The Micato Grand Safari

Day 2: Arrive Nairobi Welcome to Nairobi, a city experiencing a Renaissance in art and culture. Your Safari Director meets you at the airport and whisks you to Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel.

Amboseli | Kilimanjaro

Day 4: Amboseli This morning we wing our way over the scenic Athi Plains and into the bush country of Amboseli Park. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli is home to the legendary Maasai tribesmen and is world-famous for its tremendous variety of big game. A spectacular game run is planned. We stay tonight at the idyllically rustic Tortilis Tented Camp. Kilimanjaro dominates the view from every direction...animals are seen browsing in the grasses and drinking at the waterhole directly outside. And, nestled comfortably under huge spreading acacia trees are the thatch-covered tents. The luxurious tents are spacious and each has a private veranda from which to enjoy the view, as well as an en suite bathroom with plenty of hot water. Of the fifteen tents, not one sees another; it is as if you were alone here in this peaceful Eden. Dinner at Tortilis is exceptionally good-fresh and delightful, with vegetables and herbs grown right at the camp. Truly special, you are sure to revel in the experience of sleeping under canvas and waking to the beauty of Amboseli.

Mount Kenya | Nairobi

Day 6: Mount Kenya Safari Club Today we fly via Nairobi to the luxurious Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. Sprawled on the slopes of majestic Mount Kenya, this historic private club was perhaps the first in Africa to offer travellers the ultimate in refined elegance and luxury. All of the amenities that we would expect from such an establishment are here including riding stables, golf, croquet, trout streams, tennis and a health club. While lounging at the pool, one may indulge the senses in an endless display of beauty, from the towering snow-capped mountain to the kaleidoscope of colours that surround you in a sea of gorgeous flowers. Over the years the club has been a second home to legions of internationally renowned members and guests. Sir Winston Churchill, the Duke of Manchester, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, numerous American presidents and Lord Mountbatten have enjoyed its pleasures alongside founding members William Holden, Clark Gable and John Wayne. Fine dining, gracious hospitality and excellent service are sure to be highlights of our stay, in addition to a splendid room with a tremendous view. Micato travellers are afforded only the finest at the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club thanks to its long-standing relationship with Micato and the original membership of Micato founders, Felix and Jane Pinto.

Serengeti

Day 8: Maasai Mara This morning we fly to Maasai Mara, winging our way over the scenic Great Rift Valley and the unspoiled savannah that the Mara shares with the legendary Serengeti. Below us lies the Africa of your dreams! A country of rolling grasslands, dense thickets and groves of acacia woodland, the Mara is home to an incredible variety of wildlife. Deep forest grows along the Mara River and its tributaries, where many hippos and crocodiles bask lazily in the sunlight. Here we find the largest population of lions in Africa, warily eyed by their neighbors, the stunning Coke's hartebeest, large herds of topi and the stately Cape buffalo. Black rhino are also to be found. Huge herds of elephant often block the roads. Glorious creatures are so bountiful that it is difficult to decide where to look first! This is also the home of the Maasai people. The Maasai guarding his cattle is an enduring and proud figure across the plains of East Africa. Livestock represents status, wealth and livelihood to these ancient people. Here we will also enjoy a visit to a Maasai village, learning about their tribal social systems, customs and the place of the Maasai in today's Africa. Residents live in a "manyatta" or village, much as they have for centuries and we will have an opportunity to see the interior of these mud-hut homes, spotless and unadorned, contrasted with the Maasai themselves, bedecked with brilliantly coloured beads and cloths. The warmth and hospitality of the people once considered fierce warriors will touch your heart. As will your accommodations tonight at the utterly glorious Bateleur Camp or equally stunning Governor's Il Moran Camp.

Arusha | Nairobi | Serengeti

Day 10: Serengeti National Park This morning we fly to the Serengeti via Nairobi and Arusha. Her vast rolling plains spread out before us...the greatest wildlife spectacle in the world offers up views of over three million large animals-elephant, zebra, gazelle, rhino, cheetah and more. Within this huge park a complex ecosystem gives us the opportunity to view every variety of habitation, from the dry south where the grasslands sway in a sultry dance with the breeze to the park's centre, a green oasis of open woodlands and thicket. Streams are lined by dense, brilliantly green forests. Weathered domes of granite and gneiss are a favourite retreat of the big cats, a place to rest and to watch the surrounding vegetation for both danger and for prey. Giraffe browse in small groups among the trees. Bohor reedbuck and waterbuck restrict their travels to the vegetation near the rivers and streams. Great numbers of ostrich, Grant's gazelle, topi, hartebeest, impala and Cape buffalo abound, all watching out for the abundant lion, cheetah, wild dog and hyena! Leopards are seen resting in the trees. No matter what your expectations, you will not fail to be astounded by life in the Serengeti. We have delightful accommodations at either Serengeti Pioneer Camp or Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp—Pioneer, the embodiment of Africa’s opulent golden age amid the grassy plains, and Grumeti, a vibrant and avant-garde interpretation of African chic along a river’s edge.

Ngorongoro Crater

Day 12: Ngorongoro Crater The Ngorongoro Crater is our next destination, including a call at Olduvai Gorge, where for more than fifty years the Leakey family has been uncovering fossils of our human ancestors and of animal life, laboriously peeling away the layers of mystery attached to the history of the continent. Under the direction of Louis and Mary Leakey, material was unearthed dating back over two million years. The remains of prehistoric elephants, giant-horned sheep and enormous ostriches have also been found in this Stone Age site. During the last century, the very early human remains of the Nutcracker Man, or Zinjanthropus bosei, were located. In 1969, Dr. Mary Leakey uncovered the first ever intact skull of Homo habilis, dating from 1.75 million years ago. And we will stand on the very ground where these early humans walked and lived! Our accommodations tonight are at the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater Lodge-be prepared to be overwhelmed! Cocktails, a sumptuous meal and a wonderful evening in our exotic lodge conclude a most remarkable day in Africa.

Lake Manyara | Ngorongoro Crater

Day 14: Depart Nairobi Breakfast and one last look at Ngorongoro Crater before we head to Lake Manyara for our flight to Nairobi. We check into Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel and enjoy a few hours of relaxation by the pool or perhaps revisit a favourite shop or two. After dinner we proceed to the airport knowing that this has been a journey to remember for the rest of our lives.