Best of Kenya and Tanzania

Itinerary Highlights

Known as the birthplace of Big Five safari, the neighboring countries of Kenya and Tanzania together possess what is perhaps the greatest abundance of plains game worldwide. While much of this wildlife centers upon Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti, two massive national parks separated solely by a political border, stunning scenery and epic wildlife spreads far beyond. Our 12-night journey through the highlights of East Africa explores the classical elements of safari through exceptional camps and lodges that not only boast the most coveted, exclusive locations but also have shown a commitment to conservation in the region. Away from the crowds in remote conservancies (most of which are accessible only via chartered aircraft) at intimate luxury properties you will discover a more bespoke and meaningful rendition of classic safari. 

Your adventure begins in Nairobi, Kenya at one has become one of Africa’s most recognizable hotels. Giraffe Manor, known for the graceful creatures sharing its name, is a sprawling wildlife sanctuary where guests and giraffes live side by side. 

You’ll then fly to Lewa, a family owned and operated lodge with its own private conservancy in Laikipia. This authentic property is known not only for its game drives but for its more adventurous activities such as hiking and camel-back riding, or even a low-flying biplane journey a la Out of Africa. 

From there head south to the singular Masai Mara. Situated upon the Sand River, Sala’s Camp provides you with front row seats to the Great Migration from the comfort of your classic yet elegantly appointed tent. 

As you cross the border from Kenya into Tanzania you’ll arrive at breathtaking Nimali Mara in Kogatende, a northern and more remote region of the Serengeti near the famed Mara River. While this brand new luxury lodges changes up the bush experience with stunning modern touches, the traditional safari elements remain. 

Your final destination will be the iconic Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera home to prolific animal life. Enjoy epic views of this natural marvel from andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, the only property to overlook the caldera. Beyond its unrivaled location, the lodge provides its guests with unforgettable game drives into the conservation area, along with countless other experiences showcasing both the natural and cultural splendor of the region. 

Lodges described in the itinerary are recommended by Craft Travel but there are numerous options in each destination and we will customize your itinerary based upon your preferences. With your feedback, we will similarly customize suggested activities, time spent in each location and trip extensions to additional destinations of interest nearby.

See “Expert Notes & Customization” section below.

Detailed Itinerary

Welcome to Kenya! Upon arrival to Nairobi’s International Airport, you will be met by your guide who will transfer you to your hotel in the leafy suburb of Langata . Situated within 12 acres of private land alongside a 140-acre giraffe sanctuary, Giraffe Manor offers an idyllic setting as you begin your safari and relax after your journey to East Africa.

Giraffe Manor was originally built in the 1930s as a private home and forty years later was reimagined as a home for the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe. The Manor’s resident giraffe have been responsible for a widely successful repopulation of the species, allowing offspring to be released into the wild and further breeding efforts. Now operated by the Safari Collection, a brand renowned for their commitment to sustainability and community enrichment, the legacy continues on.

As a guest of the property’s exclusive Garden Manor you will enjoy the unique opportunity to interact with the resident giraffes. Close up encounters with the semi-habituated giraffe as they put their heads through the windows greeting you for breakfast is sure to leave an unforgettable memory. The inquisitive giraffe are always keen to be hand fed, though they are less interested in your English breakfast than they are in dried pellets of grass, molasses and corn! Your two days at Giraffe Manor will be leisurely, with opportunities to tour the onsite AFEW Giraffe Centre, relax in the spa or play lawn games. Explorations of Nairobi can be arranged as well, including a game drive in Nairobi National Park, a visit to your foster elephant or rhino at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a step back in time to the Karen Blixen Museum or various cultural activities.

Overnight at Giraffe Manor (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Following your last breakfast with the giraffe you’ll head to nearby Wilson Airport where you’ll board your flight to Lewa. An extraordinar sanctuary within the Laikipia Plateau, Lewa Conservancy is one of Kenya’s most notable wildlife regions. Largely considered one of the best places to see the Big Five, the conservancy is also known for both its black and white rhino populations as well as breathtaking views of snow capped Mount Kenya.

Within the conservancy lies Lewa Wilderness, one of Kenya’s original private safari experiences. Owned and operated by the Craig family since the early 1970s, this special lodge simply feels like home. Relax by the fire in the cozy sitting room and share meals around a long banquet table in the open-air dining room. A stunning salt-water infinity provides an idyllic locale for relaxation and wildlife spotting. Natural springs, home-raised livestock, and a five-acre organic garden are transformed by skilled chefs into incredible, healthy and delicious food. Nine gorgeous cottages, each with a unique layout, combine authenticity and comfort boasting thatched roofs, cozy sitting rooms and fireplace and private outdoor verandas ideal for enjoying your morning coffee whilst watching the sunrise.

Lewa offers what is perhaps one of the most well-rounded wilderness experiences in East Africa. Game drives are the cornerstone of the Lewa experience, offering the unique advantage of being within the conservancy where a maximum of three vehicles are permitted at wildlife sightings. This exclusive game viewing experience makes your encounters with lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, elephant and black and white rhino all the more memorable and authentic. Night drives are another important element of the Lewa experience as you will witness the incredible happens that occur only after dark.

Lewa is also the ideal setting for walking safari. Guests head out with trained Maasai guides to witness this incredible landscape from a unique perspective. Perhaps nothing is more exciting than tracking rhino, elephant or leopard on foot. In addition to walking safari, Lewa boasts additional safari transport options. The Lewa Wilderness stables are home to over 30 horses and ponies. The horses are well accustomed to the wildlife as, during the day, they enjoy free range grazing alongside animals such as zebra, giraffe, impala, eland and baboons. The lodge’s camels are similarly trained and provide what is for most an even more exotic experience. And if you are lucky enough to visit the property at the same time as its owner, Will Craig, you might consider the flight of a lifetime over the wilds of Africa in his open cockpit plane. A former crop-dusting pilot, Will takes guests right above the treetops and weaves through gorges to show off the beauty of his homeland that is otherwise virtually inaccessible.

The nearby Ngare Ndare Forest offers a different ecosystem to explore, with a treetop canopy walk and spectacular waterfalls where you can swim and enjoy a picnic lunch. Lewa also provides opportunities to visit local communities or engage in enrichment projects.

Overnight at Lewa Wilderness (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Today you’ll head south to the famed Masai Mara, flying from Lewa to the Keekorok Airstrip. 

Sala’s Camp is situated in the center of the Masai Mara National Reserve’s southernmost sector.  This prime location directly overlooking the Sand River towards Tanzania and the ‘Northern Corridor’ where nearly 2 million wildebeest migrate annually between Tanzania and Kenya guarantees one of the most exceptional game viewing experiences in all of East Africa. 

Sala’s Camp offers guests the classic Kenyan experience. The camp is situated away from the crowds in a private, low use area of the reserve. Sala's upholds a warm camp atmosphere in beautifully structured canvas-over-beam tents. The camp’s seven luxury guest tents were recently renovated, boasting private plunge pools and glass doors. 

The anticipation and excitement of setting off in a 4 x 4 to explore the African bush is what being on safari is all about. The area around Sala’s Camp is teeming with diverse wildlife and your professional local Maasai guides are eager to tell you about the plants and animals you encounter. Guests staying longer might wish to venture further into the Mara and head out for the day with a picnic lunch. Sala’s game drive vehicles are specially designed to ensure maximum game viewing and comfort, fully equipped with Maasai blankets and ponchos to keep you warm, sunscreen, fridges filled with cold and hot drinks, books and sweets. End your exhilarating day of safari by relaxing in your hammock or meeting up for sundowners by the campfire before enjoying dinner served under the stars.

During the dry months, the sandy riverbed in front of Sala’s Camp turns into a perfect volleyball pitch. There are no hippos or crocodiles to worry about in the area, so enjoy unleashing your competitive side with a game of bush volleyball. Each tent is provided with a ‘gym-in-a-bag’ for you to use during your stay. Customise a workout from the comfort of your private veranda. Each little fitness bag contains a yoga mat, skipping rope and post safari stretch card to take you through some simple exercises to ease your muscles and relax your body. Also at your disposal is a  fully equipped gym where you can burn some calories to either work up an appetite for the camp’s incredible cuisine.From a secluded shady corner of camp or from the comfort of your own room, indulge in a therapeutic treatment. Sala’s uses Healing Earth spa products, a premium organic brand inspired by ancient African healing traditions. 

Perhaps one of the most iconic experiences of East Africa is soaring high over the savanna on a sunrise balloon safari. Glide silently above the plains and spot wildlife as you experience 360 degree views as far as the eye can see. Balloon rides are particularly magnificent during the migration, when you will witness millions of animals grazing on a green carpet below you. Ballooning can be arranged at an additional cost and also, includes a champagne bush breakfast.

Like Giraffe Manor, Sala’s Camp is operated by The Safari Collection, with sustainability and giving back at the heart of everything they do. Their ethos is to be low impact, community and conservation orientated to the core and to have a significant positive influence on the people and environment around each lodge. Sala’s Camp has a gold eco-rating and is built from locally made materials with a light ecological footprint. The camp’s electricity is solar-powered and there is a standby generator for refrigeration and charging devices. The camp employs Maasai guides and spotters who grew up on the edges of the reserves and are proudly involved in local conservation initiatives. At Sala’s Camp each guest contributes to the running of the Masai Mara via payment of a park fee and conservation fee (included in your rate), both of which are essential funding to the running costs of the reserve and the enduring protection of its incredible wildlife populations. The camp is situated in a rhino sanctuary area and The Safari Collection donates $5 per night for each guest to the Rhino Monitoring Team to assist with fuel, training and their daily activities. They also provide staff and vehicles for their annual censuses. Sala’s Camp works in close conjunction with the Mara Cheetah Project and Mara Lion Project, assisting with fundraising, data collection and as a base for their staff when in the south of the Masai Mara. There are opportunities for interested guests to visit the project or to have dinner with, or a lecture from, one of their team about the research and conservation activities. Sala’s Camp runs a dedicated Conservation Vehicle which assists with monitoring big cat populations in the Masai Mara on a daily basis and other projects around Kenya at other times.

Built in 2019, Nimali Mara rests upon a kopje dotted with trees and boulders overlooking Kogatende, a remote and particularly scenic corner of the Northern Serengeti. Its location near the Mara River ensures prolific wildlife year round, though like Sala’s Camp is strategically positioned to witness the fruits of the Great Migration and wildebeest crossings.

The architecturally stunning lodge boasts ten luxury suites with floor to ceiling windows overlooking private verandas and breathtaking views of the Serengeti. Each suite has fixed wooden doors, double showers, twin vanity and a copper bath tub. Two of which are honeymoon suites with their own private plunge pools. An infinity pool built into a natural cave is found in the lodge’s main area. Dining is exceptional and you’ll quickly marvel at how cuisine of this magnitude could be prepared in the middle of the bush.

Your days will be spent primarily on game drives through the Serengeti, spotting the plains game and predators for which the region is renowned.

Overnight at Nimali Mara (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

After your final breakfast in the Serengeti, board a charter flight to Lake Manyara. There you’ll be met by your guide who will escort you toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Once a gigantic volcano, Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater is now the largest intact caldera in the world. Many geologists have suggested that before it erupted it was even higher than nearby Mount Kilimanjaro. Today, long since having collapsed and eroded, it is an extensive highland area with the famous 2,000 foot deep crater as its focal point. Nearly three million years old, the ancient caldera now shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth. Endangered black rhino are protected within its rim, giant tusked elephant wander the forests, large male lion stalk the grasslands and long-legged flamingo crowd the soda lakes. An estimated 25,000 large mammals reside within this astonishing geological feat, including a population of approximately 6,000 resident wildebeest, 16 rare black rhino and around 70 lion. Cheetah move in and out of the crater, while leopard are most often encountered in the spectacular Lerai Forest. 

Perched above cool, swirling mists right on the edge of this bowl of plenty is &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, affording its guests unparalleled views of one of planet earth’s most awe-inspiring achievements. 

With perennial appearances among lists of the world’s best and most luxurious properties, &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is perhaps the ideal destination in which to end your East African adventure. With three separate and intimate camps totalling just 26 suites, the lodge is impeccably designed and decorated, inspired by the design of Maasai mud and stick manyatta and reminiscent of a bygone era. Each spacious suite provides breathtaking views with its bedroom, sitting room and ensuite bathroom boasting floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the magnificent Crater below. Beaded chandeliers hang above large gilt mirrors, while antiques, billowing raw silk curtains and leather-backed chairs blend harmoniously with African art elements. Ensuite bathrooms with a dramatic centrepiece of red roses feature spacious showers and chandelier-lit bathtubs. Your personal butler will discretely cater to your every need, bringing tea in bed, stoking fireplaces and drawing luxurious bubble baths. 

The primary attraction of your stay will naturally be a full day’s worth of game driving through the Crater, accessing it earlier in the day than anyone else thanks to the lodge’s positioning. Your safari highlights will include seasonal sightings of flamingo on the soda lake, black rhino, magnificently tusked elephants and of course an exceptionally high concentration of predators. At your request we can arrange for a private picnic on the Crater floor for a truly unforgettable experience. 

Beyond the wildlife, take advantage of your time at Ngorongoro by hiking one of the lodge’s three amazing trails or learning more about the rich culture of this diverse and historical region of East Africa. With an additional night you can also visit the cradle of mankind at nearby Olduvai Gorge or interact with the KopeLion conservation team to get a deeper understanding of their day to day operations and what it is really like for the Maasai to live side by side with wildlife. Discover how these conservationists are fostering lion-people coexistence. You can also indulge in your downtime with a relaxing massage at the lodge’s spa.

On your final day, your guide will escort you to the appropriate airport (Lake Manyara Airstrip, Arusha or Kilimanjaro) for your departing flight. 

Overnight at &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

• 12 nights accommodations as per program (based on double/twin sharing room)

• All meals and drinks (excluding breakfast on Day 1), wines and liquors

• All charter flights and ground transfers between lodges

• Twice daily game drives with English speaking naturalist guide (where applicable) Days 3 - 10

• Full day game drive inside Ngorongoro Conservation Area on Day 12

• Lodge-specific activities as described

• Daily laundry service

• All national park and entrance fees required

• *Not included: gratuities, visas, international flights, meals and drinks not described above, items of a personal nature

While this itinerary is sure to delight just about anyone, given the countless options within East Africa there are various ways to customize. For safari enthusiasts, several destinations could be added to the route, including Amboseli, Meru, Samburu, Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. There are exceptional lodges and camps in all of these destinations, though some of our favorites would be Amboseli’s Tortilis, Samburu’s Sasaab and Tsavo West’s Finch Hattons. In Tanzania, depending on the season either Tarangire or Lake Manyara would make for a wonderful wildlife addition. An extension to Zanzibar is ideal for those looking to end their adventure on a white sand beach, as well as extremely convenient; it’s a quick 90 minute flight from Arusha Airport nearby Ngorongoro Crater. The Seychelles are also a possibility, though given the logistics recommended for stays of at least 4-5 nights.

The itinerary can be done almost year-round, though some substitutions would need to be made in the months of November and May when some camps close. In general we recommend avoiding the region in May when seasonal rain is heaviest. It is important to note that depending on the season those interested in following the wildebeest migration might want to select a camp further south in the Serengeti. Nimali has a Central Serengeti location as well, along with many other brands in that same region. We can help orient you to the best choice location-wise based on your specific dates. In general, there are a number of truly noteworthy properties both within the Masai Mara and the Serengeti and we are happy to present you with alternatives that might better fit your style.

It is also worth noting that for those considering a gorilla trek, a 3-night extension trip to either Uganda or Rwanda could also easily be added to this itinerary, with charter flights operating between the Serengeti and Kigali.