Kilimanjaro Airport is a small, easy airport to land in, and you will be met on arrival for the drive of roughly 90 minutes to the lodge. The lodge sits inside a working coffee estate, with shaded walking paths and a pool, which makes it a gentle place to reset after a long flight.

There is nothing scheduled today, so you can eat early and sleep well before the safari begins.

After breakfast there is a short transfer to Arusha Airport for the bush flight north, a flight of about 75 minutes with long views over the Rift Valley and the plains. You land at Kogatende, right in the middle of the crossing country, and the drive to camp doubles as your first game drive.

Afternoons here are usually spent close to camp, getting a feel for where the herds are sitting.

The day is shaped around the river. Guides read the movement of the herds early in the morning, then position the vehicle near the banks where animals are massing.

Crossings happen on the animals' schedule, so this can mean a long, patient wait followed by a few very intense minutes. Between attempts there is excellent resident game to find, and lunch is often taken in the bush so you do not have to leave the action.

A second full day in the north gives you a second chance at a crossing, and time for the quieter sightings that get overlooked in migration season, including lion, cheetah, and large elephant groups along the Mara River. In the afternoon you visit a nearby village, where the conversation is led by the community rather than staged for visitors.

Sundowners back on the plains close the day.

This is a travel day, but a scenic one. A short bush flight takes you from Kogatende to Migori, then a road transfer brings you to the Kenyan border, where you are assisted through immigration rather than left to work it out alone.

Back in the vehicle it is a short drive to the airstrip for the flight into the Mara, and 20 minutes by road into camp. You are usually settled in time for an afternoon game drive.

Camp sits within easy reach of several crossing points on the Talek and Mara rivers, so mornings start early to be in position before the herds commit. The Mara Triangle and the Talek confluence are both in range, and your guide will choose based on where the pressure is building.

Predator activity is high around the crossings, with lion, hyena, and crocodile all working the same stretch of water.

A pre-dawn pickup takes you to the launch site for lift-off at first light, with an hour of drifting low over the plains as the herds begin to move. You land to a full breakfast set up in the bush, then continue by vehicle back toward camp with the rest of the day open for game drives.

This is the day most travelers put at the top of the trip.

Whether you wish to feed the rescued giraffes at the Giraffe Center or relax at the Karen Blixen Garden Restaurant (where Out of Africa was written), Nairobi has something for everyone.

You can also rest at an airport hotel before your flight home.