Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania

On safari … it’s one of the most alluring phrases in all of travel, and Kenya and Tanzania count among the most alluring places to be on safari.  As your small group, limited to 18 travelers, journeys from grasslands to highlands, enjoy intimate game drives, see stupendous landscapes, stay in top-rated accommodations, and meet gracious locals.  The 16-day tour begins with highlights of Kenya’s cosmopolitan capital, Nairobi.  Move on to Amboseli National Park in the shadow of snowcapped Mt. Kilimanjaro, known for its large elephant population, to view teeming wildlife on the wide plains and visit a Maasai village.  Journey next to peaceful Lake Manyara National Park, whose incredibly varied ecosystem offers the essence of Tanzania’s safari experience.  After a game drive here, set out for spectacular Ngorongoro, a UNESCO Conservation Area and site of immense Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera.  In this stunning setting, safari-goers have a unique chance to see all of Africa’s “Big Five.”  Visit Olduvai Gorge, where anthropologist Mary Leakey made her revolutionary discovery.  The adventure continues in the storied Serengeti, the Maasai’s 5,700-square-mile “endless plain” and one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges.  Enjoy unmatched game viewing during a two-night sojourn, then fly to Masai Mara for three nights in Kenya’s premier game reserve, rich with animal life and homeland of the Maasai.  The annual wildebeest migration should be in full swing during our tour, offering excellent game viewing and predator kills. Back in Nairobi, toast the safari adventure at a farewell dinner.  Staying at the legendary Mount Kenya Safari Club, encounter more wildlife with an optional 3-day/2-night post-tour extension.