safari in style Deeper Serengeti

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1 Deeper Serengeti safari in style DAY 1 TRAVEL DAY INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT DAY 2 ONSEA HOUSE ARUSHA Pickup at Kilimanjaro Airport by Deeper Africa guide after clearing He will have a sign with your name on it. Your guide will transport you to Onsea House. Overnight at Onsea House. wildlife refuges. This is land as it was in the migration of wildlife. In a journey that reaches back 300 miles a year. Wildlife is allowed to roam freely on the planet. Your safari takes you into four Tanzanian side and two on the Kenyan side. 1

2 DAY 3 DUNIA CAMP SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Breakfast at Onsea House. Transport to the Arusha Airport for your bush flight to the Serengeti. We ll select the best camp for your safari based on the season and migration patterns so we get you as close to the herds as possible. During certain seasons Olakira Camp is set in the far southern reaches of the Serengeti ecosystem with Dunia Camp being more centrally located in the Seronera region. Bush Flight Departs 12:30 Arrives Serengeti bush 13:50 Your Deeper Africa guide and Land Cruiser will be waiting for you at the bush strip upon arrival. Once you enter the Serengeti you ll begin wildlife viewing traveling the distance to Dunia Camp or Olakira Camp. We ll have lunch ready for you by the time you get to camp. You ll be visiting four separate ecosystems in the Serengeti and Maasai Mara. Your guide will give you insight into animal behavior, flora, and fauna; this is expected. But, at Deeper Africa we will also be telling you about into how we invest and nurture the benefits of wildlife tourism flowing into local communities and households. This is the key to long term conservation of these wild places and wild animals. If wildlife tourism can benefit local communities and local people then Africa s great parks will survive and prosper. All of your camps are in remote locations that will touch your soul. The areas that you visit will leave a lasting impression. You will want them to stay this way forever. We do as well. They are also on the leading edge of conservation stewardship. For example: Their footprint on the Serengeti is as light as possible. The number of guests is limited, so the human footprint is minimized. You experience the true wilderness. All fruit and vegetables are sourced locally and grown by individual farmers and cooperatives. Great tasting food for you, but just as important, support for local communities through trade linkages. Note the small details, such as the soaps in your bathrooms. As much as possible, we buy from local people. Camp operations are focused on reducing, reusing, and recycling waste to prevent pollution. In East Africa reusing waste streams gets creative. How about melting wine bottles into glass beads? Or using old Land Cruiser tires for woven mats.? If we can t reduce or reuse, then as much of the waste stream from the camp is recycled. Lunch at camp and afternoon wildlife viewing with your guide. Sundowners (drinks at sundown) at camp. Dinner and overnight at Dunia Camp or Olakira Camp. 2

3 DAY 4 DUNIA CAMP SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK The annual migration is what makes the Serengeti famous. The herds gather on the Tanzanian side of the ecosystem from sometime in November or December through early July. The migration includes vast herds of wildebeest, but also zebra and Thomson s gazelle. The herds steadily move southward through April or May when the seasonal rains cause them to turn and begin the journey back northward toward the Maasai Mara. Wildebeest are well-suited to harvest the short grasses that cover the semiarid plans of the Serengeti. The soils of this region have an underlying hard pan covered by a fertile layer of volcanic soil. Grass growing in this soil is highly nutritious, taking up nutrients trapped by the hard pan. Unlike the migration herds, predators are territorial, remaining in their home territory all year long. Wildlife populations double during the migration season, but that still means that resident wildlife populations are some of the most dense on the African continent and include substantial populations of plain s game, including buffalo, giraffe, and warthog, as well as a wide range of antelope species, including dik dik, bushbuck, waterbuck, eland, impala, and topi. You ll begin your wildlife viewing in the central Serengeti around the famous Seronera River. Seronera is actually a network of perennial rivers that merge into a valley, so there is year round water. The river marks the boundary between the sweet grass plains of the southern Serengeti and the wooded hills of the north. That means that plant, animal, and bird species from both different habitats can be found in this area. Many animals congregate around this permanent water sources, living their whole lives in this large valley. Seronera is one of the wildlife richest ecosystems in the Serengeti with good wildlife viewing all year round. We always encourage our guests to learn more about back of the house operations. Visit the kitchen and watch your food being prepared. Check out the recycling operations, the solar generation area, water boiling areas, or firewood and fuel storage. Breakfast, lunch, sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Dunia Camp or Olakira Camp. 3

4 DAY 5 SAYARI CAMP SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Breakfast at camp followed by transport to the bush strip for your morning flight. Your Deeper Africa guide will see you safely onto the bush plane and then begin the drive northward to meet up with you this evening at Sayari Camp. Bush Flight Departs Serengeti bush 9:25 am Arrives Kogatende bush 10:35 am Staff from Sayari Camp will pick you up at the Kogatende bush strip. Sayari Camp is located in the northern Serengeti at the Mara River. This is a vast pristine ecosystem. Few tourists venture into this wild region. Unlike the southern plains of the Serengeti that dry out, forcing out all but the hardiest of species to leave, this area remains lush and green. Sayari Camp is centrally located to three major wildlife draws. You can wildlife view in the Lamai Triangle, along the Mara River, or in the Wogakuria plains. The Lamai Triangle is home to the largest remaining concentrations of elephants in the Serengeti. There are rhino in this area, as well. We ll have you out this afternoon with one of Sayari s resident guides with your guide arriving by dinner. The Serengeti is home to nearly thirty species of wild ungulates (hooved animals) and eight species of larger predators and carnivores. By guiding you through four separate Serengeti ecosystems we aim to get you sightings of them all. The Mara River area of the Serengeti is famous for great film footage of wildebeests surging on the river banks and then dashing into the water, with crocodiles at the ready, If you visit in July, August, late October, or November you have the opportunity to see some of these spectacular river crossings. The river always has high concentrations of hippo and crocodile, some in excess of 18 feet. Lunch, sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Sayari Camp 4

5 DAY 6 SAYARI CAMP SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Breakfast at Sayari Camp. From Sayari you can easily get access to the Lamai Triangle area, the northern most tip of the park. This is over 300 square miles of rolling grasslands added to the park in 1965 because it is such a critical refuge for wildebeest and zebra during the dry season. Huge herds of wildebeest and zebra remain in these Tanzanian grasslands never crossing into the nearby Maasai Mara because the grasses in this region are especially nutritious. In most dry seasons you ll also find large herds of eland in this area. This is an all year around special place. Viewing can also take you to the giant Wogakuria kopjes, the highest place for miles around. You can see yellow plains off in the distance, marked with seasonal watercourses, and the flow and eddys of wildlife moving through this vast area of bush and woodlands following their preferred food and water. Scan the kopjes carefully for the surefooted klipspringer antelope. Wogaukuria s open grasslands allow for the highest concentration of cheetahs in the northern Serengeti, with the Maasai Mara just off in the distance. You ll find oribi antelope in Wogakuria s broad-leafed woodlands. Sayari Camp offers the unique opportunity to leave the Land Cruiser behind and share the earth with Serengeti s wildlife. Walking safaris are guided by experienced in-residence walking guides. An armed ranger also accompanies the walks. Animals are usually spotted on walking safaris, however the goal is not to get as close as possible to the wildlife, but rather to observe their undisturbed behavior. This is one of the few areas within the Serengeti boundaries where tracking and spotting skills can be learned on foot. Sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Sayari Camp. 5

6 DAY 7 REKERO CAMP MAASAI MARA RESERVE Breakfast at Sayari Camp. Breakfast at Sayari Camp. Today you ll be traveling from the Tanzanian side of the Serengeti to the Kenyan side, the Maasai Mara. We ll send you off with a packed lunch for your flights. Coastal Bush Flight Depart Kogatende bush 9:05 am Tarime bush 11:10 am Customs border checks for Tanzania and Kenya. Transfer from Tarime to Migori. Coastal Bush Flight Depart Tarime bush 11:15 am Arrive at Migori bush 12:00 noon Safari Link Bush Flight Depart Migori 12:15 pm Arrive Mara Olkiombo bush 12:45 pm Pickup at bush strip by Rekero Camp staff. Rekero is located inside the Maasai Mara Game Rreserve in the midst of Kenya s Mara Serengeti ecosystem. The camp is at the confluence of the Mara and Talek Rivers. If you understand the geography of the Mara, this is the place to be. Rekero is an unfenced remote wilderness camp in an area teeming with wildlife and bird life. Guiding is one of Rekero Camp s best known attributes and the current guiding team is all from neighboring Maasai communities. The Good Safari Guide has awarded Rekero Camp the Best Safari Guiding Team award. Additionally, Rekero holds a Silver Eco Rating from Eco Tourism Kenya. It is a special place. Spend the afternoon with your Rekero guide out in paradise. Lunch, sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Rekero Camp. 6

7 DAY 8 REKERO CAMP MAASAI MARA RESERVE Breakfast at Rekero Camp. Rekero was home for the African Cats film crew and director, Kevin Scholey, during the entire filming schedule. If you haven t seen theis Disney movie do so. It is magical. It will introduce you to Mara, a young lion, and Sita, one of the most famous cheetahs on the planet. Sita is just one of the cheetahs who live on the Serengeti savannahs. You ll have the opportunity to view many. You ll be scouting for cheetah in one of the two remaining cheetah strongholds in the world: the Mara/Serengeti ecosystem. Cheetahs face increasing pressure from humans and land encroachment - with between 9,000 to 12,000 left in the world. They are an endangered species. The cheetah s slender, long legged body is built for speed. Cheetah s method of hunting is running, as opposed to the stalk and pounce method. They can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds. Cheetahs hunt mostly during the late morning or earl evening. Only half of the chases, which last 20 to 60 seconds, are successful. Cheetahs often have territories of 770 square miles hence many parks don t have enough space to sustain viable cheetah populations. The Serengeti cheetah population is threatened by a lack of genetic variation, making them susceptible to disease and decreasing reproduction. Still, there have been quite a few cub births in the Serengeti cheetah population over the past five years. The most famous are Sita s cubs. Lunch, sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Rekero Camp. 7

8 DAY 9 REKERO CAMP MAASAI MARA RESERVE Breakfast at Rekero Camp. Lion prides in the Serengeti are territorial. Females within a lion pride are related to each other. Daughters, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and nieces live together for up to 15 years - the typical lifespan of a lioness. Males are forced to leave the pride at between two to three years of age. When not attached to a pride, lions are nomadic, occasionally banding together with other male cousins or brothers. The majority of prides in the Serengeti have two or three adult males, but the males in power can form larger alliances. Nomadic males are a constant territorial threat to the pride males. Each of the Serengeti pride territories vary in size. The controlling factors tend to be habitat and the availability of food. Some Serengeti prides can do quite well with small amounts of territory, while other prides require substantially larger amounts of ground. While pride members defend their territories they can never keep an exclusive lock on all of their territory. Overlaps at the edges of the territories find young nomadic males creating confrontations whenever possible. Lunch, sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Rekero Camp. 8

9 DAY 10 NABOISHO CAMP MARA NORTH CONSERVANCY Breakfast at Rekero Camp. Breakfast at Rekero Camp. Drive east after breakfast into the Naboisho Conservancy, which borders the Mara. The Conservancy is owned by 500 Maasai landowners. Each one earns rent each month based on the amount of land contributed to the conservancy. Naboisho means coming together in Maa, the Maasai language. The Conservancy promotes wildlife conservation and generates income and jobs for the community using tourism as the economic driver. In the heart of the conservancy lies Koiyaki Guiding School which provides Maasai youths with conservation and guiding training. Visit one of the local Maasai villages in which your guides were born and raised. Rekero has been at the forefront of introducing wildlife tourism into local communities. Community development is crucial for the long term success of wildlife conservation, because local people must benefit from tourism in order to believe in it and nurture it. Naboisho Conservancy offers a wide range of activities including game drives, walking safaris, night game drives, and cultural tourism. Naboisho Conservancy has the highest population of giraffes in Kenya, along with many, many other animals. Lunch, sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Rekero Camp. 9

10 DAY 11 NABOISHO CAMP MARA NORTH CONSERVANCY Breakfast at Naboisho Camp. At Naboisho you ll have the opportunity to learn about and observe human wildlife conflicts and to study some of the greatest challenges facing the stability of the Serengeti migratory herds. In most other areas of Africa, major wildebeest herds have died out due to ever-expanding human populations which demand water resources as well as land for agriculture and domestic livestock. Humans need for land at the edges of the Serengeti and their need for water resources threaten to reduce both the migration range and access to water resources. It is land available for grazing and access to water that determine the size of the Serengeti wildebeest population. The herd s population varies yearly depending on rainfall and availability of grassland. Naboisho Camp offers you stunningly beautiful tented accommodations, great food, great guiding, and introductions in the nearby Maasai village. Lunch, sundowners, dinner, and overnight at Naboisho Camp. 10

11 DAY 12 HOUSE OF WAINE KAREN OUTSIDE OF NAIROBI Breakfast at Naboisho Camp. Take your last game drive for the morning. Staff at Naboisho Camp will have your plane ticket for you. The pilot will assist you in getting checked in and getting your luggage boarded on the plane. Bush flight to Nairobi Departs Mara 11:00 am Arrives 12:35 pm Pickup at Wilson Airport by Deeper Africa driver and transport to House of Waine for dinner. We'll have a dayroom ready for you and you'll have time to shower, pack, and relax. Early dinner at House of Waine. Evening transport to your international flight at Kilimanjaro Airport. DAY 13 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT 11

12 A D D IT IO N A L SAFARI INFORMAT IO N I N C LUD E D IN YOUR SAFARI Full board accommodations in all lodges and tented camps All meals Unlimited game drives in private 4x4 safari Land Cruisers All park and entrance fees Experienced and professional safari naturalist guides Natural Learning program Enrollment with Flying Doctors Evacuation Service All in-country transportation Laundry available at some lodges and camps Beverages in your 4x4 safari vehicle Bottled water available at all times Extensive pre-departure briefing and materials including health information, reading list and map Schedule as you wish January through mid-april, June through October, and December CUSTO M DEPARTURE DATES Schedule as you wish January through March, and June through December CUSTO M DEPARTURE DATES 6 persons $9,799 USD per person 4 persons $9,899 USD per person 2 persons $9,899 USD per person Single Supplement $749 USD *Pricing based on high season prices. Call us about green season or peak season prices. Arrivals and departures out of Kilimanjaro International Airport. Prices do not include international air travel. EXC LU DED IN YOUR SAFARI Alcohol and some beverages in some camps and lodges Gratuities We plan your wildlife adventures in areas where wildlife habitats are known to exist for the season and time you are traveling. Still, animals in the areas you are viewing are not in a zoo. They run freely, and we cannot always anticipate their movements. Also, Deeper Africa uses best efforts to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that occur in East Africa that require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions whenever necessary. 12