9 Days Kenya Tanzania Wildebeest Migration Safari

After breakfast, you will drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Set against the steep escarpment of the Rift Valley, you’ll find Manyara’s evergreen groundwater forest. While it may look like a rain forest, there is actually very little rainfall here. Instead, the vegetation is sustained by mineral springs seeping through porous volcanic soil. In additional to the evergreen groundwater forest, the park also contains a variety of ecosystems including acacia woodland, grassy plains, a swampy fan delta, and – of course – the expansive lake. This diversity attracts a wide variety of mammal, bird, and wildlife species.

Bird watching is spectacular at Manyara, with over 380 bird species recorded. Flocks of flamingos are attracted to the large amounts of algae in the lake’s soda environment, while the forest areas attract large flocks of pelicans, storks, herons, ibis, and egrets.

Manyara is home to rare tree climbing lions. This adaptation is unusual for these big cats.  Look for the antics of blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, and very active baboon troops. Buffalo, impala, giraffe, bushbuck, waterbuck, hippos, and lots of elephant’s roam near the lake. There are also sightings of klipspringers on the rocky escarpments on the southern side of the rift wall. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Lodge.

Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast, we will depart for a full day game drive at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is an extensive highland area along the eastern arm of the Great Rift Valley, with the world-renowned Ngorongoro Crater as its focal point. It is not a national park in the strict sense of the word, but was rather established to conserve wildlife and other natural resources. It exists to safeguard the interests of indigenous people as well as promote tourism. Thus, guests on safari have the unique experience of seeing Maasai herdsmen with their cattle’s among the tremendous variety of wildlife found in the area.

Meals: B,L,D

Accommodation: Ngorongoro Serena Lodge

Head out after breakfast for the drive to Serengeti National Park. Picnic lunch at Olduvai Gorge while you stop to visit the famous Leakey digs. The Rift Valley was home to the first humans, and the Leakey family has successfully excavated some of the oldest humanoid skeletons ever discovered. Many people believe that Olduvai is the birth place of humanity. The word “Serengeti” is derived from the Maasai language, meaning “endless plain.” This vast savanna grass land extends from Northern Tanzania and into the Maasai Mara in Kenya for over twelve thousand square miles, forming one of the world’s largest wildlife refuges. The annual migration is what makes the Serengeti famous. The migration includes vast herds of wildebeest, but also zebra and Thomson’s gazelle.

Meals: B,L,D
Accommodation: Serengeti Serena Lodge

Inter-Park Drive Within Serengeti National Park (From Central to North, East, South, or West) With Your Private Guide & Exclusive 4×4 Vehicle

Serengeti (Follow Migration Path – North, East, South, or West)

Drive towards the tracking direction of the wildebeest migration. The Great Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti is the largest single movement of wild animals in the world, deservedly listed as one of its eight Natural Wonders and an exceptional inspiration for a dream nature tour of northern Tanzania. Around 1.5 million wildebeests, with hundreds of thousands of zebras, elands, gazelles along with a trailing retinue of predators, leave their calving grounds in southern Serengeti, around March and April, heading for the next water source.

Trekking via the south-central Seronera outskirts into the Western Corridor and Grumeti River arriving during the month of April to May and residing till June, and then finally towards the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya crossing the perilous Mara River around July or August onwards with a return via the same death-defying river, this time heading to the bearing of Lobo and Loliondo in eastern Serengeti around October to November. The white bearded wildebeest journey continues back to the southern Ndutu calving grounds with arrivals starting around December with temporary residence till March. The timing of the migration depends upon the annual rains and renewal of fresh pasture which may occur earlier or later in some years.

Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge

After a sumptuous breakfast, you will transfer by road to the Mara National Park Via Sirare border. Later, you will venture out on an evening game drive to explore the world’s most celebrated wilderness area. Should you be traveling during the months of June through October, you will be in the perfect position to view the world’s Greatest Mammal Migration. The following two days offer you the opportunity to enjoy morning and evening game drives, walking safaris, community and cultural visits, spa treatments, and hot air balloon safaris. The Masai Mara is big game country – the open savannahs, the iconic bush settings seen in films of untamed Africa. Watch loping giraffes, dazzling zebras, strange-looking wildebeest and slender antelopes feeding on the acacia-studded grasslands and look out for predators such as hyenas, foxes, jackals and cheetahs. Dinner and overnight at Mara serene Lodge booked on full board.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Offering superb plains scenery, unmatched safari activities and diverse wildlife, Masai Mara National Reserve is considered Kenya’s best park and one of Africa’s highest wildlife density region for predators. The reserve covers 583 square miles (1510 square kilometers) of outstanding wilderness in southwest Kenya. The location, wildlife, activities and comfortable moderate climate puts Mara at the top of the list, even for the most discerning traveler to Kenya. Many private conservancies have been introduced to protect the land that surrounds the reserve, thereby providing more area for wildlife. The lands not only protect habitats for resident species, but also preserve a critical part of the route used by wildebeests and zebras during the Great Migration that traverses the Masai Mara via the Serengeti National Park.

Recognized as one of the most spectacular wildlife events on the planet, the migration is a continuous route that is followed by an over 1.5 million wildebeests and thousands of zebras, gazelles and elands. In their never-ending pursuit for the finest grazing and watering grounds, the gnu relocate on an almost constant basis. The migrators of Masai Mara National Reserve are present from approximately late July – early August until end of October – early November.

The reserve and surrounding conservancies offer diverse resident species experiences during your safari excursions. You will frequently see impalas, topis, giraffes, elephants, zebras, buffalos, warthogs and other grazing herbivores. With so many prey animals, Masai Mara is a veritable bonanza for large predators, such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, crocodiles and other stealthy, powerful hunters. The abundance of terrestrial animals is enhanced by the presence of more than 450 winged species, including 57 birds of prey.

• Destination Guide: Masai Mara National Reserve
• Mara North Private Conservancy (Northern Masai Mara)

Mara North Conservancy protects and preserves the wilderness, flora and fauna of the northwestern zone of a globally-significant ecosystem that is shared with Masai Mara National Reserve. Located at the northern edge of Masai Mara, the habitats within the conservancy are necessary for the safeguarding of resident and migratory species, such as the wildebeests and zebras that traverse the area during the Great Migration. Additionally, the ecology supports a large number of herbivores and predators, including the Big 5 and many threatened and critically endangered species. Mara North Conservancy was structured in 2009 and covers 74,000 acres. The conservancy represents a collaborative effort between the 12 member accommodations in the conservancy and more than 800 Maasai landowners.

The model of wildlife management that is demonstrated by the conservancy serves to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of balancing human needs with conservation goals. The revenues that are derived from conservancy fee and part bed night income are used to promote the protection of the animals, as well as to improve the quality of life for the indigenous Maasai people.

The accommodations is at Mara Serena Luxury Lodge

• Masai Mara Public Reserve Activities
• Included Activities: Day game drives and river bird-watching
• Optional Activities: Balloon safaris (pre-booking required)
• Included Activities: Maasai village cultural visit transfers (village fee paid direct)
• Optional Activities: Safari bush walks, select community and schools visits, and horse-riding safaris (pre-booking required)
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Full day is at the Masai Mara on scheduled game drives and other additional activities. You will be met by our safari representative for a short pre-safari briefing. After breakfast, venture out in search of the big five and other resident game species. You will have a mid-morning bush picnic breakfast by the Mara river enjoying the magnificent view of the crocodiles and hippos in the water. Return to the camp in time for lunch and an afternoon rest. Venture out in the late afternoon exploring the Mara ecosystem further. Drive back to the camp in the late evening in time for dinner and an overnight stay.

The accommodations is at Mara Serena Luxury Lodge

Early morning is on game viewing before returning to the camp for breakfast. After breakfast, depart for Nairobi with an extra game viewing as you exit the park. Drive through the scenic landscapes arriving at in Nairobi in the afternoon. You will be transferred to the airport or hotel where the safari ends.