Gems of East Africa

Your trip starts in one of our Travel Experts' favourite cities, Nairobi. Wake early with an African coffee and visit the Masai Market that sells authentic handmade clothing and traditional baskets. Pause for a meaty lunch at one of several sizzling barbecue restaurants serving up spicy meat. Stroll the leafy grounds of the Nairobi National Museum and enjoy colourful African art—a fine opening day in East Africa.

Head north by 4x4 to the foothills of Mount Kenya. At the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, meet the black rhino on a game drive that shows why this conservancy is a sanctuary for wildlife. But that’s nowhere near all the wildlife that’s on offer: expect to bump into elephants, lions, and wild dogs—under guided tour, of course. Feeling more adventurous? Simply walk the grounds of this harmonious conservancy.

It’s time for Lake Nakuru National Park, a place of majesty, best showcased as you tour waters where pink flamingo feed when in season. Walk the otherworldly acacia trees that make up the forest, rocky escarpments—it’s a beautiful place to be. Of course, you’ll equally love the safari adventures: see lions, leopards, hippos, to name but a few of nature’s finest animal sightings.

Today, you'll be able to see the Great Wildebeest Migration in one of the world's most famous parks, the Masai Mara. Witness a Great Migration of wildebeest that arrive in their hundreds of thousands each year. Truck to the Mara River and watch as hippos roll in mud. Take a hot air balloon and a chance to look out for several bird species such as the soot chat. Take camp on the plains and listen to baboons as they play in the trees.

Africa’s largest tropical lake is your next stop on a tour of Tanzania, have your rod to hand. Move through nature as you sightsee hippos and the clawless otter. The vegetated shore is a lush green landscape around the embankment of Lake Victoria, and launching spot for boat excursions you’ll surely love. Chimp viewing at Rubondo Island is a popular highlight.

A safari in Central Serengeti will feel endless. Drive a volcanic land of metamorphic beauty seen in rock formations, where prides of lions idle on boulders. Hop out the back of your 4x4 to snap a photo as a Great Migration of wildebeest stomps by your window view. Head skyward in a hot air balloon, taking in a land that includes the “Big Five,” and chirping birdlife such as the Kori bustard.

What will move you at the Ngorongoro Crater? It could be the largest  population of lions found in Africa or a fever-forest of acacia trees. Inside the world’s largest unbroken caldera, nature shines brightest where herds of elephants roam, and the elusive cheetah stalks its prey. Hop in a truck and cruise through lands where the “Big Five” move freely—look out as 25,000 animals roam.

From 4x4 to boat, it’s time for you to float to the luxurious setting of Zanzibar. An island of creamy white beaches by the Indian Ocean, the resort of Pongwe is a perfect spot to spot a hawksbill turtle when snorkelling.  Watch as waves roll beneath your hut lodging, inviting dolphins to play. Take in all this tropical delight in an exclusive setting with a sundowner in hand and views of waves lapping waves at sunset.