Wild Critters! Lions and Elephants on a Micato Luxury Safari

A large herd of elephants might cross directly in front of your vehicle. Or you might spot stately giraffes lumbering across the grasslands. Other possibilities include views of wild cheetahs, zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, wild dogs, ostriches, rhinos, baboons, monkeys, and even rare birds.

Micato Luxury: Small Groups or Private Safaris

Luxurious and Inclusive

As a luxury, highly inclusive tour company, Micato will also handle all the important details. That leaves travelers free to immerse themselves fully in the rhythms of Africa. Fares include such elements as the following:

• Intra-tour flights
• All airport transfers
• Payment of any game park, national park or conservancy fees
• Luxurious accommodations, whether at a tented safari camp, game park resort or upscale city hotel
• An experienced safari director to escort the eco-adventure from start to finish in Africa
• Expert local guides and dedicated drivers for scenic trips and game viewing rides
• All meals, plus regional wine and beer at mealtimes
• Soft drinks and bottled water in safari vehicles
• A range of activities — individualized for guests at every safari location
• All gratuities on safari (and that includes sizable tips paid to safari directors, game rangers, trackers, waiters, porters and so on)
• Free Wi-Fi in areas where it’s available
• Daily valet laundry service on safari
• Complimentary bush hats, specially designed Micato Safaris duffels, luggage tags, document wallets, flashlights, and more

Other Micato Luxury Safari Tidbits

Luxury Safari: “The Micato Grand Safari”

Let’s start, though, with the grand shebang of luxury safari travel within East Africa. Travelers seeking an African trip of a lifetime should check out the 15-day “Micato Grand Safari.” Wild exploration and critter spotting are top of mind.

For instance, travelers will head out to look for exotic animals within Kenya’s Amboseli National Park; the Maasai Mara, a national reserve within Kenya; and the adjoining Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

At Amboseli, guests also will enjoy views of Tanzania’s snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. This impressive peak is more than 19,000 feet above sea level and more than 16,000 feet above its plateau base. In addition, guests will head down a narrow roadway leading into the Ngorongoro Crater, an ecosystem with prolific wildlife. 

What about luxury accommodations? During this “Micato Grand Safari,” safari goers will stay at magnificent resorts and luxurious camps. Guests will overnight at such top spots as Amboseli’s Tortilis Camp and the Maasai Mara’s splendid Bateleur or Governor’s Il Moran camps.

Plus, they’ll stay at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge or Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge in the Serengeti. Another favorite overnight base is the Lewa Safari Camp on the Laikipia Plateau.

Intra-Journey Flights

The Meandering Traveler likes this itinerary’s inclusion of six intra-journey flights. That makes travel between game preserves and the luxury camps or upscale properties a seamless, time-saving experience. Plus, travelers can cover more ground. They can do more of what they want — searching for wildlife and living the safari experience.

Days 1-3 – En Route and Nairobi

Day one of the “Micato Grand Safari” is for getting to Africa. Days two and three are spent in Nairobi, Kenya. That nicely sets the stage for the upcoming safari experience. Upon arrival, guests will be met by their Micato safari director for a drive to Hemingways, their Nairobi hotel. Look for classic African ambience and old-school luxuries.

The following day, guests will visit Micato-AmericaShare’s Harambee Centre and greet Giraffa camelopardalis at the Giraffe Centre. They’ll also visit the former home of Karen Blixen for remembrances of her life in Kenya and “Out of Africa.”

That’s followed by lunch at a top Nairobi restaurant, a tour of the country’s National Museum, and a return to Hemingways.

Luxury Safari – Days 4-7 – Amboseli and Lewa

After an intra-Kenya flight, guests will reach Amboseli and the Tortilis Camp. During days four and five, guests will visit Maasai villages and head out on game drives. They’ll stay in luxuriously furnished, thatch-covered tents, nestled under Tortilis’ acacia trees. They’ll relax on their veranda and might even witness a parade of elephants passing by.

On days 6-7, Micato will transport guests to the Laikipia Plateau with views of Mount Kenya. Did you know the area is home to the world’s largest concentration of Grevy’s zebra, and it has more than 100 rhinos as well?

Safari goers will stay at the pampering Lewa Safari Camp, which is comprised of 13 thatched roof tents. Classically airy and luxurious too, each has a modern en-suite bathroom, and large private veranda overlooking a fabulous African landscape.

Days 8-11 – Luxury Safari – Maasai Mara & Serengeti

A morning flight over the Great Rift Valley will take travelers to the Maasai Mara ecosystem, a great grasslands haven for large exotic mammals. Yes, you’ll possibly spot lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes and much more.

For days 8-9, Micato’s guests will stay at the Bateleur Camp or Governor’s IL Moran Camp. They’ll enjoy game drive, mix and mingle with local Maasai people, and make side trips to the Mara River and its tributaries. The reward of the latter is a look at crocodiles and hippos.

On the second day in the Mara, travelers will head up, up and away — in a hot-air balloon above the grasslands. What’s special for Micato guests, in particular, is that this balloon ride is included (not an extra cost) in the luxury safari experience. After ballooning over the landscape and viewing wildlife below, at flight’s end, guests will enjoy a champagne breakfast.

Three Million Large Mammals

On days 10-11, guests will fly via Nairobi to Arusha, Tanzania, for a drive into the wilds of the Serengeti for a two-day experience. Amazing factoid? Three million or more large mammals — elephants, cheetahs, gazelles, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, lions, rhinos, and dozens of other species inhabit this eco-system. 

Beyond the grasslands, travelers will see forests and kopjes — rock islands emerging from the plain. For two nights, Micato’s guests will stay at either the luxurious Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti or Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge. Grumeti is a chic, 10-tent camp set along the Serengeti’s riverbanks. 

Days 12-13 – Into the Ngorongoro Crater

After a flight to the southeast, guests will enter Tanzania’s Manyara National Park. The magnificent Lake Manyara attracts thousands of pink flamingos, as movie goers know from the film, “Out of Africa.” But seeing this lovely lake firsthand is a truly incredible experience.

Best of all, Micato’s guests will have splendid lake views during lunch at the Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge. Then Micato will take guests on a drive across the Crater Highlands.

Their destination is the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, perched on the crater’s rim.  Needless to say, the views are superb. Then, guests will take a game drive down into the crater, a microsystem of prolific wildlife.

You might even be lucky enough to see — as The Meandering Traveler once did — Maasai in traditional red tribal attire. We spotted some of these semi-nomadic tribal members escorting their cattle, goats and sheep down into the crater for grazing.

African Luxury Safari Itineraries

The 15-day “Micato Grand Safari” is the ultimate luxury safari adventure, taking travelers to East Africa’s storied wild places. “For many luxury travelers, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” acknowledges Pavlus’ Steudle. “Beyond the incredible ‘wild things’ to see, guests will enjoy touring arrangements created by a superb, experienced travel operator.”

Contact your personal travel planner for questions, to discuss all Micato options, and secure the best pricing including any promotions. Also, ask the advisor about other options, such as a private journey or private, customized touring. Then, relax and savor the anticipation of an African eco-adventure as the personal travel planner manages your booking.

Other Micato Luxury Safari Experiences

Prefer South Africa for a future Africa experience? “We also see clients now opting for Micato’s 13-day ‘Jewels of Southern Africa’ itinerary,” says Steudle. “The big plus — beyond the wildlife — is that it not only explores South Africa but also Zambia. There travelers can gaze at the thundering Victoria Falls.”

So, look for an upcoming blog about that specific Micato itinerary. To view all the tour operator’s Africa itineraries, though, visit Micato’s luxury safari website.

Isak Dinesen, in penning “Out of Africa,” said: “When you have caught the rhythm of Africa, you find out that it is the same in all her music.” So, follow the contact information below to start planning your vacation in the wilds of Africa.

The reality is that most travelers who return from a wildlife-viewing adventure feel that rhythm in their African memories and say they’re “forever changed.”

Important Notes from Pavlus Travel