An Adventure in East Africa
Please note that the above itinerary is merely a suggestion. All accommodation options are subject to change and no availability has been checked for these dates.
Arusha | 1 night | August 16 - 17 | Legendary Lodge
Mwiba Wildlife Reserve | 4 nights | August 17 - 21 | Mwiba Lodge
Grumeti Reserve | 4 nights | August 21 - 25 | Singita Sabora Tented Camp
Nairobi | 1 night | August 25 - 26 | Hemingways Nairobi
Maasai Mara | 4 nights | August 26 - 30 | Cottar's 1920s Camp
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, receive VIP Meet & Greet service as you are escorted through Immigration, Customs, and Baggage Claim.
Receive a private transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to a lodge in Arusha for check-in.
The drive time is approximately 40 minutes.
Arusha is located at the foothills of Mount Meru on the eastern side of the Great Rift Valley. This is the gateway to the northern safari circuit, with easy access to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Meru. Its elevation of 1,400 m (4,600 ft) keeps temperatures relatively cool despite proximity to the equator; temperatures generally range between 10 and 30 C (50 and 86F), with little humidity due to the altitude.
Most Tanzania safaris either start or end in the gateway city of Arusha, and there are few better options to bookend your trip than the Legendary Lodge. Guided nature walks and tours of the surrounding coffee plantation hype guests up before their safari, while a restorative massage at the spa or an afternoon nap in your private cottage is the perfect way to wind down afterward.
Deluxe Garden Cottage
- Inclusions: Dinner, breakfast, pre-stocked soft drinks in mini bar, arrival and departure transfers between Legendary Lodge and Arusha Airport (not including JRO), and Wi-Fi Internet
For your flights around the Serengeti and to Nairobi, your luggage will be subject to the following restrictions:
- Checked luggage: 15kg (33lb)
- Hand luggage: 5 kg (11lb)
- Only soft-sided luggage is accepted (duffel bag)
After breakfast and check-out, meet your private driver for transfer to Arusha Airport.
Depart on your scheduled flight from Arusha Airport to Mwiba Airstrip.
Mwiba Wildlife Reserve is a conservation concession dedicated to the balance between wildlife and communities. This area is only available to a handful of guests, facilitating an excellent, uncrowded safari experience within the greater Serengeti eco-system. This vast 129,530 acre wildlife reserve is vibrantly lush with 33 freshwater springs and a diverse array of wildlife. Game drives, bush walks and cultural excursions to the local tribe’s village are just a few of the magical experiences that begin at Mwiba, where a world of adventure awaits.
At the southern end of the Serengeti, the hilltop lodge is surrounded by dense jungle rather than the open plains that the national park is known for, but the local guides are no less adept at leading boisterous safari excursions. There are only 10 treehouse suites, each with its own veranda so you can look for wildlife without even leaving your room, but we recommend bringing your binoculars to the infinity pool—it may be the only bathing suit safari in Tanzania.
Tented Suite
- Inclusions: All meals, house wines, beers, local spirits, water, juice and soft drinks. Unlimited safari drives as well as night drives within the privately managed areas. Bush walks with a professional walking guide. Transfers between lodge and nearest airstrip, tribal experiences. Use of all lodge facilities including the gym and pool. One 45-minute spa treatment per guest, daily laundry service and complimentary mini bar and internet.
Enjoy these days at leisure exploring the wildlife reserve, relaxing at the lodge, and experiencing the incredible walking safaris and cultural offerings at Mwiba.
Mwiba Wildlife Reserve, a conservation concession dedicated to the balance between wildlife and communities, is only available to a limited number of guests, facilitating an excellent, uncrowded safari experience within the greater Serengeti eco-system. This vast wildlife reserve offers a diverse array of safari experiences. Game drives, bush walks, scenic helicopter flights, fly-camping and authentic cultural interactions are just a few of the magical experiences that begin at Mwiba, where a world of adventure awaits.
The Datoga are nomadic herders, depending largely on cow and goat meat and milk for their diet. Datoga women wear beautiful jewelry that they make themselves as well as colorful traditional wear. The bracelets around their wrists and ankles create a percussive beat for their singing, dancing and jumping during celebrations.
During this cultural exchange, you will arrive in the late afternoon at a Datoga boma which becomes a hive of activity just before sundown as the livestock and young herders return from the pastures after a day of grazing. The coolness of dusk is a relief after the heat of the day and you can feel the energy of homestead life as the people gather together and sing words of welcome in their mother tongue. A Nilotic tribe, the Datoga women are beautifully adorned with intricate beaded necklaces and copper bangles while the men stand proud and tall. Join them as they leap into the air, an ancient ritual or perhaps be invited to see inside their homes.
Head out on a morning walk through the bush to witness the Hadzabe way of life. Your guide and tracker will take you in search of the nomadic Hadzabe hunters who are constantly moving through the wilderness. As this is not a contrived experience, there is a chance that the Hadzabe will not be found this morning.
Upon finding them, guests may have the opportunity to accompany them as they forage for their vital food sources. They will show you how to prod the rich African soil for tubers and stalk small mammals and hunt birds. Listen as the Hadza re-tell tales of their ancestors and chant gratitude as they come upon their fruitful bounty in the bush.
Depart on your scheduled flight from Mwiba Airstrip to Sasakwa Airstrip.
Singita Grumeti, located near the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, is a key part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, home to the Great Migration. The reserve was established by the Tanzanian government in 1994 to safeguard the annual wildebeest migration route and the native biodiversity of this extensive, significant ecosystem. In 2002, a non-profit organization was granted the right to manage and conserve the 350,000 acres. Singita assumed management of the property to promote low-impact luxury tourism. The area boasts few lodges, offering an exclusive and high-quality game viewing experience. Except for black rhino, all of the big five are present. Even outside the peak migration months of May and June, the reserve maintains a robust resident wildlife population.
Sabora Tented Camp is set in a large area of protected wilderness in Singita Grumeti, which provides guests with a front-row seat to some of the most prized game viewing on the continent. Singita Sabora Tented Camp charts a visionary new course for luxury adventures under canvas. A destination perfect for travellers yearning for an African safari infused with the continent’s contemporary energy and enveloped in unrivaled levels of comfort. It features mindfully created interiors with a rich combination of textures, forward-thinking and functional aesthetics, and a modern interpretation of the quintessential elements of a romantic tented safari.
Tent
- Inclusions: All meals and beverages (including premium wines, spirits and liqueurs but excluding French Champagne). Twice daily safari drives in open safari-viewing vehicles. Return road transfers between the Sasakwa airstrip and the lodges. Telephone calls and laundry service, Wi-Fi access where applicable. A nightly Wildlife Fee will be provided per adult and a Carbon Offset Levy will be provided per person per night.
Take the next few days to relax in your luxurious accommodations.
Offering superb game-viewing opportunities all year round, the reserve is perfect for guided game walks on foot which further enhance experiencing the Serengeti plains up close. At Singita Sabora, there is also a swimming pool, fitness center, boutique & gallery, and spa. Wine experiences, community visits, and a chance to visit the anti-poaching observation post.
After breakfast and check-out, depart on your scheduled flight from Sasakwa Airstrip to Wilson Airport in Nairobi.
Meet your private driver in the arrivals hall for transfer to a Nairobi hotel for check-in.
Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and East Africa’s most cosmopolitan city, with a vibrant population of 4.5 million. Unique to the city is the proximity of Nairobi National Park, a true wilderness area juxtaposed against the larger urban metropolis. It is the only national park like it in the world and a real embodiment of the human-wildlife conflicts that challenge many African communities who must learn to cohabitate with wildlife on their doorstep.
With nods to literary giants like Ernest Hemingway and Out of Africa writer Karen Blixen, a Nairobi hotel feels like it was taken directly off the pages of a 20th-century novel. The colonial-style architecture feels historic without being stuffy, thanks to breezy decorative touches and the natural backdrop of the Ngong Hills. In between dusty safari excursions, it’s the perfect place to lounge on your balcony, luxuriate in the spa, or simply sip on cocktails by the pool.
Deluxe Suite
- Inclusions: Breakfast daily, express check-in and check-out, butler valet service and high speed Wi-Fi internet. Satellite television, local newspaper, use of the gym, sauna, steam, and outdoor pool. Unlimited supply of mineral water, fruits, and flowers in the room.
Nairobi National Park is one of the best places in Africa to see rhino and also has a healthy population of lion, leopard, cheetah, and plains game like giraffe and antelope. Other attractions include the Karen Blixen Museum, the Giraffe Center, Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage, a visit to a tea farm, and shopping for local crafts and trinkets. There are some great local and cross-cultural restaurants to explore, from roadside food stalls to local nyama choma (barbecue joints) to five-star dining establishments.
Fly from Wilson Airport (WIL) in Nairobi to Keekorok Airstrip in the Maasai Mara.
The Mara conservancies are Maasai owned group ranches that have combined to conserve a total area nearly the size of the Maasai Mara National Reserve itself, covering 1450 km2 (560 mi2) across fifteen conservancies. The wildlife in the conservancies can be comparable to the main Maasai Mara game reserve, and in fact some areas have higher densities of predators than in the central reserve. Because there are fewer camps, the conservancies can offer a more exclusive experience than in the central reserve, with generally fewer game viewing vehicles around sightings.
The conservancy approach is widely seen as the way forward for wildlife conservation and eco-tourism in Kenya, because it not only secures vital space for wildlife but includes the local population as custodians of their national heritage. This has been vital not only for conservation of the whole greater Mara but also wildlife corridors and the prosperity of many hundreds of families. Nearly forty tourist camps contribute to employment amongst the communities and provide a presence, alongside anti-poaching units, for the protection of the wildlife.
Vintage luxury at its best, the award-winning Cottar’s 1920s Camp is situated on a 7608 acre private conservancy bordering the famous ‘seventh’ natural wonder of the world, the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Tanzania Serengeti game reserve. Owned and managed by the oldest established and continuing safari family in Africa, it extends an era of luxury and quality and returns to the scenset spirit and essence of 'safari.'
Cottar’s 1920s Camp provides the romance of safari under cream canvas tents, the style of the bygone era of the twenties, while at the same time supplying the amenities required by today’s modern world travellers.
Family Tent
- Inclusions: Full board accommodation, water, tea & coffee, local drinks (soft drinks, house wines, beers, select spirits), all safari activities, including shared day/night safari drives & bush walks/runs. Kids entertainment program. Private airstrip transfers, canvas bush baths. Laundry.
The Cottar family provide genuinely stunning wildlife and wilderness experiences, engaging in the scenset spirit and essence of ‘safari’: an abundance of wildlife, a guarantee of privacy, and the highest standards of professional guiding, in a luxurious and authentic safari environment.
A balloon flight over the Maasai Mara is widely considered a bucketlist activity that offers a serene and spectacular experience floating over the vast, lush, and game-filled plains.
A lift off at dawn means you watch the sun rise as you head in a generally western direction. Flights usually last about an hour and depending on the take-off spot you float over riverine woodlands, watching hippos return to their daytime refuges and crocodiles basking on sandbanks. Sometimes predators and large antelope herds can be spotted below, pointed out by your experienced captain.
After the flight, you will be met by the trailing transfer vehicles and taken to a pre-prepared picnic breakfast, beautifully set up in an idyllic spot on the plains.
Exact date and timing to be determined at camp
During late August/early September, the millions of wildebeest and zebra of the Great Migration have mostly made their way into the Maasai Mara of Kenya. It is also during this time that you may encounter crossings of the Mara River. Although typically happening in June and late September, these crossings are dictated by the rains as herds follow along to find the best grazing land.
Please be advised that the migration is a special event that is only dictated by Mother Nature! While there is a chance you'll see an incredible sighting from the migration with high predator action, there is also the chance that the herds of animals just aren't in the area during your stay at Mwiba. We always suggest going in with no expectations and letting the wild Maasai Mara play out before you.
After one last morning game drive, head to the airstrip for your flight back to Nairobi.
Fly to Nairobi and transfer to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your international flight home.
Scenset invests in making the world a better place. Scenset will offset the fuel used during the trip. On top of that, an extra 10% will be offset to make your trip a carbon-positive experience.
Currently, we support Gold Standard Climate+ Projects from the Gold Standard Foundation.
If you like what you read and are ready to pull the trigger on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, please send us a chat in the app to let us know. We would be thrilled to secure all the reservations for you and make sure everything is taken care of, including special surprises along the way.