Wild wonders

Jambo! Welcome to the wild! Kenya and Tanzania are where you see nature unfold right before your eyes. A mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, when you visit there you can get up close and personal with the king of the jungle and feel his mane brush past your hand. From game parks to wildlife sanctuaries, from the depths of a coral reef to the top of snow capped mountains, from one of the world’s most endangered owls to a herd of wildebeest more than a million strong, the wilderness here is a wonder to behold...
Breathtaking Kenya & Tanzania is a suggested itinerary for a holiday in exotic Africa. Mercury Travels offers customized holidays to Kenya, Tanzania and other fabulously exciting destinations. Come and see Africa the way you want you to.


BREATHTAKING KENYA & TANZANIA
Nairobi/ Lake Nakuru National Park/ Masai Mara Game Reserve/Speke Bay/
Serengeti National Park/Ngorongoro Crater/Lake Manyara National Park/Nairobi
(10 nights/11 days)
Day 1 – Arrive Nairobi
Welcome to Nairobi, a thriving young city spawned during the construction of the railroad to the Indian Ocean. You are met and transferred to your hotel. In the evening, enjoy an informative presentation about East Africa’s National Parks, reserves and wildlife. Enjoy dinner at the Anghan Restaurant. Overnight in Nairobi.
Day 2 – Nairobi/Lake Nakuru National Park
Depart Nairobi in the morning and drive to the dramatic Rift Valley, making a brief stop at the Rift Valley View Point and proceed to the pink Lake Nakuru for lunch at the lodge. Enjoy an afternoon game drive inside the beautiful Park to view thousands of pink flamingos and numerous wild game, including the rhinos. Dinner and overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge.
Day 3 – Lake Nakuru/Masai Mara Game Reserve
After breakfast at the lodge, depart the Lake Nakuru National Park with
en route game viewing. Cross the Loita Plains as you head for Kenya’s most scenic Masai Mara and arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. An afternoon of game drives inside the Park, followed by dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Lodge or a similar hotel.
Day 4 – Masai Mara Game Reserve
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge. Leave with picnic lunches for a full day of game viewing inside the Park. Extend your drive to the hippo point. Between meals you can choose to take an optional visit to the Masai villages for an insight into the local culture. Dinner and overnight at Mara Serena Lodge or a similar place.
Day 5 – Masai Mara Game Reserve/Speke Bay
Drive down to the Kenyan Tanzanian border town of Isebania for lunch and then onward to the Speke Bay Lodge on Lake Victoria. Spend the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight at Speke Bay Lodge.
Day 6 – Speke Bay/Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, drive to Serengeti National Park. Have a relaxed lunch at the exclusive Serengeti Serena Lodge. Enjoy an afternoon of game drive. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Serena Lodge or somewhere similar.
Day 7 – Serengeti National Park
The Masai translation of Serengeti is ‘endless plains’. The Park spreads over 23,000 square miles and is home to thousands of animals. One of the highlights is the annual migration of the wildebeest and the zebra. The migration varies from month to month but the herds are usually in southern Serengeti during December to May. The animals migrate in pursuit of food and water and to bear their young. Early morning and afternoon game drives give you an opportunity to watch the life and death drama unfold before you, as the ever-searching predators follow the masses of migrating animals. Overnight at the Serengeti Serena Lodge or a similar hotel.
Day 8 – Serengeti National Park/Ngorongoro Crater
Drive across the Serengeti plains, viewing game en route and arrive at Olduvai Gorge, the famous archaeological site where two million year old humanoid fossils of Australopithecus, Homo Habilis and Homo Erectus have been discovered. This steep-sided gorge is about 50 km long and as deep as 90 meters in some places. You will have time to walk through the little museum.
Continue your drive and reach the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, set high on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater - a dormant and collapsed volcano. The first glimpse of the Ngorongoro Crater is an unforgettable experience. Over 20 kms wide and 600 mts deep, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken, un-flooded caldera in the world. The volcano and surrounding landscape are part of a vast conservation area inhabited by the Masai tribe, as well as an extraordinary variety of big game and bird life. At Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, visitors co-exist in perfect harmony with the natural environment and the wildlife that inhabits it. After lunch at the lodge, take a gentle nature walk with a lodge naturalist. Overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge or somewhere like it.
Day 9 – Ngorongoro Crater
After an early breakfast, descend into the crater in a 4x4 vehicle for a full day of game viewing. Over 25,000 wild animals occupy the crater floor. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the crater floor before driving back, later in the afternoon, to your lodge perched on the rim. Overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge or similar lodges.
Day 10 – Ngorongoro Crater/Lake Manyara National Park
Drive down to Lake Manyara National Park, which is tucked into the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. After lunch, a game drive is planned in the Park. Overnight at the spectacularly located Lake Manyara Serena Lodge or a similar hotel.
Day 11 – Lake Manyara National Park/Nairobi
Set off after breakfast to Arusha for lunch. Drive via Namanga border to clear customs and immigration, then onward into Jomo Kenyatta airport for your international departure flight.