MASAI FOOTSTEPS Tour Code Validity Minimum Departure Vehicle Starts Ends Meals : TIA010 : 15-Dec-15 to 15-Dec-16 : 02 pax : Saturday : 1 x 7 Seater 4x4 vehicle : Nairobi : Nairobi : as indicated on itinerary at a glance ITINERARY AT A GLANCE Day Location Accommodation Board Activity 1 Nairobi Hotel Inter-continental, Nairobi BB Arr Trsf 2 Masai Mara National G.R Mara Sopa Lodge LDBB P 3 Masai Mara National G.R Mara Sopa Lodge LDBB AP 4 Lake Nakuru Nat Park Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge LDBB P 5 Amboseli National Park Amboseli Sopa Lodge LDBB P 6 Amboseli National Park Amboseli Sopa Lodge LDBB AP 7 Departure Dept transfer L-Lunch, D-Dinner, BB-Bed and breakfast, LDBB-Lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast, Trsf-Transfer, E-Early morning game drive, A-Morning game drive, P-Afternoon game drive, HDS-Half Day sightseeing, FDS-Full Day Sightseeing FULL ITINERARY Day 1 - Nairobi Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport met and assisted by VINTAGE AFRICA representative. Transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day is spent at leisure in Nairobi (Optional tour of Karen Blixen and Giraffe center available at extra cost). Overnight at Hotel Inter-continental Nairobi or Eka hotel (BB) Day 2 - Masai Mara National G.R After breakfast, drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve offering wonderful scenery and plenty of game. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. Arrive for lunch at your lodge. Afternoon game drive until sunset. Meals and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge (LDBB) Day 3 - Masai Mara National G.R Whole day in Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. Mid morning you will visit a Masai village to experience first hand the masai culture. Meals and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge (LDBB) Day 4 Lake Nakuru National Park After breakfast you will be collected for the day s drive taking you to Lake Nakuru National Park. Lunch at your lodge. After Lunch you will proceed on an afternoon game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. The Lake has good density of game and it is one Park that within few minutes of game drive, you will achieve quite a lot in terms of sightings. It is also a bird watchers haven. After the game drive proceed back to your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge LDBB Day 5 Amboseli National Park After breakfast at the overnight lodge, you will depart Lake Nakuru National Park and drive to Lake Naivasha where you will have a boat ride and thereafter proceed to Nairobi where you will have a quick lunch. After lunch proceed to the Amboseli National Park which is set at the foot of the most famous symbol of Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro. There will be no game drive in Amboseli on this day. Dinner and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge (L-DBB) Day 6 - Amboseli National Park
This is your full day to explore the Amboseli National Park. Famous for its large herds of elephants and in particular its big tuskers, a day in Amboseli is surely a highlight of your safari. All meals and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge (LDBB) Day 7 - Departure After breakfast, drive to Nairobi, Kenya's colourful capital city. You will be dropped off at your city centre hotel or Jomo Kenyatta Airport for your departure flight back home The Package Includes: Arrival and departure airport transfers 1 Night accommodation at Hotel Intercontinental, Nairobi on bed & breakfast 2 Nights accommodation at Mara Sopa Lodge on full board basis 1 Night accommodation at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge on full board basis 2 Nights accommodation at Amboseli Sopa Lodge on full board basis Boat ride in Lake Naivasha Masai village All game drives as per itinerary All park entrance fees Transport in 1 x 7 Seater 4x4 vehicle Services of a qualified English Speaking Driver Guide 1 Litre bottle of mineral water per person per day while on a road safari in a VINTAGE AFRICA vehicle The Package Excludes: All International Flights + Taxes Visas Travel & Personal accident insurance Tips & personal expenses such as telephone calls etc. Excursions not detailed in above program Included flights: No flights included Added Value: Va gift pack Complimentary 188 pages Vintage Africa Safari Guide covering the whole of East Africa Complimentary Vintage Africa Safari Pouch with a pen Complimentary Vintage Africa Hat
NATIONAL PARKS & RESERVES INFORMATION Masai Mara National G.R Probably the most famous of the reserves, the Masai Mara, in Kenya's south western corner, boasts an astonishing amount of game. Unfenced, the Mara is bounded in the east by the Ngama Hills and in the west by the Oloololo or Siria Escarpment. Gazelle, wildebeest and zebra graze in large numbers and where prey is found so are predators. Not only is this a great place in which to find game, but the wide greeny-gold savannahs spotted with thorn trees make it ideal for photography. The Mara, as it is known in Kenya, is ravishingly beautiful and also offers long, undisturbed views and utterly dramatic panoramas. The weather really means something here. The sun may beat down unforgivingly, huge clouds in fabulous shapes may sweep across the widest of skies, and the wind ripples the grasses as though they are stroked by a giant hand. The landscape is stunning. The famously black-maned Mara lions are possibly the stars of the Mara show, but cheetah, elephant, kongoni, topi, Thompson's gazelle, waterbuck, hyena, and primates are all here too. As with the rest of Kenya, the birding is good. There is no settlement within the reserve however; the Mara is in theory owned by the Maasai, pastoralists and, in earlier times, renowned lion-killers. Lodges and hotels offer the opportunity to buy their beadwork, checked cloths and copies of their spears. It is said that if lions scent approaching Maasai on the breeze they move swiftly in the opposite direction. Famously, the Mara is the northerly end of the Great Migration, that great primeval surge of wildebeest, zebra and antelope that sweeps in from Tanzania s Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara as the Tanzanian grass starts to fail. The large predators that pick off the weak, the stragglers and the young track them. The great herds, nearing their destination by July, mass along the Mara River, pushing, shoving and fantastically noisy, just waiting for the first animal to cross so that they can all follow, lemming-like, on the final leg of the journey. However, crocodiles lie in wait, sluggishly cruising the waters, fully prepared for their best meal of the year. Many fail in the life-and-death struggle - drowned, eaten by the crocodiles or, made careless or weak by their stressful swim, brought down by lions. The Masai Mara is terrible yet wonderful, and not to be missed. Lake Nakuru National Park Originally declared a national park because of a superbly diverse bird population, which includes many migrants, the park is also a favourite place for travelers to seek the rare black rhino. However, it is for the flamingos that the lake is best known, and it was for their protection that the park was originally created. The level of the blue-green alkaline waters here varies and this, with other accompanying environmental changes, causes considerable variation in the flamingo population, but when they are present, en masse, the whole lake turns a gorgeous rosy pink. Although protection of the flamingo population on the lake was the original rationale for the inception of the national park, further land was included in the early seventies and it is now about 190 sq m. This expansion, which took in a large grassland area, has allowed the park to protect further species. Buffalo, zebra, antelope and both lion and leopard are to be found. The rather less ubiquitous reedbuck and waterbuck are also here as is the glamorously leggy Rothschild giraffe. Temptingly, the black rhino breeding programme, started in the late eighties, has proved successful and this is an excellent place to view them. Lake Nakuru is a small national park. There is no need to stay in the area in order to see all that is to be seen. A good day trip may be enough and these can easily be organised from the Lake Naivasha area. Amboseli National Park Arid looking as Amboseli is it has, historically, supported both game and the Maasai that kept their herds of cattle here. It is thanks to the waters that run off Africa's greatest mountain that the apparently dry Amboseli, Kenya's first game sanctuary is able to support its wildlife. Mount Kilimanjaro broods high over Amboseli, generally cloaked by clouds but appearing in all its snow-shrouded magnificence from time to time. Kilimanjaro was once part of Kenya, but on the marriage of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany Queen Victoria gifted it to her beloved grand son, whose colony Tanzania then was, as the perfect wedding present. The mountain now provides water for the park, wonderful views and, of course, the most glorious background for animal photography. There has been serious erosion in the park. Elephant feeding habits combined with light soil have made serious inroads in the Amboseli vegetation. Nonetheless, there are still high numbers of the elephant for which the park is famous, and it is here that much research has been done on the largest land mammal. Indeed, a cursory examination will show that humankind is not the only animal to destroy its own environment.
The grasslands in the park can be undeniably lovely when made verdant by the rains and the three major swamps could star in a dinosaur movie. The swamps on the east of the park attract wildebeest, zebra and antelope with the predators that live off them, chiefly lion which tend to be easy to view here. In the south, Enkongo Narok swamp attracts hippos to the larger pools and plenty of buffalo, buck and teeming birdlife including the jacanas that pick their way elegantly and carefully. Giraffe are here and in areas still sufficiently treed there are leopard. Cheetah, caracal and civet may be seen. In the west of the park lies Lake Amboseli, a seasonal soda lake, sometimes with flamingos. Amboseli is a fabulous place to visit. The overwhelmingly lovely views and good wildlife sightings are too good to miss. NOTES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS Luggage: PLEASE be reminded to inform your clients that the luggage allowance on our schedule flights is strictly 15KGS PER PERSON and that SOFT BAGS are highly recommended, if not essential. In light aircraft the baggage area and weight allowance is limited. Hard Samsonite type suitcases do not fit into the cargo compartment easily, if at all. Due to limited space available for storage in safari vehicles, we strongly recommend use soft duffle bags rather than hard suitcases. Your contract A binding contract will come into existence once Vintage Africa and yourself agree on the itinerary and quote provided for the same. The booking will then be considered confirmed when an invoice is issued. Your contract for the services chosen will be direct with the relevant supplier(s). Your supplier contact will be governed by the laws of the country in which the supplier is located and will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of that country. Reservations, Payment and Deposits When Vintage Africa has accepted your booking, the date of the confirmation invoice activates the terms and conditions of the contract. Confirmation of services is subject to payment of a non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total invoiced amount. The balance is to be paid not later than 60 days prior to commencement of the services. When bookings are made within 60 days prior to the departure date, full payment is required immediately on written confirmation. If payments are not received within the above time frame, Vintage Africa reserves the right to cancel the tour which has been booked and retain any deposit received to set against expenses incurred in the booking of such a tour. Bankers Draft will only be acceptable if payable in a bank in Nairobi. Payments by personal Cheques Not Accepted. All bookings are subject to availability at the time of booking and cannot be guaranteed. Prices Prices in this brochure are quoted in US dollars. All prices are subject to change without prior notice. Should prices or costs from suppliers increase due to inflation, currency depreciation and fuel surcharges, then Vintage Africa will not have any other option than to pass on the same to you. All suppliers reserve the right to increase prices at any time of the year when costs increase outside the control of the supplier. Please note that when the clients' itinerary overlaps two seasons, the price will be prorated over the two seasons. Rates include but are not limited to the following services specified in the itinerary. Accommodation with meals, tours, transport, driver/guide, park entrance fees, hotel taxes and service charges.
Rates exclude (Unless otherwise specified), Medical Air Rescue services, Porterage, domestic Air Charters, Visa fess, beverages, laundry, telephone calls, scheduled flights, gratuities and all expenses of personal nature. NB: Flying doctor services are Optional at USD 30 per pax (Subject to change and vendor terms & conditions). Child rate: - is only applicable to one or two children under 12 years sharing a room with 2 adults. In the case of 02 children sharing a room with parents, the two children will share a bed, as most hotels/lodges cannot accommodate a fourth bed. 01 child sharing a room with 01 adult will be charged full adult rate. Single Room Policy Single rooms are available at supplementary cost but the suppliers do not guarantee singles. Single rooms are scarce and cannot be guaranteed even if paid for at twin sole use rate. Where this occurs an appropriate refund will be made by the supplier to the client. Suppliers will only allow a maximum of 3 single rooms per group at a single room rate except for CCA properties where single rooms are limited to only 02 singles. Booking Alterations (a) Should you wish to make any changes to confirmed booking arrangements, Vintage Africa will endeavour to assist. This will only be allowed if you notify the Company in writing at least 65 days before you utilize the Company's services. Such alteration may be subject to US$ 50 per person to cover administration costs and any further charges incurred or imposed by any of the suppliers in making the requested alteration. (b) Vintage Africa reserves the right to make changes to the brochure details, holiday arrangements and to correct errors both before and after you have booked the holiday. Vintage Africa reserves the right to substitute hotels of comparable status and make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary. In this event, Vintage Africa will inform you at the earliest opportunity. Cancellation Policy If you wish to cancel your holiday you must notify the Company in writing as soon as possible. Your notice of cancellation is only effective when it is received in writing. In such case the following cancellation charges will be payable: If cancelled out of 60 days, full deposit will be forfeited. If cancelled 60 days and under, 100% cancellation charges will apply Unused portion of any Safari or Tour is not refundable. Although it rarely happens, and Vintage Africa will do their utmost to avoid doing so, Vintage Africa must reserve the right to cancel tours and other arrangements. Where your holiday is cancelled (other than due to your default in payment) due to unavoidable circumstances beyond our control e.g. over bookings, Vintage Africa will offer you the choice of purchasing an alternative holiday (and paying or receiving a refund in respect of any price difference) or receiving a full and immediate refund of all monies paid to them. Force Majeure: The expression force majeure means any event which the supplier(s) in question could not have foreseen or avoided even with all due care. Such events may include war or threat of war, riots, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, government action and all similar circumstances outside the suppliers control. In these circumstances the suppliers shall not be liable to pay any compensation or otherwise be responsible for any expenses or losses you incur where supplier is forced as a result to cancel, delay, curtail or change your holiday arrangements in any way or where the performance or prompt performance of the suppliers contractual obligations is prevented or affected. Complaints: - In the unlikely event that a tour member has a dispute whilst on safari this must immediately be brought to the attention (and put on record) of the local representative, Hotel, Lodge or Camp management. It is likely that the tour member s complaint will be satisfactorily resolved there and then. If, however, this is not the case and the tour member wishes to pursue the matter on their return from safari, it is essential the complaint be communicated in writing to Vintage Africa within 21 days of the end of tour quoting tour reference, destination and departure date. Vintage Africa regrets cannot accept responsibility of any complaints, which are not notified entirely in accordance to this clause. Responsibility of Vintage Africa
Vintage Africa acts only as the Agent for the suppliers and shall not in any event be liable for any negligence, breach of contract or acts of omission on the part of suppliers, their employees or any other Agent, it shall be the responsibility of all customers including (without limitations) Tour members, Tour Operators and Travel Agents, to read and familiarize themselves with the terms and conditions of suppliers. Vintage Africa s liability for its own negligence or beach of contract shall be limited to the Tour price. Transportation Safari Minibuses, Cars, Land Cruisers and coaches will be provided according to the route and number of participants. Vintage Africa reserves the right to employ services of sub-contractors. Multi-lingual driver guides are provided on request. For flying packages, clients will share vehicles with other guests booked at the hotel. For exclusive use, please check with Vintage Africa for supplements, which will be subject to availability. Insurance The hazards of travelling in Africa may inevitably rise to some risks and dangers. It is therefore a condition of booking that all tour members must have sufficient and appropriate travel insurance for the duration of their tour. Such insurance (which is not supplied by Vintage Africa) should fully cover all personal requirements including death, personal injury, medical expenses, and repatriation in the event of accident or illness, cancellation or curtailment of the tour members personal property. Hotel Bookings As a general rule, Vintage Africa does not make hotel or lodge bookings only. In special circumstances assistance can be given but it s subject to a booking fee of US $50 per reservation per hotel. Special Requests Any special requests (e.g. for single rooms or particular diet) must be notified in writing when the booking is made. Whilst the supplier will endeavour to meet such requests they cannot be guaranteed and any failure to comply will not be a breach of contract. VINTAGE AFRICA Services include flight re-confirmation and airport assistance within East Africa if clients are provided all services by Vintage Africa. In cases whereby Vintage Africa is providing part of the services and then clients have other arrangements on own, then Vintage Africa will only reconfirm where forwarding address or contacts are provided.