Destination: Masai Mara, Dopoi Center
Accommodations: Tipilikwani Luxury Camp
Activities: Welcome ceremony and orientation at the Dopoi Center, MERC; Boma visit; Medicinal plant tour (educational/research extension possible)

After breakfast, your guide will take you to the nearby Dopoi Center, the headquarters of the Maasai Education, Research, and Culture Institute, located on ten acres of land overlooking the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in a rural and remote high savannah area of the Rift Valley near the town of Talek. Here, you will be welcomed in traditional, festive fashion by members of nearby Maasai Villages, including talented singers and dancers. For the first time, you will have the opportunity to witness the famous adumu! Afterwards, you will be given an orientation lecture about the Maasai people—their customs, way of life, and history—in the Memorial Garden and taken on a tour of the Center to learn about MERCs activities toward Maasai Empowerment. Return to the garden for a picnic lunch. Your guide will then take you to a nearby Maasai “boma”, a traditional village, where you can see the day to day operations of this pastoralist community. Villagers will take you into the surrounding bush to share their traditional knowledge of the medicinal plants in the area. Return to see (and perhaps purchase samples of) the fabulous traditional beadwork of a local women’s beading cooperative. Return to camp for sundowners and dinner. (There is much to learn and explore at MERC. Inquire about possible educational/research extensions here.)

Destination: Masai Mara
Accommodations: Tipilikwani Luxury Camp
Activities: Game Drive

Wake to the sounds of nature surrounding your tent and enjoy an early breakfast before departing on a full day game drive in the famous Masai Mara National Reserve. The Masai Mara offers wildlife in such variety and abundance that it is difficult to believe: over 450 species of animals have been recorded here. It is in the Mara and the bordering Serengeti of Tanzania to the south (which you will visit toward the end of your Maasailand highlights tour) that perhaps the most spectacular event of the natural world takes place—the annual wildebeest migration. In the Mara, you will easily see wildebeest and zebra migrations, lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopards, many kinds of antelopes, and elephants. Return to the camp for an enchanting sunset bush dinner alongside the riverbank.

Destination: Loita Hills
Accommodations: Maji Moto Eco Camp
Activities: Game drive; Walking safari; Hot spring bathing; Storytelling

After breakfast, depart through the Mara for the Loita Hills, with game viewing along the way. By lunch, arrive at Maji Moto Eco Camp, a small, environmentally-sensitive retreat operated by Maasai people from the nearby village of Maji Moto. Your relaxing stay here will immerse you not only in the intense natural beauty of the Loita Hills, but also in the ancient culture and knowledge of the Maasai in a different way than what you have experienced already. After lunch, walk with Maasai warriors through the hills, observing plants and animals through Maasai eyes. Glean knowledge of Maasai culture, the natural world, its plants, animals and their uses. Loita Plains host numerous wildlife such as giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, eland, and many different bird species. Your local Maasai guide will be your field guide full of interesting facts of wildlife and nature that you will meet while on walk. The name ‘Maji Moto” means “Hot Water”, and this refers to the natural hot spring near the village. Surrounded by trees, a dip in the spring at evening is a refreshing way to soak away the days exertions. Return for sundowners, gazing west over the savannah, toward Masai Mara and the setting sun. Enjoy a fresh, Kenyan-inspired dinner, and gather round the fire for an evening of traditional storytelling. Retire to your tent, built Masai-style using only local materials such as branches and stalks, grass, cow dung and stone, and sleep peacefully to the sounds of nature.

Destination: Nairobi National Park
Accommodations: Ololo Safari Lodge
Activities: Game drive

After breakfast, depart for Nairobi. During the drive, marvel at the stunning views from and descent down the Great Rift Valley Escarpment. Around noon, check into the lovely Ololo Safari Lodge, an elegant, thatched-roof African manor situated right on the edge of the wilderness, overlooking Nairobi National Park. Just outside of Nairobi’s central business district is Nairobi National Park, Kenya’s first national park established in 1946. This park is iconic for its wide open grass plains and scattered acacia bush with the city of Nairobi’s skyscrapers in the backdrop. Despite its small size and proximity to human civilization, this park plays host to a wide variety of wildlife including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. As well, it is home to one of Kenya’s most successful rhino sanctuaries, and you are likely to see the endangered black rhino here. After settling in, enjoy a lovely lunch, featuring Ololo’s garden grown produce and eggs. Depart on a late afternoon game drive into Nairobi National Park. Enjoy a fresh, seasonal dinner at the lodge, and retire to your lovely room for a good night’s rest.

Destination: Nairobi National Park
Accommodations: Ololo Safari Lodge
Activities: Game drive; Elephant nursery visit; Giraffe center visit; Bomas of Kenya visit

After an early breakfast at the lodge, depart on a full day game drive with stops at a few attractions in and around the park. In late morning, arrive at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which houses the orphanage where you can see rescued milk-dependent baby elephants at their first stage of rehabilitation before being released into the wild. Continue from here to the Giraffe Centre, a sanctuary and breeding site for the endangered Rothschild giraffe, where you can meet and feed the resident giraffes. Return to the park for some game viewing with a stop for a picnic lunch. Head back to a late afternoon game drive in the park. Return to the lodge for another delicious farm to-table dinner.

Destination: Amboseli National Park
Accommodations: Tawi Lodge
Activities: Game Drive

After breakfast, depart for Amboseli National Park, situated due south of Nairobi. Most of the park consists of a dry, ancient lake bed and fragile grassland with patches of acacia woodland, while in the southern area there are a number of small, rocky, volcanic hills. Around the swamps, Ol Okenya, Ol Tukai, and Enkongo Narok, the vegetation is lush with yellow barked acacias and phoenix palms. The park also has perhaps the best view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Wildlife here includes the zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, caracal and serval cat, lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo among others. There are also over 400 species of birds, including the bee-eater, kingfisher, African fish eagle, martial eagle and pygmy falcon. Arrive to Tawi Lodge in time to check into your luxury cottage and for lunch in the restaurant with a fabulous view of Kilimanjaro. Set off for a late afternoon game drive in Amboseli, and return in early evening to the lodge. Tawi is a charming eco-lodge with magnificent grounds, including a water hole that attracts large fauna from the surrounding area. Enjoy a sundowner around the campfire at the tree bar followed by a delicious Swahili-inspired dinner made with produce grown in their own organic gardens. Retire to your cottage for a sound sleep to the sound of nature around you.

Destination: Amboseli National Park
Accommodations: Tawi Lodge
Activities: Game Drive; Lemong’o School give back/voluntourism visit (extension possible)

After breakfast, depart on the short drive to Lemong’o School where you can see some of the “Generous Giving” fund in action, supporting the Lemong’o Project’s work to pay tuition fees and fund basic resources for this primary school, serving the Maasai village of Lemong’o. Volunteer to serve lunch to the school children, and also offer other forms of expertise you may be able to share (inquire ahead to arrange specific volunteer opportunities; multi-day options are available at this location). In the late afternoon, return to the lodge for a rest before departing on a short game drive in Amboseli. Return for sundowners and dinner at the lodge.

Destination: Kilimanjaro/Arusha Region
Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge
Activities: Spear throwing competition; Nature walk; Donkey ride; Maasai storytelling

Today you leave Kenya and enter the Maasailand of Tanzania. Your guide will drive you to the unique Africa Amini Maasai Lodge, a special place where you immediately will come to rest and reflect on the essentials while enjoying an immersive cultural experience with the Maasai. In the middle of the wilderness of the Maasai steppe are 12 exclusive bungalows with hand crafted furniture and a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa‘s tallest mountain. It‘s all about being together, traditions, stories and learning from each other. Today enjoy some unique and fun activities: participate in a spear throwing competition with the Maasai; have a Maasai guide take you on a guided nature walk or a walk to the fresh spring river; go on a Donkey Ride to the local school. While you are here, relax, unwind, and enjoy the “Warm Your Heart“ meditation room, the natural sauna and pool. In the evening, gather round the fire for some traditional storytelling for the whole family, and enjoy sundowners and a delicious dinner overlooking the savannah.

Destination: Kilimanjaro/Arusha Region
Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge
Activities: Amini Alama Projects give back/voluntourism visit (extension possible)

After breakfast, spend the day giving back to the wonderful people of nearby Momella village, the headquarters of Africa Amini Alama, where our “Generous Giving” fund is being put to important work supplying resources to their hospital, primary school, children’s villa (orphanage), and fundi-centre (skilled crafts centre for brick layers, mechanics and carpenters). There are many opportunities here for short- and long-term volunteers with these projects. (Inquire ahead so that we can organize a good volunteer experience for your particular expertise, skills, abilities, and interests.) Enjoy lunch on site, and return to the Lodge for dinner.

Destination: Kilimanjaro/Arusha Region
Accommodations: Africa Amini Maasai Lodge
Activities: Maasai Festival; choose from river walk, beekeeping, traditional healing, massage, or meditation

A unique and exciting day: after breakfast, the lodge staff will don you in traditional attire in order to attend a Maasai wedding, an initiation rite, or other ritual ceremony—sure to be a highlight of your African holiday. After a nyama choma feast, return to the lodge for an evening of activities, relaxation or both. Enjoy your last night at this sublime retreat however you wish.

Destination: Tarangire National Park
Accommodations: Tarangire Safari Lodge
Activities: Game drive

After an early breakfast, your naturalist guide will pick you up from the Lodge and drive you toward Tarangire National Park via the city of Arusha where you will stop for lunch. Continue on to the park and enjoy some afternoon game viewing—identify different species of mammals such as lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, python, zebra, oryx, impala, and more. Over 450 species of birds have been observed in this park, so get out your binoculars! Arrive at Tarangire Safari Lodge for dinner, sundowners, and overnight in one of their charming circular bungalows, built in a similar style to the Maasai boma. These airy rooms are situated near a large watering hole, creating the opportunity to watch wildlife from your shaded verandah.

Destination: Tarangire National Park
Accommodations: Tarangire Safari Lodge
Activities: Game drive; (optional) yoga, massage; Night game drive

Wake to the peaceful sounds of birds and wildlife, and perhaps enjoy a morning yoga session on the Lodge’s wooden platform overlooking the Tarangire River. After breakfast, enjoy a long morning of game viewing, stopping for a picnic lunch. This park is known as the park of elephants and baobabs, both of which as are scattered everywhere. The Tarangire River is a vital source water to animals in the park where you are likely to find many major species behaving and interacting naturally. After dinner, you have the option to take a night game drive in the park and see how the animals behave after dusk—a great opportunity to witness the predatory action of lion prides and other predators. Return to the Lodge for a restful night of sleep.

Destination: Lake Manyara National Park
Accommodations: Isiotok Camp Manyara
Activities: Game drive; Adumu and musical performance; Viewpoint Walk

After breakfast, depart for a morning drive in Lake Manyara National Park, which lies at the base of the western wall of the eastern arm of the Rift Valley. Typically shimmering in a golden heat haze, the lake is often frosted with thousands of flamingos, while the trees that surround the lake are famous for their tree-climbing lions. The park also offers abundant sightings of monkeys, jackals, mongoose, hyenas, hyraxes, zebras, hippos, warthogs, buffalos, Maasai giraffes, duikers, waterbucks, and impalas. Significant numbers of elephants are also resident in the park, while sightings of black rhino and leopard are not uncommon. Around noon, check into Isiotok Camp Manyara, a unique, sustainable luxury tented camp situated in the Maasai area known as Esilalei on the soft rolling hills of Losimingori, 13km away from the national park. Set in a rich wild savannah bush location with an altitude of 1075 metres above sea level, this relaxing, intimate camp of only 8 beautiful tents blends into the bush and also offers wonderful opportunities to delve further into your Maasai immersion experience. After a delicious lunch, featuring Swahili international cuisine, enjoy a performance of the adumu, other traditional dances, and singing performed by members of the nearby villages with whom Isiotok enjoys fruitful relationships and supports through giving programs. Towards sunset, join your camp host and Maasai scout who will take you up to one of several viewpoints overlooking Lake Manyara and The Great Rift Valley. Sundowner snacks and a beverage of your choice are available whilst you soak in a melting sunset overlooking Lake Manyara. Return to camp for a dinner and a restful night in your private tent.

Destination: Lake Manyara National Park
Accommodations: Isiotok Camp Manyara
Activities: Maasai stoves and solar project give back/voluntourism visit (extension possible); game drive

After a hot breakfast, depart with your guide for the boma (Maasai settlement) of Baraka Village, where life improvement activities are going on thanks to the help of one of our “Generous Giving” partners, Maasai Stoves and Solar. While you are here, you can observe, and if you so choose, roll up your sleeves and assist Maasai women installing one of their excellent smoke removing and efficient chimney stoves that are contributing greatly to the health of villagers. This boma is also in the midst of a micro-grid solar installation project bringing light and cell phone charging to each house through underground wires coming from the solar-electric center the project has established in one building. As you tour the boma, enjoy making connections with residents and getting another perspective on the Maasai way of life. (Maasai Stoves and Solar provide many opportunities here for short- and long-term volunteers with these projects, which would mainly involve non-skilled labor in building things. Please inquire ahead if you would like to add a voluntourism extension here.) Return to the lodge for lunch and a stretch before departing on a late afternoon game drive around beautiful Lake Manyara NP. Return for sundowners and dinner, and sleep soundly to the night chorus of crickets, cicadas, tree frogs, and the occasional soulful call of a hyena and other passing wildlife.

Destination: Lake Manyara National Park

Accommodations: Isiotok Camp Manyara

Activities: Game drive; Traditional goat sacrifice and BBQ

Let the morning birds and the smell of fresh local coffee gently rouse you out of your slumber. After an early breakfast, depart the lodge for a brisk morning game drive on which you can gain a different view of the fauna and flora of Lake Manyara. Return to camp for lunch and a stretch. On this final day at Isiotok, have the privilege of witnessing a traditional goat sacrifice in the Korongo, not far from the camp. As you will have learned by this point in your cultural immersion experience, the Maasai have peacefully co-existed with wildlife by raising cattle and goats as a main source of food in the bush. A goat, or more rarely, a cow is slaughtered to celebrate a special occasion and feed the whole village. The animal’s life is honored as it is sacrificed and nothing goes to waste. Isiotok’s Maasai workers will reveal their skills in butchery and unveil the practice that has been passed down from generation to generation, after which you will be treated to a traditional goat BBQ and Swahili buffet spread in the bush. Retreat for another restful night under canvas.

Destination: Lake Natron

Accommodations: Lake Natron Camp

Activities: Swimming; Give back/voluntourism visit to Ngare Sero School and village; flamingo walk

After breakfast, drive about 3.5 hours north toward Lake Natron. Sitting below Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania’s only active Volcano, Lake Natron is a mineral-rich alkaline lake in the middle of Maasailand, straddling the border of Tanzania and Kenya. It is fed by the Ewaso Ng’iro River and natural hot springs and reaches alkalinity levels greater than a pH of 12. The lake’s characteristic crimson hue is due to the microorganisms that thrive in such conditions, providing food for the 2.5 million lesser flamingo of the East African region that breed only at this site, making it essential to the survival of the species. At the southern foot of this lake and stunning, otherworldly landscape lies Lake Natron Camp, a low-footprint eco-camp with impactful community involvement featuring 10 luxury Bedouin-style tents that blend into the natural surroundings, a perfect base for a relaxing and intriguing series of adventures. Check in, unwind, and enjoy a wonderful lunch and a dip in the clear natural pools that lie right in front of the tents. Afterwards, drive a few minutes to the neighboring Maasai village of Engare Sero (meaning “dappled water” in the Maa language), which gets its name from the river flowing out of the escarpment through a spectacular gorge that is both arid and lush. Upon arrival, visit their primary school, where Adumu Safaris “Generous Giving” fund is being put towards the Destiny Foundation’s food security program. As with other stops on this grand tour, you will have the opportunity to meet and interact with Maasai living their lives as normal, striking up interesting conversations, forging memorable connections, and contributing to your growing knowledge of Maasailand and its people. These visits are not staged, so who knows what you will learn and discover! Return in the early evening for a sunset walk to the lake from camp to see the thousands of flamingo who flock there. Walk back and enjoy a sundowner on the stream bank looking out toward Lengai and stroll to the dining tent for a lovely dinner. Enjoy sleep in the quietude of this desolate landscape.

Destination: Lake Natron

Accommodations: Lake Natron Camp

Activities: Rift valley day hike; Swimming; Ancient hominid footprint walk; Hilltop sundowner

Wake before sunrise, and depart from camp to the base of the rift valley wall for the start of your adventurous 10km hike. Scale the wall on foot, ascending close to the Ngare Sero gorge to enjoy the view at dawn. Once on top, your picnic breakfast will be set up for you to enjoy one of the most dramatic vistas in this region— what a way to wake up! After breakfast, descend back down another route, or select the same way depending on time. When you arrive back at camp, you may want to treat yourself to another dip in the natural pools along the stream before a well-earned lunch. In late afternoon, depart on foot from camp on an ancient hominid footprint walk. New research has now confirmed these track-ways to be 120,000 years old, making them the oldest Homo sapiens track-ways yet discovered. In the evening, your guide will drive you to the top of a nearby hill. Enjoy your sundowner overlooking Lake Natron, the majestic Lengai and Gelai mountains, and watch the sun go down behind the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Drive back to camp for another lovely dinner and sleep under canvas.

Destination: Serengeti National Park
Accommodations: Pumzika Camp
Activities: Game drive

Today drive to the great Serengeti National Park, the world’s most famous game park. After breakfast, your guide will take you about 4 hours to the Klein’s Gate entrance, after which you will start touring the less-traveled Northern area, characteristic for its stunning mix of riverine forests, hills, plains and rocky outcrops. Stop en route for a picnic lunch in the bush. Arrive at Pumzika Camp, an eco-friendly tented camp reminiscent of the first safaris at the turn of the 20th century, with furniture made by local craftsmen and decorated with handmade carpets woven by the Mbulu women’s community. Set inside the Seronera area, Pumzika occupies a unique and privileged paradise within the Serengeti, far from main roads and civilization, surrounded by the two of the biggest and most prolific lion prides in the park. Settle in, enjoy a bush dinner followed by sundowners beneath an acacia tree on the open savannah.

Destination: Serengeti National Park
Accommodations: Pumzika Camp
Activities: Game drive

After breakfast, continue with both morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti national Park. Totaling 14,763 km2 in area, the park is appropriately named after the Maasai word for “endless plains”. Here you are certain to get up close and personal with the “Big Five” (Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Leopards, and Cape Buffalo), if you haven’t already, and hosts of other iconic and lesser known species. Given the vast terrain, weather patterns, and migratory patterns of the innumerable species, many animals of the Serengeti are constantly on the move. This makes for an adventurous game drive! Your drives will depend on the move of the migrants; your expert naturalist guide knows very well how to locate the herds. Bush lunch and bush dinner will be at Pumzika.

Destination: Serengeti National Park
Accommodations: Pumzika Camp
Activities: Game drive

The vast and iconic Serengeti deserves a third day of viewing, if you can spare it! Today, wake early, and after a cup of tea or coffee and depart on an early morning game drive. The earlier mornings are magical in Serengeti, when the wildlife is just waking up to greet the day. You’ll enjoy your breakfast and lunch in the park as you make your way from the Seronera area toward the Grumeti River, which is especially active with herbivore crossings during the migration. Here, you can get out of your vehicle and enjoy a bush walk near the river. Sundowners and bush dinner will be at Pumzika.

Destination: Oldupai Gorge, Empakai Crater
Accommodations: Ngorongoro Farm House
Activities: Oldupai Gorge visit; Game drive; Walking safari

Leaving camp after breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive as you depart the Serengeti on your way to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. En route, stop and visit Oldupai Gorge (often misspelled as Olduvai), commonly referred to as the “Cradle of mankind”. This site is where the Leakeys made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries, including discovering the remains of several early hominids estimated to be around 3.7 million years old. Oldupai is the Maasai word for the wild sisal plant (Sansevieria ehrenbergii), which grows in the gorge. Ascend the steep walls of the crater, drive around the rim, and descend to the charming Ngorongoro Farm House, a small and exclusive hotel built on a 500 acre coffee plantation with its hand-plaited thatched roof tops, ample verandas, and colonial interiors which have been designed to take you to the comfort and style of a bygone era. After lunch at the lodge, your guide and a couple of Maasai guards will take you on a walk in one of the most attractive areas of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the waterfalls and the descent to the Empakai Crater. Or, you may want a massage! In the evening, take a walk around the farm to contemplate the daily activities, relax in the fragrant gardens or enjoy the spectacular sunsets with the Oldeani volcano as a backdrop.

Destination: Karatu; Ngorongoro Crater
Accommodations: Ngorongoro Farm House
Activities: Give back/voluntourism visit to Tumaini School; Game drive; Traditional dance performance

After breakfast, take the short drive to visit Tumaini Junior School where one of our social impact partners, Maasai Partners, are sponsoring promising Maasai students to pursue their education. Part of our “Generous Giving” fund goes toward the scholarships which cover all expenses related to attending the school for an entire year. If you so wish, you can provide additional donations or even pledge to sponsor a child. You can also bring with you books and other supplies that the school has requested and present them to the students, teachers, and school administrators. Return for lunch at the lodge, after which your guide will take you into the Crater for a game drive. Often referred to as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife areas. An UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also one of the largest volcanic craters in the world (almost 20 kilometers wide, 610-760 meters deep and covering a total area of 264 square kilometers). An utterly unique biosphere, the Crater harbors grasslands, swamps, forests, saltpans, a fresh water lake and a glorious variety of birdlife, all enclosed within its towering walls. Due to its high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewing opportunities and striking scenery it is also Tanzania’s most visited destination. What a spectacular place for your final game drive! Round off the evening and your Epic Tour with a fabulous dinner and sundowner cocktails followed by a traditional Maasai dance performance, including the adumu!

Destination: Departure to Arusha or connection to Southern Circuit, Western Circuit, Kenya, Uganda, or Zanzibar

After a hot breakfast and optional nature walk, drive back to Arusha for an optional day or overnight at Rivertrees Country Inn or connect to the next leg of your wildlife safari in the Southern Circuit, chimp trekking in Mahale National Park or Gombe Stream or, gorilla trekking in Uganda. Alternatively, connect with a flight to the magical island of Zanzibar, which lies just off the coast of Tanzania. See our complimentary itineraries for these locations

To reserve this trip we require $500 per person. The remainder is due 59 days before departure. All major credit cards and PayPal are accepted. We will send a secure payment link when you are ready to confirm this trip.

Please note that we offer these variations to demonstrate some of the ways that we can modify an itinerary to suit your preferences (destinations, activities, level of luxury, type of accommodations, length of stay, budget, etc.). If none of these options looks best for your group, we are more than happy to gather more information from you and customize the perfect trip. You can call us at +1 530 574 9519 or email us at to discuss this itinerary or others on our website.

Karibu Africa!
The Adumu Safaris Team