Our route to Samburu is through Kenya’s central highlands, and we’ll make stops at local markets to shop and enjoy the flavor of the markets.
We will also cross the equator and pause to mark this special moment.
At Samburu we will embark on our first game drive, rumbling over the terrain in search of lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, and elephant.
Day 2 : Samburu Game Reserve – full day
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
We’ll arise in time to see the light spreading out on the great plains and delight to the first notes of the birds in the new morning.
Our day will be filled with as many game drives as you wish. Just let your driver/guide know how you would like to plan your day.
Besides the park’s big game, we’ll also be looking for unusual wildlife found here like Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and beisa oryx – a large antelope with a striking appearance.
We will also take drives to nearby Shaba and Buffalo Springs, two oases that are greener than Samburu with forests, woodland, and volcanic formations.
The park also displays over 450 species of avian life, including kingfisher, vulture, guinea fowl, falcon, and eagle. Despite its arid appearance, Samburu offers many surprises for the curious safari-goer.
Day 3: Samburu – Lake Nakuru – (250 km – Approx. 5 hrs)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
We’ll be leaving Samburu this morning but first, let’s take a game drive and try to find another elephant or buffalo on its way to a watering hole.
We’re on our way to Lake Nakuru and along our route, we’ll stop at Nyahururu to take in the towering cascade of Thompson’s Falls.
Lake Nakuru National Park is a lovely spot filled with waterfalls, acacia forests and the lake’s blue alkaline waters. You’ll find some flamingoes here along with pelicans, kingfishers, ostriches, herons, and eagles.
But the park is also known for giving sanctuary to a large population of black and white rhinos.
That’s what makes this reserve so special – its great variety of shape, form, colour, and species.
Day 4: Lake Nakuru – Lake Naivasha: (70km – Approx. 2 hr)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
We’ve got lots to see today so let’s start with an early morning safari through the park on our way to nearby Lake Naivasha.
There’s so much to do at the lake and its surrounding parks. We’ll get started with a short bike ride over to Hell’s Gate National Park. We’ll hike through dramatic gorges looking for antelope, gazelle, even zebra, and antelope.
Back at Lake Naivasha, we’ll take a relaxing boat safari across the lake, greeting hippos and the various birds flocking nearby. We might even spot some wildlife grazing on the shore.
This peaceful sojourn will be followed by a guided walk tour to Crescent Island Game Sanctuary, a lovely park that is chock full of gentle wildlife like impala, gazelle, zebra, and waterbuck.
We’ve had a very full day getting close to the animals on jeep, boat, bike, and foot… truly remarkable.
Day 5: Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara (285 km – Approx. 5-6 hrs.)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
How about one more game drive around the lake looking for birds and wildlife before we exit Naivasha for the immense spaces of Masai Mara National Reserve?
This is the big one – world-famous and Kenya’s most popular park.
We’ll have time to take our first game drive in the Mara this afternoon. Look for Africa’s Big Five – they’re all here. You’ll have your best chances of seeing lion and the other big cats as sightings are regularly reported.
Day 6: Full day – Masai Mara
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We’ve planned this 8-day safari to give you lots of time explore the rolling hills and acacia tree- dotted plains of the Masai Mara.
One of the most unique properties of the Mara is that this ecosystem has the highest concentration of wildlife in this region of Africa. Besides the Big Five, we’ll be looking for gazelle, topi, eland, plus great quantities of birdlife – kingfisher, stork, guinea fowl and plenty of raptors.
You may also see stunning hordes of wildebeests and zebra throughout the park during the Great Migration (July – October). This is the time when uncountable numbers of these grazers invade the park, crossing the Mara River, searching for sustenance.
We’ll take a picnic lunch near the river looking for hippos and crocodiles. And if it is the migration season, look for the vast influx of wildlife streaming into the Mara.
Day 7: Masai Mara – Nairobi (265km – Approx. 5 hrs)
Meal plan: Breakfast.
After a leisurely breakfast at your lodge/camp, your dedicated driver guide will assist you with the checkout process and proceed to Nairobi – Kenya’s colorful capital city.
On the way, your guide will point out the Longonot extinct volcano which is a strato volcano located southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. It is thought to have last erupted in the 1860s and its name is derived from the Maasai word Oloonong’ot, meaning “mountains of many spurs” or “steep ridges “.
You can opt to drive via Naivasha for lunch/excursions at an extra cost or drive straight to Nairobi and pass by Kiambethu farm for the tea farm tour inclusive of a three-course buffet lunch (at an extra cost) OR drive straight back to the capital and later transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International airport for your back home.
