This 11-day Kenya and Tanzania safari provides the best game viewing possible during the dry season, which means extraordinary numbers of lions (normally more than 100), phenomenal congregations of elephants and outstanding plains game with good chances of seeing the great migration in Kenya's Mara.

Game viewing in the dry season is a much more technical affair than during the wet season. In some places, like the Serengeti, as much as a quarter of the biomass migrates out of the park to better watered areas. So the key to spectacular game viewing during the dry season is to travel to areas that still have rain (like Kenya's Maasai Mara, or to areas where specific water sources are near guaranteed, like Tanzania's Tarangire National Park.

At any time of the year, exciting safaris can be planned that provide a game viewing experience that exceeds most visitors' expectations. But within this wonderful array of opportunities, this dry season spectacular affords extraordinary value in a relatively short time by concentrating on those areas where game viewing peaks with the dry season.

The prices include: ** A Safari Guide who stays with you throughout and manages the entire program; ** Guaranteed window seating in Landrovers & Landcruisers with pop-top roofs; ** Professionally-trained, English-speaking driver/guides with each vehicle; ** Meals as detailed in brackets following each day's description below; ** All park entrance fees, VAT and other government taxes; ** Comprehensive pre-trip material with discount coupons for travel gear and equipment. Additional expenses not included: - Meals not included; - All beverages; - All international, regional and local scheduled flights; - Requisite visas and other travel preparations like inoculations; - Tipping.

Contact EWT for the best international air fares and for recommendations on how to use your frequent flyer miles.

Whenever you arrive Tanzania's Kilimanjaro airport, you'll be personally met and privately transferred to Kigongoni Lodge in the foothills of Mt. Meru. Dinner and overnight.  [ - -d]

The day is spent in Arusha National Park, the big game wilderness which surrounds Mt. Meru. This will be your exciting introduction to big game viewing! The park is fondly called "Giraffic Park" by locals, because of the extraordinary numbers of giraffe found here. You'll also see waterbuck, buffalo, zebra, and with luck some of the rarer animals like colobus monkey and red duiker. Enjoy your picnic lunch overlooking the Momela Lakes which are often filled with flamingo. Then after a perfect safari day, return to Kigongoni Lodge. for dinner and overnight.  [ - -d]

After breakfast drive through Arusha town onto the Maasai. On the way you’ll enjoy stops for shopping as well as an exciting visit to the Meserani Snake Park. This important anti-venom facility has fabulous guides that will explain the wide variety of beautiful and dangerous snakes found in East Africa. Continue into the into the spectacular Great Rift Valley. Another stop will be made at the colorful Mto-wa-Mbu market before climbing the escarpment above Lake Manyara to Manyara Serena Lodge for a late lunch. The remainder of the afternoon is free for a few quick options offered by the lodge or to relax in the beautiful surroundings. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.  [b-l-d]

Dawn game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. This is when the light is best for photography and the animals most active. The park is an UNESCO biosphere and one of the most scenic on the circuit. Game view through thick, magical forests onto savanna grasslands, and finally to the great lake shore itself. You'll see a huge variety of animals from giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthog and much more. Enjoy a picnic breakfast overlooking the scene that was the opening for the movie, Out of Africa. Return to Serena Lodge for lunch, and in the afternoon continue into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a spectacular drive through the Ngorongoro rain forest onto Ngorongoro Crater. Continue around the rim to Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge for dinner and overnight..  [b-l-d]

Dawn game drive in Ngorongoro Crater National Park. You'll make the quick descent through a glen of rare Lehai Acacia, Africa's "bonzaii" acacia. Once on the floor you'll understand why this is so often referred to as "Africa's Garden of Eden". At times there are 20,000 animals on the 100 sq. mile caldera floor, the highest density of lion in Africa, hundreds of hyaena and jackal, and large numbers of plains game. The central soda lake is often filled with flamingo. Enjoy your picnic breakfast beside a lake usually frequented by hippo. Return to the lodge for a later lunch, and in the afternoon you can return to the crater floor for a second drive, or relax at the lodge as well as visit a nearby Maasai village. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.  [b-l-d]

This morning you retrace your route slightly past Lake Manyara and then turn south into Tarangire National Park. Enjoy a picnic lunch as you explore the northern sector of this massive thickly wooded park famous for its elephant and leopard before continuing into the afternoon to Tarangire Sopa Lodge for dinner and overnight.  [b-l-d]

Further game viewing today in a park that really excels in game viewing during the dry season. This is when literally thousands of elephant migrate into the park to dig for water that flows under the Tarangire sand river. The elephant and other game are also drawn to the great Silale Swamp, with its shores filled with exotic birds and several lion prides. The heavy woods of the park is perfect habitat for leopard, and in Tarangire they are among the largest found on the circuit. Meals and overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge.  [b-l-d]

Today you travel from Tanzania into Kenya. Game view this morning through Tarangire back to Arusha town, where you pick up the quick noon commuter flight to Kilimanjaro Airport. There you exit Tanzania through customs and immigration before boarding a commercial flight to Kenya’s local Wilson airport. After proceeding through customs and immigration at Wilson Airport, you board a final flight into Kenya’s best reserve, the Maasai Mara. Arrive in the afternoon. You’ll be met by Landrovers from prestigious Governor’s Camp that will take you on a short game drive into camp for dinner and overnight.  [b-l-d]

During the dry season the Mara is the setting for the greatest wildlife spectacular on earth, the great migration. Of course nothing in the wild can ever be guaranteed, but if the weather is normal, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra will migration into the Mara by the end of June and remain there until well into November. Even without the migration the Mara is one of the finest reserves in Africa, with abundant big game that is resident year round. This includes lots of predators. The Mara has the highest density of lion of any big game wilderness in Africa. Activities, meals and overnight at Governor’s Camp.  [b-l-d]

Three game drives are offered daily from camp: dawn, mid-day and afternoon. The camp is beautifully located right along the Mara River, and all sorts of game wander through camp or can be seen along the river. You can book a number of options as well, including a hot air balloon ride over the herds, escorted game walks, and Maasai village visits. Activities, meals and overnight at Governor’s Camp.  [b-l-d]

After a final morning of game viewing and one last sumptuous buffet breakfast along the Mara River, you travel to the airstrip for the flight back to Nairobi scheduled to arrive at noon. You’ll be personally met and taken to the city’s most luxurous hotel, the Norfolk Hotel. Your private room is available until you are personally transferred to the airport late tonight for your overnight flight to Europe..  [b- - ]

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