A trip to Kenya and Tanzania is a mildly active holiday that calls for decent health and mobility. The vast majority of excursions are by vehicle and require no walking, other than getting to and from the vehicle and your room. While these excursions require little physical effort, roads in and between the parks can be quite bumpy and dusty. This can take a toll on your energy and bouncing can aggravate some medical conditions. The optional balloon safari requires a higher level of activity.
Early morning game drives typically occur before breakfast, starting before sunrise when the animals are most active, and ending with breakfast back at the camp. Afternoon game drives occur a few hours before sunset, when the heat of the day subsides and the animals are active again, and end back at camp before dinner. Because you will be getting up early most days of your safari, leisure time is built in to let you recuperate and catch up on your reading and/or species lists…or just catching a nap or enjoying a relaxing view or walk around the camp.
The roads in Kenya and Tanzania have improved greatly over the last few years but sections can still be somewhat in a state of disrepair. The governments of Kenya and Tanzania, in order to slow down road deterioration, are now enforcing lower speeds for highway travel.
Drive from Amboseli to Tarangire – This is a full day transfer, including clearing Customs and Immigration at the border and lunch in Arusha. The road in Amboseli is dirt and subject to weather and wind conditions. The road from the park to Namanga is gravel and bumpy in places. The roads around Arusha are tarmac and then once inside Tarangire the roads are dirt park roads, which are be bumpy and windy.
Drive from Tarangire to Ngorongoro – This is a full day excursion with a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Park roads are dirt roads and will be bumpy and driving will be slow. The road from Arusha to Ngorongoro is tarmac and in good condition, until you are close to your accommodations in Ngorongoro, where you must leave the main road and take dirt park roads to the lodge.
Drive from Ngorongoro to Serengeti – This is a full day excursion including a stop at Olduvai Gorge and game viewing en route to your camp in the Serengeti, with picnic lunch. The road from Ngorongoro to Serengeti is gravel and subject to rutting and damage from the weather. Once inside the Serengeti, you will be on dirt park roads and will stop for wildlife viewing en route to the camp. How long all this takes depends on the road, wildlife and weather conditions relative to where the camp is set up at a particular time of year. Typically, it’s a full-day drive with game viewing most of the way.
