Around Kilimanjaro: safari, nature & culture in Kenya and Tanzania

Today, there is departure from your chosen airport, and the journey goes to Kenya in East Africa with connecting flight(s) en route.

Upon arrival in Kenya, you will be met at the airport by our local guide. You will be driven to the hotel, where you will spend one night.

If you arrive in the evening, you may want to go straight to bed so that you are rested and ready to start the tour the next day.

If, on the other hand, you arrive in the morning, there are good opportunities for exploring the capital of Kenya on some of our extra excursions (see below). Of course, you can also simply choose to relax after your flight, and perhaps chill out in the hotel pool.

After breakfast, there is departure from your hotel, and we head towards Nairobi’s absolutely biggest attraction: Nairobi National Park. It is a relatively well-kept secret that the park contains a large number of rhinos – both white and black – and you will have to be incredibly unlucky not to see a rhino during the park safari. The location of the national park on the outskirts of the city, offering views of the city skyline while watching the wildlife, is just an added attraction. In addition to rhinos, you can see a wide variety of other wild animals in the park. The only one of the classic safari animals you will definitely NOT encounter is the elephant.

After this exciting start to the day, you will enjoy lunch in Nairobi, before the tour continues towards Amboseli National Park and what has given this tour its name; the views of Kilimanjaro.

You check in at your lodge, where you will spend two nights. Enjoy a cool drink while watching the spectacle of the sunset and Kilimanjaro.

Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya’s smallest national parks, but great attractions await you here. Everywhere you will have views of Kilimanjaro. In the middle of the day, the peak is often covered in clouds, but the cloud cover tends to lift in the morning and towards the end of the day, giving you some great photo opportunities of the mountain. While the clouds are drifting, you will spend the day on a safari in the national park.

Look forward to meeting the elephants, for which the park is famous. The herds are large, and many of the elephants have giant tusks. One of the most well-known images from Amboseli is of the sunset, when the elephants trot across the pancake flat landscape to enter the forests at the foot of Kilimanjaro, where they spend the night. This is the moment when you may be lucky enough to get the perfect shot of elephants with Kilimanjaro in the background.

The sparse vegetation in Amboseli makes it easier to locate the wildlife and, in addition to elephants, you will see lots of zebras, antelopes, giraffes – and probably also lions.

Amboseli is also a great place for bird lovers, as parts of the park consist of swamp areas almost all year round, which attracts many different bird species.

You have a packed lunch with you today, so that you can spend the whole day in Amboseli National Park.

If you want, you can start off the day in the most magical way; with a balloontour at sunrise with breathtaking views of Kilimanjaro.

If heights are not really your thing, you can enjoy a quiet morning at the lodge before the departure for Tsavo East, one of Kenya’s oldest and largest national parks. En route from Amboseli to Tsavo East, we follow the paved main road, but we soon hit Tsavo East, and the drive turns into a game drive.

In Tsavo East, the soil is bright red, giving the animals a distinctive reddish appearance. It makes an impression the first time you spot a reddish elephant! The landscape is flat, making it easy to spot the animals.

Here you can see lions, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, the special black serval, antelopes, kudus, oryxes, hyenas, ostriches, gazelles, buffaloes and elephants among many other animals. And this is probably where you have the best chance to spot the shy leopard! The national park is also a paradise for bird enthusiasts, especially in the period from late October to early January, when many migratory birds live in Tsavo.

You will spend one night in Tsavo East.

You again face what is the focal point of this tour: Kilimanjaro. Today we are heading to Tsavo West.

You will have views of Kilimanjaro for long parts of the drive from Tsavo East to Tsavo West, and it is fun to see how different the mountain looks from this side than from Amboseli. Notice, for example, how Mawenzi Peak almost looks taller than Kibo, where Uhuru Peak (Kilimanjaro’s tallest point) is located. It is an optical illusion. Uhuru Peak is the tallest point.

In addition to Kilimanjaro, you also need to keep an eye on the natural surroundings today.

Where the soil in Tsavo East is red and the landscape is flat, the terrain in Tsavo West is hillier and the vegetation denser. It can be more difficult to spot the animals, but, in return, you will be richly rewarded with unique nature. On the drive today, we will make a stop at Mzima Springs, which is a series of natural springs, where you will go for a small tour accompanied by a ranger. Look out for the crocodiles lying on the bank and the hippos in the water. It is also an excellent place to spot birds, such as kingfishers.

You will spend the night at Tsavo West – with views of Kilimanjaro, of course!

There is time for a morning game drive before heading to the Tanzanian border. It is only a short drive, and the border crossing (Taveta/Holili) is easy; first you need to exit Kenya, and then you need to enter Tanzania, but it all takes place in the same building. Together with your Kenyan guide, you will meet your new guide from Tanzania, and soon your tour will continue – this time in Tanzania.

You have a few hours’ drive ahead of you, so just sit back and soak up the surroundings. You will probably be able easily to see the differences between Kenya and Tanzania: the houses are different, the road is different, and if you pay close attention, you can also hear that the language (Swahili) has a slightly different ring to it in Tanzania.

The destination today is the completely opposite side of Kilimanjaro relative to the one you saw in Amboseli National Park, where you began the tour. You are heading for Osiligilai Maasai Lodge, where a unique insight into the Maasai culture and traditions awaits you.
Upon arrival at Osiligilai, you will be greeted by singing and dancing. The Maasai are a happy people, and it is difficult not to be infected by their joyful singing and high jumps. Tradition dictates that you drink a cup of blood before you are invited into a Maasai village, so the cups are brought out and the beautiful red liquid is poured. You are obviously perfectly free to say no, but if you want to immerse yourself fully in the Maasai traditions, have a taste. It does not taste of blood at all.

The day’s programme depends slightly on what time of the day you arrive. Maybe there will be time to relax a bit – perhaps you will arrive just in time to watch the spear throwing. In the old days, the Maasai killed lions with spears if their cattle were threatened. Today, however, a tree stump is the target because, as they say: “visitors come to see the lions, so we must do what we can to preserve them”! The Maasai live in harmony with nature in many ways because they are so dependent on it.

When the sun goes down, you are offered a sundowner and are treated to more singing and dancing. Watching the sun set over this landscape is a magical moment, and it is hard not to be infected by the Maasai’s joy and start rocking a little along with the dance.

Dinner is of course also served in true Maasai fashion. To celebrate the occasion, they have slaughtered a goat, which is roasted over a fire. While you listen to stories around the fire and have the opportunity to ask questions, the goat is cut into chunks, which are distributed fairly among everyone. If campfire-roasted goat is not your favourite dish, do not despair. A delicious three-course menu will follow.

At bedtime, a Maasai will accompany you to your hut. We recommend that you leave the door ajar so that you are ready for the sunrise. If you like, you can ask to have a cup of coffee served in your hut at sunrise.

The sun rises just behind Kilimanjaro, and it is funny to think that the elephants in Amboseli are now emerging from the forest and heading out onto the plains of Amboseli where they spend the day.

At sunrise, you can perhaps hear the Maasai moving around outside your hut, and there will probably also be a whole army of birds starting their morning warble. Open the doors and lie in bed while watching the sun rise over Kilimanjaro.

Breakfast is served in the restaurant with splendid views of Africa’s tallest mountain.

It is possible to participate in various free activities or buy excursions as an add-on today, but you can also simply choose to relax by the pool with a good book. We highly recommend a walk with one of the local Maasai on the plains. They will happily tell you about their lives and traditions, and with views of Kilimanjaro, you can easily be lucky enough to see both zebras and antelopes on the low slopes of the mountain.

Again this evening, you are invited to dinner in the restaurant – today, however, without goat on the menu.

An airport transfer is provided well in advance of your return flight. Of course, you can also choose to extend your stay with an extra night or perhaps fly on to Zanzibar if you need a swim in the Indian Ocean.

You will land at your chosen airport after an adventurous tour around Kilimanjaro.