Known for its large elephant population, Amboseli boasts wide dry plains teeming with herds of wildebeest, zebra, and impala – as we may see on this afternoon’s game drive. Dinner tonight is at our lodge. B,L,D

Day 8: Amboseli Early this morning we visit a near­by Maasi village. Later: more game drives and time for relaxing at our lodge in the foothills of Kili­man­jaro beneath a copse of feathered acacia trees. B,L,D

Day 9: Amboseli/Ngorongoro Conservation Area Leaving Amboseli this morning, we cross the border into Tanzania at Namanga and continue ­onward to Arusha, where we stop for lunch. This afternoon we reach spectacular Ngorongoro, a UNESCO Conservation Area, International ­Biosphere Reserve, and site of Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. On the crater’s floor is Africa in microcosm: grassland, swamps, lakes, forests, mountains, and unparalleled wildlife, including the rare black rhino, hippos, ­wildebeest, zebra, eland, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, and black-maned male lions count among its ­25,000 creatures. And because they live within the confines of the steep-walled caldera, Ngorongoro’s animals are less shy and more approachable than those at other reserves. B,L,D

Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater On our morning tour of the 100-square-mile crater we have our only chance to see all of Africa’s “Big Five” – ele­­­phant, buffalo, rhinoceros, lion, and leopard – in one place. We also may see semi-nomadic Maasai tribespeople engage in their age-old practice of grazing their cattle alongside the animals. This afternoon is at leisure ­to relax at our lodge on the crater’s rim. B,L,D

Day 11: Ngorongoro Crater/Serengeti National Park We’re bound this morning for the Seren­geti, the Maasai’s 5,700-square-mile “endless plain” considered Africa’s finest park and one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges. On the way we visit 31-mile Olduvai Gorge, where in 1959 anthropologist Mary Leakey discovered the 1.8 million-year-old skull of ­Australopithecus boisei – and revolutionized the study of ­human evolution. Reaching our Serengeti lodge, we embark on a game drive here this afternoon. B,L,D

Day 12: Serengeti Twice a year (Nov-Dec and Mar-May), some 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle migrate to new grazing lands between Masai Mara and the Serengeti, spark­ing one of nature’s most spectacular sights. But the Serengeti’s vast treeless plains teem with animal life year-round, and this is the best place to see lion and cheetah up close. Perhaps we will on today’s two game drives. B,L,D

Day 13: Serengeti/Lake Manyara Tanzania boasts some 13,000 square miles of protected national parkland, more than any other county. We travel today by minibus to peaceful Lake Man­yara, one of Tan­zania’s smallest and most diverse national parks. Bordered by the dramatic Western Escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Manyara is notable for its abun­dant bird life (some 400 species, including masses of pink flamingoes), diverse vegetation, tree-climbing lions, and hippos. We take a game drive here this afternoon. B,L,D

Day 14: Lake Manyara On today’s two game drives we’re sure to see hippos, which we can get closer to here than anywhere else; as well as blue monkeys, lions, elephants, giraffes, impalas, zebras, and such bird life as the saddle-bill stork, knob-billed duck, and Hottentot teal. B,L,D

Day 15: Lake Manyara/Nairobi Today we re-enter the urban world as we travel to Nairobi via Arusha. Tonight we celebrate our Africa adventure at a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. B,L,D

Day 16: Nairobi/Return to U.S. After a day at leisure, we transfer to the Nairobi airport and board our connecting flight to the U.S. B

Day 17: Arrive U.S. We reach New York this afternoon and connect with our flights home.

WHEN TO GO
Aside from during the rainy season (Mar-May), you’ll enjoy outstanding game viewing and warm, comfortable temperatures year-round. Some highlights:

• December to June: Wildebeest migration from Masai Mara to the Serengeti; abundant lion populating; calving season in the Serengeti

• June to late October: Dry season; masses of game on the plains; Jun/Aug wildebeest arrive in the Serengeti

• Late October to mid December: Season of the "short" rains (brief daily thunderstorms); migration season from the Serengeti back to Masai Mara

Included

Tour Price Includes

• Round-trip air transportation from cities listed; flight from Masai Mara to Nairobi
• 14 nights' accommodations: 11 nights in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels and lodges; 3 nights in luxury tented camp
• 39 meals: 14 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 13 dinners
• Extensive game viewing as described, including all park entrance fees
• Mineral water while on safari
• Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
• Private minibus transportation throughout your trip with guaranteed window seating
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for driver/guides, dining room servers, and airport and hotel porters
• $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after three tours)

Dates and Prices

2009 Tour Dates & Prices

	Nov 4 Nov 11 Nov 18	Jan 21 Feb 18	Sep 9 Sep 16 Sep 23 Oct 7 Oct 21	Jul 15 Jul 29 Aug 5 Aug 19
New York	$6,195	$6,795	$6,995	$7,395
Baltimore, Boston, Wash, DC	$6,495	$7,095	$7,295	$7,695
Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Orlando, Tampa	$6,595	$7,195	$7,395	$7,795
Cincinnati, Cleve, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Ang, Minneapolis	$6,695	$7,295	$7,495	$7,895
Phoenix, Port (OR), San Fran, Seattle	$6,795	$7,395	$7,595	$7,995

 

Please call if your city is not listed or for land only prices. Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single travelers please add $1,395. Your $375 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days before departure. All 2009 tour prices above are guaranteed.

An overnight stay at the Sheraton JFK Airport Hotel on departure is available for $135 (single supplement: $95). Depending on flight schedules, certain U.S. departure cities may require an overnight stay at your expense.

Business Class upgrade on round-trip international flight: $5,495 per person. Airline taxes and departure fees of $559 per person are subject to change and will be listed separately on your invoice.

Hotels

Hotels & Ratings

Day Itinerary Hotel Rating 1 Depart U.S. for Nairobi 2-3 Nairobi Norfolk Hotel Deluxe 4-6 Masai Mara Sarova Mara Tented Camp Sup. First Class 7-8 Amboseli Amboseli Serena Lodge Sup. First Class 9-10 Ngorongoro Ngorongoro Crater Serena Lodge Sup. First Class 11-12 Serengeti Serengeti Serena Lodge Sup. First Class 13-14 Lake Manyara Lake Manyara Serena Lodge Sup. First Class 15 Nairobi Norfolk Hotel Deluxe 16 Depart Nairobi for U.S. 17 Arrive U.S.

Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel industry standard reference.