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DAY 1: ARRIVE NAIROBI Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, transfer to the Norfolk Hotel for an overnight stay. If you wish, Absolute Africa can arrange for a private introductory tour of Nairobi; speak to your Absolute Africa travel specialist about incorporating this tour into your itinerary. DAY 2: NAIROBI - LAKE MANYARA After breakfast, transfer to Wilson Airport for your scheduled flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. After customs and immigration formalities, you will continue by scheduled flight to Manyara Airstrip. Here you will be met and transferred to Lake Manyara Tree Lodge for a two-night stay. Lake Manyara National Park has abundant wildlife, including tree-climbing lions. The extraordinary birdlife has made the park world-renowned among ornithologists, who come to view the masses of pink flamingos and great birds of prey. Safari activities include morning and afternoon game viewing drives in open vehicle, incredible bird watching and afternoon sundowners. (B,L,D) DAY 3: LAKE MANYARA Spend today exploring the wildlife haven around Lake Manyara. Set in the heart of the Great Rift Valley and surrounded by steep rock escarpments, the lake is a key stop for myriad migrating and permanent resident birds, including vultures, owls, and a dazzling abundance of water birds, most notably the pink flamingoes that often descend upon the waters in their thousands. Egrets, storks and more can also be spotted here. The park is famed for its tree-climbing lions and population of elephants. Other mammals that live here include buffalo, zebra, warthog, hippo, and many more. Olive baboons are at their most populous in Lake Manyara. The hot springs near the camp are heated in deep fissures in the Rift Valley rocks. (B,L,D) DAY 4: LAKE MANYARA - SERENGETI Following breakfast, depart for Manyara Airstrip to connect with the scheduled morning flight to Klein's Airstrip, where you will then transfer by road to Klein's Camp, situated just outside the northeast corner of the Serengeti National Park. Hidden among the Kuka Hills and commanding breathtaking views of the valleys along migratory routes of wildebeest and zebra, Klein's Camp is composed of eight intimate cottages made of local rock and thatch. Only 16 guests can stay here at a time, so you are guaranteed a quiet and intimate visit. Safari activities include morning and night game viewing drives in open vehicles and guided bush walks. (B,L,D) DAY 5: SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Spend a full day exploring the Serengeti National Park. Acacia woodlands, grassy plains and riverine forest dominate the landscape, a sharp contrast to the surrounding plains. The Grumeti River begins in the eastern Serengeti and heads west, finally spilling into the great expanse of Lake Victoria. The forest lining the banks is most dense in this corridor. Your camp lies in the path of the famous annual great migration of zebra and wildebeest making their way to Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, and can be witnessed from May to July every year. Animals in the area include lion, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, baboon, cheetah and Maasai giraffe. The pan on the edge of the camp is home to pods of grunting hippo, which float lazily on the surface by day and after dark move onto the grassy plains to feed. The area also boasts one of the highest densities of cheetah in Africa, and is also renowned for its superb bird watching. (B,L,D) DAY 6: SERENGETI - NGORONGORO CRATER After breakfast and an early morning game drive, you will transfer to the airstrip to catch the flight to Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro Crater is nearly 3 million years old, an ancient caldera of the once-volcanic Ngorongoro that shelters arguably the most beautiful wildlife haven left on earth. Safari activities include full and half-day tours to the crater, excursions to Olduvai Gorge, Shifting Sands and a traditional Maasai manyatta (home). Spend three nights at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. (B,L,D) DAYS 7 & 8: NGORONGORO CRATER Spend two full days exploring the magical realm of the Ngorongoro Crater. This World Heritage Site is seething with migratory animals during the wet season (November to May). An extraordinary realm of peaks, craters, valleys and lakes, it is the permanent home of an estimated 30,000 animals, with an overwhelming population of zebras and wildebeest. Others include lion, elephant, rhino, hippo, and the many small herbivores that are the primary prey of the larger carnivores. There is a small but growing population of black rhino living on the crater floor. Four hundred species of birds have been spotted in the conservation area, including over 100 species not found in the Serengeti. Guided walks follow the crater rim, providing breathtaking views. You may like to visit a local Maasai village or the volcanic ash dunes of the Shifting Sands near Olduvai. The Olduvai Gorge itself is extraordinary: it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Africa, and is known as the 'cradle of mankind.' The Leakey family made some of their most important archaeological discoveries here, finding some remains of early humans dating back 3.6 million years. (B,L,D) DAY 9: NGORONGORO - NAIROBI Depart from Ngorongoro for the two-hour road transfer to Manyara Airstrip to connect with the morning flight to Kilimanjaro Airport, where you will connect with the flight to Nairobi. Arrive at approximately 14:30 at Wilson Airport and transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where you can connect with your international departure flight. You may wish to extend your tour with time in Zanzibar, Mnemba Island, or one of the other stunning Indian Ocean resorts. Please contact an Absolute Africa travel specialist to discuss the possibilities. |