It has always been a dream for Aunt Kathy and I to travel to Africa to see the animals. For as long as I can remember, we have talked about it and now, after what seems like years of planning, we are finally doing it! Our arms have been filled with shots and our passports now home to two new visas. All new neutral colored clothing has been packed (yes, who knew our closets would not be "animal appealing" - though I did slip in a bright orange skirt because two weeks of brown/green may be too much to handle!) and we have quite possibly purchased all variations of bug repellent available at REI - no one can say we are not prepared! I cannot help but think Grandma Kathryn would be laughing at us in our preparations, and will probably laugh even harder if we do not make the luggage weight limit!

Without a doubt, this will be a trip of a lifetime and we cannot wait to get started! Below is our itinerary beginning on Saturday, July 21st, but we start our journey tomorrow, July 18th from Pittsburgh to Atlanta to Amsterdam (we'll avoid those needle ridden turkey sandwiches!) then finally to Arusha where we will be picked up by a Tauck agent. 

I will try to update this blog as regularly as possible - we cannot wait to share our experiences with you!

Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari

Day 1- Arusha – Tanzania's safari gateway!

A transfer is included from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your hotel, Mountain Village, Arusha in this safari gateway city at the foot of Mount Meru, the second-highest mountain in Tanzania.

Lodging: Mountain Village, Arusha

Day 2- Lake Manyara National Park

The vast Serengeti beckons as you begin a four-night safari in Tanzania, and a five-night Kenya safari. Take your first game drive through Lake Manyara National Park, where you might get your first glimpse of giraffes, baboons, hippos, and elephants along with hundreds of species of birds. Arrive in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, populated by an estimated 30,000 large mammals. Your lodge for the next two nights is on the Ngorongoro Crater rim overlooking the caldera below, an excellent spot for our welcome reception and dinner.

Lodging: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Day 3- Wildlife in the "Garden of Eden" – Ngorongoro

Thought by some to be Africa’s original "Garden of Eden," Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest calderas in the world and contains a variety of ecosystems and an astounding concentration of birds and animals. Your four-wheel-drive vehicle, built exclusively for Tauck, provides an excellent mobile viewing platform when encountering massive herds of zebras, wildebeests, and gazelles. This area affords an opportunity to spot the Big Five – elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater today.

Lodging: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

Day 4 -Early human history at Olduvai Gorge

Study the development of humankind at Olduvai Gorge, where, over 50 years ago, archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the fossilized remains of some of the earliest known human species, an estimated 1.8 million years old. Continue wildlife viewing while driving the rough dirt roads across the plains to your safari lodge in the Serengeti, built for unprecedented pampering.

Lodging: Bilila Lodge

Day 5 -The Serengeti's amazing wildlife

Look for wildlife in the heart of the vast savanna of the Serengeti today on both morning and afternoon game drives. Sightings might include lions, zebras, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, jackals, gazelles, and giraffes. When the sunset paints the sky in the evening, enjoy the show from the luxury of your lodge in Serengeti National Park, and enjoy Pan-African cuisine at dinner tonight.

Lodging: Bilila Lodge

Day 6 - Tauck's Kenya safari begins in Amboseli

Leave the Serengeti behind as you fly to Arusha en route to Kenya. Dominating the skyline, majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro peaks over surrounding landscapes from more than 15,000 feet up. Arrive in time for lunch to begin a two-night stay at your safari lodge in Amboseli National Park, where herds of free-ranging elephants and other wildlife like to roam; visit a local Maasai village this afternoon.

Lodging: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Day 7 - Private game drives & elephant research

Tauck's private safari game drives in Amboseli offer ample opportunity to view the elephants, hippos and buffaloes that seek out the park's natural watering holes and the graceful antelopes that graze in the flat grasslands. A tour and private lecture at the Cynthia Moss Elephant Research Center is a highlight this afternoon. Dinner is at your leisure tonight.

Lodging: Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Day 8 - From movie stars to animal orphans at Mt. Kenya

A morning flight brings you to the world-famous Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, your luxurious home for the next two nights. The former retreat of actor William Holden, the Safari Club was once the playground of such illustrious members such as Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby. Following lunch and an Equatorial demonstration, pay a private visit to the nearby animal orphanage and education center; this sanctuary for animals that have been orphaned or injured and need special care also teaches local children to cherish and appreciate the unique wildlife of their homeland.

Lodging: Fairmont Mt. Kenya Safari Club

Day 9 - Chimpanzees and rhinos in a private reserve

An exciting day begins at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to the largest resident black rhino population in East Africa and other members of the Big Five. It is also home to the Sweetwaters sanctuary which gives lifelong homes to orphaned and abused chimpanzees. Tonight, enjoy our private barbecue dinner held under the stars on the lush manicured lawns of the Mount Kenya Safari Club.

Lodging: Fairmont Mt. Kenya Safari Club

Day 10: Village weavers & a tapestry of local culture

Take a look at local life on a private visit to the village of Nanyuki, where villagers spin colorful tales into their handmade wool rugs, sweaters and shawls right before your eyes. The afternoon is your time; spend it as you wish at your celebrity resort. Complimentary activities include swimming, tennis, lawn bowling or croquet, or, for an additional charge, play a round of golf or saddle up for a horseback ride. 

Lodging: Fairmont Mt. Kenya Safari Club

 

Day 11: The magical Masai Mara, a Kenya safari highlight

Pack your Tauck duffle bag and fly to the Masai Mara National Reserve in southern Kenya, where you'll be welcomed by Maasai warriors. Spend the afternoon becoming acquainted with the luxurious Fairmont Mara Safari Club, where an elegant tented camp is your home for the next two nights. This afternoon, leave camp for a game drive across the plains of "the Mara" in search of animals that make their homes here; perhaps you’ll see lions, antelopes, elephants and zebras in their daily rituals.

Lodging: Fairmont Mara Safari Club

Day 12 -Up, up and away over Masai Mara

Today will be one that you’ll always remember as you arise before dawn to board a hot air balloon* and float over the Masai Mara's awakening plains below as the sun rises. When you land, a special champagne breakfast will be awaiting you right there in the bush! Spectacular isn’t quite strong enough a word to describe such an experience, a Tauck Exclusive on your Kenya safari! Back on the ground, look for lions, impalas, cheetahs and giraffes – and the other animals you’ve come to love – during your final game drive, then join us for a perfect ending to your unforgettable safari... a farewell dinner at your tented camp.

Lodging: Fairmont Mara Safari Club

Day 13 - Homeward bound as your Kenya safari concludes

Fly to Nairobi, where a day room has been reserved for you at the Nairobi Serena Hotel. Enjoy dinner at the hotel before heading to the airport for your flight home this evening. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home. Your Tanzania / Kenya safari ends at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.