The Masai Heartlands

The Masai Heartlands

Watch flamingo flocks make Lake Nakuru blush pink, Experience tribal life with Maasai warriors, Visit Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, Spot lions in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Travel on safari through the renowned Serengeti plains, Camp on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, Shop for local sculptures and textiles at a bustling Musoma market

The wonders of Kenya and Tanzania unfold before you on this incredible overland adventure, which goes deep into the heartland of the Maasai tribespeople and the finest game parks in eastern Africa. While travelling through the world-renowned Masai Mara and the vast open Serengeti plains and on to the stunning lakes of the Great Rift Valley and the dramatic scenery of the Ngorongoro Crater, you'll spot a wealth of exotic predators and peaceful herbivores. Heading off the beaten track to walk in the footsteps of the Maasai will leave you with memories of Africa that will last a lifetime.

Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1.

You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting; please ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If your flight arrives too late, we recommend that you consider arriving a day early and book a night's accommodation prior to the trip so you are able to attend. If you are going to be late please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your kitty, insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting so please ensure you have all details on hand to provide to your leader.

 

If you arrive early, you can head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum (author of Out of Africa) or Bomas of Kenya where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village.

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Our drive north-west to Nakuru offers great views of the Rift Valley, Lake Naivasha and Elementaita.  It is 170 km and takes approx 3-4 hrs.

We visit the New Hope Children's Centre - an orphanage that assists the less fortunate in society and gives them hope. The children here very much appreciate when they get reading and writing materials. You have a chance to give the children anything you've brought: toys, pens, pencils, story books etc. (of course these will be handed over to the proprietors).

 

Our exclusive camp outside the park is well situated and has flush toilets and showers.

 

Included Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

The drive from Lake Nakuru to our camp near Lake Naivasha is 110 km and takes approx 3-4 hrs.

One of the few freshwater lakes in the Great Rift Valley, Lake Naivasha has floating islands of papyrus reeds and a border of flat-topped acacias. It's also home to a healthy population of hippos and a tremendous variety of birds.

Our campsite is basic with showers and flush toilets.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

The drive from Lake Nakuru to our camp near Lake Naivasha is 110 km and takes approx 3-4 hrs.

One of the few freshwater lakes in the Great Rift Valley, Lake Naivasha has floating islands of papyrus reeds and a border of flat-topped acacias. It's also home to a healthy population of hippos and a tremendous variety of birds.

Our campsite is basic with showers and flush toilets.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

We depart Lake Naivasha making a short stop in the town to do a spot of food shopping, taking our lunch break en route to our camp site at Loita Hills (220 km, approx. 5-6 hours). Today's drive crosses the Great Rift Valley, Africa's immense and spectacular great divide, and takes us into the remote region of Loita Hills, home of the traditional Maasai people. Here we visit the Maasai, known for their vibrant red dress and elaborate jewellery, and gain an insight into the culture and ancient ways of this proud East African Community.

After setting up our tents, it is time to meet our Maasai hosts as we receive a fascinating talk offering insights into this remarkable and ancient culture from a local elder. Enjoy being shown around a traditional Maasai home and cattle enclosures, and we may even have the opportunity to participate in the milking of the precious cattle.

Tonight we stay in a bush camp with drop toilets and bush shower facilities.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

It is 70 km from Loita to Masai Mara, which will take us approximately 1-2 hours. The road is dusty when dry and could be slippery and soft when wet.

After setting up camp (outside the park) and having lunch, we jump back on board the truck.

Explore this diverse environment and view a multitude of wildlife. Spend an entire day on a wildlife spotting quest in the reserve and take brunch/lunch by the side of the Mara River - a great chance to spot crocs and hippos.

An optional balloon ride over the Masai Mara at sunrise is an unforgettable experience. If you have pre-booked this activity (please see 'Important Notes') you will be picked up and driven to the launch site, receive a safety briefing from your pilot and help inflate the balloon. You then glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, providing amazing wildlife photography opportunities; sometimes ascending to get an overview of the enormity of the Masai Mara plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. Upon landing you'll be treated to a bush breakfast before being returned to your vehicle.

Please note if you are taking a balloon ride over the Mara you will be taken to the launch place from our campsite before dawn and returned to the group when you have finished your ride.

Our campground is located outside of the national reserve and has flush toilets and showers.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

It is 70 km from Loita to Masai Mara, which will take us approximately 1-2 hours. The road is dusty when dry and could be slippery and soft when wet.

After setting up camp (outside the park) and having lunch, we jump back on board the truck.

Explore this diverse environment and view a multitude of wildlife. Spend an entire day on a wildlife spotting quest in the reserve and take brunch/lunch by the side of the Mara River - a great chance to spot crocs and hippos.

An optional balloon ride over the Masai Mara at sunrise is an unforgettable experience. If you have pre-booked this activity (please see 'Important Notes') you will be picked up and driven to the launch site, receive a safety briefing from your pilot and help inflate the balloon. You then glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, providing amazing wildlife photography opportunities; sometimes ascending to get an overview of the enormity of the Masai Mara plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. Upon landing you'll be treated to a bush breakfast before being returned to your vehicle.

Please note if you are taking a balloon ride over the Mara you will be taken to the launch place from our campsite before dawn and returned to the group when you have finished your ride.

Our campground is located outside of the national reserve and has flush toilets and showers.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Please note that this trip is a combination of our Serengeti Trail and Kenya Wildlife Safari. The composition of your group and crew may change on Day 9. To save you driving all of the way into Nairobi to collect travellers who are doing the second half of your tour, the night of Day 8 is spent with other travellers completing the combination tour in a hotel in Narok. This night is unaccompanied by a tour leader.

Accommodation

Today's drive will take about 3-4 hours (175 km) and the roads are pretty rough.

Camp with hot/cold showers and flush toilets. If we arrive late, you may be accommodated in very simple shared rooms with en suite (bedding provided).

Meals Included

Accommodation

Our journey to the shores of Lake Victoria is 250 km and takes approx 7-8 hrs.

 

There are plenty of activities to choose from around Lake Victoria. You may wish to hire bicycles for a fascinating local experience from handlebar height, hire a boat and visit a local island, visit an African market place for a chance to interact with the people of Musoma or you may prefer to just chill out with a cold lakeside drink.

Spend the night camping on the shores of the lake - at one of its least visited campgrounds on the outskirts of a small town called Musoma.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

The drive from Lake Victoria to the gate of Serengeti National Park is about 100km on a smooth road. The next 120km is completed through the Serengeti and the driving will be slow as we game drive our way to the campsite.

The wide, open plains of the Serengeti - green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season, and home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators - are perhaps the quintessential image of Africa. Flat and rolling with long grasses and dotted with acacia trees, the plains get their name from the Maasai word Siringitu - 'the place where the land moves on forever'.

On our second day here we awaken at dawn to begin our game drive. We will head out while the animals are at their most active and head back to camp for brunch around 11am. After spending the day relaxing (just like the animals do) we head out again as the day begins to cool for our dusk game drive, returning in time for another delicious camp dinner.

Our campsite is within the Serengeti itself so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep. The bush camp is quite basic with drop toilets and cold showers.

For an unforgettable experience, you might like to do an optional sunrise balloon ride over the Serengeti. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and must be arranged in advance. Please enquire when booking your trip to secure this optional activity.

If you have pre-booked this activity, you'll be picked up and driven to the launch site where you receive a safety briefing from your pilot and help inflate the balloon. You'll then float over the Serengeti as the sun comes up gaining an overview of the immensity of the Serengeti, seeing the abundance of wildlife in their early morning activity and sometimes descending to tree height for amazing wildlife photography opportunities. Upon landing, you'll be treated to a five-star bush breakfast before being returned to your accommodation.

You'll notice many Maasai villages in the region of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. While it's of course fascinating to visit different cultures, past experience has shown that these villages exist primarily as tourism businesses offering somewhat contrived performances of their traditional ways. You'll be charged an entry fee of approx US$20-35 and the Maasai will try very hard to sell souvenirs to you. While many clients still enjoy the experience, others have found it artificial and uncomfortable. We recommend our travellers bypass this activity as our Kenyan colleagues observe that it negatively impacts the Maasai culture and travellers' perception of this culture.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

The drive from Lake Victoria to the gate of Serengeti National Park is about 100km on a smooth road. The next 120km is completed through the Serengeti and the driving will be slow as we game drive our way to the campsite.

The wide, open plains of the Serengeti - green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season, and home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators - are perhaps the quintessential image of Africa. Flat and rolling with long grasses and dotted with acacia trees, the plains get their name from the Maasai word Siringitu - 'the place where the land moves on forever'.

On our second day here we awaken at dawn to begin our game drive. We will head out while the animals are at their most active and head back to camp for brunch around 11am. After spending the day relaxing (just like the animals do) we head out again as the day begins to cool for our dusk game drive, returning in time for another delicious camp dinner.

Our campsite is within the Serengeti itself so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep. The bush camp is quite basic with drop toilets and cold showers.

For an unforgettable experience, you might like to do an optional sunrise balloon ride over the Serengeti. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and must be arranged in advance. Please enquire when booking your trip to secure this optional activity.

If you have pre-booked this activity, you'll be picked up and driven to the launch site where you receive a safety briefing from your pilot and help inflate the balloon. You'll then float over the Serengeti as the sun comes up gaining an overview of the immensity of the Serengeti, seeing the abundance of wildlife in their early morning activity and sometimes descending to tree height for amazing wildlife photography opportunities. Upon landing, you'll be treated to a five-star bush breakfast before being returned to your accommodation.

You'll notice many Maasai villages in the region of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. While it's of course fascinating to visit different cultures, past experience has shown that these villages exist primarily as tourism businesses offering somewhat contrived performances of their traditional ways. You'll be charged an entry fee of approx US$20-35 and the Maasai will try very hard to sell souvenirs to you. While many clients still enjoy the experience, others have found it artificial and uncomfortable. We recommend our travellers bypass this activity as our Kenyan colleagues observe that it negatively impacts the Maasai culture and travellers' perception of this culture.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

Our journey is 80 km and takes approx 3 hrs.

Our campsite on the rim of the crater overlooks jagged volcanic peaks and rolling grasslands thousands of feet below - you can be sure that there are few campsites in the world with a better view than this. It also has drop toilets and cold showers.

 

It can get very cold on the crater rim, particularly during the winter months of June to August where temperatures drop below zero. Even in the summer months it can be surprisingly chilly at night so bring a jacket and come prepared.

Included Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

A small village community, Mto Wa Mbu offers an excellent way to get a close-up look at life in an African town away from the main tourist trail.

The drive is 140 km and takes approx 5-6 hrs.

Our campsite is in Meserani, on the outskirts of Arusha, and has flush toilets and showers.

Included Activities

Meals Included

Accommodation

The drive is 390 km and takes approx 9-10 hrs.

On arrival in Nairobi we'll be dropped at our finishing point hotel. No accommodation is provided for tonight, but we are able to book you additional accommodation in Nairobi. Please ask at time of booking.

Important: Please don't book any international flights until after 9pm this evening.

This is a transport day to Nairobi. You can finish your trip in Arusha this morning if you wish to travel further in Tanzania or catch a flight.

Meals Included

@variation

Key: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner