Serena Lodge Safari & Run -
with Kathy Loper and Kurt Bodmer
Serena Lodges are elegant, 4-star safari lodges in excellent locations each with comfortable accommodations, fine restaurant, lounge, and swimming pool.
Tour Itinerary
Tour Home
Itinerary
Options & Prices
Reservation form
Register Online
Contact
Kathy Loper
Events Home
Thu 17Feb ~ Departure Day - MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - AMSTERDAMMorning flight on Delta Airlines from your hometown to the Group Gateway Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport in time to make the connection.1515 Leave Minneapolis/St. Paul on Delta 258, Airbus A-330, non-stop, dinner and breakfast served. Flying time 8hrs10min. Fri 18Feb ~ AMSTERDAM - KILIMANJARO0630 Arrive AMSTERDAM Schipol Airport (change planes).1105 Leave Amsterdam on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL/569, MD-11, non-stop, lunch and snack served. Flying time 8hrs20min. 1930 Arrive KILIMANJARO Airport in Tanzania, East Africa Meet and Greet and transfer to nearby (3kms) ...
for overnight. |
||||||
 |
Lunch at the Manyara Serena Lodge.
Lake Manyara is a shallow, alkaline lake at the base of a cliff face that is part of the western Rift Valley wall. 330 square kilometers of national park! Famous for elephant, hippo, olive baboon, zebra, masses of flamingo and an occasional lion in the tree.
The compact game-viewing circuit through Manyara offers a virtual microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience. Lush jungle-like groundwater forest features baboon troops, blue monkeys, ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck, and honking forest hornbills. Jagged blue volcanic peaks rise from the endless Maasai Steppe. Large buffalo, wildebeest, zebra herds, and giraffes congregate on the grassy plains. Inland of the floodplain, the acacia woodland is the favored haunt of tree-climbing lions, along with impressively tusked elephants, banded mongoose, and diminutive Kirk's dik-dik. Pairs of klipspringer appear on the rocks above steaming hot springs. More than 400 bird species have been recorded here, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day, notably pink-hued flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, and storks.
1500 Depart your lodge for an extensive game drive of Lake Manyara.
Return to the lodge in the early evening for dinner and overnight.
1930 Meet at the bar for a Welcome Drink - hosted by Kathy.
Sun 20Feb ~ Lake Manyara - Ngorongoro.
Breakfast at Lodge0800 Depart your lodge for a morning game drive. Return to the lodge for lunch and some leisure time.
1500 Depart the lodge for the drive to the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge to enjoy dinner and a show, before turning in for the night (EITHER A MASAI DANCE OR AN ACROBATIC SHOW).
 |
 |
Ngorongoro Crater is one of the natural wonders of the world. A large volcanic caldera, with an area of 259 square kilometers, it contains a huge variety of game and birds and is often referred to as a microcosm of Africa with its dramatic weather changes and varied terrains consisting of forest, grasslands and both freshwater and soda lakes.
Mon 21Feb ~ Ngorongoro.
Descend down into the crater to enjoy a game drive on the crater floor - picnic lunch is included. Return to the lodge for some leisure time - no activities/excursions are planned for this afternoon.Dinner and overnight at the Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge.
Tue 22Feb ~ Serengeti National Park - Olduvai Gorge
Depart your lodge after breakfast to be driven to the Serengeti National Park (picnic lunch included), stopping en route at a local Masai Village (interact with the locals, take some photos, and find out more about their fascinating culture) and the Olduvai Gorge.Olduvai Gorge, in 1959, Mary Leakey made her groundbreaking discovery of a hominid (human-like) skull dating back 1.8 million years. Since then other hominid species, possibly our early ancestors, have been found in the area dating as far back as 3.7 million years. The whole area is often referred to as the "cradle of mankind". You will visit the original excavations down in the gorge and the museum. A fascinating place!
Continue your journey into the national park viewing game en route to the...
SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE
for dinner and overnight.The Serengeti Serena Lodge is set high on a hill with breathtaking vistas of a landscape teeming with game. The lodge design is simple but stunning, rich in local atmosphere created by indigenous handicrafts and art. Inspired by a traditional African village, separate rondavel "huts" house the 66 guest rooms. Swimming pool.
 |
Wed 23Feb ~ At Serengeti.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Lodge.0630 Game drive
0830 Bush Breakfast
Depart on a game drive after breakfast (picnic lunch included), to return to your lodge in the late afternoon/early evening for dinner and overnight at the Serena Safari Lodge.
Half-day game viewing with a late lunch at the lodge and the balance of the day at leisure.
Thu 24 Feb ~ Serengeti - Kirawira Luxury Tented Camp.
Depart your lodge after breakfast for a nature walk near the lodge, before making your way to the Grumeti area of the Serengeti (viewing game en route) for dinner and overnight at the ...KIRAWIRA TENTED CAMP
Close to the Grumeti River, famed for its giant crocodiles, perched on a hill with uninterrupted views of the plains of the Western Serengeti, Kirawira Camp offers its guests a luxurious tented African safari.A picnic lunch will be provided today.
Kirawira is a reincarnation of a Victorian tented camp and guests enjoy luxurious accommodation, a valet service, superb house cuisine, fine wines and the best of East African hospitality. Throughout the camp, native wood, African art and tented canvas are combined with typical Victorian and colonial furniture to recall a bygone era of explorers, pioneers and the early colonial settlers. The accommodation is housed in deluxe individual tents set on wooden platforms. Each has a spacious double bedroom and bathroom, styled from the Victorian period with African art, and a private verandah from which there are spectacular views over the endless Serengeti.
The lush vegetation around Kirawira is home to a wide variety of large game: lion, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, baboon, gazelle and wildebeest. It is also an area abundant in bird life, which is regularly encountered around the camp itself.
Fri 25Feb ~ Kirawira - Arusha - Moshi.
Depart camp after breakfast to be driven to the local airstrip (viewing game en route) to catch the scheduled Regional Air flight at0950 back to Arusha. Met upon arrival at 12:30 by a Wild Frontiers representative, to be transferred to Arusha town to enjoy lunch at Stiggy's Bar & Grill (lunch is included).
Please note that drinks are excluded and will be for your own account. In the afternoon continue driving to MOSHI to arrive late afternoon at your ...
 |
Pasta Dinner at your hotel.
Sat 26Feb ~ In Moshi
Breakfast and lunch at the hotel.Day at leisure to relax from your safari and prepare for the race!
Morning visit to the Amani Children's Home. You may also like to walk into town, or just relax at your hotel in the afternoon.
1600 Race Bib packet distribution and briefing/description at the Keys Hotel, to get acquainted with the route of your marathon, half marathon or 5k run.
Another special carbo-loading Pasta Dinner at your hotel.
Sun 27Feb ~ In Moshi - RACE DAY!!!
Guests at Keys will walk half a mile to the run start. More information will be available at your hotel.The marathon route leaves Moshi Stadium and heads down towards the town, and then along the main road in the direction of Dar-Es-Salaam for approximately 8-9k. This section of the route is relatively flat, and there are plenty of well-wishers along the road. We turn around and head back through the town of Moshi before turning towards Mount Kilimanjaro and heading up a long, steady ascent towards Mweka at the foot of the mountain. The uphill climb is gradual, leads through villages and coffee plantations, with the Kilimanjaro towering above and all the local villagers out to cheer you on this early Sunday morning...the time passes quickly. The turnaround point marks approximately 32km and the last section is a fast downhill run back toward the stadium. Regular water tables as well as "sponging points" and the odd "shower" keep the runners refreshed and cool along the entire route.
For those running the half marathon, the route also starts at the Moshi Stadium and after a short section on the flat, it follows the gradual uphill route to Mweka as per the full marathon, before turning around at approx 10k to return to the stadium. The atmosphere in the stadium is electric with local bands playing, entertainment, crowds of local enthusiasts to cheer the runners, and lots of food and drink for sale.
Goody bag/finisher medal for Full and Half. Enjoy a cool-down at our own Wild Frontiers Hospitality Tent with free water and beer.
The 5k fun run heads off from the stadium and does a short loop around town, where the crowds will cheer you on, before returning to the stadium.
After the run, awards presentation with a fun time at the stadium.
For more details on the 2011 Kilimanjaro running event, go to www.kilimanjaromarathon.com
Lunch at your hotel.
1700 "Happy Hour" and Trek briefing by the Pool at the Keys Hotel.
1900 BBQ Dinner at Keys Hotel.
Mon 28Feb ~ Moshi - USA
Breakfast at the hotel.Day at leisure in Moshi, relax from your run.
Lunch and dinner provided at your hotel.
For those on to the trek tomorrow, please review your trekking gear to ensure you have all your equipment.
For those returning home, you will be transferred to the airport for your evening flight from Kilimanjaro to Amsterdam. Only breakfast and lunch will be provided to guests flying out tonight. Our rooms will be held for 6:00 PM check-out.
1830 Transfer to the Kilimanjaro Airport.
Mon 28Feb 2035 ~ Leave KILIMANJARO
on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL/569, MD-11, late evening snack and breakfast served, non-stop.Tue 01Mar ~ AMSTERDAM - MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL
0810 Arrive AMSTERDAM Schipol Airport (change planes).1440 Leave Amsterdam Schipol on Delta 265, Airbus A-330, non-stop, lunch served.