KENYA AND ZANZIBAR SAFARI

Pick up from the hotel in Nairobi at 7:00am, your safari takes you to the Masai Mara Reserve and into the domain of the Maasai, Kenya’s cattle-herding nomads determined to preserve their traditions. The Mara is magnificent, home to Kenya’s richest concentration of wildlife, and regarded by many travelers as an essential stop on any tour of Africa. When travel lovers think of Africa and safari, this is the place they imagine – golden grassland plains pocked with acacia, wildebeests, zebras, lions, and jackals bound together by the cycle of life and death. Three days here will only scratch at the surface of the wonders of the Mara. Arrival in Masai Mara in time for lunch, after lunch embark on an evening Game drive until late evening when you settle for dinner and overnight at the lodge.

On the day of your balloon flight, one of our custom safari vehicles will collect you from your lodge between 0400 AM-0530 AM and drive you to the launch site. You will arrive at the launch site by 6 AM, and depending on weather conditions, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you watch the balloons being prepared for take-off. You will then meet your pilot, who will give you a safety briefing as well as explain what you can expect during your flight. You will then be loaded into your balloon basket for take-off just before sunrise, at about 6:30 AM. The flight will last approximately one hour, depending on wind conditions, and the balloon will land between 7:30 and 7:45 AM. Upon landing, you can observe the complete deflation of the balloon envelope. Our vehicles will then transport you a short distance to breakfast. Our breakfast is set up on the picturesque Savannah plains of the Mara, typically under the shade of a single Balanchine tree. You will sit down to a full bush breakfast in the Kenyan style, complete with eggs to- order, fresh juices, fruits, cereals & of course sparkling wine. After breakfast, at about 9 AM, you will have a brief game as you head towards the Masai villages. Arguably the most iconic tribal group in all of Africa, the Maasai, who populate vast areas of Southern areas of Kenya are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Masai Mara. This nomadic, warrior tribe which once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya, still retains many of its traditions as they live largely untouched by modern-day civilization, in areas surrounding Masai Mara. So why visit a Maasai village and what do you get to see? This one-hour visit to a Maasai village is a chance to interact with the Maasai and get a glimpse into their culture, and unique way of life and see first-hand some of their customs and practices. You will then be taken back to the hotel for lunch, after lunch you will embark on an evening Game drive until late evening when you settle for dinner and overnight.

On this day you will have a wake-up call at 0600 am, have a cup of hot coffee, and then proceed to the early morning drive, this will allow you to see the early morning big five kills if you are lucky, then return to the camp for the main breakfast, there after check out the camp, and head for Nairobi, drop offs at the airport by 5 pm.

Nairobi is one of the most interesting cities in Africa and has some awesome places you can enjoy visiting whether you are a visitor or a resident. Begin your tour of Nairobi wildlife with pickup from your hotel. Go directly to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to learn about how the canter rescues and rehabilitates orphaned elephants. Your guide helps you find the best viewpoint to see them play. Then, continue to the Giraffe Center, a non-profit organization that helps educate people about endangered animals and environmental protection. Learn about giraffes from guides and optionally feed them by hand under the supervision of trained staff. After lunch at the carnival, we spent our afternoon visiting the Nairobi National Museum which is the flagship brand for the National Museums of Kenya. Located on Museum Hill, the museum showcases Kenya's rich Heritage with four distinct themes representing Kenya's Culture, Nature, History and Contemporary Art. Other attractions within the compound include the Snake Park and Botanical Gardens as well as a State of Art Auditorium that occasionally hosts concerts, film shows, and other events. We will then go to the airport and leave for Zanzibar.

This is a wonderful introduction to Zanzibar and gives you a feeling of its rich cultural heritage. One gets a comprehensive view, history, and walk of the stone town's magnificent architecture, narrow valley sand and stone-built houses where some of which are over 200 years old and have Arab/Indian curved doors. The tour starts at the main city market which was opened in 1904, where tropical fruits, vegetables, spices, and fresh fish from the island are sold. Our next stop is the Anglican church of Christ which was built by a bishop in 1873 on the site where slaves used to be auctioned. We will then finish the day at the Forodhani Park – Where you can spend your evenings leisurely watching the brilliant sunset while sipping freshly squeezed sugarcane juice or enjoying charcoal barbecue and locally made dishes then return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.