Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania

"On safari” … it’s one of the most alluring phrases in all of travel. And Kenya and Tanzania count among the most alluring places to be “on safari.” As our small group travels from grasslands to highlands, to reserves and national parks, we enjoy intimate game drives and up-close encounters, see stupendous landscapes, stay in excellent accommodations, and meet gracious local people.

Join the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) “on safari” this summer to the premier safari destinations of Kenya and Tanzania. Our adventure takes us from grassland plains to the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, from the world’s largest volcanic crater to the edge of the Rift Valley, enjoying game drives and up-close encounters.

We will have an opportunity to see the “Big Five” – elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, lion and leopard – and endangered species such as the rare black rhino. Equally enthralling are the semi-nomadic Maasai tribespeople, whose lives revolve around the age-old practice of cattle grazing. Throughout, stay in top-rated game lodges that give you an intimate experience of the landscape, flora and fauna.

Our 2012 Safari is shared with like-minded travelers from Georgetown University and is limited to just 18 participants. Please register today to ensure your space on what promises to be a memorable adventure!

VERY LIMITED AVAILABILTY REMAINS ON THIS PROGRAM. PLEASE CONTACT US PRIOR TO SUBMITTING A RESERVATION.

Dates & Prices

Trip Dates: August 15 - 31, 2012

Price: from $7,095 land and safari per person based upon double occupancy.

Air-inclusive from New York at $8,653* per person based upon double occupancy.

Please contact us or  see the brochure for rates from other cities in the US.

*Prices are per person based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, fuel surcharges, and departure fees of $558 per person, which are subject to change until final payment is made. All tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and departure fees) are guaranteed.

Single Supplement: $1,595

Trip Summary:

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Nairobi, Kenya

Day 2: Arrive Nairobi
After arriving in Nairobi we transfer to our hotel. As arrival times may vary greatly, we have no group activities or meals planned.

Day 3: Nairobi
We see highlights of Kenya’s cosmopolitan capital city today, including the Giraffe Center and the house and museum of Danish writer Karen Blixen, who as Isak Dinesen wrote Out of Africa. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel. B,D

Day 4: Nairobi/Masai Mara
This morning we drive via Narok to Masai Mara, Kenya’s – and Africa’s – premier game reserve rich with animal life and traditional homeland of the native Maasai people. Known especially for its annual wildebeest migration, the Mara comprises 200 square animal-filled miles of vast plains, acacia forests, grass-covered hills, and slowflowing rivers. B,L,D

Day 5: Masai Mara
We spend today “on safari,” venturing out on early morning and late afternoon game drives during prime viewing hours to glimpse some of the lion, leopard, cheetah, zebra, giraffe, gazelle, wildebeest, elephant, buffalo, hippo, rhino, and other wildlife that call the Mara home. When not out in the bush, we can relax or enjoy the activities and amenities of our luxury tented camp. B,L,D

Day 6: Masai Mara
On safari. B,L,D

Day 7: Masai Mara/Amboseli
After a morning visit to a local school, we fly to Nairobi then drive to Amboseli National Reserve in the shadow of snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro,the Maasai’s “white mountain.” Known for its large elephant population, Amboseli boasts wide dry plains also teeming with herds of wildebeest, zebra, impala and giraffe – as we may see on this afternoon’s game drive. B,L,D

Day 8: Amboseli
Early this morning we visit a nearby Maasai village. Later: more game drives and time for relaxing at our lodge in the foothills of Kilimanjaro beneath a copse of feathered acacia trees. B,L,D

Day 9: Amboseli/Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Leaving Amboseli this morning, we cross the border into Tanzania at Namanga. This afternoon we reach spectacular Ngorongoro, a UNESCO Conservation Area, International Biosphere Reserve, and site of Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. On the crater’s floor is Africa in microcosm: grassland, swamps, lakes, forests, mountains, and unparalleled wildlife, including the rare black rhino, hippos, wildebeest, zebra, eland, gazelles, and black-maned lions. B,L,D

Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater
On our morning tour of the 100-square-mile crater we have our only chance to see all of Africa’s “Big Five” – elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, lion, and leopard – in one place. We also may see semi-nomadic Maasai tribespeople grazing their cattle alongside the animals. B,L,D

Day 11: Ngorongoro Crater/Serengeti National Park
We’re bound this morning for the Serengeti, the Maasai’s 5,700-square-mile “endless plain” considered Africa’s finest park and one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges. En route we visit 31-mile Olduvai Gorge, where in 1959 anthropologist Mary Leakey discovered the 1.8 million-year-old skull of Australopithecus boisei – and revolutionized the study of human evolution. Reaching our lodge, we embark on an afternoon game drive. B,L,D

Day 12: Serengeti
Twice a year, some 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle migrate to new grazing lands between Masai Mara and the Serengeti, sparking one of nature’s most spectacular sights. But the Serengeti’s vasttreeless plains teem with animal life yearround, and this is the best place to see lion and cheetah up close. Perhaps we will on today’s two game drives. B,L,D

Day 13: Serengeti/Lake Manyara
We travel today by minibus to peaceful Lake Manyara, one of Tanzania’s smallest and most diverse national parks. Bordered by the dramatic Western Escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Manyara is notable for its abundant bird life, diverse vegetation, tree-climbing lions, and hippos. We take an afternoon game drive. B,L,D

Day 14: Lake Manyara
On today’s two game drives we’re sure to see hippos, blue monkeys, lions, elephants, giraffes, impalas, zebras, and plenty of birds. Tonight we celebrate our Africa adventure at a farewell dinner at our lodge. B,L,D

Day 15: Lake Manyara/Nairobi
Today we re-enter the urban world as we return to Nairobi. B,L,D

Day 16: Nairobi/Return to U.S.
After a morning at leisure, we transfer to the Nairobi airport and board our connecting flight to the U.S.  B,L,D

Day 17: Arrive U.S.
We reach New York this morning and connect with our flights home.

Please note: This trip involves considerable walking on uneven or cobblestone streets and at sites of ancient ruins. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to the fullest.

B = Breakfast included    L = Lunch included    D = Dinner included

What is included:

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; flight from Masai Mara to Nairobi
• 14 nights’ accommodations: 11 nights in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels and lodges; 3 nights in luxury tented camp
• 39 meals: 14 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 13 dinners
• Extensive game viewing as described, including all park entrance fees
• Mineral water while on safari
• Services of an Professional Tour Director
• Private minibus transportation throughout your trip with guaranteed window seating
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for driver/guides, dining room servers, and airport and hotel porters

Whats not included:
Taxes; passport, visas and associated fees; personal expenses such as laundry and telephone calls; accident/sickness, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; excess baggage charges on aircraft; transfers and baggage handling to/from hotel on day of arrival and/or departure if you have booked as a "land only" participant or if you are arriving earlier or later than and/or departing earlier or later than the scheduled group transfer(s); any overnight on land due to flight schedule(s); meals, alcoholic or other beverages and all other services not specifically mentioned in the "Included Features" section of our brochure.

What’s not included:

Taxes; passport, visas and associated fees; personal expenses such as laundry and telephone calls; accident/sickness, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; excess baggage charges on aircraft; transfers and baggage handling to/from hotel on day of arrival and/or departure if you have booked as a "land only" participant or if you are arriving earlier or later than and/or departing earlier or later than the scheduled group transfer(s); any overnight on land due to flight schedule(s); meals, alcoholic or other beverages and all other services not specifically mentioned in the “Included Features” section of the program brochure.

Please call us toll-free at (866) 325-8664 or email us at travelstudy@columbia.edu for more details.