Best of Kenya and Tanzania Budget Safari

Day 1:  Nairobi - Maasai Mara National Reserve

Budget Holiday Safaris will pick you early in the morning from your hotel or from the airport, bring you to the office for a short briefing on your safari and later depart for the Maasai Mara via the Great Rift Valley. Your first stopover will be at the Rift Valley viewpoint where you will take a few minutes to take in the scenic views of this amazing landscape.

Later, you proceed for your safari with lunch en route in a Maasai town called Narok. You will arrive in time for your first game drive in this famous game reserve. The Big Five can be found in this park as well as many other species such as cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, antelopes, wildebeest, and many more. Dinner and overnight at the camp.

• Main destination: Maasai Mara National Reserve
• Accommodation: Miti Mingi Eco Camp (budget tented camp bordering Maasai Mara National Reserve without fences)
• Meals and drinks: lunch, dinner (breakfast is not included), drinking water (other drinks are not included)

Day 2:  Maasai Mara National Reserve

You will have an early morning breakfast and proceed for a full-day game viewing in the reserve. The Maasai Mara savanna grassland plains present a very scenic landscape filled with many different wildlife species. You could also be one of only a few fortunate people to glide in a hot air balloon over the Maasai Mara plains (available at an extra cost by pre-arrangement).

The Big Five can be spotted in this reserve as well as Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, impalas, elands, topi and large herds of zebra. Other wildlife inhabiting this reserve include lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, Maasai giraffe, wildebeest, baboons, warthogs, buffalo and elephants.

You will have a picnic lunch beside a hippo pool as you view the hippos and crocodiles before proceeding for game viewing until the evening. You have the option of visiting a Maasai village for a cultural experience at an extra cost. Your dinner and overnight will be at the camp.

• Main destination: Maasai Mara National Reserve
• Accommodation: Miti Mingi Eco Camp (budget tented camp bordering Maasai Mara National Reserve without fences)
• Meals and drinks: lunch, dinner (breakfast is not included), drinking water (other drinks are not included)

Day 3: Maasai Mara National Reserve - Lake Nakuru National Park

You will wake up early and start an early morning game viewing tracking wildlife. Afterwards, head back to the camp for breakfast. Depart the Mara region for Lake Nakuru, lunch is en route with scenic views of Mount Longonot and Lake Naivasha from afar on the main highway.

Lake Nakuru National Park is an important haven for endangered species, particularly Rothschild's giraffe and black and white rhino. Lion, waterbuck, zebra, buffalo and baboon also reside here. Your dinner and overnight will be at a budget hotel.

• Main destination: Lake Nakuru National Park
• Accommodation: Hotel Citymax (budget hotel located just outside Lake Nakuru National Park)
• Meals and drinks: All meals and drinking water are included (other drinks are not included)

Day 4:  Lake Nakuru National Park - Amboseli National Park

After breakfast, proceed on a game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. Lake Nakuru has more than just flamingos. This is a major national park and an important sanctuary for rhino. Huge herds of waterbuck, zebra, buffalo, the endangered Rothschild's giraffe and both black and white rhino are found here.

Lake Nakuru has unusual but beautiful vegetation. The forest vegetation is covered with euphorbia, tall cactus-like trees, and acacia woodland. The forest region is a host to over 400 migratory bird species from around the world. Later, drive to Amboseli National Park arriving late evening and check-in at your camp. Your dinner and overnight will be at camp.

• Main destination: Amboseli National Park
• Accommodation: Kimana Amboseli Tented Camp (budget tented camp bordering Amboseli National Park without fences)
• Meals and drinks: All meals and drinking water are included (other drinks are not included)

Day 5:  Amboseli National Park

A full day in this magnificent park. Amboseli National Park is situated at the foot of Africa highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, its snow-capped peaks present a splendid view during clear days. The park offers some of the best opportunities to see African wildlife because its vegetation is sparse due to the long dry months.

It is renowned for its large herds of free-ranging big African elephants. There are over 900 African elephants in Amboseli as well as many other animals including giraffes, cheetahs, lions, monkeys, zebras, hyenas and antelope as well as many bird species. Your dinner and overnight will be at the camp.

• Main destination: Amboseli National Park
• Accommodation: Kimana Amboseli Tented Camp (budget tented camp bordering Amboseli National Park without fences)
• Meals and drinks: All meals and drinking water are included (other drinks are not included)

Day 6:  Amboseli National Park - Arusha

You will have an early morning game drive and return to the camp for your breakfast. Later, proceed to the Namanga border where you will catch your shuttle bus to Arusha. You will arrive at your hotel for relaxing and resting as you wait to start your safari the following day (dinner on your own).

• Main destination: Arusha
• Accommodation: Arusha Tourist Inn Hotel (budget hotel located in or near Arusha)
• Meals and drinks: Breakfast, lunch and drinking water are included (other drinks are not included)

Day 7:  Arusha - Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast in the hotel, you will depart for Lake Manyara National Park arriving in time for afternoon game drives. Dinner and overnight at a campsite. Lake Manyara National Park ias varied fauna and is renowned for its tree-climbing lions. It's also home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys and some of the more common and visible large mammal species include buffalo, elephant, giraffe, zebra, lion and wildebeest. The park is rich with fantastic birdlife, more than 200 species of birds can be seen here.

• Main destination: Lake Manyara National Park
• Accommodation: Budget camping inside Lake Manyara National Park
• Meals and drinks: lunch, dinner (breakfast not included) and drinking water are included (other drinks not included)

Day 8:  Lake Manyara National Park - Serengeti National Park

You will have early morning breakfast before departing the camp and proceeding to Serengeti. En route you'll pass through Olduvai Gorge, the archaeological site of the Leakey family. You will have an afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park. Your meals and overnight will be at Serengeti Seronera Campsite.

• Main destination: Serengeti National Park
• Accommodation: Budget camping inside Serengeti National Park
• Meals and drinks: All meals and drinking water are included (other drinks are not included)

Day 9:  Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Crater

You will have an early morning game drive in Serengeti National Park before returning back to the campsite for breakfast. Check out of the camp and drive with a packed lunch, game viewing en route to Ngorongoro Crater Rim. You will pass the Olduvai Gorge and can visit the Olduvai Gorge museum (extra cost).

Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest whole volcanic caldera at 8,300 square kilometers and is arguably the most stunning arena. It is frequently described as one of the wonders of the world, not only because of its geological magnificence but also because it serves as an extraordinary natural sanctuary for some of Africa largest populations of large mammals. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Simba Campsite.

• Main destination: Ngorongoro Crater
• Accommodation: Budget camping inside Ngorongoro
• Meals and drinks: All meals and drinking water are included (other drinks are not included)

Day 10:  Ngorongoro Crater- Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, drive to Tarangire National Park for an afternoon game drive. Meals and overnight at Tarangire Campsite. Tarangire National Park has some of the highest population densities of elephants anywhere in Tanzania as well as tree climbing African pythons. Its sparse vegetation, strewn with baobab and acacia trees, makes it a beautiful and special location.

• Main destination: Tarangire National Park
• Accommodation: Budget camping inside Tarangire National Park
• Meals and drinks: All meals and drinking water are included (other drinks are not included)

Day 11:  Tarangire National Park - Arusha

Enjoy breakfast after which you will be transferred back to Arusha. Thereafter, have lunch and leave the park, game viewing on your last game while you drive back to Arusha, arriving in the afternoon. You will be dropped at your hotel (dinner on your own).

• Main destination: Arusha
• Accommodation: Arusha Centre Inn Hotel (budget hotel located in or near Arusha)
• Meals and drinks: Breakfast, lunch (dinner is not included), and drinking water (other drinks not included)

Day 12:  Arusha - Nairobi / Airport

After breakfast in Arusha Center Inn Hotel, you will be taken to catch the shuttle bus back to Nairobi. Arrive in Nairobi city at 14:00 or you can be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) to catch your onward flight.

• Main destination: Nairobi
• Accommodation: End of tour (no accommodation)
• Meals and drinks: Breakfast (lunch and dinner not included) drinks not included