One of the grandest wildlife spectacles on earth is the annual Great Migration, when herds of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles travel a circular route through eastern Africa in search of fresh grazing lands. The procession of over a million animals – and their life-and-death encounters with the predators that await them – is the focus of a new Tauck safari, “Great Migration: Tanzania & Kenya.” The new itinerary provides travellers with a front row seat to this annual phenomenon, including a three-night stay in a mobile safari camp that is relocated throughout the year to prime wildlife-viewing areas along the migration’s route.
Each departure of the new nine-day, small-group safari (from $10,590 USD/$12,890 CAD per person, plus international and on-tour airfare) is limited to just 18 guests, and the itinerary begins with an overnight in Makumira, Tanzania, at the Rivertrees Country Inn, a former coffee farm in the foothills of Mount Meru. The following morning, guests will have lunch overlooking Lake Manyara National Park while en route to a two-night stay at Kitela Lodge just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where they’ll enjoy a game drive and picnic lunch inside Ngorongoro Crater.
Guests next fly to the Serengeti for their three-night stay at the Legendary Serengeti Mobile Camp. Moving in tandem with the migration to maximise wildlife-viewing opportunities, the stylish, comfortable camp boasts king-size wooden beds, crisp linens and wood and brass furnishings that recall grand safari adventures of a bygone era. Each tent offers generous privacy with en-suite facilities, retractable canvas walls and safari bucket shower. The shared dining tent features a well-stocked bar and tables set with crystal and white linen, and a central fire pit is a fun evening gathering place where guests can share stories and relive the day’s adventures under the stars.
The final two nights of the safari are spent at &Beyond’s Kichwa Tembo tented camp in the Masai Mara National Reserve where guests will enjoy additional game drives and time at leisure. Other itinerary highlights include an early morning hot air balloon ride, a subsequent champagne breakfast in the bush, and a guided visit to the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage.