Classic Kenya & Tanzania

• The Masai Mara plays host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. 1,500 square kilometers of broad, biscuit coloured savannah sprawls as home to huge numbers of birds (almost 600 species including many raptors) and animals and is contiguous with the enormous expanse of the Serengeti; the two combine as the most diverse ecosystem on the continent.
• The word ‘mara’ comes from the local dialect, Maa, as spoken by the Masai and means mottled.
• Every year the Mara witnesses the most incredible animal phenomenon on the planet – the wildebeest migration. This mammalian train moves north from the Serengeti in search of fresh pasture, and returns south around October, a heaving line of grunting, snorting life that stretches for miles.
• At the Mara River they mass together nervously on the banks before plunging frantically onwards; their quest for food overwhelming their fear of the crocodiles that lie in wait for their annual feast. This incredible spectacle involves the movement of over a million wildebeest and their groupies, half a million Thomson’s gazelle, half a million zebra as well as smaller herds of topi and eland. These herds are closely followed by the predators, primarily lions.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

• January to March are hot dry months with low water levels and short grass. The wildlife have to fight over resources and can easily be seen gathered around water sources.
• The rains arrive between April and May and are characterized by short, intense thunderstorms and beautiful rainbows. The landscape turns lush and wildflowers abound. This is also when there are the lowest visitor numbers ensuring an exclusive experience.
• Between June and October the migration arrives in the Masai Mara and there are numerous river crossings.
• The last two months of the year have less intrusive rain. Temperatures are still high, although the mornings can be rather chilly.

• Amboseli National Park, at the foot of snow-capped Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, lies 240 kms (145 miles) south-east of Nairobi.
• For centuries, it has been the home of the celebrated Maasai, a proud nomadic people, famed for their courage and traditions which endure today. More than any other community in Kenya, they have learned to live in harmony with their environment and its resident wildlife.
• Amboseli’s signature attraction is the sight of hundreds of big-tusked elephants set against the backdrop of Africa’s tallest peak – Mt Kilimanjaro.
• Kilimanjaro hangs as a mirage above the hot plains – as the ice melts it provides fresh water, feeding rivers and marshes and helps sustain the animals during the long dry season.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

• The rains between April and May bring renewed life to the plains, both in flora and fauna, transforming the landscape into lush green expanses. This is the best time to witness new life – from a brown-and-white striped zebra foal taking its first steps on wobbly legs to an elephant calf tenderly engaging with its mother.
• The dry season between June and October is generally considered the best time to see wildlife in Amboseli; with little rain falling wildlife retreats to the park’s swamps where underground water from Kilimanjaro wells up permanently year-round.
• The best time for an ornithological safari is between November and March, as the onset of winter in Europe brings migratory bird species to the park.

• The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. At nearly 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) across, 600 meters (1970 feet) deep and 300 square kilometres (115 square miles) in area, the crater is a heart-stoppingly impressive, fully-paid up member of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World club and – as part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area – a UNESCO world heritage site.
• Formed more than two million years ago, it began life when a giant volcano – estimated to have rivalled Kilimanjaro in height – blew its top.
• Nicknamed the Garden of Eden of Africa, and called El-Nkoronkoro by the Masai, meaning Gift of Life, the park hosts one of the densest mammal populations on the planet: zebra, buffalo, hyena, wildebeest and lions all thrive here, in their topographically tailored conservation area.
• There are approximately 25,000 resident animals, notable for their absence, though, are giraffe, which are unable to negotiate the crater’s steep sides.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

• This season between March and May is normally characterized by intermittent rains and high humidity. Migratory wildebeest herds calve around this time, which attracts plenty of predators.
• The weather is coolest between June to August, with lows of about 45°F or 7°C and highs of about 75°F or 24°C. During this time, the country is refreshingly green.
• September to November is a delightful time to visit, comparable to springtime in North America and Europe. The days are warmer with scattered rains in November, these rains are typically short and localized.
• December, January and February are the warmest months of the year and morning and evening temperatures are refreshingly cool with low humidity.
• At any time of year the temperatures on the Ngorongoro Crater rim can be decidedly cooler than on the crater floor.

• The Serengeti, one of the planet’s biggest and most enduring wildlife havens, stretches all the way from the Ngorongoro Highlands to Lake Victoria. It takes its name from a Maasai word, siringitu, “the place where the land moves on forever”.
• The Serengeti, which covers over 12 000 square kilometres (4633 square miles), is home to over three million large animals across dozens of species; a significant number of which, a million and a half wildebeest, half a million zebra, prodded by the instinct to survive, chase new pasture after the rains and take up an annual march of almost 1 000 kilometres (621 miles); the largest – and one of the last – great terrestrial migrations on earth.
• This awe inspiring mammalian movement supports inevitable predators – from sleek savannah dwelling cheetahs who pick off the weak and straggling to enormous crocodiles that lie inert most of the year in anticipation of an annual feast as a never ending column of animals moves relentlessly on across land and water.
• And within the impressive proportions of the expansive Serengeti, keep your eyes also peeled for the small; showy Agama lizards and Rock hyraxes make their homes amongst granite kopjes that dot the park, more than five hundred bird species have been recorded here as well as 100 varieties of dung beetle, arduously rolling their cargo onward.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

• Between January and March the migration is calving in the Southern Serengeti which is spectacular to see.
• Rains arrive between April and May, mostly short afternoon storms. It is low season so it’s usually less crowded. After the rains in April and May, the grass is longer in June and the migration moves up the Western Corridor of the Serengeti.
• The migration arrives in the Northern Serengeti between end of June and early July, and there are numerous river crossings into Kenya.
• October, November and December bring cooler weather, as the early rains start to fall in the Serengeti.