Compare Kenya & Tanzania Adventure by Exodus Travels vs Heroes and Heroines of Kenya by One Horizon

Day 1 Start Nairobi

If you have booked your own flights, arrive at the start hotel at any time today. Those on the group flights from London, UK, will arrive tomorrow morning. There are no activities planned, so relax and settle into Nairobi life. To make things easy, there are free transfers available from the airport, see the Joining Instructions in the Trip Notes for more information. Accommodation: Heron Hotel (or similar)

Day 2 To Kembu Farm

After the arrival of the group flights in the early morning, we travel west into the Great Rift Valley to Kembu, stopping in Nakuru en route to shop and look around this typical African town. We stay on a farm tonight and can go on a farm walk this afternoon. Accommodation: Kembu Farm or similar (full-service camping)

Day 3 Full day of game drives in Lake Nakuru National Park

This morning, we drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, where we enjoy a superb game drive. Although small, the park is home to an amazing variety of animals and birdlife. It also has a soda lake, which is sometimes home to thousands of flamingos. We hope to see endangered white and black rhinos, lions and, if we are very lucky, the elusive leopard. There is a stunning view above the lake from Baboon Cliffs and here we may see a rock hyrax, a small, furry relative of the elephant. Tonight, we stay just outside the park in a campsite with good showers and flush toilets. Accommodation: Nderit Campsite or similar (full-service camping)

Day 4 To Masai Mara; late afternoon game drive

Today we travel into the Masai Mara, one of the most famous ecosystems in the world. This vast grassland is teeming with life; plains game including wildebeest, gazelle, topis, zebras and buffalos, and never far away are the predators: cheetahs, lions and hyenas. Between mid-August and late October, one of the greatest spectacles on Earth takes place in the Mara – the annual migration of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles and zebras. Nothing is guaranteed on safari but, with the help of our brilliant guides, you should see and learn a huge amount about the resident wildlife as we game drive through the park this afternoon. We stay in a campsite just outside the reserve for the next two nights. Accommodation: Mara Springs Camp or similar (full-service camping)

Day 5 Full day of game drives in the Masai Mara

We have a full-day game drive in the Masai Mara to increase our chances of encountering many of the wildlife species in the reserve. We find a quiet spot inside the park to enjoy lunch by our vehicle, looking across the plains. There are also several optional excursions you can enjoy today in addition to the game drive. Get up early for a sunrise hot-air balloon safari (including champagne and breakfast) or visit a traditional Maasai village to meet the local people. Accommodation: Mara Springs Camp or similar (full-service camping)

Day 6 To Lake Victoria

Our long drive today is up through the Western Highlands and allows plenty of time to appreciate the superb scenery. The road begins to descend and we leave the neatly ordered rows of tea bushes as we cross the border into Tanzania at Isebania. We camp in a pleasant spot at Musoma on the shore of Lake Victoria. Accommodation: Tembo Beach or similar (full-service camping)

Day 7 - 8 Two days of game drives in Serengeti National Park

Today, we turn east and enter the vast Serengeti Plain, one of the largest parks in Africa. There is a choice of routes into the Serengeti, depending on the weather: if it is dry, the 80mi (130km) Western Corridor is open and usually full of plains game. If it is wet, however, this road, which is built on black cotton soil, is impassible and we must enter the park from the north at Ikoma gate. We spend two nights in the park so we have plenty of time to enjoy the vast open spaces and the variety of game. We camp at Seronera, where there are various camping areas, all in open bush with no fences to prevent the animals from visiting during the night. A real taste of wild Africa! Accommodation: Serengeti Public Campsite or similar (full-service camping)

Day 9 Morning game drive; to Ngorongoro Crater

Day 10 Explore the Ngorongoro Crater; drive along the Rift Valley to Arusha

We descend to the crater floor in 4x4 vehicles and spend the morning watching large numbers of plains game, and the ever-present predators around them. We search for hippos in the murky pools and try to protect our food at lunchtime from the fearless brown kites, as they swoop and snatch anything that appears to be edible. After a fantastic morning, we continue our journey to the edge of the Rift Valley, where there is a great view over Lake Manyara (often tinted pink around the edges from large numbers of flamingos) and to Arusha. Accommodation: Meserani Snake Park or similar (full-service camping)

Day 11 Flight to Zanzibar; afternoon in Stone Town

We take a morning flight to Zanzibar, an island 22mi (35km) from the mainland. First visited by Arab traders in the eighth century, and countless travellers in the following centuries, it is most famous for its spices and was once the centre of the East African slave trade. We spend our first night in Stone Town and then two nights by the beach. Stone Town is a myriad of small alleys and markets. We recommend a spice tour around the island plantations with chances to taste and buy. Accommodation: Shangani Hotel (or similar)

Day 12 - 13 Free days for optional activities

After a free morning in Stone Town, we transfer to our hotel by the beach. There is plenty to occupy your days here. You can relax on the eastern and northern beaches, with excellent snorkelling, sailing in a dhow and plenty of fresh seafood. The local buses are efficient and enable you to travel all over the island, although hiring a 4x4 for a day or two is a more exciting way of getting about and not expensive. It’s a fascinating mixture of culture, history and wonderful beaches. Accommodation: Mnarani Beach Cottages (or similar)

Day 14 End Zanzibar

Our adventure ends after breakfast and we begin our return journeys home. If you’d like more time to explore, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

Day 1: The Inspirations of One Woman

Today we drive to a developing area in the west of Nairobi and visit the Women's Empowerment Centre, which is one of the worthwhile projects One Horizon supports. It was started by Mary a social worker, who developed a program to help struggling mothers undertake vocational and lifestyle trainingand get access to microfinance to open small businesses. The results have been phenomenal as the mothers are able to lift themselves out of poverty andtransform into independent business owners and community leaders, and crucially support and keep their families together. Spend time with Mary to learn about her vision for the centre while you get the opportunity to meet some of the proud and self-sufficient women involved in the inspirational program.

Day 2: New Beginnings for Grandmas

There are many grandmother-headed households in Kenya who care for their grandchildren among other generations of their family in difficult economic circumstances. You will visit a pig farm owned by one grandmother where she proudly explains pig-husbandry and how her bio-gas system powers her home. This is another project that One Horizon supports, and the initiative aims at improving the livelihoods of the grandmothers by economically empowering them through small-scale farming. Then sit down with the grandmothers while they cook traditional meals for their families and narrate their wonderful stories of life, change and progress.

Day 3: The Maasai Rites of Passage

Spend an amazing day with the warriors and women of a traditional Maasai village. It starts with a song and dance welcome where the wife of a village elder will offer to dress you in traditional Maasai shuka cloth or ‘African blanket’. Venture into the bush with her son, who will explain what it’s like being a young warrior in Maasai society, and join other men who are training for their rite of passage as they explain how they will go into the hills to complete qualifying tasks before they reach the circumcision ceremony. Take part in the challenge as they show you how to throw a spear and climb an acacia tree in lightning speed. Sit with the villagers as they share their stories of their fascinating culture with you while the women teach you how to make some traditional decorative beaded jewellery.

One Horizon Team Dinners

On the evening of Day2, we enjoy dinner at a restaurant the locals love in Nairobi – we always have lots of fun and it’s a great opportunity to discuss and ask us all the questions that come to mind about the various communities and projects we visit.