The Masai Heartlands safari
| country: | Kenya, Tanzania |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 4 Oct, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 25 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 22 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec 2009: 3 Jan, 10 Jan, 17 Jan, 24 Jan, 31 Jan, 7 Feb, 14 Feb, 21 Feb, 28 Feb, 7 Mar, 14 Mar, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 4 Apr, 11 Apr, 18 Apr |
| price: | From £660 (15 days) excluding flights, plus local payment US $620. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This 15 day safari allows you to see four of the finest game parks in east Africa: Lake Nakuru famous for its visiting flocks of flamingoes, the sweeping grasslands of the Masai Mara, the stunning Ngorongoro Crater and the endless plains of the Serengeti.
These great reserves offer you the most incredible game viewing in four completely different types of terrain, while you also have the privilege of seeing the Masai tribes people in their homelands and to learn about their fascinating culture.
The tour is a wonderful mixture of savannah scenery, tremendous bird life upon Kenya's renowned soda lakes, a Masai Boma (village), the historic Olduvai Gorge and the remarkable spectacle of the volcanic caldera that is the Ngorongoro Crater. This mixture of the people, wildlife and varied scenery of East Africa is undoubtedly a tremendous travel experience.
These great reserves offer you the most incredible game viewing in four completely different types of terrain, while you also have the privilege of seeing the Masai tribes people in their homelands and to learn about their fascinating culture.
The tour is a wonderful mixture of savannah scenery, tremendous bird life upon Kenya's renowned soda lakes, a Masai Boma (village), the historic Olduvai Gorge and the remarkable spectacle of the volcanic caldera that is the Ngorongoro Crater. This mixture of the people, wildlife and varied scenery of East Africa is undoubtedly a tremendous travel experience.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Nairobi. Arrive in Nairobi and explore this exciting and vibrant African city. |
| Day 2: | Lake Nakuru. Visit a school on the outskirts of Nairobi before continuing on to Lake Nakuru for lunch. Set up camp within the park and take an afternoon game drive in search of leopards and rhinos. |
| Day 3-4: | Lake Naivasha. After an early morning game drive, travel on to birdwatchers' paradise Lake Naivasha. Enjoy a free day to take part in the optional activities such as a boat cruise on the lake, walking in nearby Hell's Gate National Park or relaxing in the pleasant lakeside surroundings. |
| Day 5: | Loita Hills. Travel across the Great Rift Valley floor into the Loita Hills where we camp with the Masai tribes people and learn about their traditional lifestyle. |
| Day 6-7: | Masai Mara Reserve. Spend two days in search of Africa's 'big five' at the famous Masai Mara Reserve. Spot lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, cheetahs, impalas and more. |
| Day 8: | Narok. Stay the night in Narok, a major Masai settlement. |
| Day 9: | Kisii. With a new crew and vehicle, head across the Great Rift Valley, a massive valley that runs from northern Syria to central Mozambique. |
| Day 10: | Lake Victoria. Camp on the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. Take a boat ride out onto the vast waters or chill out on the shores, swapping stories from the game drives. |
| Day 11-12: | Serengeti. The waving golden grasses of the Serengeti National Park are filled with lions, cheetahs, elephants, wildebeest and zebras. Spend time exploring the rocky outcrops and wooded river valleys for more animal encounters. |
| Day 13: | Ngorongoro Crater. Continue to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area for some amazing game viewing. Visit man's early ancestors at Olduvai Gorge, said to be the 'Cradle of Mankind'. |
| Day 14: | Mto Wa Mbu. Spend half a day spotting game in the crater before continuing to our camp in the market village of Mto Wa Mbu. |
| Day 15: | Nairobi. On the final day, travel back across the open plains to Arusha and then on to Nairobi, where the adventure comes to an end. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.this tourism business won an award
in our 2005 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine.how this holiday makes a difference
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In 1990, we formed a company in Kenya to enable us to employ Kenyan staff and to move much of our operations to Africa. We built a workshop in Nairobi and trained local staff to build and maintain our vehicles, and at the same time took on Kenyan and other African nationals to lead our tours. Over the years we have brought a number of these staff to UK for training. We have introduced health and medical cover to our Nairobi staff. By 2000 had succeeded in completely handing over this company to Kenyan staff.
We have always felt that Africans are better placed to show you Africa than we are! It has also been our policy to employ local guides where appropriate, and to purchase food in local markets (except in cases of shortages) so that money is well distributed in the regions we visit. Our policy for camp cooking is to use gas in conservation areas, and to buy woodfuel from plantations if we require firewood. We have been involved in the Kilimanjaro Village Education Project for some years, and this year are aiming to raise £35,000 to build a computer centre so that locals can aspire to real jobs and not just portering. We have become one of the first tour operators to have their UK offices 'climate balanced' with an independent audit carried out by C-Level (www.clevel.co.uk). We are taking steps to reduce waste and power in the office, and are compensating for the CO2 we do produce by planting trees in their Uganda forests. We are already planting one tree per pax trip week for all vehicle based tours in Africa, are offering clients the chance to compensate for their flights by linking them to our calculator. This will indicate the carbon footprint of their flight and the cost of compensating through tree planting. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |