THE BEST OF KENYA AND TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS

 OPTIONAL 8 DAY ZANZIBAR EXTENSION 

15 days in Kenya and Tanzania with an optional 8 day Zanzibar extension witnessing the ANIMAL MIGRATION; THE BEST SHOW ON EARTH

June 18 - July 2, 2020

​Price per person in double air and land from Dulles is $8,100   plus taxes, single supplement $700

 

Contact HLO Tours at or call 800-736-4456 to reserve your space.

Day 1

Thursday, June 18:

DULLES / CAIRO, EGYPT 

Overnight on board plane

 

Day 2

Friday, June 19:

CAIRO - LaPassage Airport Hotel 

Upon arrival to Cairo International Airport, you will be transferred by private A/C bus to the LAPASSAGE HOTEL (or similar) to spend over day in Cairo. Rest in your room, enjoy a swim in the pool to freshen up and get ready to continue your adventure in Kenya.  Dinner at the hotel.

Overday at the LaPassage Hotel   D

 

Day 3

Saturday, June 20:

NAIROBI - AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE  

Arrive to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi where (You will obtain your Kenya entry visa upon arrival $50.00 per passport) you will be met and transferred by your private safari vehicle and driver / guide to Nairobi Serena hotel for buffet breakfast.  After breakfast you board your vehicles which will take you to start your wonderful safari adventures by driving to Amboseli National Park. 

Arrive to Amboseli National Park in the afternoon and then proceed to Amboseli Serena Lodge where you will spend two nights. Lunch at the lodge.

Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE. BB, L, D

 

Day 4

Sunday, June 21:

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK / AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE

After breakfast board your safari vehicles for lunch at the lodge. Afternoon game drive. Dinner at the lodge.  Overnight: AMBOSELI SERENA LODGE

BB, L, D

 

Day 5

Monday, June 22:

AMBOSELI / NAMANGA / ARUSHA / NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA - NGORONGORO SOPA LODGE 

Meet your driver/guide and board your safari vehicle to continue your safari adventure by driving to Namanga town (Kenya & Tanzania border) where you'll exit Kenya by stopping at the immigration office to complete the exit formalities. Then you'll be met by your Tanzania drivers/guides and proceed to Tanzania immigration office to obtain your Tanzania entry visa ($100.00 per passport) and then continue driving to Arusha City to have lunch & maybe shopping.

Following lunch, you'll continue driving to Ngorongoro Conservation area. After you cross the gate of the park, you'll continue driving to your lodge where you are going to spend the next two nights at NGORONGORO SOPA LODGE, which is located on the northeastern rim of the crater with the closest access road down to the crater floor. Each of the 96 rooms offers en-suite facilities and has a sitting room "porch" overlooking the crater. The lodge’s swimming pool has a fabulous view over the crater. Overnight at NGORONGORO SOPA LODGE    BB, L D

 

Day 6

Tuesday, June 23:

NGORONGORO CRATER / NGORONGORO SOPA LODGE 

Early morning breakfast, then board your safari vehicles to start your dessention into the morning mists to the floor of the 2,000 foot deep crater for game viewing at its best in the world's largest natural zoo.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact caldera in an exceptional geographical position, forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 sq km with sides up to 600m deep. It is the stalking ground of 20 - 30,000 wild animals at any one time.

The crater floor consists of a number of ecological environments that include grassland, swamps, forests and Lake Makat, a central soda lake filled by the Munge River. All these various habitats attract various wildlife to drink, wallow, graze, hide or climb. 

Although animals are free to move in and out of this contained environment, the rich volcanic soil, lush forests and spring source lakes on the crater floor tend to incline both grazers and predators to remain throughout the year.

Your game drive and lodge accommodations will provide you with breathtaking views of the crater floor far below and spectacular game viewing. Picnic lunch will be provided on the Crater floor.

Afternoon:  Return to the NGORONGORO SOPA LODGE for dinner & overnight.  BB, L, D

 

Day 7

Wednesday, June 24:

NGORONGORO / SERENGETI via OLDUVAI GORGE

SERENGETI SOPA LODGE 

After breakfast, you'll continue your adventure by driving about 4 hours to Serengeti National Park. En route you are going to stop to visit OLDUVAI GORGE, which is an archaeological site located in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania. Olduvai Gorge is one of the most important pale anthropological sites in the world and has been instrumental in furthering the understanding of early human evolution. The gorge is a very steep sided ravine roughly 30 miles long and 295 ft. deep. The main Olduvai Beds are in a lake basin about 16 miles in diameter. The rocks under the basin date to 5.3 million years ago. There have been seven major beds distinguished which are ranked from oldest to youngest. The first specimen of Paranthropus Boisei, also called Nutcracker Man, was reported by Mary and Louis Leakey in 1959 from a site in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. 

After your visit to Olduvai Museum, you will continue driving through the seemingly endless Serengeti plains viewing the dramatic scenery and numerous animals indigenous to the area. Lunch box will be provided.  In the late afternoon you will arrive to SERENGETI SOPA LODGE for dinner and overnight. BB, L, D

 

Day 8

Thursday, June 25:  

CENTRAL SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK - SERENGETI SOPA LODGE 

Optional Serengeti hot air balloon: For those who choose to take the hot air balloon option (approximately $500 per person), you will have a choice of two mornings to schedule this optional activity.  The view is so different from the air, sometimes so high you can see for hundreds of miles in every direction.  Pass directly over vulture nests in acacia tortillas, float silently over the Seronera river watching hippos yawn; see Giraffe, Waterbuck, Buffalo and Cats. Upon landing, you will be congratulated with Champagne and full English breakfast cooked on the balloon burner.

Morning and afternoon game drives in this leading park of Tanzania are dominated by grassy savannahs that appear to stretch to infinity.  Granite outcrops rise from the swaying sea of grass giving families of lions and leopards an elevated view from which to survey their surroundings, teeming with wildlife all seemingly relaxed but always alert for approaching danger.  Three million large mammals live in total freedom including (the big five) Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo.

One million wildebeest, two-hundred thousand zebra- almost five million hooves pounding the plains of the Serengeti. 

This is the park at the height of the migration, when columns of wildebeest up to twenty-file miles long instinctually follow fresh grasses through gorges, woodlands, and crocodile-infested rivers. As the herds move, they fertilize their path, dropping 420 tons of dung daily. During wildebeest mating season, males circle their harems, battling junior males that threaten their dominance. This annual ritual results in an average of 8,000 births a day during calving season. Lunch box will be provided. Overnight: SERENGETI SOPA LODGE.   BB, L, D

 

Day 9

Friday, June 26: 

CENTRAL SERENGETI / MASAAI MARA NATIONAL PARK (KENYA) - MARA SERENA LODGE 

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Seronera Air Strip in Serengeti for your flight to Masai Mara where you will spend the next three nights in Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya’s finest wildlife spectacle. The never-ending landscape is home to around 400-500 bird species, 95 animal species and all of the great predators, including the country’s largest lion population. The Mara lies within the territory of the Maasai, who help administer the park and protect it from poachers.

It is comprised of 1,500 sq. km of seemingly endless plains of short sweet grasses, ample feeding for the region’s plentiful herbivores. Two rivers, the Mara and the Talek, race through the reserve, providing sustenance for a wide range of wildlife. And the Mara, of course, is host to the most spectacular sights of the world-famous Great Migration!

After familiarizing yourself with your luxurious accommodations, you will take a drive through the famed reserve.  Overnight at the SERENA MARA LODGE. BB, L, D

 

Day 10

Saturday, June 27:

MARA SERENA LODGE

After breakfast you will have morning and afternoon game drives in this spectacular reserve. Overnight at the SERENA MARA LODGE. BB, L, D

 

Day 11

Sunday, June 28:

MARA SERENA LODGE

After breakfast you will have morning and afternoon game drives in this spectacular reserve. Overnight at the SERENA MARA LODGE. BB, L, D

 

Day 12

Monday, June 29:

MARA SERENA LODGE/ NAIROBI - NAIROBI SERENA HOTEL 

Early morning breakfast and transfer to the Nairobi Serena Hotel to relax before your early morning flight, 2:30 AM transfer to airport for your 5:15 AM flight to Cairo. 

Overnight at the NAIROBI SERENA HOTEL.   BB

 

Day 13

Tuesday, June 30

NAIROBI / CAIRO - LE PASSAGE HOTEL 

You will arrive at approximately 10:15 in the morning to Cairo International Airport where you'll be met and assisted through formalities and customs then transferred to the Le Passage Airport Hotel in Cairo. Dinner and lunch on your own.

 

Day 14

Wednesday, July 1

CAIRO EGYPT / DULLES

Early morning breakfast, then you'll be transferred to Cairo International Airport for your Egypt Air flight to Washington DC.  

 

Day 15

Thursday, July 2

DULLES, WASHINGTON, DC

You'll arrive Dulles at approximately 5:15 AM where you will then connect with your domestic flight home.

 

Welcome Home with a lifetime of memories from KENYA, TANZANIA, and EGYPT!

 

 

8 DAY ZANZIBAR EXTENSION - Price per person in double air and land from Nairobi is $2,711

June 30 - July 7, 2020

 

Day 13

Tuesday, June 30

NAIROBI / ZANZIBAR - STONE TOWN -SERENA INN 

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Nairobi Airport for your flight to the island of Zanzibar.  Arrive on legendary Zanzibar. The name conjures up images of pirates and explorers, palm-studded white sand beaches and smells of exotic spices. This peaceful island is a fascinating melting pot of Arabic, Indian and African cultures. It was the ancient trading port of the sultans of Oman in the 19th century. The historic city of Stone Town is a medina: the only one of its kind south of the Equator. Carved doors and balconies decorate the houses, which are made of coral stone. Inland, the island is a garden of Eden offering the most exquisite tropical species.  Your time here will take you from pristine beaches to the narrow streets and bustling markets of Stone Town. You may choose to scuba dive, snorkel, swim, or just relax at Serena Inn where you will be spending the night. After dinner, depart for the Sunset dhow cruise

Overnight: SERENA INN    BB, L, D

 

Day 14

Wednesday, July 1:  

ZANZIBAR- City Tours - / SERENA INN  

After breakfast you'll proceed with your guide for a half-day tour of historic Stone Town where history appears to stand still. Your tour includes visits to the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum (People's Palace) National Museum and the Arab Fort. It is a fascinating look at the essence of Zanzibar. You will see Zanzibar's bustling fish and vegetable market, winding alleyways, ornately carved and studded doors, two cathedrals and countless mosques. A visit to the site of the former slave market site at Mkunazini rounds off an insight into Zanzibar's huge history and vibrant culture. Stone Town has some excellent gifts shops with plenty of souvenirs and handicrafts to choose from. After lunch, you will continue your adventure for a half-day spice tour in Kizimbani. The history of Zanzibar would be incomplete without seeing the cloves and many other spices, which brought the Sultans of Oman and the beginnings of the infamous slave trade.   Overnight at the SERENA INN .  BB, L, D.  

 

Day 15

Thursday, July 2:

ZANZIBAR - DREAM OF ZANZIBAR HOTEL

Buffet breakfast at the hotel followed by our drive to the beaches to spend the next three nights at the Dream of Zanzibar Hotel.  

Enjoy the sun on the beach OR choose one or more of the following

optional daily activities:

• Enjoy the resort large swimming pool.

• Fitness center: with aerobics, dancing lessons and massage rooms

• Floodlit tennis court.

• Full water sports: including windsurfing, canoes, pedal boats, sailing, snorkeling and boat trips.

• A dive school

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, then overnight at the DREAM OF ZANZIBAR HOTEL.  BB, L, D

 

Day 16

Friday, July 3:

ZANZIBAR-  DREAM OF ZANZIBAR HOTEL

Buffet breakfast at the resort and the rest of the day at leisure.  

Enjoy the sun on the beach OR choose one or more of the following optional daily activities:

• Enjoy the resort large swimming pool.

• Fitness center: with aerobics, dancing lessons and massage rooms

• Floodlit tennis court.

• Full water sports: including windsurfing, canoes, pedal boats, sailing, snorkeling and boat trips.

• A dive school

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, then overnight at the DREAM OF ZANZIBAR HOTEL.  BB, L, D

 

Day 17

Saturday, July 4

ZANZIBAR - DREAM OF ZANZIBAR HOTEL

Buffet breakfast at the resort and the rest of the day at leisure.  

Enjoy the sun on the beach OR choose one or more of the following optional daily activities:

• Enjoy the resort large swimming pool.

• Fitness center: with aerobics, dancing lessons and massage rooms

• Floodlit tennis court.

• Full water sports: including windsurfing, canoes, pedal boats, sailing, snorkeling and boat trips.

• A dive school

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, then overnight at the DREAM OF ZANZIBAR HOTEL.  BB, L, D

 

Day 18

Sunday, July 5

ZANZIBAR / NAIROBI - NAIROBI SERENA HOTEL

Early morning breakfast and transfer to Zanzibar airport for your short flight to Nairobi.  You will transfer to the Nairobi Serena Hotel to relax before your early morning flight, 2:30 AM transfer to airport for your 5:15 AM flight to Cairo. 

Overnight at the NAIROBI SERENA HOTEL    BB

 

Day 19

Monday, July 6

NAIROBI / CAIRO - LE PASSAGE HOTEL 

You will arrive at approximately 10:15 in the morning to Cairo International Airport where you'll be met and assisted through formalities and customs then transferred to the Le Passage Airport Hotel in Cairo. Lunch and dinner on your own. Late afternoon you will be transfered to Cairo Airport for your 10:15 flight to Dulles, Washington, DC.

 

Day 20

Tuesday, July 7

CAIRO EGYPT / DULLES, WASHINGTON, DC

You'll arrive Dulles at approximately 5:15 AM where you will then connect with your domestic flight home.

 

Welcome Home with a lifetime of memories from KENYA, TANZANIA , ZANZIBAR and EGYPT!

 

 

 

 

 

THE BEST OF KENYA, TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS 

OPTIONAL 8 DAY ZANZIBAR EXTENSION

 

15 days in Kenya and Tanzania witnessing ANIMAL MIGRATION, THE BEST SHOW ON EARTH

 

Tour Details 

•  DESTINATIONS & SIGHTSEEING

•  ITINERARY AND MEALS

•  ACCOMMODATIONS