Day 7  03 August, 2009  Lake Nakuru - Masai Mara  (B,L,D)   We leave in the morning and head across the floor of the Great Rift Valley, the longest rift in the crust of the earth, to Masai Mara. We spend three full days in this natural paradise among zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, buffalo, elephant, antelope and gazelle. We will encounter prides of lions resting in the shade of acacia trees or lying low in the tall grass, in wait for their next meal. There is a good chance of spotting cheetah and if you are lucky, the shy leopard.  Lunch, dinner and an overnight stay at the Karen Blixen Camp.     Karen Blixen Camp in the Masai Mara offers an authentic ’yesteryear’ experience for visitors wishing to gain that little extra from their safari. Set on the bank of the Mara River the camp consists of 22 luxurious tents. The location is spectacular, with the great Mara plains behind the camp and the impressive escarpment and Mara River in front. Throughout the day, zebras, elephants and hippos come to drink from the river. Long gone are the days when staying in a tented camp meant roughing it. You will find that the Karen Blixen Camp experience is a step back in time with the luxurious of today.

Day 8 & 9  04 & 05 August, 2009  Masai Mara (B,L,D)   On these two days we go game viewing before breakfast and again in the afternoon, with lunch and a siesta at the lodge. In the evening, it is time for a well-deserved shower and a refreshing drink before dinner. Overnight at Karen Blixen Camp.

Day 10  06 August, 2009  Masai Mara - Lake Victoria  (B,L,D)     Leave the lodge after an early breakfast and head for the Tanzanian boarder at Sirari. Even though it is outside the park, game can still be seen. Enjoy a packed lunch. Continue towards Lake Victoria and Tilapia Hotel    Hotel Tilapia is situated along the Capripoint, on the serene shores of Lake Victoria. What's more its less than a kilometer drive from the city center. From the time of its inauguration, Hotel Tilapia has gone through tremendous changes & improvisations. The hotel is renowned for its excellent service, umcompromisable hospitaliy and exquisite cuisine. It boasts of 40 well maintained A/C rooms with free interned connectivity and other ammenities, 4 restaurants, 2 bars, swimming pool, a fully equipped business center, some of the rooms are lake facing with a spectacular view of Lake Vicotira. Wireless internet available at the swimming pool bar area

Day 11  07 August, 2009  Lake Victoria (B,L,D)  A full day at Lake Victoria.     Meals and overnight at Tilapia Hotel.
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Day 12  08 August, 2009  Lake Victoria - Serengeti (B,L,D)    Continue towards Serengeti and drive through the Western Corridor where we will start to see game. For example the biggest crocodile in the world – the Nile Crocodile. Arrive at lodge for lunch. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight Mbalageti Lodge.          The Mbalageti Serengeti is located in the Western corridor of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.  Our lodge is situated on the Mwamyeni hill and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Serengeti plain lands and the Mbalageti River. The pool is made out of local rocks and situated on the edge of the hill. This allows for a 360 degree view of the Serengeti so your game viewing can continue even while you're at the camp. The bar is situated in the centre of the main building, and is the natural meeting place and heart of the lodge, where you can compare your day’s game experience while being served the drink of your choice. You can also sit back and relax in the lounge loft, a cozy corner on the second floor in the main building. Board games, puzzles, magazines and books are available for all the guests. Situated on either side of the Mwamyeni hill, 24 luxury tented chalets - 12 a side - offer breathtaking sunset or sunrise views of the Serengeti plain lands and the Mbalageti River. With a structure of local rock and wood, these canvas fitted chalets are the perfect way to relax after a day of game viewing. All chalets have a bathroom with luxury amenities and are designed with attention to the smallest detail. Pamper yourself in the bath while enjoying a spectacular view. The private veranda with its cooling thatch roof is a private oasis and works as an extension of your bedroom in the wild.

Day 13  09 August, 2009  Serengeti  (B,L,D)   A full day to explore the Serengeti, the most famous National Park in Africa. Our driver-guide will choose our route based on his extensive knowledge of the park and local conditions but the Serengeti rarely disappoints. We carry our packed lunch with us so as to make the most of the day, but our trip might include tracking cheetah through the Gol Kopjes, hunting leopard along the Seronera River, avoiding the crocs and hippos at Retima or exploring the Masai paintings at Moru Kopjes. Dinner and Overnight at Mbalageti Lodge.

Day 14  10 August, 2009   Serengeti - Ngorongoro (B,L,D)  After breakfast depart for Ngorongoro Crater, with a final Serengeti game drive en-route, We stop at Olduvai Gorge to visit the site where Mary and Louis Leakey first discovered the remains of Zinjanthropus Bosei, a distant ancestor of man believed to be 1.8 million years old, Australopithecus Bosei, the 'Nutcracker Man', a species that became extinct about 1 million years ago and fossilised foot prints that date back 3,6 million years. We then descend down the 2000-ft walls of the Crater, a World Heritage Site and home to nearly 25,000 animals, for a game drive. Here you have a very real chance of spotting the big five: lion, elephant, endangered black rhino, buffalo and leopard plus countless other African mammal species. We return to the Lodge just before dusk.  Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Farm House.      A small and exclusive lodge facing the Oldeani Volcano, only 5 kms. from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate was built, meant to offer our clients an original experience reminiscent of the atmosphere of the old days.    Ngorongoro Farm House was inaugurated on February the 20th 2003, and is offering 40 huge cottages with ample space inside, built on the style of an old colonial farm and rustically decorated with local materials and full of details of good taste, with the purpose of offering our clients an imaginary journey to the life of the days gone.

Day 15  11 August, 2009   Ngorongoro  (B,L,D) A full day in Ngorongoro Crater, with picnic lunch, gives us time to explore in detail this fascinating wildlife amphitheatre. This caldera, formed by a volcano sinking, hosts a unique cross-section of eco-systems, from soda lake to savannah and is home to almost every major species of African mammal. Our presence does not threaten the wildlife making for an exhilarating proximity to the game that we rarely encounter elsewhere. Arrive at Lodge just before dusk. Ngorongoro Farm House.
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Day 16  12 August, 2009  Ngorongoro - Manyara  (B,L,D)  Depart for Lake Manyara after breakfast, traversing the Great African Rift Valley that scars Africa from the Red Sea to Mozambique, and arriving at E-Unoto Lodge for lunch. Afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara National Park was immortalised in Hemingway's "Green Hills Of Africa" and represents a habitat distinct from elsewhere in our safari. Our afternoon game drive allows us to explore the ground-water forest, rich in birds and monkeys, visit the hippo pool, and the acacia woodlands that border the soda lake swathed in the pink of the resident flamingos. There is an option to stop and explore Mto Wa Mbu, the nearby market town. Dinner and overnight at Kirurumu Tented Lodge.      Kirurumu Tented Lodge is set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, enjoying a marvellous, uplifting and panoramic view eastward over Lake Manyara, the Rift floor and Mt. Losimingori. Behind Kirurumu, the Ngorongoro Highlands rise in green and fertile splendour and form the gateway to Ngorongoro Crater and, finally, Olduvai Gorge, the Serengeti.  Our tents have fully ensuite bathrooms, hot and cold running water & Electricity.  Kirurmuru's bar, complete with sun-deck and panoramic views of the rift valley is a wonderful place to watch the sun set over the valley.

Day 17  13 August, 2009  Manyara (B,L,D) After breakfast a few different activities can be offered another game drive in the park, a Masai village visit (cost to be paid direct to village), bird nature walk, visit market town of Mto Wa Mbu or to visit a local school for Masai children. Or another game drive in Lake Manyara. A few of these options and also be combined. Dinner and overnight at Kirurumu Tented Lodge.

Day 18  14 August, 2009  Manyara - Arusha (B,L,D) Drive to Arusha after breakfast in time for lunch and an afternoon relax.  Dinner and overnight at Mount Meru Game Lodge.      Nestled between the peaks of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru Game Lodge & Sanctuary was created in 1959 to provide intimate accommodation to discerning lovers of both wildlife and nature. The lodge is located within 33 acres of mature, well manicured gardens bounded on one side by the tranquil waters of the Usa River and on the other by the Animal Sanctuary.    The main emphasis of the Game Sanctuary is to provide safe haven to African plains game and birds. These include eland, ostriches, waterbucks, zebras, buffalo, small carnivores such as Monitor lizards, small wild cats and of course the enormous variety of birdlife who come to feed, breed and enjoy the unique freedom offered by our very safe environment.     The design and character of the rooms are as individualistic as the lodge itself.    All rooms have a veranda with comfortable chairs where guests may sit during the late afternoons enjoying the peace of the surroundings, soaking up the unique atmosphere of the Lodge and watching the animal and birdlife.  All rooms have four-poster, wrought iron beds with fitted mosquito nets, continental quilts (sheets and blankets are available on request), large and small pillows for reading and sleeping and much more.

Day 19  15 August, 2009  Arusha - Nairobi  (B, D)  Very early departure to Nairobi for our flight to Mauritius.  On arrival in Mauritius we will transfer back to the Le Preskil Hotel for 2 nights to relax and ease back into civilisation.