Depart this morning for the village of Mto Wa Mbu for a traditional lunch and guided tour of this multi-tribe village. Drive to Ngorongoro Crater, a world in a microcosm: expansive grasslands support the black-mane lion, herds of wildebeest, buffalo, hartebeest, eland, zebra, hyena, and the endangered black rhino; wetlands and soda lakes are home to the colorful flamingo and spoonbill; dense fingers of forest provide refuge to Hildebrandt’s Francolin and turaco. Afterwards, visit a Maasai village for a unique cultural experience. In the cool evenings rest at the Ngorongoro Farm House, built in the style of an old colonial farm on the crater’s highlands and within a coffee farm facing the Oldeani Volcano. You will enjoy excellent homemade cuisine prepared using the dairy and fresh vegetables produced by the farm all year around. NGORONGORO FARM HOUSE.

You drive today to Tarangire, a landscape dotted with towering baobab trees and the largest population of elephants in northern Tanzania. This stretch of Africa is spectacular in the dry season when many of the migratory wildlife species come back to the permanent waters of Tarangire River. Huge herds of wildebeest, zebra, eland and fringed-ear oryx gather to stay until the onset of the rains when they move on to greener pastures. Tarangire is home to some 550 bird species. Your permanent safari camp is comprised of spacious tents and is built in a wildlife rich area within a 60,000-acre concession set aside for conservation by the local Maasai Community. MARAMBOI TENTED CAMP.

Cross into Kenya at Namanga and continue to Amboseli National Park at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain at 19,340 feet. Amboseli covers only 150 square miles but it is a giant of diversity and supports a plentitude of birds and other wildlife including lion, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, baboon, gazelle, wildebeest, and notably large herds of elephant. The noted American naturalist Cynthia Moss conducted one of the longest-running studies on elephants here, immortalized in her book and award-winning documentary, Echo of the Elephants. The park is in Maasailand and on your visit you may see a proud Maasai warrior or small children tending to their cattle. AMBOSELI SERENA SAFARI LODGE.

On this leg of you trip you will explore the Great Rift Valley with its sheer, high walls and bubbling springs and Lake Nakuru National Park. Once the haunt of flamingos, their numbers has significantly decreased, but water birds such as pelicans abound and there are 450 avian species that reside in the park. Rare species such as Rothschild’s giraffe and the endangered black rhino may be seen. Next day, start off with a walk at Hell’s Gate named for its natural hot geysers; afterward, take a boat ride on Lake Naivasha with its multitude of water lilies and hippos. Finish your day with a walk on Crescent Island for an up-close wildlife encounter. Your cozy, exclusive tented home is located at nearby Lake Elmenteita and is evocatively styled to echo the area’s rich history, blending aristocratic elegance with modern luxury. ELMENTAITA SERENA CAMP.

You now drive to the Maasai Mara. The seemingly endless savannah is beautifully rendered in the film, Out of Africa and is inhabited by iconic species such as cheetah, elephant, leopard, giraffe, zebra, rhino, hippo, more prides of lion than any other park in Kenya and over 500 resident species of birds. Covering an area of 700 square miles, the reserve hosts the annual Great Migration where millions of wildebeest, thousands of zebra and gazelle arrive with the rains and fresh grass. An exciting optional activity (at additional cost) is watching dawn break over the Serengeti from a hot air balloon. Your luxury lodge is an interpretation of a traditional Maasai Manyatta village of domed huts and is set on the saddle of a hill overlooking the rolling plains, woodlands and rivers that make up the Mara Triangle – one of the world’s richest wildlife sanctuaries. MARA SERENA SAFARI LODGE.

Enjoy a parting African sunrise before your drive back to Nairobi (an optional flight is available) and then to the airport for your flights home.

Your journey continues as you fly from Nairobi to Samburu on the arid fringes of northern Kenya, home to the colorful Samburu people. Explore the reserve for wildlife species rarely found elsewhere in Kenya – Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and Beisa oryx. Comb the harsh terrain for the graceful gerenuk, an antelope that spends its day in a bipedal stance amidst the sparse scrub. Discover a pride of lions sleeping in the bushes and watch the rare blue-necked Somali Ostrich lope across the planes. Return in the evenings to your luxury tented camp on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River. SAMBURU INTERPIDS CAMP.