13 days tour

Real East Africa & Zanzibar

$ 2,937 .00 USD

Total price per person

Reserve with $2,937.00

Real East Africa & Zanzibar

This tour includes:

Guide

On this trip you will be accompanied by three crew members - Group Leader, Cook and Driver who will usually be Kenyan. Your Group Leaderโ€™s role involves organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip, managing trip logistics, coordinating the tipping kitty (where applicable) and will form work groups to take turns cooking, cleaning and shopping. (From time to time your leader may drive as well) Your Group Leader will work towards making the trip as safe and enjoyable as possible for all travellers. Intrepid trips are built around the coโ€“operation and participation of all the group members under the supervision of the group leader. The group leader will show the group how to set up and use the equipment. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting, especially when tracking and identifying game - we think it's the best of both worlds. Regardless of the country of origin, our Group Leaders are chosen for their leadership skills and are wonderful ambassadors for our company and our beautiful continent and its people. Your Cook is responsible for the cooking and will help to coordinate the work groups for preparing the meals and washing up! Cooks are also responsible for organizing food shopping (they are always happy to have you on board) and most importantly, they make sure high hygiene standards are kept at all times while camping. Your Driverโ€™s main responsibility is to get you to your destination safely; they are also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles along the way. Everyone is expected to participate and carry their share of the workload/duties, making camp chores easier. The duties Rota system is adopted where all members share in general camp duties โ€“ cooking, shopping, washing up etc. If the whole group participates it will be quicker, easier, and more fun. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders.

Meals

12 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 8 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle,Plane,Private Vehicle Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. Your vehicle type may differ from those listed above. It is also important to note that our overland vehicles are not air-conditioned, but all vehicles have windows that can be opened to allow for fresh air. Each seat will have access to a power socket to charge your devices. This outlet will use a UK/K: enyan 3 pronged outlet. There are many early starts with long hours spent driving on rough roads on all African itineraries. While most people love the chance to watch the changing landscape and daily village life, feedback shows that long periods of inactivity does not appeal to all clients. We provide the approximate distance covered each day and how many hours this normally takes to drive so that you can choose the safari experience that is right for you. African conditions are extremely tough on vehicles. While we fastidiously maintain our vehicles at our workshops, you should not expect Africa to be your traditional touring experience. While it's certainly our aim to avoid them, it's important that you set off on your trip knowing that the occasional breakdown can happen and are best treated as part of the African adventure. Due to wet weather there may be times when we have to take an alternative route which will mean longer travel times.

Accommodation

Accommodation on this trip is mainly in two-person canvas dome tents with camping mattresses supplied. The type and variety of accommodation is determined by conditions on each of our routes. Each route is different - on some we use a mixture of campsites and wild camps; on others we also use hotels. In Africa it's not usually practical to camp when staying in towns and cities so we use hotel accommodation and eat out in local restaurants. There may be the occasional night stop, when we stay in the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite which may also have rooms/cabins available. In this case there may be a choice of camping or upgrading to a room. Rooms cost approximately USD60-120 per room per night for a twin room and cannot be pre-booked. Standards of these rooms vary greatly and we recommend viewing the room before purchasing the nights accommodation. The day by day itinerary advises when upgrades may be possible (subject to availability). Keep in mind that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you may have to share with other passengers or be split into same sex rooms. Campsites do have facilities but they usually aren't to the same standard you would find in western countries. For example the bathroom facilities can be very basic. There is rarely toilet paper provided and shower facilities can be as simple as a hose pipe spurting out cold water. Wild camps have no facilities at all. At times there may be spare tents in the vehicles. Unfortunately these cannot be used without purchase of a single supplement. This is to ensure the tents avoid wear and tear, or are clean and ready for the customers arriving on the next section of the trip. Camping with facilities (6 nights),Camping with basic facilities (2 nights),Bungalow (2 nights),Hotel (2 nights)

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Real East Africa & Zanzibar

  • Day 1 Day 1: Nairobi
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 1: Nairobi

      Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, why not check out the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya where traditional homesteads of some Kenyan tribes are displayed at an outdoor village.Accommodation: Hotel

  • Day 2 Day 2: Loita Hills Maasai Experience
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 2: Loita Hills Maasai Experience

      Depart Nairobi, with a short stop in Narok for a spot of food shopping. Continue to Loita Hills (approximately 5โ€“6 hours), then stop, chill out and get some lunch. Today's drive crosses the Great Rift Valley, Africa's huge great divide, takes you into the remote region of Loita Hills. This is the home of the Maasai people. You will visit the Maasai, who are known for their dazzling red dress and elaborate jewellery, and gain an insight into the culture and ancient ways of this proud East African community. After setting up your tent, meet your Maasai hosts. A local elder will deliver a fascinating talk about the Maasai and what they're about. You'll be shown around a traditional Maasai home and see where the resident cattle are kept. Upgrades and Wi-Fi are not available at tonight's bush camp.Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)

  • Day 3 Day 3: Masai Mara National Reserve
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 3: Masai Mara National Reserve

      Travel from Loita to Masai Mara (approximately 1โ€“2 hours).The Masai Mara is one of the classic African experiences โ€“ wide open plains, postcard-perfect skies and some of the world's great wild animals. After setting up camp, sit down to some lunch. Then it's time to jump aboard your 4WD vehicle and go for a game drive through the wilderness of the Mara. Your campground tonight is located outside of the national reserve and has flush toilets and showers. There is an option to upgrade, depending on availability. Wi-fi is not available here though.Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)

  • Day 4 Day 4: Masai Mara National Reserve
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 4: Masai Mara National Reserve

      Adventure into the reserve for a full day's 4WD game drive. You'll explore this diverse environment and most likely see a lots of different wildlife. An optional balloon ride over the Mara at sunrise is well worth considering. If you have pre-booked this activity (see the 'Important Notes' section) you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site for a safety briefing from your pilot. Then you will glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, which provides amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you will ascend, getting an overview of the enormity of the plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. After landing, you'll be treated to a bush breakfast, then be returned to your campsite to meet up with your group.Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)

  • Day 5 Day 5: Lake Victoria
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 5: Lake Victoria

      Travel towards the Kenya-Tanzania border and to the shores of Lake Victoria (approximately 7โ€“8 hours). This is not only Africa's biggest lake โ€“ it's the largest tropical lake in the world. It shares its shores with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. You'll arrive late afternoon, in time to chill out lakeside with a cold drink and watch the sunset. Make the most of the ATM and local market to stock up for your next three days of wilderness adventures. You will camp on the shores of the lake tonight, at one of its least visited campgrounds, on the outskirts of a small town called Musoma. Depending on availability, you might be able to upgrade to a room, but no Wi-Fi is available.Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)

  • Day 6 Day 6: Serengeti National Park
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 6: Serengeti National Park

      Today you will travel from Lake Victoria to the gate of Serengeti National Park on a smooth road (approximately 3 hours) and enjoy a picnic lunch at the entrance to the park. Enter the Serengeti and take a game drive en route to your campsite. These plains โ€“ green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season โ€“ are home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators, so see how many you can spot. Your campsite is right in the action, within the park itself, so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep at night. There are no upgrades or Wi-Fi available here.Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)

  • Day 7 Day 7: Serengeti National Park
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 7: Serengeti National Park

      Start the day with a game drive at dawn. You will head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch at around 11 am. After spending the warmer part of the day relaxing, as the animals do, depart again in the afternoon for another adventure through the wild. You'll return in time for dinner. There's the option of an early-morning balloon ride here too, so if you didn't take one in the Mara, today's your chance!Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)

  • Day 8 Day 8: Karatu
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 8: Karatu

      Rise and shine for a final chance to spot Serengeti wildlife as you make your way out of the park this morning. At Nabi gate, hop aboard a jeep and descend into Ngorongoro Crater. This gigantic, perfectly intact volcanic crater is home to some 30,000 animals. Among these are endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor is great for game viewing all year round, and the photo-opportunities here are next level. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater before heading back out on safari all afternoon. After, travel onwards to Karatu town and arrive at camp by 6 pm where a freshly prepared dinner awaits.Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)

  • Day 9 Day 9: Mto Wa Mbu
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 9: Mto Wa Mbu

      Take it a tad easier this morning with a relaxed breakfast at camp before setting off at 9 am for Mto Wa Mbu with your crew. Youโ€™ll have the rest of the day free to explore. Mto wa Mbu offers a snapshot of small-town East African life. You might consider joining in a guided village walk or bike ride around the farming areas, spotting milling machine and local homes and farmlands, or round up your fellow travellers to check out the craft market.Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)

  • Day 10 Day 10: Stone Town
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 10: Stone Town

      Pack up camp after breakfast for the final leg of your journey to Arusha where your adventure comes to an end. Bid farewell to your crew, transfer to Arusha Airport and take an included flight to Stone Town, Zanzibar. Your tour will be unescorted from here on in, however our local representatives will be on hand to look after you. Zanzibar is an archipelagic gem filled with idyllic beaches, vibrant markets and a varied, and sometimes dark, history. This is a place rooted in slavery, where Arabian sultans once lived and Swahili and Islamic influences blend together to create an exotic island paradise steeped in centuries of history. Why not throw yourself into the midst of Stone Townโ€™s maze of narrow streets โ€“ every twist and turn alive with an enticing mix of fragrant bazaars, enchanting mosques and charming ruins. Perhaps head to one of the bars on the seafront and soak up the salty ocean air with a cocktail in hand. Alternatively, if you would like to hear more about Stone Town and the islands history our local representative can organise an afternoon tour.Accommodation: Hotel

  • Day 11 Day 11: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 11: Zanzibar Northern Beaches

      Venture out of Stone Town this morning and drive to the spice plantations for your optional guided tour, or head directly to the perfectly pristine northern beaches. If you choose to explore the spice plantations, youโ€™ll learn all about the history of this town's renowned spice trade. Take the opportunity to touch, smell and taste various spices โ€“ such as cinnamon, vanilla and ginger โ€“ then sample some delicious teas! After lunch, head to the northern beaches, where white sands and sparkling blue seas await, and reunite with your group for an afternoon at leisure. This is the Indian Ocean at its best.Accommodation: Bungalow

  • Day 12 Day 12: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 12: Zanzibar Northern Beaches

      Wake up in paradise and enjoy a full day of freedom to indulge in the beautiful island surrounds. Take the opportunity to snorkel in the transparent waters, walk the stretch of powder white sand and paddle in the bath-like Indian ocean, dine on freshly caught sumptuous seafood or simply relax in a hammock underneath a coconut tree with a good book. There are many ways you can spend your day โ€“ perhaps talk to your leader for any recommendations.Accommodation: Bungalow

  • Day 13 Day 13: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day 13: Zanzibar Northern Beaches

      Your trip comes to an end today. Please advise us at the time of booking if we can help with transfers to the airport or ferry terminal. If youโ€™d like to spend more time in this island paradise, post-trip accommodation can be pre-booked at your beach resort or in Stone Town.

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Experience Style

Experience Style

Mixed

There will be challenging activities such as hiking, biking, canyoning and trekking, but youโ€™re also going to have other means of transportation and relaxed moments to just chill.

Accomodation level

Accomodation level

Medium

This accommodation includes essential services like a hot shower, electricity, and a nice and comfy bed.

Experience Type

Experience Type

Small Group

Youโ€™ll be accompanied by a small group of travelers just like you.

Physical Rating

Physical Rating

Average

There are several physical activities that last from 2 to 6 hours in easy terrains, low altitude flats, or water experiences. Please ask if youโ€™re not sure this applies to you.

Age range

Age range

Min: 18 / Max: 29

Age range allowed for this experience.

Select a country to define if the visa is required