On arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport you will be met by our airport representative and taken to the then already booked The Stanley.
Our safari begins with the thrill of overnight game viewing in the comfort of a Tree Hotel The lush hills of Aberdare National Park are covered by Kenya’s densest forest and form the eastern flank of the Great Rift Valley. Outside the park itself we pass many ranches, coffee plantations and early European settlements. We leave our main luggage at the base hotel and continue with just our overnight bags to one of the famous “tree hotels”, deep in the Aberdares Forest. A uniquely shaped lodge tucked away in the Aberdares National Park forest. The lodge’s water- hole and salt lick are well lit at night when the animals come to drink and a well-concealed “hide” affords eye-to-eye viewing of forest elephant and other game, including the endangered black rhino. Overnight game-viewing at the Treetops Lodge.
Driving north we pass Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain at 17,000 feet (5,199 metres). The massive size of this mountain and its gleaming and eroded snow-covered multiple peaks means that Mount Kenya dominates the surrounding countryside and even affects the local climate. This is also the traditional homeland of the Kikuyu people, the largest of Kenya’s 40 recognized tribes. The Kikuyu believe that their god, Ngai, lives on Mount Kenya and so they build their homes with the doors facing towards the mountain, to welcome their god in. We cross the Equator again into the northern hemisphere on our way to Samburu Game Reserve in a semi-desert area of Kenya. Samburu is located on the Ewaso Nyiro River. In this dry land the forested riverbanks are excellent areas to see wildlife, as all animals congregate here to drink, especially at dusk and early in the morning. This afternoon we take a game drive in the park. First of 2 nights in Samburu. Samburu Game Lodge.
Early morning and afternoon game drives in Samburu Game Reserve, which covers 40 square miles (104 square kilometres).Ololokwe Table Mountain forms a dramatic backdrop to our game viewing today. In Samburu we are sure to see elephants, warthogs and buffalo, which can be seen in many of Kenya’s parks, but we should also see animals not found in other areas. These include the Grevy’s Zebra, which has much narrower and more numerous stripes than the common (Burchell’s) zebra.. Samburu is also home to the third of Kenya’s giraffe species – the Reticulated Giraffe. This is also our best chance to see the blue-legged Somali Ostrich , the long-necked Gerenuk gazelle and the straight-horned Beisa Oryx antelope.
down by the river we hope to see crocodiles and hippos, as well as many beautiful birds. Second of 2 nights in Samburu. Samburu Game Lodge.
We drive back south from Samburu to the Equator and the slopes of Mount Kenya. Although situated on the Equator, Mount Kenya is permanently covered in glaciers and snow. Here we stay at the Sweetwaters Game Reserve. This very special 23,000 acre wildlife sanctuary was originally established to protect and breed highly-endangered Black Rhinos. In 1994 the Jane Goodall Institute established the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary within the game reserve and moved a large group of chimps here from the unstable situation in their native West Africa. This afternoon we have a game drive in the reserve and tour the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Overnight at Sweetwaters Camp. Optional Camel Ride or a Night Game Drive.
This morning we drive across the equator and descend the Nyandarua Escarpment into the Great Rift Valley and visit Thomson Falls. The Valley floor in Kenya is studded with volcanoes and seven lakes. These lakes fluctuate greatly in size according to the quality of the rains during the monsoons each year, sometimes drying up altogether. Arrive in time for lunch. This afternoon we take a game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park often described as the world’s biggest ornithological spectacle. This lake is famous for its flocks of over one million Greater and Lesser Flamingoes. The abundance of these birds is due to the alkaline mineral salts in the water, which support vast blooms of the blue-green algae and diatoms on which the flamingoes feed. As well as seeing many large game animals such as zebras, elephants and gazelles, this is one of our best chances of seeing rhinos. These highly endangered animals are the second largest land animals in the world. Lake Nakuru National Park was the first place in Kenya selected as a rhino reserve. Here is one of the few places where we can see Rothschild’s giraffes. Overnight at the Lake Nakuru Lodge.
After breakfast, drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve offering wonderful scenery and plenty of game. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago. Arrive for lunch at your lodge. Masai Mara is Kenya’s premier wildlife park. This is the northern section of the Serengeti Plain, is home to the greatest concentration of game animals in the world. Afternoon game drive until sunset. Meals and overnight at Wilderness Keekorok Lodge.
Early breakfast is followed by an exciting full morning’s game-viewing drive including a visit to Mara River to view the hippos. Early morning optional balloon ride with champagne-style breakfast. The first sight of the Masai Mara Game Reserve is breathtaking. Here the great herds of shuffling elephants browse among the rich tree-studded grasslands with an occasional sighting of a solitary and ill-tempered rhino, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelle, topi and eland and many more species of plains’ game offer a rich choice of food for the dominant predators; lion, leopard and cheetah which hunt in this pristine wilderness.
Whole day in Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. Meals and overnight at Wilderness Keekorok Lodge.
After breakfast drive to Nairobi, Kenya’s colourful capital city. Lunch at an African Restaurant where you have an excellent opportunity to sample African Dishes. Optionally and at a fee, we can have the lunch at famous Carnivore Restaurant. Carnivore Barbecue Experience is also described as ‘Meat Eaters Paradise’ and is the Africa’s Greatest Eating Experence! After lunch, transfer to your hotel or Jomo Kenyatta Airport for your onward arrangements.