The Big Cats of East Africa Safari (10 days)

Arusha, arrival

You'll be picked up from Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Arusha for your overnight stay at Arusha Coffee Lodge, with dinner and breakfast included.

Straight into the big cats

First thing after breakfast you'll drive to Arusha airport for your flight to Seronera airstrip in the central Serengeti. From there you'll drive to Moru, exploring the lion and leopard areas of the central Serengeti’s Seronera valley and Moru kopjes along the way. Overnight at Serengeti Pioneer Camp, with meals, drinks and drives included.

Focus on leopard at Seronera

Today you'll concentrate on lion in the morning, cheetah during the day and leopard in the evening. Big cats generally avoid each other and that's why they're usually active during different times of the day and night. Serengeti leopards are best seen during late afternoon or early evening as they go to water to quench their thirst after a long day’s rest. Overnight at Serengeti Pioneer Camp, with your meals and drinks included.

The huge prides of Klein's

You'll fly to Klein’s Camp, a private concession just outside the Serengeti’s north-eastern border. There are huge lion prides and a high concentration of leopards here because of good permanent water around Klein’s Camp and Lobo. You'll be able to drive off-road to get closer to the action and go on a night drive to see what happens after dark. Overnight at Klein’s Camp, with meals, drinks and drives included.

Great lion and cheetah sightings

Enjoy a walk in the morning, when you have a good chance of coming across cats within the Klein’s concession. The walking guides are well-trained and good, so expect to have an interesting time on foot, with buffalo – and therefore lion – in the area. Go on an afternoon and evening game drive to see what the nocturnal cats are up to. Overnight again at Klein’s Camp, with your meals, drinks, drives and walks included.

Paradise plains inside the Mara

You'll fly from Lobo airstrip via Tarime and Migori into the heart of the Masai Mara. The Mara – in particular, Paradise Plains and the Musiara Swamp – is a key big cat area with enormous numbers of lion, leopard and cheetah. You'll drive to the Mara confluence area, which is the middle of big cat country inside the Masai Mara. Overnight at Rekero Camp, with your meals, drinks and drives included.

Start early and eat later

You'll focus on early morning lion activity today and drive towards the woodland with its elephant pepper tree outcrops, which make good cover for lion and leopard. In the afternoon you'll concentrate on cheetah on the plains before moving back towards the Leopard Gorge area in the early evening. Overnight again at Rekero Camp on the banks of the Talek River, with meals, drinks and drives included.

Olare Orok, off-road driving

Olare Orok Conservancy has arguably the biggest cat concentration per square kilometre in East Africa. Although this is hard to verify it does mean that it's a great place to end your big cat safari with walks, night drives and as many cat sightings as possible. You'll arrive for lunch and enjoy your first afternoon and evening on a game drive in core cat areas and anywhere there's been recent activity. Overnight at Kicheche Bush Camp, with meals and drinks included.

Night drives, the cats come alive

Enjoy a morning walk or we might be able to even arrange for you to go to the famous Leopard Gorge next door on the Mara North Conservancy. Leopard Gorge is so good for leopard that you're almost guaranteed to see at least one every time you go – a fitting end to an action-packed big cat safari. Overnight at Kicheche Bush Camp, with meals, drinks, drives and walks included.

Fly Home

Fly from Ol Kiombo airstrip to Wilson airport, from where you'll be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International for your flight home.