Day 2 - 5: Fly to Elsa's Kopje - Meru National Park in North Eastern Kenya. Elsa's Kopje is a luxurious oasis in the wilds of Meru National Park and was named after Elsa the lioness raised and set free here in Meru National Park; by George and Joy Adamson in the film Born Free. The lodge blends into the hillside of Mughwango Hill, site of George Adamson's original camp. Here game drives will be provided by the lodge in their open vehicles for a romantic African safari, reminiscent of bygone days. Meru is vast with arid, open plains dotted with Doum Palms and Baobab trees and lush vegetation along 13 rivers, like green ribbons, bisecting the Park. Here visitors will see a diverse range of species, many animals differing from their counterparts in Southern Kenya and Tanzania. Regular sightings include Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Elephant, Grevy's Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Lesser Kudu, Grant's Gazelle, Leopard, Lion, Cheetah, Rhino and the rare, elusive Greater Kudu. Meru is famous for its bird life, including riverine and forest species as well as the arid dry country species

Day 6: Return flight to Nairobi's Wilson airport and connection flight to Arusha in Northern Tanzania. Today and overnight is spent Coffee Lodge a lovely luxury lodge set in a working coffee plantation.

Day 7 - 9: Tarangire National Park: Transport 4 x 4 'safari' Land Cruiser to Swala Camp. Swala's nine private, permanent tents feature en suite bathrooms with showers, complemented by fittings and fixtures crafted from local materials to mirror the understated elegance of the time-honored safari style.

Nestled in a remote pocket of Tarangire National Park, Swala is sited in a copse of majestic acacia trees at the edge of the Gurusi wetlands and the unfurling savannah

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Crews working through the night beat back flames and built containment lines around a two-day old wildfire that charred nearly 22 square miles of brush. The blaze was 62 percent contained Saturday morning and no structures were threatened, Fire Capt. Sam Padilla said. He said there were no open flames, which slowed the fire's spread.

Diplomat: 'Ghosts In The Room' Plague U.S., Iran
John Limbert, who spent 444 days as a hostage in Tehran, stepped down as head of the State Department's Iran desk on Friday. Limbert says that while the White House has made persistent efforts to change the tone of America's relationship with Iran, conflicts between the two nations are deeply ingrained.

Day 10 - 11: Ngorongoro Crater: Ngorongoro Crater Lodge consists of three adjacent, glamorous camps with 30 Maasai-inspired suites perched on stilts on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. From the outside, this unobtrusive lodge resembles a magical Maasai village. Set in classic crescents, each stone and thatch suite has spectacular views of the crater from large glass windows in the bathroom, lounge and bedroom, yet is almost invisible from the crater floor.

Day 12 - 14: Central Serengeti: Your lodge will be Serena Serengeti Lodge conveniently placed for your early morning ballooning safari over the serengeti. At dawn take off, rising as the sun rises and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take us. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon: sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below.

Day 15: Return flight from the Serengeti in light aircraft to Arusha for onward flight to Pemba or Mafia Island
About the Author

For more information about Tanzanian and Kenyan National Parks see http://betheladventure.co.uk using tourism to fund community initiatives focused on the education of the young and the medical care for the whole family. Ensure your safari is using profits to help the community.