12 Days – Serengeti - Maasai Mara and Madagascar
12 Days / 11 Nights Days
Arusha, Tanzania → Antananarivo, Madagascar
Adventure Tour
Easy
From
USD $ 9635
per person
Why Choose This Safari?
This trip lets you explore three countries in one holiday, starting in Tanzania, crossing into Kenya, and finishing on the remarkable island of Madagascar. The first week follows the classic East African savannah route through Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, home to the Big Five and some of the world's greatest wildlife reserves. The second half then moves to a very different kind of wildlife experience, with the famous indri lemurs of Andasibe-Mantadia, chameleons and butterflies at Mandraka, a boat journey along the Canal des Pangalanes and a night visit to the Palmarium reserve. Every night has a named lodge or hotel, and the pace shifts from game drives by 4x4 to forest walks and boat transfers, so the trip stays varied right to the end.
Destinations to Travel
Tarangire National Park · Karatu · Ngorongoro Crater · Serengeti National Park · Isebania Border · Maasai Mara National Reserve · Nairobi · Antananarivo · Andasibe-Mantadia National Park · Canal des Pangalanes · Palmarium Reserve
Itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Arusha
Depending on your flight time, you're met on arrival and transferred from the airport to Arusha for your first night. Your accommodation is booked on a Bed & Breakfast basis, giving you an easy evening to rest before the safari begins.
Day 2 — Arusha to Tarangire National Park to Karatu
After breakfast you leave Arusha for Tarangire National Park and a morning game drive. At 1:00pm you stop at the picnic site for lunch, then at 2:00pm continue with an afternoon game drive. In the later evening you drive on for dinner and overnight at Farm of Dream Lodge in Karatu.
Day 3 — Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti
After breakfast you drive and descend into the crater floor with your lunch box for game viewing. The famous Ngorongoro Crater is rich in wildlife, with each species keeping its own territory. At 1:00pm you stop for a picnic lunch on the crater floor near the Lerai forest or hippo pool, and at 2:00pm you ascend the crater and continue to Serengeti National Park for dinner and overnight at Into Wild Serengeti Camp.
Day 4 — Full Day in Serengeti National Park
After breakfast you leave with a packed lunch for a game drive across the Serengeti's acacia savannah in the central and eastern parts of the park. Between 12:30pm and 1:00pm you break for a picnic lunch, then continue with an afternoon game drive before returning to Into Wild Serengeti Camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 5 — Serengeti National Park to Maasai Mara
You begin with an early morning game drive in the Serengeti as you head out of the park toward the Isebania border. After border formalities you drive into Kenya and the Maasai Mara for a late afternoon game drive. It is a fairly long day of driving, but game drives in and out of the parks can be surprisingly rewarding. Dinner and overnight at Zebra Plain Mara.
Day 6 — Full Day in Maasai Mara
After breakfast you set out on a full day of game drives with a packed lunch. The reserve is well known for its black-maned lions and abundant resident wildlife, and it is one of the few places where it's possible to see the Big Five during a single morning's game drive. Bird lovers will find almost 500 recorded species, including 16 species of eagle, many hawks and falcons, 6 species of vulture, 8 species of stork and 4 of bustard, among them the Kori bustard, the world's heaviest flying bird, plus 9 species of sunbird. You return for dinner and overnight at Zebra Plain Mara.
Day 7 — Maasai Mara to Nairobi
After breakfast you check out and drive to Nairobi, arriving in the later afternoon and being dropped off for your overnight. Your accommodation is booked on a bed & breakfast basis.
Day 8 — Nairobi to Madagascar
You catch your flight from Nairobi to Antananarivo, Madagascar, where you are welcomed and transferred to your hotel. Antananarivo is the beating heart of the country, known as the "City of Thousands," and the largest economic, political, historical and cultural center of Madagascar. It is a stop not to be missed, with an attraction that isn't always obvious at first sight, and the palaces, streets, squares and houses of the upper town tell a fascinating story.
Day 9 — Antananarivo to Andasibe
After breakfast at the hotel you meet your guide and begin with a city tour of Antananarivo before driving to Andasibe. On the way you visit the Mandraka Butterfly Farm, where you meet an impressive concentration of chameleons, geckos, lizards and of course butterflies. You arrive in the village of Andasibe in the afternoon and visit the VOI village park, where you discover the famous indri lemurs, the largest in Madagascar. You then settle into your bungalow, set right beside the forest.
Day 10 — Andasibe-Mantadia to Palmarium
After breakfast you set out on a guided tour of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, with a three-hour hike through the forest to discover its fauna and flora, including the indri, the largest and most evolved of the lemurs. You then continue east along the Road of the Ravinala to Manambato, where you board a boat on the Canal des Pangalanes bound for Ankany'ny Nofy. In the evening you take a nocturnal visit to the reserve before your overnight at Palmarium Lodge.
Day 11 — Palmarium to Antananarivo
After breakfast you visit the Palmarium reserve for more lemurs, then continue along the canal and transfer by speedboat to Manambato before driving back to Antananarivo for your overnight.
Day 12 — Departure from Madagascar
After breakfast at the hotel you're transferred to the airport to take your international flight home.
What's Included
Rate Includes
- Accommodation as stipulated in the Itinerary
- Airport transfers
- Sightseeing as specified in itinerary
- Transport on safari in a 4WD vehicle with an open roof during safari
- All parks entrance fees
- Crater fees
- Accommodation in Madagascar is booked on half board basis
- Service of English Speaking driver guide
- Crater fees.
- Mineral water 1.5lt per person per day.
- Salary for the Professional English Drive Guide/Walking Guide.
Rate Excludes
- International flights.
- Domestic flight from Nairobi (Kenya) to Antananarivo (Madagascar)
- Hot and cold drinks.
- Entry Visa to Tanzania/Kenya and Madagascar
- Hot Air Balloon ride over Serengeti/Maasi mara, book with us
- Olduvai/Visit of Maasai Boma
- Flying doctors insurance
- Tips to the driver/guide and all items of personal nature/use.
- And all not mentioned in the itinerary above.
Best Time to Go
No travel window was given for this itinerary, so the best timing comes from the route itself. The Serengeti and Maasai Mara are easiest for game viewing in the dry season from roughly June to October, and July to October is when the Great Migration is typically in the Mara. In Madagascar, the drier, cooler season runs from around May to October, which suits forest hiking and boat travel, while the wetter months from roughly December to March bring heavier rain, with cyclone risk on the east coast. For the best overall balance across all three countries, aim for roughly June to October.
Pricing
From USD $ 9635 per person
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this safari start and end, and which countries do we visit?
The safari starts in Arusha, Tanzania, and ends in Antananarivo, Madagascar, so it is a one-way journey over 12 days. You visit Tanzania, Kenya, and Madagascar, crossing from the Serengeti into Kenya by road at the Isebania border and flying from Nairobi to Antananarivo on Day 8.
Will we see the Big Five?
The Maasai Mara is one of the few places where it's possible to see the Big Five in a single morning's game drive, and the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are also renowned for their wildlife. Sightings depend on the day and can't be guaranteed, but spending a full day in the Mara gives you a strong chance of memorable encounters.
What wildlife will we see in Madagascar?
Madagascar is home to some of the planet's most unusual species. You'll look for the indri, the largest of the lemurs, at the VOI village park and on a three-hour hike in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park; meet chameleons, geckos, lizards, and butterflies at the Mandraka Butterfly Farm; and join a nocturnal visit and a daytime lemur walk at the Palmarium reserve.
How is the journey from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara?
On Day 5 you leave the Serengeti after an early morning game drive and cross into Kenya at the Isebania border before a late afternoon game drive in the Mara. Border formalities take time, and it is a fairly long driving day, but game viewing in and out of the parks is often surprisingly good.
Will we see the Great Migration?
The Serengeti and the Maasai Mara are two parts of one ecosystem, and the migration moves through both. Where the herds are depends on the season and rainfall, so sightings can't be promised on a particular day, but the dry months from roughly July to October give you the best chance in the Mara.
Do I need visas for this trip?
You pass through Tanzania, Kenya, and Madagascar, and visa requirements depend on your nationality, so check each country's rules well before you travel. Border formalities for the Tanzania to Kenya crossing are handled on the road at Isebania on Day 5, and our team can advise on what to prepare once you book.