A very mzuri tour... (AKI 1501)

... is coming to an end today, here in Diani Beach, Kenya. Two weeks of riding and game driving, a small group, but big fun. Thank you for coming on this final tour of East Africa, asante sana! A short ride brought us from the Tanzanian highlands back to Arusha. We had a sumptuous lunch and several coffees at the Coffee Lodge, then headed across the city to a tropical retreat for a lazy afternoon and a comfortable night. Only two riding days left... Crossing the border to Tanzania took us only an hour and a half, thanks to ample experience and our "border agent". We rode to Ngorongoro Crater, the huge caldera of an extinct volcano, up in the highlands of western Tanzania. At this amazing place we spent our third rest day. Our rest day in Amboseli was pure relaxation. A leisurly game drive in the morning, a couple of interesting MotoGP races during the day and another game drive in the afternoon, all interlaced by meals, massages, pool sessions and naps. All of that while being surrounded by wildlife. What a place! From Lake Naivasha we climbed up to the escarpment of the Rift Valley and reached the hightest point of this tour, 2700 m (9000 ft) above sea level. The views were great from there, but our visit to the Giraffe Centre was the true highlight of the day. Where else can you get this close to wild animals?  New pics by Hector and Enrique were added, scroll down! Next stop: the Giraffe Centre, located in Karen, a wealthy suburb of Nairobi. Rothschild giraffe are bred here and later released to the wild. Here we could meet and greet (and feed) the gentle giants. Today's destination was Amboseli National Park, home of countless elephants. The terrace of the Ol Tukai Lodge provides excellent views of Mt. Kilimanjaro Here in East Africa a game drive is only one way to see wild animals. Another one is to pick the right lodge. Here at Lake Naivasha the wildlife roams free through the estate. Our first rest day on this tour, inside the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, started very early. Pick-up for the balloon ride was at 5 am sharp. But it was worth it, what a great experience. Later everybody was lounging at the pool, taking naps, drinking coffee and heading out for another game drive. A rest day that truly deserves its name. Day 4 led us from Lake Vic across the fertile highlands to Narok, a small town in the desert, where we parked the bikes and the trailer. Only Hector wanted to torture his GS on the 50+ km of rough and rocky track to Maasai Mara Game Reserve. His reward: an extra-cold Tusker... Third day in Kenya. We ride through extensive tea plantations to the heart of the continent, to Lake Victoria. The first riding day of the Kilimanjaro Adventure is quite short, because problems of any kind could occur and slow us down. But everything went smoothly and we made it to Nyeri, a town at the foot of Mount Kenya, in time for lunch. Edelweiss started doing tours in East Africa back in 2009. Now, six years and eight tours later, we're here for our final ride through this amazing region.