12 Days Kenya and Tanzania Self-drive Safari Itinerary
Day 1 Self-Drive to Lake Naivasha
After an early morning game drive inside the Lake Nakuru national park, you will depart to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake in Kenya in Nakuru County. Located northwest of Nairobi, it is part of the Great Rift Valley. After your picnic lunch, you can enjoy a boat cruise on the lake, where we may see various types of wildlife, including over 400 species of birds and a huge population of hippos.
Overnight at the Lake Naivasha campsite
Day 2: Lake Naivasha To Maasai Mara National Park
Today you will self-drive traveling towards Kenya’s fertile highlands as we head down the Rift Escarpment and continue to Maasai Mara National Reserve, easily one of the world’s most famous reserves. The reserve is home to the “big five” and a profusion of wildlife. The annual wildlife migration is worth seeing as millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle move from the Serengeti plains in late June and reside in the Mara until October. Explore this famous national reserve with game drives en route to our camp.
Overnight at the Maasai Mara Sarova Sopa Lodge
Day 3: Self Drive in Masai Mara
Maasai Mara, located in the Rift Valley Province in southwestern Kenya, was established in 1967. About 10 centuries ago, the Cushitic people settled in this region, and the Maasai, a warrior tribe, are descendants of these people. The Maasai can still be found in these regions living off the cattle they herd. They migrate in search of water and vegetation. The open savannah of flat grasslands and woodlands made of acacia trees is an excellent place for elephants, giraffes, and so much more.
What better way to explore this extraordinary region than with a full day of game drives. Between game drives, when the sun is at the hottest, enjoy a swim in the pool or sit by the river in the hope of seeing hippos floating around. Take in the beautiful surroundings in the Maasai Mara on the direct path of the wildebeest migration. This African mecca is full of wonder and adventure as you will experience it firsthand with the wildlife around you.
Day 4: Self Drive safari in Masai Mara
What better way to explore this unique region than with a full day of game drives. Between game drives, when the sun is at the hottest, enjoy a swim in the pool or sit by the river in the hope of seeing hippos floating around. Take in the beautiful surroundings in the Maasai Mara on the direct path of the wildebeest migration. This African mecca is full of wonder and adventure as you will experience it firsthand with the wildlife around you.
Day 5: Drive to Serengeti National Park
After a relaxed breakfast, watch for the big game as we travel to the Serengeti National Park. Enjoy a brief rest after lunch, and then we are off on our afternoon game drive. The Serengeti could easily be the most famous national park in the world. The primeval paradise, roughly the size of Northern Ireland or Connecticut, has been the subject of countless wildlife films, each seeking to capture the unique spirit of these exhilarating ecosystems that were, until recently, the domain of the favored few.
The unfurling plains provide the stage for the most dramatic wildlife spectacle on the planet when the massive herds of millions of wildebeest congregate on the short grass plains for the great migration north to the Maasai Mara. The gently undulating hills of Lobo stretch up to the Kenyan border, an idyllic landscape dotted with kopjes and shady arbors in which we track the resident wildlife.
Day 6: Drive in Serengeti National Park
Full-day safari in Serengeti National Park
Day 7: Self-drive safari to Ngorongoro Crater
One of the most identifiable sights in Africa, the Ngorongoro Crater is approximately 12 miles wide and has numerous species of animals found in East Africa. The views from the crater rim are spectacular, but once you get down to the crater floor, you will know why it has been compared to Noah’s Ark.; you will drive into the crater to get up close and personal with the wildlife found here. There are lions, elephants, buffaloes, wildebeests, Thomson’s gazelles, zebras, reedbucks, rhinos, monkeys, baboons, hippos, hyenas, jackals and thousands of flamingos in the soda lake, Lake Magadi.
Day 8. Drive to Lake Eyasi
You can have an early morning start to the day as we drive to Lake Eyasi, where we will encounter the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers. Related to the San and Kung Bushmen of Kalahari fame, the Hadzabe are a fascinating, traditional people. Experiencing life through the eyes of such ancient peoples will give you a privileged view of the lives of one of the last groups of authentic hunter-gatherer groups left in Africa. In the late afternoon, you enjoy free time before dinner.
Day 9: Mto Wa Mbu Village Visit
Tanzania has over 120 tribes; we will visit a village to meet with many of them. The cultural experience in Mto wa Mbu (pronounced UM-to WAM-bu) includes having lunch – we may even have the opportunity to help prepare. Food is grown locally and includes 30 varieties of bananas – they even make banana beer! We can see local craftsmen from different tribes, visit their farms to see their innovative irrigation methods, and visit the local school, followed by an opportunity to meet and trade stories with the villagers.
Overnight at campsite
Day 9: Safari in Lake Manyara National Park
Self-drive safari in Lake Manyara National Park, located beneath the Manyara Escarpment cliffs on the Rift Valley’s edge. This soda of Lake Manyara, which covers 230sq km, attracts pink flamingos and other birdlife. You’ll also see resident hippo pods at the lake.
The park is known for its tree-climbing lions, plus you may be lucky enough to spot leopards and hyenas. You can also expect to see large herds of elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, warthogs and impalas. There’s also a vast primate population, including common monkeys, vervet monkeys and baboons.
Day 10: To Tarangire
Today we enjoy a leisurely morning before departing for Tarangire National Park. Here we’ll stay in comfortable tents in a secluded park area. Upon arrival, you can opt for a guided walk before dinner.
Day 11. Self-drive Safari in Tarangire National Park
Today enjoy the wildlife one final time as we experience Tarangire’s diversity on a full-day game-viewing drive. The variety of wildlife here is excellent and includes; elephants, lions, cheetahs, buffalo and a wealth of birdlife. The elephants are especially plentiful here, traveling in large herds not often seen elsewhere in Africa. After our full day in the park, we’ll return to our camp for dinner.
Overnight at the campsite
