Ngorongoro – Empakaai Cultural Safari

BOOKINGS OPEN: 15 days small group safari to Kenya & Tanzania starts on 5 November

We are looking for 6 travelers ready to start intensive and exciting safari in Kenya and Tanzania:

– Start on 5th November in Nairobi

– Small group safari: 6 guests maximum

– 15 days in Kenya and Tanzania

– Extensions possible: beach time in Tiwi (Mombasa coast in Kenya) or in Zanzibar (Tanzania)

– Combination of camping, tented camps, budget hotels

– Five most beautiful National Parks of both countries: Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Amboseli. And many interesting places in between!

– Based on full board: a good cook will travel with us.

– Price starting at 2100 US Dollars, final price will be confirmed based on the final accommodation plan and included activities (all agreed with the group!)

Who would you like to join you on safari? Tell your friends and family, and we will be happy to welcome you to Kenya and Tanzania.

Are you ready for your dream safari in November? Drop us an email on empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com

And don’t forget to check our latest trip pictures on Empakaai Cultural Safari Instagram account @empakaai_cultural_safari

Tanzania, off the beaten path – Empakaai Crater

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the world famous Ngorongoro crater, as well as many other beautiful places. The entire Conservation Area extends to the borders of Serengeti National Park on the west, reaches Lake Eyasi on the south and on the northern side it is crowned by the sacred mountain of Maasai, Ol Doinyo Lengai.

Very close to Oldoinyo Lengai the mother nature created yet another wonder. Empakaai Crater is a volcanic crater, so with its rich soils it gives life to lush green vegetation around its rim and on its slopes. At the bottom of the Empakaai Crater lies a beautiful lake that is shaped as a perfect oval almost the entire year round. The water here is rich in salt and minerals, and therefore cannot be used by humans. But it is a perfectly fine environment for flamingos and for buffaloes, who come to treat themselves to some grass and a lick of salt here.

There are Maasai villages on both sides of the Empakaai Crater. Maasai people cross by foot from one side to the other, on market days or when visiting family. Their paths are carved into the landscape, as they descend to the bottom, walk around the lake and ascend on the other side.

How do we reach Empakaai Crater?

The best way is to depart in the morning, not later than 8am, from a public campsite or a lodge next to Ngorongoro crater. We will make a short visit to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Headquarters to arrange our permits. And then we will start driving past the magnificent Ngorongoro crater, further north. On our way we will admire beautiful open valleys surrounded by green mountains. We will pass by traditional Maasai villages and see their cattle grazing on immense land, sometimes next to zebra. In one of the villages a local ranger will be waiting for us.

As we move closer to the Empakaai Crater, the open valleys will change into thick bush. And sometimes our vehicle will have to stop and wait until a herd of Maasai cows passes through and clears the way for us to continue our journey.

It takes about 50 km from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area headquarters to reach Empakaai Crater. Once arrived to the place where one of Maasai trails start, we will begin a descent of an overwhelming beauty, following the lead of the local Maasai ranger.

In the morning there will be clouds sitting along the crater rim. As we make our way down to the Empakaai Lake, the skies will be clearing. If we continue in a relaxed but steady pace, then it will be lunchtime by the time we are at the bottom. A good opportunity to enjoy a quick lunch and make a short walk along the lake line. Black sand, white salt, pink flamingos, green forest, blue skies, perfect oval of the lake – this is the world how it was created.

Empakaai Crater is a perfect starting point for a three days hiking trip to Oldoinyo Lengai. We will follow the Maasai trails and cross the Empakaai Crater, and from there continue to the sacred Oldoinyo Lengai.

We invite you to make this exciting trip with Empakaai Cultural Safari. After all, we chose to be named after the Empakaai Crater! So this place is very special for us and we are very proud to guide our guests there.

Want to start planning your trip to Empakaai Crater or to Oldoinyo Lengai? Just contact us on empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com

And on our Instagram account @empakaai_cultural_safari you will see more photos featuring Empakaai Crater. We appreciate your likes and follows 😉

Trip feedback: “The safari drives, tours, accommodations… all was perfect!”

We are delighted to receive this warm review from our recent trip!

Nuria, Elisabet, Jordi and Oscar did a 10-day Kenya and Tanzania trip with us last August. And here is what they shared with us:

“If you are planning a custom trip to Kenia and Tanzania, Empakaai Cultural Safari is THE TOUR OPERATOR!

Are you looking for a local (Maasai) experienced flexible and very kind guide? Moses is THE GUIDE!

We are four people and our trip in Kenya and Tanzania with Moses lasted for ten days. We had nothing but excellence throughout the planning and execution of the trip, with a fantastic guide on the ground, his knowledge of the countries and seamless coordination between all the different aspects of the trip.

They planned and adjusted the itinerary and dates to our interests, budget and convenience. We were interested in animals (of course!), but also people and history. Moses got the pacing just right. The safari drives, tours, accommodations… all was perfect! The drivers and cook were excellent! And there is no better guide in those countries than Moses, surely!

We highly recommend this tour operator to anyone planning on going to Kenia and Tanzania.”

The route was intensive, but very exciting:

Day 1: Nairobi to Nakuru

Day 2: Nakuru to Maasai Mara

Day 3 and Day 4: Maasai Mara

Day 5: Maasai Mara to Musoma

Day 6: Musoma to Serengeti National Park

Day 7: Serengeti

Day 8: Serengeti to Ngorongoro

Day 9: Ngorongoro to Mto Wa Mbu

Day 10: Mto Wa Mbu to Arusha (and then flight to Zanzibar)

Would you like to plan a trip to Kenya and Tanzania? Please drop us an emails to empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com and we will take it from there! And don’t forget to check out our Instagram account @empakaai_cultural_safari

Trip feedback: Kenya and Tanzania, 15 days

Happy to be back and let everyone know that our adventure in Kenya and Tanzania was excellent! And here is a letter from our friend Olena (instagram: @olena.oz) who was with us on the journey:

“A week ago we were in Nairobi, boarding our plane back to Amsterdam. They never ask at the customs if you are carrying some Africa back home with you (in your heart) – though I’m certain that everyone does.

If they asked, I’d tell them that my husband Henk has certainly kept some Lake Naivasha of Kenya, and some Karatu of Tanzania, in his heart and in his feelings. And maybe other places too, he just has not confessed yet. And that I am bringing back the bright buzz of Lake Victoria, the stunning calmness of Empakaai Crater, the “frozen-in-time” beauty of Amboseli crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro.

And then, our minds did not even start processing what had actually overcome us on this journey. Technically speaking, we did about 3,000 km in 2 weeks, including a couple of hundred km on “African massage” roads, 5 national parks, two country border crossings, one camping in the bush next to grazing wild buffalo, one dancing together with Maasai, and I can continue on and on for a long time….

A trip like this can only be enjoyable if someone is constantly working on the background to keep all things impeccably organized and delivered. Our luck is that we know Empakaai Cultural Safari run by the best trip leader in East Africa. He is very professional and he greatly enjoys his work. We can never thank you enough, Moses.

Ashe naleng for your friendship, positive mindset, sense of humor, for having friends in the most remote spots of Kenya and Tanzania, for your patience with us who were constantly showing up late for breakfast and (here comes the most challenging one!) for teaching Henk to embrace the concept of “pole pole” (“no hurry”).

Asante sana for your endless love for your land and culture. You know, those precious pieces of Africa that we took away in our hearts, they made us more enriched and wise people. They will also lead our paths back to your beautiful land very soon.

Still so many places in Africa waiting to be discovered with Empakaai Cultural Safari!”

Are you joining our trip to Kenya and Tanzania?

On 28 May 2016 we are departing from Nairobi to start an intensive and exciting trip that will take us through two East African countries in 15 days!

You are very welcome to join, as at this moment we still have place to accommodate 4 travelers. If you are traveling alone, as a couple or with friends, just let us know and we will make a plan together. Also if you would like to join just on some days, please contact us to discuss possibilities.

The itinerary is planned as follows at the moment:

Day 1: 28 May, Saturday – we are departing from Nairobi to drive to Naivasha.

Day 2: 29 May, Sunday – a scenic drive through the heart of Kenya will take us to Thomson Falls.

Day 3: 30 May, Monday – from Thomson Falls we will follow the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru.

Day 4: 31 May, Tuesday – we drive from Lake Nakuru to Kericho, the place of beautiful tea plantations.

Day 5: 1 June, Wednesday – our destination today will be Maasai Mara National Park.

Day 6: 2 June, Thursday – full day in Maasai Mara

Day 7: 3 June, Friday – from Maasai Mara crossing the border with Tanzania to reach Musoma on the shores of Lake Victoria

Day 8: 4 June, Saturday – full day in Musoma

Day 9: 5 June, Sunday – this afternoon Serengeti National Park will welcome us.

Day 10: 6 June, Monday – starting with sunrise at our camp in Serengeti and driving to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with an excursion to Olduvai Gorge and Site Museum.

Day 11: 7 June, Tuesday – from our camp in Ngorongoro we will do an excursion to Empakaai Crater and then arrive to the lodge in Karatu.

Day 12: 8 June, Wednesday – today the Tanzanian village of Mto Wa Mbu will be our destination.

Day 13: 9 June, Thursday – we will drive from Mto Wa Mbu to Arusha

Day 14: 10 June, Friday – the day of exploring the area around Arusha

Day 15: 11 June, Saturday – we are back to Kenya as we drive from Arusha to Nairobi.

This itinerary will take us to some most beautiful places on the planet. Sometimes we will have long driving days. Sometimes quieter days with only a short drive. You will definitely need to pack some curiosity, flexibility, open mind and sense of adventure with you!

Contact us by email on empakaai.cultural.safari@gmail.com or on Instagram empakaai_cultural_safari to discuss your preferences and ask any questions.