KENYA & TANZANIA TOUR with York College

Today we fly from Washington, Dulles and fly overnight to Nairobi (flight details TBA).

Today we arrive in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Part of Maasai land when the British arrived, this modern capital grew with the development of the railway. Derived from a Maasai word meaning "Cold Water," Nairobi is a pleasant mix of colonial British with modern and traditional African influences.

Overnight in Nairobi. Mennonite Guesthouse.
Meals Included: Dinner

Today we have a full day touring in and around Nairobi, including the National Museum, the flagship museum of Kenya, housing celebrated collections of Kenya's history, nature, culture and contemporary art.

Next we visit the David Sheldrick Trust, which is particularly famous for their elephant orphanage and conservation projects. Our day also includes a stop at the former home of Karen Blixen. Baroness Karen Blixen-Finecke emigrated from Denmark to Kenya in 1918 and, in 1937, wrote under the pseudonym, Isaac Dineson, "Out of Africa." The novel tells the tale of the Baroness's experiences on a Kenyan farm. Her home is now a museum, restored to the style in which she maintained it.

We'll also visit Giraffe Manor. In 1974 Jock Leslie-Melville, grandson of a Scottish earl and his wife Betty, who also founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), bought the manor. They then moved five babies of the highly endangered Rothschild giraffe to their property where they have been successfully reared and they now have their own babies. Visitors can feed and photograph the giraffes and warthogs at the manor, and also wander through the adjoining primeval forest to view bushbuck, dik dik, and more than 180 species of birds.

Overnight in Nairobi. Mennonite Guesthouse.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Today we will visit a local educational institution and orphanage (details TBA).

Overnight in Nairobi. Mennonite Guesthouse.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning we leave the city and travel by road to Lake Nakuru, a shallow soda lake in the Rift Valley. The Rift Valley was created millions of years ago under the strain of enormous volcanic eruptions, which resulted in a giant split in the earth's surface from Syria to Mozambique. Lava flowed into the valley, forming escarpments on either side of the gigantic trough which can be up to 80 km (50 miles) wide, big enough to be visible from space. At the lake, depending on the water levels, we may have the opportunity to see up to two million flamingos in addition to the over 340 species of birds that have been recorded in the Rift Valley! This is also one of the best places in Kenya to view the rare White Rhino as we explore the park on our afternoon game drive.

Overnight in Lake Nakuru National Park. Lion Hill Lodge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Early this morning we depart from Lake Nakuru National Park and continue our journey through the Rift Valley, passing by Lake Naivasha and nearby Mount Longonot, a relatively young volcanic reminder of the Rift's violent past.

We arrive at our lodge (via a pretty bad road!) in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in time for lunch. The Maasai Mara is a natural extension of the Serengeti eco-system and has an amazing concentration of wildlife. The largest population of lions in Kenya is found here, along with large herds of plains game. The Maasai Mara may also be the best place in Kenya to view cheetah. Later this afternoon we enjoy a game drive.

Overnight in the Maasai Mara. Mara Sopa Lodge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The Maasai Mara National Reserve consists of rolling grassland and is located at the northern end of the Serengeti Plain. Considered the best of Kenya's parks, it is on the pathway of the yearly wildebeest migration, which comes north from Tanzania about the end of June and returns to Tanzania around the end of September. "The Mara" sustains all of the "Big Five" -- lion, elephant, leopard, rhinoceros and buffalo -- as well as an astonishing wealth of herding animals and other wildlife. You can see the stately Maasai men and youth along the road tending their cattle and goats. We'll visit a village today to gain insight into Maasai way of life and culture.

This afternoon we'll enjoy another game drive.

Overnight in the Maasai Mara. Mara Sopa Lodge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we cross the border into Tanzania and the Serengeti National Park.

The name "Serengeti" derives from a Maasai word meaning "Land-without-end." This is a land of superlatives, both in the vast landscape that surrounds you and the incredible biodiversity it supports. It is here that you have a chance to witness one of the most compelling natural dramas on earth -- the annual migration, a sight unparalleled anywhere in the natural world. Our afternoon game drive provides an excellent introduction to this fantastic landscape and the biodiversity it supports.

Overnight in the Northern Serengeti. Ikoma Tented Camp.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we have a full day of game viewing on the Serengeti. We will visit the "kopjes," a series of low, incongruous hills dotting the open landscape that often provide a vantage point for hungry predators contemplating the endless stream of hoofed animals parading past them. Depending on the season and the timing of the rains, up to 1.5 million wildebeest and a half a million zebra embark on a single-minded and perilous quest for water and grazing land. Following this spectacle, of course, are the meat-eating opportunists, hoping to capitalize on the physical toll this journey exacts on the desperate grazers. Even outside of "migration" time, large herds are still seen as they bear their young and feed, gaining strength for their annual return to the park's northern reaches. Resident species that do not migrate make for rewarding
animal viewing in any season.

Overnight in the Serengeti. Seronera Wildlife Lodge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We have another full day of game drives in the park.

Overnight in the Serengeti. Seronera Wildlife Lodge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Travelling to Ngorongoro today we make a stop at Olduvai Gorge, site of the Leakey excavations in the 1960s and 70s that established this region as the prehistoric habitat of some of the earliest species of hominids with some finds dating back 1.8 million years. Experts in the life sciences have argued that the Olduvai contribution to the story of human origins remains unsurpassed by any other prehistoric site in the world. A small museum on site outlines the unique geological and human history of the area.

Called the 'eighth wonder of the world' and stretching across some 8300 sq km, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area boasts a blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeology that is unsurpassed in Africa. The volcanoes, grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to an abundance of animals and to the Maasai. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the world's greatest natural spectacles and its magical setting and abundant wildlife never fail to enthrall visitors.

Balance of the day at leisure to enjoy our lodge overlooking the crater.

Overnight in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Crater Forest Camp.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we enjoy a guided crater rim walk / hike with great views and opportunities for bird-watching and stretching our legs.

We also descend the crater on a game drive in this incredible setting, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We explore the Ngorongoro Crater, 20 km (13 miles) wide and 700 m (2,300 feet) high where we may see the "Big Five" as well as many herbivores like wildebeest, gazelle, zebra and hippopot
amus, as well as thousands of flamingos on Lake Magadi.

Overnight in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Crater Forest Camp. Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we depart the crater area and descend onto the Ngorongoro Highlands in the vicinity of the town of Karatu. Here we'll visit a local school in order to experience a bit of rural Tanzania and observe first-hand the challenges facing education today.

In the past, the area around Karatu and Ol Deani was of great importance to the German colonial administration. The area's cool climate, verdant hills, and pleasing views made it popular with settlers and farmers. Vast and extensive fields covers the slopes of the volcano and the lands around town. Coffee was a main crop grown for export, and a few large farms that remained in private hands still cultivate the cash crop on the hills and small valleys outside of town.

Overnight in the Karatu area. Migunga Tented Camp.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we travel back to Nairobi by road.

Our journey takes us to the edge of the Rift Valley with expansive views over Lake Manyara, one of the larger Rift Valley lakes, and the town of Mto Wa Mbu ('Mosquito Creek'), famous for its lively cosmopolitan atmosphere and red bananas, which taste the same as regular bananas but their skins are a startling bright red!

We arrive at Nairobi Airport in plenty of time to connect with our homeward flight.

SAFARI NJEMA!
Meals Included: Breakfast

Arrival back in Washington (flight details TBA).

Our journey takes us to the edge of the Rift Valley with expansive views over Lake Manyara, one of the larger Rift
Valley lakes, and the town of Mto Wa Mbu ('Mosquito Creek')
, famous for its lively cosmopolitan atmosphere and red
bananas, which taste the same as regular bananas but their skins are a startling bright red!

We continue to Arusha in time to connect with our flight to Zanzibar.

Zanzibar is an archipelago made up of Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, and several islets. Zanzibar Island is 96 km (60 miles) long and 32 km (20 miles) wide, occupying a total area of approximately 1040 km sq (650 sq miles). It is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs, and the magic of historic Stone Town -- said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.

Zanzibar's local people are an incredible mixture of ethnic backgrounds, indicative of her colourful history. Islam is the dominant religion, and practiced by most Zanzibaris, although there are also followers of Christianity and Hinduism. Population is estimated at 800,000, with the largest concentration being Zanzibar City, which has approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Zanzibaris speak Swahili (known locally as Kiswahili), a language spoken extensively in East Africa. Many believe that the purest form is spoken in Zanzibar as it is the birthplace of the language.

Overnight on Zanzibar. Mnarani Beach Cottages.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Today we have a walking tour of Stone Town, the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar, little changed in the last 200 years. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. This one-upmanship is particularly reflected in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors -- there are more than 500 different examples of this handiwork.

The history of Zanzibar would be incomplete without a 'spice tour.' Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices were as important to the Sultans of Oman as the infamous slave trade. They can be seen in the plantations just outside Zanzibar town, and our tour includes
opportunities to dazzle the senses with fresh spices. A detailed description is given about a variety of spices and their uses in cooking and cosmetics. It is fascinating the sheer number of spices produced and their incredible value for many ailments and culinary applications.

We finish with a stop at the Jozani Natural Forest Reserve located in the central east region of Zanzibar Island, home to the rare red colobus monkey, endemic to Zanzibar. These monkeys are full of character and roam freely. They can also be seen at very close quarters just outside the reserve's perimeter and are incredibly photogenic. Jozani is home to other species including Syke's monkeys, small buck and bushpigs.

Overnight on Zanzibar. Mnarani Beach Cottages.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Today is free to enjoy this tropical paradise.

Overnight on Zanzibar.Mnarani Beach Cottages.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Today is free to enjoy Zanzibar and our resort.

Overnight on Zanzibar.Mnarani Beach Cottages.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Today we fly home from Zanzibar (via Nairobi).

SAFARI NJEMA!
Meals Included: Breakfast

Arrival back in Washington (flight details TBA).