Kenya and Tanzania big 5 safari on a budget

The magic of this incredible region is owed to many things: to the friendly Maasai, a centuries-old tribe and enduring culture; to the scenic beauty of these sun-dappled plains; to the vast natural diversity found here, from Africa's Big Five game to the millions of wildebeest that beat a path through the reserve every year. Dinner and overnight at Elengata Olerai Camp or Similar

As dawn unfolds over the Maasai Mara, the origins of the region's name soon become clear: Mara, Maasai for "spotted," is an apt description for gnarled trees, and ever-changing shadows that dot the landscape. And on today's morning and afternoon game drives, we delve deep into this spectacular scenery. We search for grazing giraffes, speedy antelopes and wading hippos, but our most sought-after sightings are of Africa's Big Five – the five most fierce and dangerous animals on the continent: African buffalo, black rhinos, bush elephants, leopards and lions. And if we timed our trip right, there's more: the Great Migration. This annual event is considered the Eighth Wonder of the World, and for good reason: every year, millions of wildebeest (gnu) and hundreds of thousands of zebra thunder across Tanzania's Serengeti and into the Maasai Mara, comprising the largest land animal migration in the world Dinner and overnight at Elengata Olerai camp

When you first catch sight of Lake Nakuru, Is the lake rimmed with pink-sand beach? Lake Nakuru's rosy shores are populated by thousands of flamingos, their numbers create an optical illusion of a pink-fringed lake. After lunch at Nakuru town, we'll take a game drive into this unique park, located in the picturesque Great Rift Valley. The park's diverse ecosystems give birth to a startling array of sights and animal sightings. Scan the bushed grasslands, yellow acacia trees and blue-green lake for buffalo, Rothschild giraffes, black and white rhinos, baboons, lions, hyena and more than 400 bird species. Exit before 6.00pm and drive to camp or lodge for overnight and dinner Dinner and overnight at Sentrim Elementaita or Lake Elementaita Lodge.

A long travel day begins with breakfast at in Elementaita, continues with lunch in Nairobi, and culminates with dinner in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. Amboseli National Park sits on an international border, its Kenyan sights flanked by Tanzania's imposing Mt. Kilimanjaro– the tallest peak in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain the world. Dinner and overnight at Kibo Safari Camp or Sentrim Amboseli

Two game drives take us into the wilds of Amboseli. The park is well known for the vast elephant herds that saunter these plains, in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, There's no question why everyone considers Amboseli to be one of Kenya's most photogenic destinations. Dinner and overnight at Kibo Safari Camp or Sentrim Amboseli Camp

Early morning departure with a stop over at Arusha town for lunch. Check in at Lake manyara serena with a stunning view of the lake. Take this is gonna be a long day and a lot of driving. Dinner and overnight at Lake Manyara Wildlife lodge

Early breakfast depart for Serengeti park, through the dusty and bumpy road. Enjoy the true Africa the sights and sounds outside your window: Cultural visit to a masai village inside the Ngorongoro conservation area, experience and interact with the masai as they welcome you to their land. Welcome to the mighty Serengeti and your first game drive in Tanzania. Picnic lunch in the park. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Acacia camp

The Maasai have chosen a fitting name: Serengeti, or "Endless Plains." And today, the boundless Serengeti, home to three million animals, is yours to explore, we will carry picnic lunch boxes to eat during the day. Our Full day drive offers another opportunity to spot Africa's Big Five, as well as cheetah, gazelles, African wild dogs, giraffes and approximately 500 bird species. And if we missed the wildebeest in Maasai Mara, we may be able to spot them here, on the Serengeti. The two reserves, which today straddle country lines, are forever connected by the Great Migration and the millions of terrestrial mammals that make the yearly journey. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Acacia Camp

After breakfast we check out and depart for Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The focal point is Ngorongoro Crater, the epicenter of a collapsed volcano and the world's largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera. You'll have arrive at the lodge in the late afternoon. Spend your afternoon at leisure. A stop over at a masai village along the way can be organized at an extra cost. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge

Descend into the Ngorongoro crater with Picnic lunch inside Ngorongoro Crater, where a barren volcanic crater spills into rolling green foothills, their emerald carpet abutting blue-tinged mountains in the distance. Ngorongoro Conservation Area hosts this breath-taking sight, and that's not all: Africa's Garden of Eden is also home to almost every animal species in East Africa, making Ngorongoro the exhilarating subject of today's game drive. Depart for Arusha town. Dinner and overnight at Arusha Safari Lodge or Ngurdoto Lodge

You have option of flying back home from Kilimanjaro airport or drive to Nairobi with the shuttle bus that depart Arusha everyday. Transfer to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home