GOLDEN SHADOWS, FLYING HOOVES

  The Ultimate Safari to Kenya and Tanzania's Finest Wildlife Parks
    18-Day, Air-Inclusive Deluxe Safari.  Participation Limited to 18 Passengers.

Day 1,  Depart U.S.A. or Canada  
Your holiday begins aboard Swissair to Europe, with attentive service, award-winning dining and complimentary drinks.  

Day 2, Zurich, Switzerland  
Arrive in Zurich and relax in your dayroom before departing on an overnight Swissair flight to Kenya.  Swissotel (dayroom)

 Day 3, Nairobi, Kenya  
Landing in Africa's historic safari capital, you are greeted by Big Five hosts and driven to your luxury hotel.  After lunch and a briefing, tour the enchanting Giraffe Center and historic Karen Blixen estate, and shop if you wish at Utamaduni Crafts Center.  In the evening, join your guides and safari companions at a festive welcome dinner. Norfolk (L,D)

return to top
Day 4, Aberdare National Park
Set off on safari to the cool mountain forests of Aberdare National Park. Here you spend a wonderful night in one of Kenya's famed "tree lodges", perched over a water hole that draws wide varieties of game, including such rare species as bongo antelope, forest hog and serval cat.  Two verandas and an indoor viewing blind offer superb perspectives for wildlife observation. The area is also floodlit at night, providing a rare opportunity to see elusive nocturnal species.  The Ark (B,L,D)

 Day 5, Mount Kenya  
Cross the equator on a short drive to the world-famous Mt. Kenya Safari Club, one of Africa's premier resorts. Here you are free to enjoy sporting activities, the animal care center, and expansive grounds with majestic mountain views. Mt. Kenya Safari Club (B,L,D)

 Days 6-7, Amboseli National Park  
Travel from the slopes of Mt. Kenya to the land of Kilimanjaro, as you depart on a morning flight to Nairobi and enjoy lunch, before continuing to your home for two nights in Amboseli National Park.  One of Kenya's most visited parks, Amboseli offers abundant big game and bird viewing, before the spectacular backdrop of Africa's highest peak.  Its green marshes are excellent for viewing elephants and birds; while the dry, grassy plains attract masses of predators and grazers.  After your twice-daily game drives, retreat to your luxury camp in one of Amboseli's last areas of unspoiled woodland.  Gaze at Kilimanjaro from your private veranda, lounge by the pool, or enjoy game walks outside the park with a Masai guide. Tortilis Camp (B,L,D)

return to top
Days 8-9, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Arise early Friday for breakfast and your departure to Tanzania.  Pass through border formalities and continue to Arusha for lunch.  Then board a flight to the Serengeti Plain, saving much driving and affording glorious vistas from the air.  Touch down in the Serengeti and see the Africa of your dreams; vast sun-baked plains teeming with big game. During a two night visit you'll experience some of the most spectacular wildlife-viewing in all of Africa.  See huge groups of plains game and all the predators, including leopard who you are more likely to see here than anywhere else in the world.  An unforgettable visit is complemented by your elegant lodge, designed like an African village.  Serengeti Serena Lodge (B,L,D)

 Days 10-11, Olduvai Gorge - Ngorongoro Crater  
Depart eastward Sunday to the fossil beds of Olduvai Gorge, where Dr. Leakey's 1959 discovery of the earliest known human remains put East Africa on the map as the Cradle of Mankind.  Then continue to the Ngorongoro Crater, a 10-mile-wide basin formed of an ancient volcano that collapsed.  With its grassy terrain and density of animals, game-viewing is exceptional here and we've planned a full day exploration of the crater with picnic lunch.  Enjoy rare opportunities to view black rhino up close; hippos and flamingos in Magadi Lake; and nearly every other mammal species in East Africa except giraffe, who are unable to climb the crater walls.  Your lodge on the crater rim does justice to its setting, with stunning views and environmentally sensitive design.  Ngorongoro Serena Lodge (B,L,D)

 Day 12, Lake Manyara National Park  
Your safari continues with a drive to Lake Manyara, famed for its phenomenal tree-climbing lions.  For a park so compact, Lake Manyara has a surprising variety of habitats, which in turn support an amazing diversity of animals and birds.  Look for primates in the dense fig and mahogany forests; herds of buffalo, zebra, giraffe and wildebeest in the savannahs; large elephant herds in the acacia woodlands; and a stunning array of birds on the beautiful lake. Your lodge enjoys the distinction of being located inside this impressive sanctuary, with splendid views of the lake and Rift Valley cliffs nearby.  Lake Manyara Serena Lodge (B,L,D)

return to top
Day 13, Arusha/Nairobi, Kenya
Enjoy breakfast with breathtaking views of bird life on the Lake, before departing to Arusha and boarding a flight to Nairobi.  Arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon, where you are at leisure until tonight's delicious dinner.  Norfolk Hotel (B,L,D)

 Days 14-15, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya  
Transfer to the airport for your morning flight to the Masai Mara, one of the finest all-around wildlife reserves in Africa.  Game-view here in rolling open grassland and wooded savanna, dissected by the Mara River and embraced by galleries of forests.  View huge prides of lion and all of the other "Big Five", plus millions of migratory wildebeest and zebra, Masai giraffe, cheetahs, and countless other species.  Between outings, experience the finest that tented camping has to offer at your well-appointed, en suite accommodations "under canvas".  Governors Camp (B,L,D)

 Day 16, Nairobi  
A final game-drive and breakfast, before flying to Nairobi for lunch and a brief city highlights tour.  At day's end, celebrate your adventures over dinner at the Norfolk Hotel's celebrated Ibis Grill, famous for its setting and ambiance. Norfolk Hotel (B,L,D)

 Day 17, Zurich, Switzerland  
Depart Africa on a Swissair flight to Zurich, where you transfer to your hotel. Swissotel (B)

 Day 18, U.S.A. or Canada  
After breakfast, continue flying home. (B)