Welcome to Crane Travels

SAMPLE ITINERARIES WITH ESTIMATED COSTS

3 DAYS SAFARI

MAASAI MARA

Day 1
Leaving Nairobi you drive into and across the base of the Great Rift Valley , passing the extinct volcanoes of Mounts Longonot and Suswa. You drive trough the town of Narok , the central trading area of the Masai people, and out onto the Loita plains, before reaching your lodge in the the Masai Mara. Evening game drive.
Day 2
A full day spent game driving in the Masai Mara Reserve. Famous for the big cats and the annual migration of wildebeest from the Serengeti, the plains are also home to a vast number of plains game, elephant, buffalo, rhino, the smaller cats and in the river are hippo and crocodile. The bird life is also prolific.
Day 3
After an early morning game drive and breakfast, return to Nairobi .

Cost per person sharing a room from USD 300

Cost based on a safari of 4 people above includes;-

• 2 nights accommodation on full board for the lodges.
• Transport in an 8-seater minibus with services of a English-speaking driver/guide
• All park entrance fees
• Driver's allowance
• Game viewing drives at the parks.

3 DAYS SAFARI

AMBOSELI

Day 1 Nairobi - Amboseli
You depart in the morning and drive towards the Kenya/Tanzania border, through the border post of Namanga, en route to Amboseli National Park, arriving at your safari lodge in time for lunch. After lunch you are taken on an afternoon game drive to look for elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, cheetah and a host of plains game. Part of Amboseli Park is composed of a dried-up lake bed which, in the shimmering heat, produces fascinating mirages. The lake bed is subject to sporadic floods but permanent watering places for the game are provided by swamps and springs, fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro's melting snow. Dinner and overnight are at your lodge.
Day 2 Amboseli
A full day in Amboseli for game viewing. You will be taken on an early morning game drive followed by a late breakfast at your lodge and an afternoon game drive to search for some of the game not yet seen.
Day 3 Amboseli - Nairobi
You depart after breakfast for your return journey to Nairobi arriving in the city before lunch.

Cost per person sharing a room from USD 300

Cost based on a safari of 4 people above includes;-

• ??hts accommodation on full board for the lodges.
• Transport in an 8-seater minibus with services of a English-speaking driver/guide
• All park entrance fees
• Driver's allowance
• Game viewing drives at the parks.

16 DAYS SAFARI.

Depending on your arrival time you may want to spend a night at a Nairobi Hotel.

Day 1: Nairobi - Aberdare
Leave Nairobi in the morning to reach Mweiga in Nyeri in time for lunch. After lunch, you are free to participate in hotel activities. Dinner and overnight at your lodge
Day 2: Treehotel
After Breakfast transfer to the Ark arriving intime for lunch. After lunch spend time watching game from your hotel balcony overlooking a water hole. Tonight will be interesting as you will watch game at the floodlit waterhole. Dinner and Overnight at your hotel
Day 3: Aberdare - Samburu
After breakfast transfer to the Aberdare Country Club where you meet your driver to start safari to Samburu, continue north across the Equator before losing altitude as you gently descend into Kenya's arid Northern Frontier District and travel on to Samburu Game Reserve for lunch, an afternoon game drive, dinner and overnight.
Day 4 : Samburu
Spend the days exploring the reserve and its varied species of game. Overnight at your lodge
Day 5 : Samburu – Nakuru
After breakfast start of for Nakuru via the amazing Thomson's Falls for a breathtaking view of the waterfalls and a quick snack. Arrive at Lake Nakuru National park for lunch and an evening game viewing drive. Dinner and Overnight at your lodge
Day 6 : Nakuru – Maasai Mara
After breakfast depart for the Masai Mara arriving in time for lunch, an afternoon game drive, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Masai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives to search for some of the game perhaps not yet seen. Meals and overnight in the Mara.
Day 8: Masai Mara – Naivasha
After breakfast depart for Naivasha arriving in time for lunch after lunch there will be time to relax on a boat ride. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 9: Naivasha – Amboseli
After an early breakfast, continue across the floor of the Rift Valley past Nairobi to Amboseli arriving for lunch and an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at your.
Day 10: Amboseli – Tsavo
After breakfast, continue to Tsavo across from Amboseli you will have the opportunity to view game on your way to Kilaguni lodge, arriving for lunch and an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 11: Tsavo
Morning and afternoon game drives to search for some of the game perhaps not yet seen. Meals and overnight at your Lodge.
Day 12: Tsavo – Mombasa
After breakfast, drive to the Coastal town of Mombasa arriving at your beach hotel in the North of the town in the afternoon. Your time will be at leisure as there??enty to do including walking along the beach or participating in the hotel activities. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 13: Mombasa
After breakfast, rest of the day spent at leisure.Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 14: Mombasa North – Mombasa South
After breakfast, continue to the South of Mombasa across the ferry to Leisure Lodge arriving before lunch. Your time here is spent at leisure.
Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 15: Mombasa South
After breakfast, rest of the day spent at leisure.Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 16: Mombasa - Nairobi
After breakfast transfer to Mombasa airport for your flight back to Nairobi .
Depending on your departure time you may want to spend a night at a Nairobi hotel.

Cost per person sharing a room from USD 2,600

Cost based on a safari of 4 people above includes;-
• Accommodation on full board for the lodges,half board at the coast and bed and breakfast for Nairobi Hotel.
• Transport in an 8-seater minibus with services of a English-speaking driver/guide
• All park entrance fees
• Driver's allowance
• Game viewing drives at the parks.

11 DAYS SAFARI

Depending on your arrival time you may want to spend a night at a Nairobi Hotel.

Day 1: Nairobi - Aberdare
Leave Nairobi in the morning to reach Mweiga in Nyeri in time for lunch. After lunch, you are free to participate in hotel activities. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 3: Aberdare - Samburu
After breakfast, continue north across the Equator before losing altitude as you gently descend into Kenya's arid Northern Frontier District and travel on to Samburu Game Reserve for lunch, an afternoon game drive, dinner and overnight.
Day 4 : Samburu
Spend the days exploring the reserve and its varied species of game. Overnight at your lodge.
Day 5 : Samburu – Nakuru
After breakfast start of for Nakuru via the amazing Thomson's Falls for a breathtaking view of the waterfalls and a quick snack. Arrive at Lake Nakuru National park for lunch and an evening game viewing drive. Dinner and Overnight at your lodge.
Day 6 : Nakuru – Nairobi – Maasai Mara
Depart Nakuru after breakfast to arrive Nairobi in time for your flight to Maasai Mara game reserve. On arrival, transfer from airstrip to your lodge arriving for afternoon tea and a game drive. Dinner and overnight at your lodge
Day 7 : Maasai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives to search for some of the game perhaps not yet seen. Meals and overnight in the Mara.
Day 8 : Maasai Mara – Nairobi – Mombasa
Depart Maasai Mara after breakfast, transfer to airstrip to arrive Nairobi in time for your Mombasa flight. Arrival time for Mombasa depends on your flight. On arrival transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at your hotel
Day 9??basa
After breakfast, rest of the day spent at leisure. Dinner and overnight at your hotel .
Day 10 : Mombasa
After breakfast, rest of the day spent at leisure. Dinner and overnight at your hotel .
Day 11 : Mombasa – Nairobi
After breakfast , transfer to airport for your flight back to Nairobi .
Again depending on your return flight back home you may have to spend a night in a Nairobi Hotel.

Cost per person sharing a room from USD 2,000

8 DAYS SAFARI

Depending on your arrival time you may want to spend a night at a Nairobi Hotel.

Day 1: Nairobi - Samburu
After breakfast at your Nairobi hotel drive north across the equator to Samburu game reserve arriving for lunch. Early evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 2: Samburu
Spend the day exploring the reserve and its varied species of game. Overnight at your lodge.
Day 3: Samburu – Nakuru
After breakfast start off for Nakuru via the amazing Thomson's Falls for a breathtaking view of the waterfalls and a quick snack. Arrive at Lake Nakuru National park for lunch and an evening game viewing drive. Dinner and Overnight at your lodge.
Day 4: Nakuru – Maasai Mara
After breakfast depart for the Masai Mara arriving in time for lunch, an afternoon game drive, dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 5: Masai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives to search for some of the game perhaps not yet seen. Meals and overnight in the Mara.
Day 6: Masai Mara – Nairobi – Mombasa
After breakfast depart Maasai Mara for Nairobi and onward flight to Mombasa . Arrival time for Mombasa depends on your flight. On arrival transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 7: Mombasa
After breakfast, rest of the day spent at leisure. Dinner and overnight at your hotel .
Day 8: Mombasa
After breakfast , transfer to airport for your flight back to Nairobi .
Again depending on your return flight back home you may have to spend a night in a Nairobi Hotel.

Cost per person sharing a room @ USD 1,300

MOUNT KENYA

Type : Climbing or Trekking Duration : 3 nights 4 days
Description :Trek Up Mount Kenya through the Teleki Valley to Point Lenana (16,355ft), with a day to acclimatise or to circumnavigate the peaks.
Day 1
The morning is spent sorting and organising personal equipment for the mountain trek. After lunch at the Lodge (this is an extra charge for those not on fullboard the previous night) you drive to the roadhead of the Naro Moru Track to the Meteorological Station where you spend the night in comfortable log cabins. A good day for acclimatisation for you will be sleeping at an altitude of 10,000 ft. A short hike is taken in the afternoon to help acclimatisation.
Day 2
Hike up into the Teleki Valley to MacKinders Camp where there is a spectacular view of the main peaks. Walking time approximately 4-6 hours. Overnight Teleki Valley (14,000 ft.)
Day 3
Possibly a second day walking in the Teleki Valley to acclimatise (see below).
Day 4
A pre-dawn start is made to ensure a successful summit bid and in time for a clear view of the majestic summit scenery. After climbing Point Lenana (16,355ft), you return to the base camp and then proceed down the mountain to the Lodge.
Notes
Instead of Day 3 as shown above it is possible to a) ascend Point Lenana at dawn on Day 3 and then spend the rest of Day 3 and Day 4 in leisurely descent; or b) after ascending Lenana at dawn on Day 3 you could continue on to circumnavigate the main peaks (only if the weather is good and only for those still fit and well) and then descend on Day 4.

Cost based on 2 people @ Kshs 20,900

4 DAYS TANZANIA

Description : Visit Lake Manyara National Park and then on to Ngorongoro Crater for 2 nights, with a full day spent in the crater. Lake Manyara National Park nestles at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment and is two thirds water and one third dry land. Forest opens up into woodlands, grasslands and swamps and beyond is the lake itself. The lake provides sanctuary to over 350 species of birds including flamingo, storks, pelican, sacred ibis ,cormorants and Egyptian geese. Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 metres from the crater floor this natural amphitheater is home to many species of game and birds.
Day 1 Arusha Lake Manyara
After lunch in Arusha you drive to Lake Manyara and onto your overnight lodge.
Day 2 Lake Manyara Ngorongoro
After breakfast, enjoy a game drive along the Lake shores. Elephant are often found browsing on the vegetation in the spectacular ground water forest, h??so to troops of baboons and blue monkeys, wildebeest, zebra and giraffee are seen on the open plains and large herds of hippo inhabit the lake. After lunch at the hotel you continue to Ngorongoro Crater for dinner and overnight at a lodge on the Crater rim. The views from yourlodge into the Crater will be a lasting memory of your safari.
Day 3 Ngorongoro Crater
A full day's game viewing on the floor of the Crater with a picnic lunch. The vast herds of plains game found here attract plenty of predators, mainly lion and hyaena but also cheetah and leopard. The Crater walls provide a magnificent backdrop to your game photographs. Dinner and overnight at your lodge on the Crater rim.
Day 4 Ngorongoro Arusha
After breakfast you return to Arusha for lunch where your safari ends.

Cost per person sharing a room @ USD 845

UGANDA

Type : Gorillas or Chimps Duration : 2 nights 3 days
Locations Visited : Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Description :3 Day Gorilla Safari staying in budget accommodation.
Day 1
Depart from Kampala early in the morning after breakfast and drive southwest with a brief stopover at the Mpigi Royal Drum makers en route where you will be able to watch the ceremonial drums being crafted using methods passed down through generations and at the Uganda Equator for photographs. Drive through savannah grasslands seeing banana plantations and herds of Ankole cattle with their incredible long curving horns. You then ascend into Kigezi Highlands, with terraced farming and mountain scenery usually known as the “Switzerland of Africa”. Drive through Kabale Town and continue on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for dinner and overnight at Buhoma Community Centre, FB.
Day 2
Enter the forest at dawn and enjoy the beauty and freshness of the forest, home to more than half of the world's mountain gorillas. After a short briefing by the guides, proceed through the dense bush to trek for these endangered animals. Overnight at Buhoma Community Centre, FB.
Day 3
Depart Bwindi after breakfast to Kampala , arrive late afternoon.

Gorilla Tracking
This is the major activity in Bwindi, with four gorilla groups currently available daily for tourists. Mubare group (10 gorillas, 1 silverback) was opened for tourism in 1993, Habinyanja group (18 gorillas, 1 silverback) opened in July 1998, Rushegura group (10 gorillas, 1 silverback) was opened in July 2002, while Nkuringo group (19 gorillas, 2 silverbacks) was opened for tourism in April 2004. Book at least 6 months (but not more than two years) in advance to ensure that requested dates are available. Gorilla tracking in Bwindi can be challenging, therefore ensure fitness. Gorilla tracking experience starts at 8.30 am local time and can last from a few hours to a whole day??stration at the gate commences at 7.45 am.

What to bring:
• Wear jungle shoes suitable for steep muddy slopes and carry a rain jacket because the park is often wet.
• Put on ear plugs for those who feel uncomfortable with jungle sounds.
• Carry rain gear, sunscreen lotion, a hat (as the weather is unpredictable) and insect repellant.
• Carry a packed lunch.

Cost based on 2 people sharing from USD 642