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1 | [email protected] (530) 994-6533 2110 K STREET SACRAMENTO CA 95816 USA Kenya & Tanzania maasailand Epic Tour: wildlife, cultural immersion & voluntourism 24 Days | African Charm & Close to Nature DAY 1 Destination: Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport; Transfer to Masai Mara Accommodations: Tipilikwani Luxury Camp Activities: Game Viewing Arrive at Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi. Transfer to Wilson Airport where you will take a short flight to the Kiombo Airstrip. Your expert naturalist guide, a member of the Mara Guides Association, will pick you up and take you to Tipilikwani Luxury Camp, a uniquely situated camp of 20 Maasai-inspired luxury tents on the banks of the Talek River, overlooking the mottled plains of the Maasai Mara where vast herds of wildlife co-exist with the colourful Maasai people. Settle into your tent, enjoy the view of the river and perhaps catch your first glimpses of wild game before heading to the open-air dining area for a delicious lunch or afternoon tea. Afterwards, your guide will go over your itinerary. You then have the option of an evening game drive in the Mara or a walking safari, departing from the camp, accompanied by your naturalist guide and an armed Maasai guard. Return to camp for sundowners around a firepit overlooking the river and a lovely dinner. Sleep peacefully to the sound of nature surrounding you. DAY 2 Destination: Masai Mara, Dopoi Center Accommodations: Tipilikwani Luxury Camp Activities: Welcome Ceremony and Orientation at the Dopoi Center, MERC; Boma Visit; Medicial Plant Tour (educational/research extension possible) After breakfast, your guide will take you to the nearby Dopoi Center, the headquarters of the Maasai Education, Research, and Culture Institute, located on ten acres of land overlooking the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in a rural and remote high savannah area of the Rift Valley near the town of Talek. Here, you will be welcomed in traditional, festive fashion by members of nearby Maasai Villages, including talented singers and dancers. For the first time, you will have the opportunity to witness the famous adumu! Afterwards, you will be given an orientation lecture about the Maasai people—their customs, way of life, and history—in the Memorial Garden and taken on a tour of

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Page 1: Kenya & Tanzania - Adumu Safaris€¦ · Kenya & Tanzania maasailand Epic Tour: wildlife, cultural immersion & voluntourism 24 Days | African Charm & Close to Nature DAY 1 Destination:

1 | [email protected] • (530) 994-6533 • 2110 K STREET SACRAMENTO CA 95816 USA

Kenya & Tanzania

maasailand Epic Tour:

wildlife, cultural immersion &

voluntourism 24 Days | African Charm & Close to Nature

DAY 1

Destination: Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport; Transfer to Masai Mara

Accommodations: Tipilikwani Luxury Camp

Activities: Game Viewing

Arrive at Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi. Transfer to Wilson Airport where you will take a short flight to the Kiombo

Airstrip. Your expert naturalist guide, a member of the Mara Guides Association, will pick you up and take you to

Tipilikwani Luxury Camp, a uniquely situated camp of 20 Maasai-inspired luxury tents on the banks of the Talek

River, overlooking the mottled plains of the Maasai Mara where vast herds of wildlife co-exist with the colourful

Maasai people. Settle into your tent, enjoy the view of the river and perhaps catch your first glimpses of wild game

before heading to the open-air dining area for a delicious lunch or afternoon tea. Afterwards, your guide will go

over your itinerary. You then have the option of an evening game drive in the Mara or a walking safari, departing

from the camp, accompanied by your naturalist guide and an armed Maasai guard. Return to camp for sundowners

around a firepit overlooking the river and a lovely dinner. Sleep peacefully to the sound of nature surrounding you.

DAY 2

Destination: Masai Mara, Dopoi Center

Accommodations: Tipilikwani Luxury Camp

Activities: Welcome Ceremony and Orientation at the Dopoi Center, MERC; Boma Visit; Medicial Plant Tour

(educational/research extension possible)

After breakfast, your guide will take you to the nearby Dopoi Center, the headquarters of the Maasai Education,

Research, and Culture Institute, located on ten acres of land overlooking the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in a rural

and remote high savannah area of the Rift Valley near the town of Talek. Here, you will be welcomed in traditional,

festive fashion by members of nearby Maasai Villages, including talented singers and dancers. For the first time,

you will have the opportunity to witness the famous adumu! Afterwards, you will be given an orientation lecture

about the Maasai people—their customs, way of life, and history—in the Memorial Garden and taken on a tour of

Page 2: Kenya & Tanzania - Adumu Safaris€¦ · Kenya & Tanzania maasailand Epic Tour: wildlife, cultural immersion & voluntourism 24 Days | African Charm & Close to Nature DAY 1 Destination:

2 | [email protected] • (530) 994-6533 • 2110 K STREET SACRAMENTO CA 95816 USA

the Center to learn about MERCs activities toward Maasai Empowerment. Return to the garden for a picnic lunch.

Your guide will then take you to a nearby Maasai “boma”, a traditional village, where you can see the day to day

operations of this pastoralist community. Villagers will take you into the surrounding bush to share their traditional

knowledge of the medicinal plants in the area. Return to see (and perhaps purchase samples of) the fabulous

traditional beadwork of a local women’s beading cooperative. Return to camp for sundowners and dinner. (There is

much to learn and explore at MERC. Inquire about possible educational/research extensions here.)

DAY 3

Destination: Masai Mara

Accommodations: Tipilikwani Luxury Camp

Activities: Game Drive

Wake to the sounds of nature surrounding your tent and enjoy an early breakfast before departing on a full day

game drive in the famous Masai Mara National Reserve. The Masai Mara offers wildlife in such variety and

abundance that it is difficult to believe: over 450 species of animals have been recorded here. It is in the Mara and

the bordering Serengeti of Tanzania to the south (which you will visit toward the end of your Maasailand grand

tour) that perhaps the most spectacular event of the natural world takes place—the annual wildebeest migration. In

the Mara, you will easily see wildebeest and zebra migrations, lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, buffalo,

warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopards, many kinds of antelopes, and elephants. Return to the camp

for an enchanting sunset bush dinner alongside the riverbank.

DAY 4

Destination: Loita Hills

Accommodations: Maji Moto Eco Camp

Activities: Game Drive; Walking Safari; Hot Spring Bathing; Storytelling

After breakfast, depart through the Mara for the Loita Hills, with game viewing along the way. By lunch, arrive at

Maji Moto Eco Camp, a small, environmentally-sensitive retreat operated by Maasai people from the nearby village

of Maji Moto. Your relaxing stay here will immerse you not only in the intense natural beauty of the Loita Hills, but

also in the ancient culture and knowledge of the Maasai in a different way than what you have experienced already.

After lunch, walk with Maasai warriors through the hills, observing plants and animals through Maasai eyes. Glean

knowledge of Maasai culture, the natural world, its plants, animals and their uses. Loita Plains host numerous

wildlife such as giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, eland, and many different bird species. Your local Maasai guide will be

your field guide full of interesting facts of wildlife and nature that you will meet while on walk. The name 'Maji

Moto" means "Hot Water", and this refers to the natural hot spring near the village. Surrounded by trees, a dip in

the spring at evening is a refreshing way to soak away the days exertions. Return for sundowners, gazing west over

the savannah, toward Masai Mara and the setting sun. Enjoy a fresh, Kenyan-inspired dinner, and gather round the

fire for an evening of traditional storytelling. Retire to your tent, built Masai-style using only local materials such as

branches and stalks, grass, cow dung and stone, and sleep peacefully to the sounds of nature.

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DAY 5

Destination: Nairobi National Park

Accommodations: Ololo Safari Lodge

Activities: Game Drive

After breakfast, depart for Nairobi. During the drive, marvel at the stunning views from and descent down the

Great Rift Valley Escarpment. Around noon, check into the lovely Ololo Safari Lodge, an elegant, thatched-roof

African manor situated right on the edge of the wilderness, overlooking Nairobi National Park. Just outside of

Nairobi’s central business district is Nairobi National Park, Kenya’s first national park established in 1946. This park

is iconic for its wide open grass plains and scattered acacia bush with the city of Nairobi’s skyscrapers in the

backdrop. Despite its small size and proximity to human civilization, this park plays host to a wide variety of wildlife

including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded.

As well, it is home to one of Kenya’s most successful rhino sanctuaries, and you are likely to see the endangered

black rhino here. After settling in, enjoy a lovely lunch, featuring Ololo’s garden grown produce and eggs. You then

have the option of going on a late afternoon game drive into Nairobi National Park or staying at the lodge, perhaps

taking a dip in the pool, walking around the beautiful gardens, reading a book by the fire, or enjoying a drink on

the terrace overlooking the park. Enjoy a fresh, seasonal dinner at the lodge, and retire to your lovely room for a

good night’s rest.

DAY 6

Destination: Nairobi National Park

Accommodations: Ololo Safari Lodge

Activities: Game Drive; Elephant Nursery Visit; Giraffe Center Visit; Bomas of Kenya Visit

After an early breakfast at the lodge, depart on a full day game drive with stops at a few attractions in and around

the park. In late morning, arrive at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which houses the orphanage where you can

see rescued milk-dependent baby elephants at their first stage of rehabilitation before being released into the wild.

Continue from here to the Giraffe Centre, a sanctuary and breeding site for the endangered Rothschild giraffe,

where you can meet and feed the resident giraffes. Return to the park for some game viewing with a stop for a

picnic lunch. Head back to a late afternoon game drive in the park. Return to the lodge for another delicious farm-

to-table dinner.

DAY 7

Destination: Amboseli National Park

Accommodations: Tawi Lodge

Activities: Game Drive

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After breakfast, depart for Amboseli National Park, situated due south of Nairobi. Most of the park consists of a

dry, ancient lake bed and fragile grassland with patches of acacia woodland, while in the southern area there are a

number of small, rocky, volcanic hills. Around the swamps, Ol Okenya, Ol Tukai, and Enkongo Narok, the

vegetation is lush with yellow barked acacias and phoenix palms. The park also has perhaps the best view of Mount

Kilimanjaro. Wildlife here includes the zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, caracal and serval cat, lion, leopard,

cheetah, buffalo among others. There are also over 400 species of birds, including the bee-eater, kingfisher, African

fish eagle, martial eagle and pygmy falcon. Arrive to Tawi Lodge in time to check into your luxury cottage and for

lunch in the restaurant with a fabulous view of Kilimanjaro. Set off for a late afternoon game drive in Amboseli, and

return in early evening to the lodge. Tawi is a charming eco-lodge with magnificent grounds, including a water hole

that attracts large fauna from the surrounding area. Enjoy a sundowner around the campfire at the tree bar

followed by a delicious Swahili-inspired dinner made with produce grown in their own organic gardens. Retire to

your cottage for a sound sleep to the sound of nature around you.

DAY 8

Destination: Amboseli National Park

Accommodations: Tawi Lodge

Activities: Lemong’o School Give Back/Voluntourism Visit (Extension Possible); Game Drive

After breakfast, depart on the short drive to Lemong’o School where you can see some of the “Generous Giving”

fund in action, supporting the Lemong’o Project’s work to pay tuition fees and fund basic resources for this primary

school, serving the Maasai village of Lemong’o. Volunteer to serve lunch to the school children, and also offer other

forms of expertise you may be able to share (inquire ahead to arrange specific volunteer opportunities; multi-day

options are available at this location). In the late afternoon, return to the lodge for a rest before departing on a

short game drive in Amboseli. Return for sundowners and dinner at the lodge.

DAY 9

Destination: Kilimanjaro/Arusha Region

Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge

Activities: Spear throwing competition; Nature Walk; Donkey Ride; Maasai Storytelling

Today you leave Kenya and enter the Maasailand of Tanzania. Your guide will drive you to the unique Africa Amini

Maasai Lodge, a special place where you immediately will come to rest and reflect on the essentials while enjoying

an immersive cultural experience with the Maasai. In the middle of the wilderness of the Maasai steppe are 12

exclusive bungalows with hand crafted furniture and a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa‘s tallest mountain.

It‘s all about being together, traditions, stories and learning from each other. Today enjoy some unique and fun

activities: participate in a spear throwing competition with the Maasai; have a Maasai guide take you on a guided

nature walk or a walk to the fresh spring river; go on a Donkey Ride to the local school. While you are here, relax,

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unwind, and enjoy the “Warm Your Heart“ meditation room, the natural sauna and pool. In the evening, gather

round the fire for some traditional storytelling for the whole family, and enjoy sundowners and a delicious dinner

overlooking the savannah.

DAY 10

Destination: Kilimanjaro/Arusha Region

Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge

Activities: Amini Alama Projects Give Back/Voluntourism Visit (Extension Possible)

After breakfast, spend the day giving back to the wonderful people of nearby Momella village, the headquarters of

Africa Amini Alama, where our “Generous Giving” fund is being put to important work supplying resources to their

hospital, primary school, children’s villa (orphanage), and fundi-centre (skilled crafts centre for brick layers,

mechanics and carpenters). There are many opportunities here for short- and long-term volunteers with these

projects. (Inquire ahead so that we can organize a good volunteer experience for your particular expertise, skills,

abilities, and interests.) Enjoy lunch on site, and return to the Lodge for dinner.

DAY 11

Destination: Kilimanjaro/Arusha Region

Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge

Activities: Maasai Festival; (Optional) River Walk, Beekeeping, Traditional Healing, Massage, Meditation

A unique and exciting day: after breakfast, the lodge staff will don you in traditional attire in order to attend a

Maasai wedding, an initiation rite, or other ritual ceremony—sure to be a highlight of your African holiday. After a

nyama choma feast, return to the lodge for an evening of activities, relaxation or both. Enjoy your last night at this

sublime retreat however you wish.

DAY 12

Destination: Tarangire National Park

Accommodations: Tarangire Safari Lodge

Activities: Game Drive

After an early breakfast, your naturalist guide will pick you up from the Lodge and drive you toward Tarangire

National Park via the city of Arusha where you will stop for lunch. Continue on to the park and enjoy some

afternoon game viewing—identify different species of mammals such as lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, python,

zebra, oryx, impala, and more. Over 450 species of birds have been observed in this park, so get out your

binoculars! Arrive at Tarangire Safari Lodge for dinner, sundowners, and overnight in one of their charming

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circular bungalows, built in a similar style to the Maasai boma. These airy rooms are situated near a large

watering hole, creating the opportunity to watch wildlife from your shaded verandah.

DAY 13

Destination: Tarangire National Park

Accommodations: Tarangire Safari Lodge

Activities: Game Drive; (Optional) Yoga; Massage; Night Game Drive

Wake to the peaceful sounds of birds and wildlife, and perhaps enjoy a morning yoga session on the Lodge’s

wooden platform overlooking the Tarangire River. After breakfast, enjoy a long morning of game viewing, stopping

for a picnic lunch. This park is known as the park of elephants and baobabs, both of which as are scattered

everywhere. The Tarangire River is a vital source water to animals in the park where you are likely to find many

major species behaving and interacting naturally. After dinner, you have the option to take a night game drive in

the park and see how the animals behave after dusk—a great opportunity to witness the predatory action of lion

prides and other predators. Return to the Lodge for a restful night of sleep.

DAY 14

Destination: Lake Manyara National Park

Accommodations: Isiotok Camp Manyara

Activities: Game Drive; Adumu and Musical Performance; Viewpoint Walk

After breakfast, depart for a morning drive in Lake Manyara National Park, which lies at the base of the western wall

of the eastern arm of the Rift Valley. Typically shimmering in a golden heat haze, the lake is often frosted with

thousands of flamingos, while the trees that surround the lake are famous for their tree-climbing lions. The park

also offers abundant sightings of monkeys, jackals, mongoose, hyenas, hyraxes, zebras, hippos, warthogs, buffalos,

Maasai giraffes, duikers, waterbucks, and impalas. Significant numbers of elephants are also resident in the park,

while sightings of black rhino and leopard are not uncommon. Around noon, check into Isiotok Camp Manyara, a

unique, sustainable luxury tented camp situated in the Maasai area known as Esilalei on the soft rolling hills of

Losimingori, 13km away from the national park. Set in a rich wild savannah bush location with an altitude of 1075

metres above sea level, this relaxing, intimate camp of only 8 beautiful tents blends into the bush and also offers

wonderful opportunities to delve further into your Maasai immersion experience. After a delicious lunch, featuring

Swahili international cuisine, enjoy a performance of the adumu, other traditional dances, and singing performed by

members of the nearby villages with whom Isiotok enjoys fruitful relationships and supports through giving

programs. Towards sunset, join your camp host and Maasai scout who will take you up to one of several viewpoints

overlooking Lake Manyara and The Great Rift Valley. Sundowner snacks and a beverage of your choice are available

whilst you soak in a melting sunset overlooking Lake Manyara. Return to camp for a dinner and a restful night in

your private tent.

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DAY 15

Destination: Baraka Village, Lake Manyara National Park

Accommodations: Isiotok Camp Manyara

Activities: Maasai Stoves and Solar Project Give Back/Voluntourism Visit (Extension Possible); Game Drive

After a hot breakfast, depart with your guide for the boma (Maasai settlement) of Baraka Village, where life

improvement activities are going on thanks to the help of one of our “Generous Giving” partners, Maasai Stoves

and Solar. While you are here, you can observe, and if you so choose, roll up your sleeves and assist Maasai women

installing one of their excellent smoke removing and efficient chimney stoves that are contributing greatly to the

health of villagers. This boma is also in the midst of a micro-grid solar installation project bringing light and cell

phone charging to each house through underground wires coming from the solar-electric center the project has

established in one building. As you tour the boma, enjoy making connections with residents and getting another

perspective on the Maasai way of life. (Maasai Stoves and Solar provide many opportunities here for short- and

long-term volunteers with these projects, which would mainly involve non-skilled labor in building things. Please

inquire ahead if you would like to add a voluntourism extension here.) Return to the lodge for lunch and a stretch

before departing on a late afternoon game drive around beautiful Lake Manyara NP. Return for sundowners and

dinner, and sleep soundly to the night chorus of crickets, cicadas, tree frogs, and the occasional soulful call of a

hyena and other passing wildlife.

DAY 16

Destination: Lake Manyara National Park

Accommodations: Isiotok Camp Manyara

Activities: Game Drive; Traditional Goat Sacrifice and BBQ

Let the morning birds and the smell of fresh local coffee gently rouse you out of your slumber. After an early

breakfast, depart the lodge for an brisk morning game drive on which you can gain a different view of the fauna

and flora on Manyara. Return to camp for lunch and a stretch. On this final day at Isiotok, have the privilege of

witnessing a traditional goat sacrifice in the Korongo, not far from the camp. As you will have learned by this point

in your cultural immersion experience, the Maasai have peacefully co-existed with wildlife by raising cattle and

goats as a main source of food in the bush. A goat, or more rarely, a cow is slaughtered to celebrate a special

occasion and feed the whole village. The animal’s life is honored as it is sacrificed and nothing goes to waste.

Isiotok’s Maasai workers will reveal their skills in butchery and unveil the practice that has been passed down from

generation to generation, after which you will be treated to a traditional goat BBQ and Swahili buffet spread in the

bush. Retreat for another restful night under canvas.

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DAY 17

Destination: Lake Natron

Accommodations: Lake Natron Camp

Activities: Swimming; Give Back/Voluntourism visit to Ngare Sero School and Village; Flamingo Walk

After breakfast, drive about 3.5 hours north toward Lake Natron. Sitting below Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania’s

only active Volcano, Lake Natron is a mineral-rich alkaline lake in the middle of Maasailand, straddling the

border of Tanzania and Kenya. It is fed by the Ewaso Ng’iro River and natural hot springs and reaches

alkalinity levels greater than a pH of 12. The lake’s characteristic crimson hue is due to the microorganisms

that thrive in such conditions, providing food for the 2.5 million lesser flamingo of the East African region

that breed only at this site, making it essential to the survival of the species. At the southern foot of this lake

and stunning, otherworldly landscape lies Lake Natron Camp, a low-footprint eco-camp with impactful

community involvement featuring 10 luxury Bedouin-style tents that blend into the natural surroundings, a

perfect base for a relaxing and intriguing series of adventures. Check in, unwind, and enjoy a wonderful

lunch and a dip in the clear natural pools that lie right in front of the tents. Afterwards, drive a few minutes

to the neighboring Maasai village of Engare Sero (meaning “dappled water” in the Maa language), which

gets its name from the river flowing out of the escarpment through a spectacular gorge that is both arid and

lush. Upon arrival, visit their primary school, where Adumu Safaris “Generous Giving” fund is being put

towards the Destiny Foundation’s food security program. As with other stops on this grand tour, you will

have the opportunity to meet and interact with Maasai living their lives as normal, striking up interesting

conversations, forging memorable connections, and contributing to your growing knowledge of Maasailand

and its people. These visits are not staged, so who knows what you will learn and discover! Return in the

early evening for a sunset walk to the lake from camp to see the thousands of flamingo who flock there.

Walk back and enjoy a sundowner on the stream bank looking out toward Lengai and stroll to the dining

tent for a lovely dinner. Enjoy sleep in the quietude of this desolate landscape.

DAY 18

Destination: Lake Natron

Accommodations: Lake Natron Camp

Activities: Rift Valley Day Hike; Swimming; Ancient Hominid Footprint Walk; Hilltop Sundowner

Wake before sunrise, and depart from camp to the base of the rift valley wall for the start of your adventurous

10km hike. Scale the wall on foot, ascending close to the Ngare Sero gorge to enjoy the view at dawn. Once

on top, your picnic breakfast will be set up for you to enjoy one of the most dramatic vistas in this region—

what a way to wake up! After breakfast, descend back down another route, or select the same way

depending on time. When you arrive back at camp, you may want to treat yourself to another dip in the

natural pools along the stream before a well-earned lunch. In late afternoon, depart on foot from camp on

an ancient hominid footprint walk. New research has now confirmed these track-ways to be 120,000-years-

old, making them the oldest Homo sapiens track-ways yet discovered. In the evening, your guide will drive

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you to the top of a nearby hill. Enjoy your sundowner overlooking Lake Natron, the majestic Lengai and

Gelai mountains, and watch the sun go down behind the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Drive back to

camp for another lovely dinner and sleep under canvas.

DAY 19

Destination: Serengeti National Park

Accommodations: Pumzika Camp

Activities: Game Drive

Today drive to the great Serengeti National Park, the world’s most famous game park. After breakfast, your guide

will take you about 4 hours to the Klein’s Gate entrance, after which you will start touring the less-traveled Northern

area, characteristic for its stunning mix of riverine forests, hills, plains and rocky outcrops. Stop en route for a picnic

lunch in the bush. Arrive at Pumzika Camp, an eco-friendly tented camp reminiscent of the first safaris at the turn of

the 20th century, with furniture made by local craftsmen and decorated with handmade carpets woven by the

Mbulu women’s community. Set inside the Seronera area, Pumzika occupies a unique and privileged paradise

within the Serengeti, far from main roads and civilization, surrounded by the two of the biggest and most prolific

lion prides in the park. Settle in, enjoy a bush dinner followed by sundowners beneath an acacia tree on the open

savannah.

DAY 20

Destination: Serengeti National Park

Accommodations: Pumzika Camp

Activities: Game Drive

After breakfast, continue with both morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti national Park. Totaling 14,763

km2 in area, the park is appropriately named after the Maasai word for “endless plains”. Here you are certain to

get up close and personal with the “Big Five” (Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Leopards, and Cape Buffalo), if you haven’t

already, and hosts of other iconic and lesser known species. Given the vast terrain, weather patterns, and migratory

patterns of the innumerable species, many animals of the Serengeti are constantly on the move. This makes for an

adventurous game drive! Your drives will depend on the move of the migrants; your expert naturalist guide knows

very well how to locate the herds. Bush lunch and bush dinner will be at Pumzika.

DAY 21

Destination: Serengeti National Park

Accommodations: Pumzika Camp

Activities: Game Drive

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The vast and iconic Serengeti deserves a third day of viewing, if you can spare it! Today, wake early, and after a cup

of tea or coffee and depart on an early morning game drive. The earlier mornings are magical in Serengeti, when

the wildlife is just waking up to greet the day. You’ll enjoy your breakfast and lunch in the park as you make your

way from the Seronera area toward the Grumeti River, which is especially active with herbivore crossings during the

migration. Here, you can get out of your vehicle and enjoy a bush walk near the river. Sundowners and bush dinner

will be at Pumzika.

DAY 22

Destination: Oldupai Gorge, Empakai Crater

Accommodations: Ngorongoro Farm House

Activities: Game Drive; Oldupai Gorge Visit; Walking Safari or (Optional) Massage

Leaving camp after breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive as you depart the Serengeti on your way to the

Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. En route, stop and visit Oldupai Gorge (often misspelled as Olduvai),

commonly referred to as the “Cradle of mankind”. This site is where the Leakeys made some of the world’s most

important archaeological discoveries, including discovering the remains of several early hominids estimated to be

around 3.7 million years old. Oldupai is the Maasai word for the wild sisal plant (Sansevieria ehrenbergii), which

grows in the gorge. Ascend the steep walls of the crater, drive around the rim, and descend to the charming

Ngorongoro Farm House, a small and exclusive hotel built on a 500 acre coffee plantation with its hand-plaited

thatched roof tops, ample verandas, and colonial interiors which have been designed to take you to the comfort

and style of a bygone era. After lunch at the lodge, your guide and a couple of Maasai guards will take you on a

walk in one of the most attractive areas of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the waterfalls and the descent to

the Empakai Crater. Or, you may want a massage! In the evening, take a walk around the farm to contemplate the

daily activities, relax in the fragrant gardens or enjoy the spectacular sunsets with the Oldeani volcano as a

backdrop.

DAY 23

Destination: Karatu; Ngorongoro Crater

Accommodations: Ngorongoro Farm House

Activities: Give Back/Voluntourism Visit to Tumaini School; Crater Game Drive; Traditional Dance Performance

After breakfast, take the short drive to visit Tumaini Junior School where one of our social impact partners, Maasai

Partners, are sponsoring promising Maasai students to pursue their education. Part of our “Generous Giving” fund

goes toward the scholarships which cover all expenses related to attending the school for an entire year. If you so

wish, you can provide additional donations or even pledge to sponsor a child. You can also bring with you books

and other supplies that the school has requested and present them to the students, teachers, and school

administrators. Return for lunch at the lodge, after which your guide will take you into the Crater for a game drive.

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Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife

areas. An UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20

kilometers wide, 610-760 meters deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometers). An utterly unique

biosphere, the Crater harbors grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of

birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing

opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination. What a spectacular place for your

final game drive! Round off the evening and your Epic Tour with a fabulous dinner and sundowner cocktails

followed by a traditional Maasai dance performance, including the adumu!

DAY 24

Destination: Departure to Arusha or connection to Southern Circuit, Western Circuit, Kenya, Uganda, or

Zanzibar

After a hot breakfast and optional nature walk, drive back to Arusha for an optional day or overnight at

Rivertrees Country Inn or connect to the next leg of your wildlife safari in the Southern Circuit, Kenya’s Parks,

chimp trekking in Mahale National Park or Gombe Stream or, gorilla trekking in Uganda. Alternatively,

connect with a flight to the magical island of Zanzibar, which lies just off the coast of Tanzania. See our

complimentary itineraries for these locations.

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SAFARI INCLUDES

• Pick up/drop off at Arusha or Kilimanjaro

airport before and after the trip and/or

transfer to the next leg of your holiday

• Park entrance fees into the game

parks/reserves

• Crater service fee

• Government Taxation

• Professional naturalist guide

• Transport and wildlife viewing in 4×4 Land

cruiser with open roof hatches and

unlimited mileage

• All game drives and activities

• All cultural excursions mentioned in the

itinerary

• Full board accommodations and additional

meals, per itinerary

• All-inclusive alcoholic beverages and sodas

at the lodges/camps

• Plentiful drinking water (mineral water)

• Flying Doctor services in Tanzania

• Service charges

• Generous Giving Fund

SAFARI EXCLUDES

• International airfare & flights

• Visa fees

• Personal health insurance

• Travel insurance (highly recommended and

offered upon purchase of this package)

• Additional alcoholic beverages & sodas,

except as stated as included above

• Laundry services, unless offered by the

lodges

• Optional massages and spa services

• All items of personal nature

• Gratuities to safari guides and lodge/camp

staff

SAFARI COST (based on double occupancy ………LOW 12517 USD / HIGH 13717 USD / PEAK 14298 USD

Single person, non-sharing supplement…………………..……LOW 3104 USD / HIGH 4714 USD / PEAK 4954 USD

**NB: Prices drop for larger parties travelling together. Children are accommodated at lower rates than

adults. Adumu Safaris customizes itineraries to fit your preferences, desires, party size, and budget.

Please note: Adumu Safaris makes every effort to customize your safari itinerary in order to cover areas where wildlife

habitats are known to be plentiful during the season and precise time of year that you are traveling. However, since wild

animals move freely in their environment, we cannot absolutely guarantee sightings of every species.

We also use our best effort to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that

occur which require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions or upgrades

whenever necessary or in your best interest to do so. Fortunately, we have vetted all of our lodges and stand by their

ability to provide an amazing accommodation experience.