14 Days: Serengeti – Maasai Mara and Mauritius Safari
14 Days / 13 Nights Days
Why Choose This Safari?
This itinerary follows the story of the Serengeti ecosystem across two countries. You begin in Arusha, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, spend two nights in the Serengeti, then cross the Isebania border into Kenya for the Maasai Mara, the northern tip of the same great wildlife system. After a week of early starts and game drives, the trip ends with six nights at Mont Choisy Coral Azur Beach Resort on Mauritius's north coast, where five full days are left entirely open for sand, sea and rest. On arrival in Mauritius you're met by a Wonders of Creation Tours & Safaris representative with a welcome kit and a dedicated hotel contact, so the beach half of the trip feels as well looked after as the safari half.
Destinations to Travel
Arusha · Ngorongoro Crater · Serengeti National Park · Isebania Border · Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya) · Nairobi · Mont Choisy and Trou aux Biches, north coast of Mauritius
Itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Tanzania
Depending on your flight time, you're met on arrival and transferred from the airport to Arusha, where you spend your first night. It is a calm, comfortable start before the safari begins in earnest the next morning.
Day 2 — Arusha to Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast you leave Arusha with a lunch box and drive to Ngorongoro, then descend into the crater floor for game viewing. The 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 the hippo pool, and at 2:00pm you ascend the crater and drive to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 — Ngorongoro to Serengeti National Park
After breakfast you're picked up from your hotel and driven to Serengeti National Park with a packed lunch, enjoying a game drive through the park until late afternoon. Your driver-guide then takes you to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4 — Full Day in Serengeti National Park
After breakfast you head out 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 for dinner and overnight.
Day 5 — Serengeti to Isebania Border to Maasai Mara (Kenya)
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 continue into Kenya and the Maasai Mara for an 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 follow at your camp or lodge in the Mara.
Day 6 — Full Day in Maasai Mara Reserve
After breakfast you set out on a full day of game viewing with a packed lunch, or, if you prefer, you can split the day into a morning and an afternoon game drive. Known simply as The Mara to the locals, this sensational corner of Narok County in Kenya is home to Africa's Big Five, famed for its big cats and renowned for the Great Migration. With dozens of species in their natural habitat, it is a photographer's dream and an unspoilt wilderness that shows the grandeur of nature at its best. Dinner and overnight at your camp or lodge.
Day 7 — Maasai Mara Reserve to Nairobi
After breakfast you check out and drive to Nairobi, arriving in the later afternoon and being dropped off for your overnight.
Day 8 — Nairobi to Mauritius
Depending on your flight time, your driver collects you from your hotel and transfers you to the airport for your flight to Mauritius. On arrival at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport you're met by a Wonders of Creation Tours & Safaris representative, who welcomes you with an arrival kit containing a welcome message, a 0.5L bottle of water, information about your stay, contact details for your dedicated hotel representative and a 24-hour emergency contact number. Your representative then transfers you to Mont Choisy Coral Azur Beach Resort and helps with check-in. Set in a pretty garden a few kilometres from Trou aux Biches and Grand Bay, the resort overlooks a golden sand beach bordered by filao trees, and its local team keeps the island's traditional welcome, hospitality and cuisine at the heart of the stay. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, with dinner and overnight at your resort.
Days 9-13 — Five Full Days at Leisure
Enjoy five full days to do as much or as little as you like. You can simply unwind on the beach with a good book and a glass of your favorite beverage. Trou-aux-Biches, a small town on the northern coast of Mauritius in the district of Pamplemousses, has a public beach that is among the most beautiful on the island. Once a quiet fishing village, the area is now one of the best places to stay for anyone wanting to see some of Mauritius's best-known sights, with exciting experiences, outdoor activities and wonderful restaurants and bars close by. Dinner and overnight at your resort.
Day 14 — Departure from Mauritius
After a leisurely breakfast you check out and are transferred to the airport, depending on your flight timings, for your international flight home.
What's Included
Rate Includes
- All Airport transfers
- Accommodation Before and after safari in Arusha and after safari in Nairobi
- Accommodation as stipulated in the Itinerary
- Sightseeing as specified in itinerary
- Transport on safari in a 4WD vehicle with an open roof
- All parks entrance fees
- Crater fees.
- Accommodation
- Service of English Speaking driver guide
- Mineral water during safari
- Flight from Nairobi Kenya to Mauritius
- Government taxes and levies
Rate Excludes
- International/Local flights and departure taxes
- Hot and cold drinks.
- Optional Hot Air Balloon ride over Serengeti/Maasai Mara
- Olduvai/Visit of Maasai Boma
- Optional flying doctors insurance (we can arrange upon request)
- Naval Museum of Mahebourg & Ile des deux Cocos
- Port-Louis, the Capital & Pamplemousses Garden
- Curepipe, Grand Bassin, Plaine Champagne & Chamare
- Tips to the driver/guide.
- Tourist visas in Tanzania, Kenya and Mauritius
- Personal travel/medical insurance
- Soft drinks or alcoholic beverages
- Any Medical bills
- Any items of personal nature (laundry service, telephone/internet bills, souvenirs)
- 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 wildlife viewing in the dry season from roughly June to October, and July to October is when the Great Migration is typically in the Mara. Mauritius's cooler, drier winter runs from about May to October, which pairs well with the safari season. From November to April the island is hotter and more humid, with a higher chance of rain and cyclone activity, most often from January to March. For the best overall balance of safari and beach weather, aim for roughly June to October.
Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this safari start and end?
The safari starts in Arusha, Tanzania, and ends in Mauritius, so it is a one-way journey rather than a round trip. Over 14 days you move from Tanzania to Kenya by road, fly from Nairobi to Mauritius, and finish with six nights at Mont Choisy Coral Azur Beach Resort before your flight home.
What is the Serengeti to Maasai Mara border crossing like?
On Day 5 you leave the Serengeti after an early morning game drive and cross into Kenya at the Isebania border before continuing to the Maasai Mara for an afternoon game drive. 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 Mara is famous for the Great Migration. Where the herds are depends on the season and rainfall, so sightings cannot be promised on a particular day, but the dry months from roughly July to October give you the best chance in the Mara.
What do I receive when I arrive in Mauritius?
You're met at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport by a Wonders of Creation Tours & Safaris representative with an arrival kit. It includes a welcome message, a 0.5L bottle of water, information about your stay, contact details for your dedicated hotel representative and a 24-hour emergency contact number. Your representative then transfers you to the resort and helps with check-in.
What is there to do during the five leisure days?
As much or as little as you like. You can relax on the beach with a book, explore Trou-aux-Biches and its public beach, or enjoy the restaurants, bars and outdoor activities in the area, which is now one of the most popular places to stay on the island's north coast.
Do I need visas for this trip?
You pass through Tanzania, Kenya and Mauritius, 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.