Sterling Travel for the best safaris and tours destinations

Day 1:
Nairobi to Amboseli On arrival in Nairobi you’ll waste no time in heading to your first national park, with your driver/guide collecting you from the airport and driving you straight to Amboseli. These first couple of days will give you a taste of a Kenya safari – but you’ll always be able to see your next destination in the distance, with Amboseli’s wonderful views of Mount Kilimanjaro’s snow capped peaks in neighbouring Tanzania. Today you’ll arrive in time for lunch at Ol Tukai Lodge, surrounded by open plains in some of the finest elephant-watching country in the world. Then you’ll set off on a game drive in this park that is known as ‘the land of giants’. Stay: Ol Tukai Lodge. L, D.

Day 2:
Amboseli Enjoy the full day discovering Amboseli on early morning, mid-morning and afternoon game viewing drives.

Amboseli is one of Kenya’s smaller parks, but it’s a popular one that’s packed full of big sights, with over 1000 elephants including some of the largest bulls in Africa. The ecosystem here is primarily savannah and the low-lying vegetation makes the wildlife here easier to spot. Though largely dry and dusty, Amboseli is also home to swamp lands, fed by underwater springs from the meltwaters of Mount Kilimanjaro. Stay: Ol Tukai Lodge. B, L, D.

Day 3:
Amboseli to Arusha After breakfast at the lodge, you’ll transfer to the Kenya/Tanzania Namanga border. Once you have cleared immigration, you will change vehicles and guides and continue on to the Arusha Coffee Lodge, nestled within acres of Tanzania’s largest coffee plantation at the foothills of Mount Meru on the outskirts of the town centre. Stay: Arusha Coffee Lodge. B, D.

Day 4:
Arusha to Ngorongoro Leave Arusha this morning and travel through picturesque African villages, coffee, maize and banana plantations, and a scenic escarpment on the edge of the Rift Valley with stunning views over the distant Lake Manyara. After a short stop, you'll continue on your way to Ngorongoro and the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge in time for lunch (guests on 2015 departures will enjoy lunch at the Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge). This large lodge is the only accommodation located on the eastern rim of the crater and enjoys spectacular sunsets. Stay: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. B, L, D.

Day 5:
Ngorongoro Today you’ll depart early on a morning game drive down into the crater. Discover the diverse areas of forest, swamplands, lakes and open grasslands in this volcanic caldera that’s home to the densest concentration of wildlife in Africa. There is good game viewing year-round, as most animals do not leave the crater. You might also spot Maasai tribesmen guiding their cattle down the steep crater walls to graze. Return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon visit a Maasai village for an insight into local life. Stay: Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. B, L, D.

Day 6:
Ngorongoro to Serengeti After breakfast you’ll set off for the Serengeti, stopping en route to visit Olduvai Gorge – a rich archaeological site where evidence of the first signs of human life was found. Travel on to the Serengeti Sopa Lodge for lunch followed by your first game drive in one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife-viewing areas. Hope to spot the national park’s resident big cats as well as the Big Five amongst its rolling plains. Return to the Serengeti Sopa Lodge for the night. This unique lodge is earthy in colour on the outside, with a flat roof offering the optimum spot for sundowners, and houses a vibrant interior and spacious rooms. Stay: Serengeti Sopa Lodge. B, L, D.

Day 7:
Serengeti Today you will enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the Serengeti. There’s also the option for a hot-air balloon safari over the Serengeti plains. You’ll rise early and take off at dawn in order to witness sunrise over the vast savannah. Stay: Serengeti Sopa Lodge. B, L, D.

Day 8:
Serengeti to Tarangire This morning you’ll enjoy a game drive on the way to Gibb’s Farm in Karatu in the heart of the highlands – a working farm that dates back to 1929 and is surrounded by floral gardens. Have lunch here surrounded by the coffee plantations and wheat plains before continuing down a spectacular escarpment to Tarangire. Embark on a game drive in this national park that is scattered with ancient baobab trees and is dominated by the valley of the Tarangire River. Hope to spot herds of elephant, giraffe, gerenuk, lions and leopards. The park is also a haven for birders, with more than 500 species found here. Your accommodation tonight is the Tarangire Sopa Lodge, a traditional unfenced lodge that lies hidden amidst the ancient baobab trees and offers up-close wildlife viewing. Stay: Tarangire Sopa Lodge. B, L, D.

Day 9:
Tarangire Venture further into Tarangire on morning and afternoon game drives. Stay: Tarangire Sopa Lodge. B, L, D.

Day 10:
Tarangire to Arusha After breakfast, pass through the Maasai Steppe on your way back to Arusha, where you'll have lunch. B, L.