Our morning and afternoon game drives take us in search of Africa's Big Five and the abundance of other wildlife inhabiting this vast Kenyan game reserve. On clear days, the Mara offers fantastic orange-tinged sunsets well-worth capturing. The Mara reserve is 1510 km² of incredible wide-open landscapes and fertile riverine woodland following the looping meanders of the Mara and Talek rivers in Kenya. One glimpse is enough to explain its appeal - it is the ultimate open savannah, hosting a mass of amazing wildlife. Wherever you go in the vast Masai Mara you will see abundant wildlife such as Masai giraffe, baboons, warthogs, bat-eared foxes, grey jackals, spotted hyena, topis, impala, hartebeests and wildebeest. Elephants, buffaloes, zebras and hippos are also found in great numbers. It is also common to see lions either basking after a heavy meal or surveying the plains for their next meal. Cheetahs and leopards are harder to spot but reasonably common. The ultimate action here is without a doubt the annual wildebeest exodus, the Great Migration, in July and August when millions of these grazers move north from the Serengeti in search of lusher grass, before turning south again in October. The Great Migration of hoofed animals, in turn, attracts hungry predators, such as lion, hyena and cheetah, among others. Hot-air balloon trips are an entirely outstanding way of seeing the savannah plains teeming with wildlife. These Masai Mara balloon trips can be arranged at extra cost.

From Masai Mara we travel north to Lake Naivasha, visiting the nearby Hells Gate National Park. This African game park is of geological significance and hosts diverse topographical features along with an array of wildlife and birds. One of the unique features of this game park is that it can be explored on foot or by bicycle, due to the absence of large predators. Bikes can be hired at extra cost to cycle through the game park. We recommend hiking and cycling in the wildlife park, as this is a great way to experience the bush, as well as being a rare opportunity in Kenyan national parks

Next we travel back south admiring the rural scenery on our way to the beautiful Amboseli National Park in the Rift Valley Province. Kenya's second most popular safari destination, Amboseli is located in southern Kenya, near the border with Tanzania. We have lunch along the way, embarking on an afternoon game drive when we arrive. Amboseli National Park covers the open plains at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's highest free-standing mountain, located in neighbouring Tanzania. This scenic location sets Mt Kilimanjaro - Africa's tallest mountain, as the backdrop to game viewing in Amboseli; which makes for stunning photographic opportunities. Wildlife sightings include a host of large herbivores, from buffalo and giraffe to zebra and wildebeest, while predators such as lion, hyena and cheetah are frequently spotted. Amboseli is best-known for its large elephant herds, especially the old bulls with their big tusks. This national park is said to be the best place to get up close to free-roaming elephants in Africa. Amboseli's top attraction is the chance to catch close-up photos of these impressive giants with towering Kilimanjaro in the background. The park is also home to rich birdlife, from raptors to waterbirds, offering excellent bird watching.

Tanzania's most famous game parks are grouped together in the popular Northern Safari Circuit consisting of Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangire national parks. First we make our way into the beautiful Lake Manyara, with packed lunches. This afternoon we explore this scenic wilderness area on a game drive in search of wildlife and birds. Lake Manyara National Park covers diverse ecosystems, hosting some of Tanzania's most abundant birdlife. The game park around Lake Manyara is famous for its tree-climbing lions, a unique species, as well as its huge baboon populations. The park is home to one of the world's highest concentrations of baboons.

The Serengeti is one of the top safari destinations in the world - presenting the classical African wildlife scenes filmed in many a movie and documentary. On the way to our overnight campsite, we enjoy game viewing in the game-rich Serengeti ecosystem. End the day with dinner and free time at our overnight camp.

The Serengeti is one of Africa's most famous game parks, boasting prime open savannahs, teeming with wild animals. This is Tanzania's largest game park, covering some 14736 km² of African bushveld. The Serengeti is a year-round game viewing destination, offering world-class game viewing throughout the year. Serengeti Park and the neighbouring Masai Mara National Park in Kenya, are however best known for the annual Wildebeest Migration. Also known as the Great Migration, this wildlife spectacle is set in motion when an endless sea of grazers migrate across the plains in search of fresh grazing. This epic wildlife migration sees a wildebeest population of over a million stampeding through grasslands and river. The incredible wildlife migration also includes several other hoofed animals, such as zebra, Thomson's gazelle, impala, topi, Grants gazelle, Kongoni, Eland, Kirk's dik-dik, oryx, oribi, waterbuck, buffalo, giraffe and more! This awe-inspiring herd of grazers, in turn, attracts the predators of Serengeti, from lion, leopard, and cheetah, to hyena, jackals and bat-eared foxes. The bird watching in Serengeti Park is also impressive, with common sightings including ostrich and kori bustard, as well as larks, finches, raptors and the distinctive lilac breasted roller

In the afternoon we drive down to the crater floor for a rewarding afternoon of game viewing. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's biggest whole volcanic caldera at 8300 sq km and hosts high concentrations of wildlife. 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's largest populations of big mammals. Ngorongoro and other freestanding mountains are volcanic in origin, formed during the fracturing process that created the Rift valley 15 to 20 million years ago. When it peaked in size 3 million years ago it was a similar height to that of Mt. Kilimanjaro today!

We arrive in Arusha by 13:00 in time to catch the shuttle bus back to Nairobi. Alternatively, you can finish your tour in Arusha. Our Budget Masai Mara & Serengeti Wildlife Safari ends in Kenya's Nairobi city, with drop off at the airport at about 18h30.