Off to Zanzibar

Depart Kenya for Zanzibar/Stone Town

Now it is time relax, and explore Stone Town at our own leisure, and enjoy the culture and nightlife that it has to offer. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stone Town is a captivating labyrinth of narrow streets and winding alleyways. It was a real buzz in the markets, a delight to all the senses in the bustling bazaars, and the many mosques and grand Arab residences. We spent hours just wandering the alleys and squares, drinking potent coffee from pavement vendors, buying local snacks, such as sesame bread, from scores of tiny cafes.

Zanzibar, 'the spice island,' has an extremely interesting history and culture as it was the centre of the slave and spice trades in the 1800s. Zanzibar is one of the most fascinating places in East Africa, despite a heavy increase in tourism since the early 1990s. Thanks to an ambitious and far-reaching preservation programme funded by UNESCO and the Aga Khan Foundation, many famous old buildings have been restored, or are in the process of being renovated.

Spice Plantation - Kendwa

We traveled to the northwesten beach of Kendwa and make a fantastic stop en route, as no visit to Zanzibar would be complete without a visit to the spice plantations. Delight your senses during this included guided tour, and learn about the assortment of spices such as cloves, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, breadfruit, jackfruit, vanilla and lemongrass, and their various uses. It was the wonderful spice plantations that brought the beginnings of Zanzibar’s infamous slave trade dating back to the 1840’s.

The next few day we just enjoyed the peaceful surroundings of Kendwa and neighbouring Nungwi. Relax on the beautiful white sandy beaches, soaking up the African sun, a little snorkeling in the crystal clear waters is just for you. As well as time to stroll down to Nungwi, the centre of Zanzibar’s traditional dhow-building industry and the beach capital of Zanzibar. Your time here will be simply magical!

Depart Zanzibar

Today we left our hotel in Kendwa and transferred to Stone Town to begin our long trip home!!!

World famous Masai Mara Game Reserve

Now on to the Masai Mara for a few days Approximate Distance: 368 km Estimated Travel Time: 7-8 hrsAfter breakfast, we departed for the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve. With its vast open plains and distinctive flat-topped acacia trees, no visit to Kenya would be complete without a visit here! In the afternoon we will arrive in the area, and get settled at our permenant tented camp, our base for our time here. Then we make our way into the reserve for an afternoon game viewing drive, with excellent chances of seeing the "Big 5" - lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino. To day started with an early morning game drive, since the best time to spot wildlife is in the early hours of the morning. The day continued with more game viewing as you criss-cross the rolling hills of the African savannah.

 The Masai Mara (also spelled Maasai Mara) is a game reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Named for the Masai tribes people, who are the traditional inhabitants of the area, and the Mara River, which divides it, the reserve is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of the wildebeest every September and October, a migration so immense to be called the Great Migration. Thousands of wildebeest die in the crossing due to crocodile attacks. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving an immensity of herbivores: some 1,300,000 wildebeest, 360,000 Thomson's gazelle, and 191,000 zebra.

With an area of 1510 km sq., the Masai Mara is not the largest game park or reserve in Kenya, but it is probably the most famous. The entire area of the park is nestled within the enormous Great Rift Valley that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to Mozambique. The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland, with clusters of the distinctive acacia tree in the south-east region. The western border is the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley, and wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good.

 The easternmost border is 224 km from Nairobi.

The Masai Mara is perhaps most famous for its lions, though the other members of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhinoceros) are as well found. This said, the population of black rhinoceros is severely threatened, with a population of only 37 recorded in 2000. Hippopotami are found in large groups in the Masai Mara and Talek Rivers, and many cheetah, zebra, impala, gazelles, hartebeest, warthog, ostrich, topi, the Masai giraffe, among other mammals, all consider the “Mara” their home territory.

As well, the large Roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders. Like in the Serengeti in Tanzania, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitant of the Masai Mara, and their numbers are estimated in the millions. Around July of each year these animals migrate in a vast ensemble north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. These numerous migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by a block of hungry predators, most notably lions and hyena.

The Masai Mara is a also major research centre for the spotted hyena. Additionally, over 450 species of birdlife have been identified in the park, including vulture, marabou, secretary bird, hornbill, crowned crane, ostrich, long-crested eagle, and pygmy falcon.

Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru

The next stop is Lake Nakuru for a few days Approximate Distance: 348 km Estimated Travel Time: 7-8 hrs

Descend into the Great Rift Valley enjoying stunning views of the escarpment on the way. Lake Nakuru is a shallow soda lake, renowned for its huge concentration of flamingos and over 460 species of birds. On day 5, embark on a safari within Lake Nakuru National Park, in search of the resident black and white rhino, buffalo, impala, and the elusive leopard.

Nairobi to Samburu Game Reserve

We arrived in Nairobi just in time to have a rest and dinner and enjoy the new sights and sounds

The name Nairobi is derived from the Masai word for cool waters, which the Masai people gave to a water hole known as Ewaso Nyirobi. In modern times, the sprawling, cosmopolitan city of Nairobi combines the first-world glamour of reflecting-glass skyscraper buildings with abject developing-world poverty. It originated in 1899 from a handful of shacks that marked the end of the railhead during the building of the Uganda railway.

Due to big game hunting bringing tourists from Britain, the city expanded dramatically in the early 1900’s. A large number of British nationals settled in the area, prompting more growth and this angered both the Masai and Kikuyu people, as they were losing hunting ground due to the expansion of the city limits. The friction increased and, eventually led to the Mau Mau uprising, which saw Jomo Kenyatta, the future president jailed. Kenya was granted independence from Britain in 1963, with Nairobi as the capital.

Apart from being Kenya’s capital and the main centre of government and commerce, Nairobi is the most significant city in East Africa and an important player on the pan-African stage. It is the diplomatic base for many counties in Africa, with its broad spectrum of international embassies and headquarters for the United Nations, multi-national companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and press correspondents. It’s also the center of the growing safari business of East Africa.

Cairo-Aswan-Luxor

Cairo

After a long flight we arrived a day early in Cairo, and had time to spend walking along the Corniche, as most of Cairo's residents seem to do in the evening or take a sunset felucca ride for some very different views of the city. We visited the peace and quiet of the oldest part of Cairo, the Coptic Christian sector climbed the Cairo Tower. it was a great time to began to explore the narrow cobbled streets, churches and synagogues around the city. Early the next morning we meet our group and leader we headed out on an orientation walk and a trip to Islamic Cairo. We immersed ourselves in the madness of this chaotic city, traversing busy streets before catching taxi's to check out the Khan al-Khalili bazaar, After our bazaar visit we took part in the traditional "bong" smoking pipe. (apple flavour- check out the photos)

On our second day we traveled to Giza to visit the unsurpassed pyramids and Sphinx, this really was the highlight of any trip to Egypt. The pyramids are on the outskirts of Cairo ( a short train trip) with the city on one side and the desert on the other. Our guide took us through the amazing history of the area as well as plenty of time for photos and taking it all in. After the pyramids we had a break for lunch and a chance to try some of the local specialities for those who are hungry.

We then head back to the city centre to visit the Egyptian Museum. With thousands of exhibits, it's easy to lose yourself in the many corridors - we also visited the Tutankhamun rooms, where the famous golden death mask of King Tut and his gilded sarcophagi are displayed. The afternoon was free to continue exploring the city with a walk. Tonight we will catch an overnight sleeper train to Aswan.

Aswan

Superbly located on the banks of the Nile, the Nubian City of Aswan is Egypt's southern gateway to the rest of Africa. We really enjoyed our visit to a village for a traditional Nubian lunch on a local families boat as we sailed down the Nile, taking in all the local surrounds. As well we stopped for a fantastic camel ride over dramatic dune scenery to view the abandoned monastery of St Simeon.

Abu Simbel

We had a very early morning rise to catch the buss which departed approximately. 3:00 am and travel in convoy to Abu Simbel. This was really well worth the early rise - just look at the photos, just amazing place.

Today we boarded a Felucca to spend the day out on the river and then a night under the stars. Our Nubian sailing crew provides all the meals, which are hearty and delicious. The felucca is a traditional wooden sail boat with broad canvas sails. The boat has a canopy that offers shade and protection from the elements, however there is no cabin or enclosed section. The conditions are very basic during our felucca trip but was an adventure of a lifetime. We slept outside, on the deck of the Felucca on comfortable mattresses. Our Felucca trip took us from Aswan and stops at points of interest en-route and watching the sun setting across the Nile in the evening what a sight - see photos. The next morning we woke to the color of a magnificent sunrise and then continue our journey down the Nile. This is the absolute highlight of the trip for all.

Luxor

Heading north we travel to the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes, now known as Luxor. From the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the extraordinary paintings and hieroglyphs in the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, this open-air museum is full of wonderfully preserved reminders of the pharaohs of Egypt. We take donkeys over to the West bank to visit some of the tombs. We also explored the magnificent Karnak Temple, perhaps the most impressive of all the ancient Pharaohs' monumental works. The tonight we took an overnight train back to Cairo (approx. 8.5 hours).

Cairo

4th January 2007 - Egypt