The essentials for this trip.
Two key differentiators worth knowing up-front: max 12 guests (smaller than our other world tours) because each safari vehicle seats 6 — every guest gets a window. And we run two completely different seasons — migration July-October and calving January-March. See the season-comparison strip below the departures table.
12 days, fully scoped.
Hotel category and meal plan listed for each day. "B" = breakfast, "L" = lunch, "D" = dinner. Most safari days are full-board (all meals included) since you're remote from independent dining options. The route below applies to both migration and calving departures — the herds are weighted differently across the parks by season.
Welcome to Kenya. Group transfer from Jomo Kenyatta International to Hemingways Nairobi or similar boutique hotel. Welcome dinner — meet your tour leader and fellow safari-goers. Pre-departure briefing on the days ahead.
Drive south to Amboseli National Park (~4 hours). Afternoon game drive with Mt Kilimanjaro as backdrop. First sunset on the savannah — with luck, your first elephants and zebra inside the first hour.
Dawn and evening game drives. Amboseli is famous for its breeding elephant herds and resident super-tuskers. Hippo, hyena, big-cat tracking. Maasai cultural visit to a working manyatta village in the afternoon.
Cross into Tanzania at the Namanga border post. Charter flight from Kilimanjaro airport into central Serengeti — avoiding what would otherwise be a 12-hour road day. Afternoon game drive on arrival.
Full-day game drives in the Seronera Valley — the densest year-round wildlife concentration in the Serengeti. Lion prides on the kopjes (granite outcrops), leopard in the sausage trees, cheetah on the open plains.
Migration following — this is where the season-of-departure changes the day. Migration departures (Jul-Oct): drive north toward the Mara River. Calving departures (Jan-Mar): drive south to Ndutu where the herds give birth. Full-day game drive with bush picnic lunch.
Drive south to the Ngorongoro highlands via Olduvai Gorge (the cradle of human archaeology — Mary Leakey's discovery site). Crater rim sunset with views over the entire 260 km² caldera.
Full day on the crater floor. Densest predator concentration in Africa — the entire ecosystem trapped within the caldera walls. Black rhino (one of only two reliable spots in East Africa), lion prides, flamingo on the soda lake, hippo pools.
Charter flight back into Kenya, into the Maasai Mara reserve. Afternoon game drive to settle into Mara rhythms. Sundowner with the African dusk over the savannah.
Full-day game drives. Mara River crossings (in the right season — Jul-Oct) are the iconic wildlife event of East Africa. Cooee guides know the crossing points by hour and read the herd's behaviour. Bush dinner under the stars in the evening — Maasai vocal performance, three-course meal, southern sky.
Optional sunrise balloon safari over the Mara (~$549 pp add-on, weather-permitting). Morning game drive. Maasai village visit. Final afternoon drive. Farewell dinner in camp.
Charter flight to Nairobi. Day room access at airport hotel for shower and rest. Farewell lunch. Late-evening international departures from Jomo Kenyatta — typical Brisbane connections via Doha.
The moments that make this trip.
The experiences our travellers remember years later — the things you book this tour for.
Mara River crossing
July-October departures — chance to witness wildebeest crossings (the iconic crocodile-and-river footage). Cooee guides know the crossing points by hour and read the herd behaviour.
Amboseli elephant herds
Day in Amboseli with Mt Kilimanjaro as backdrop. Resident super-tuskers and breeding herds visible from open plains.
Balloon safari (optional)
Sunrise hot-air balloon over the Maasai Mara, champagne breakfast on the savannah. Add-on: $549 pp.
Luxury tented camps
Eight nights in luxury safari tents — ensuite bathrooms, four-poster beds, lantern-lit dining. Olare Mara, Kicheche, Mara Plains-tier camps.
Bush dinner under the stars
One night, a private dinner served in the bush by lamplight — Maasai vocal performance, three-course meal, southern stars.
Photographic 4WDs
All Cooee Mara and Serengeti vehicles are window-seat-guaranteed (max 6 guests per vehicle), with bean-bag camera supports and roof hatches optimised for telephoto work.
No hidden surprises.
Safari pricing in the Australian market is notorious for cheap headline numbers that quietly exclude park fees ($1,400+ value), charter flights, and conservation fees. Cooee bundles all of these into the published price. What you see is what's covered.
✓ Included in the tour price
- 11 nights luxury accommodation: 1 night Nairobi boutique, 8 nights luxury tented camps, 2 nights crater-rim lodge
- All park fees and concession fees (Amboseli, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Maasai Mara) — total ~AU$1,400 value, fully included
- Private 4WD safari vehicle with pop-top roof, max 6 guests per vehicle, window seat guaranteed
- Same expert driver-guide for the Kenya leg, separate Tanzania-licensed guide for Serengeti and Ngorongoro
- Charter flights: Amboseli area → Serengeti, Mara → Nairobi (avoiding two long road days)
- All meals on safari (full-board), with Cooee-stocked dietary preferences
- Bush dinner under the stars (one evening)
- Maasai cultural visits (Amboseli and Mara)
- Group airport transfers Nairobi arrival and departure
- Safari-specialist 24/7 emergency contact
- Bottled water in vehicles (sustainable refillable bottles provided)
– Not included (typical extras)
- International flights to/from Nairobi (typical $2,400 economy / $7,800 business from Brisbane via Doha)
- Travel insurance with min AU$10M evacuation cover (mandatory — see our travel insurance guide)
- Yellow fever vaccination (required for entry from yellow-fever zones — most Australians arriving direct don't need it but Cooee briefs your specific itinerary)
- Visas: Kenya eVisa $51 USD, Tanzania eVisa $50 USD — Cooee guides you through both
- Optional balloon safari Maasai Mara: $549 pp
- Tipping for safari guides: standard $10-15 USD per guest per day (we brief you fully — these are real wages, not optional gratitude)
- Drinks at lodge and camp meals (most guests budget ~AU$50/day)
- Anti-malarial prophylaxis (consult your travel doctor 6-8 weeks before departure)
Migration & calving departures.
Twin-share starting prices in AUD. Single supplement: from $1,995. Luxury upgrade (top-tier tented camps, helicopter transfers, longer vehicle time): from $4,895 additional pp. Migration departures (Jul-Oct) command a higher base rate than calving (Jan-Mar) because of guide and camp demand.
| Departure | Status | From (AUD pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 · 24 JulMigration season | Sold out | $9,299 | Join waitlist → |
| Aug 2026 · 14 AugMigration season | Few seats | $9,299 | Enquire → |
| Sep 2026 · 11 SepMigration season | Available | $9,299 | Enquire → |
| Oct 2026 · 9 OctMigration season | Available | $8,999 | Enquire → |
| Jan 2027 · 22 JanCalving season | Open | $8,499 | Enquire → |
| Feb 2027 · 12 FebCalving season | Open | $8,499 | Enquire → |
| Aug 2027 · 13 AugMigration season | Open | $9,499 | Enquire → |
| Oct 2027 · 8 OctMigration season | Open | $9,299 | Enquire → |
Wildebeest river crossings in the Mara, predator-action peaks, dense herds. Drier landscapes, browner colour palette. Higher demand and pricing — book 6-9 months ahead. Best for first-time safari with one specific bucket-list image: the crossing.
Hundreds of thousands of newborn wildebeest in the southern Serengeti. Predators on the hunt. Lush green landscape after short rains. Fewer fellow visitors, lower pricing. Best for repeat safari travellers and photographers who want softer light and greener frames.
Reviews from this exact tour.
We watched the Mara River crossing on Day 5. The guide had us in position 40 minutes before the wildebeest moved. Luxury tented camps throughout, exceptional food, and the small group meant the vehicles were never over-full. Life-changing twelve days.
Calving season in February — newborn wildebeest one day, a cheetah-and-cubs hunt the next. Cooee's driver-guide was the best wildlife-spotter I've ever travelled with. Already booking the gorilla-trek extension for 2027.
Ready for East Africa?
From $8,499 pp twin-share. Migration departures fill 6-9 months ahead — calving has more flexibility. Deposit of 25% confirms your booking. Speak directly to a Brisbane-based Africa specialist who has driven these routes themselves.
Specific to this safari.
Enquire about Kenya & Tanzania Safari
Tell us your preferred season (migration vs calving) and any specific questions. We'll come back within 1 business day with availability, a full itinerary PDF, vaccination/visa briefing notes, and a tailored quote — including international flight options from Brisbane via Doha.