An African dream safari guaranteeing an awesome experience as you explore beautiful environments and interesting cultures to be found along the shoulders of Mount Kenya combined with game viewing and more insights in and around the finest parks in Kenya. This Itinerary takes you to both Southern and Northern Hemisphere for the diversity of Kenya’s wildlife reserves.
Itinerary outline
- FLIGHT – NAIROBI
- NAIROBI – SAMBURU GAME RESERVE (drive to Samburu game reserve and Game View in the afternoon).
- SAMBURU GAME RESERVE (Early morning and afternoon Game viewing safari in Samburu).
- SAMBURU GAME RESERVE – OL PAJETA CONSERVACY (drive to sweet waters and Game View in the afternoon).
- OL PAJETA CONSERVACY (Early morning and afternoon Game viewing safari).
- OL PAJETA – LAKE NAIVASHA (boat ride on lake Naivasha in the afternoon).
- LAKE NAIVASHA – MASAI MARA (Drive to to Masai Mara game reserve for game viewing in the afternoon).
- FULL DAY MASAI MARA (Morning and afternoon Game viewing safari in Masai Mara).
- MASAI MARA – NAIROBI (Drive back to Nairobi. connect with flight back home).
Day 01:
IN FLIGHT OR ARRIVAL IN KENYA
Depending on the flight; Some arrive in the afternoon while others arrive at night.
You will be met by our staff on arrival at Nairobi Airport. Mostly it will be at night and you will have had dinner in the flight. You will be transferred to the reserved hotel for overnight stay, which is booked on Bed and Breakfast.
The airport is approximately 20-30 minutes drive to Most of the hotels.
- Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also form the Nairobi Province. The name “Nairobi” comes from the Maasai phrase “Enkare Nyirobi”, which translates to “the place of cool waters”. Founded in 1899 as a simple rail depot on the railway linking Mombasa to Uganda, the town quickly grew to become the capital of British East Africa in 1907 and eventually the capital of a free Kenyan republic in 1963. Nairobi is the most populous city in East Africa, with a current estimated population of about 4 million.
- At 1,795 metres (5,889 ft) above sea level, Nairobi enjoys a moderate climate. Nairobi has a Subtropical Highland climate.
- Nairobi is nicknamed the Safari Capital of the World, and has many spectacular hotels to cater for safari-bound tourists.
Day 02:
NAIROBI – SAMBURU GAME RESERVE.
We leave Nairobi early and drive through the agricultural rich country heading north towards Mt. Kenya. We continue further north to Samburu game Reserve. Samburu national reserve is a semi arid ecosystem which teems with a host of wildlife endemic to the northern part of Kenya chief among them being the reticulated giraffe, the grevy zebra, the oryx, the Somali ostrich, and the gazelle with the longest neck called the gerenuk, the vulturine guinea fowl among others. Apart from the above species, elephants, buffaloes, gazelles, crocodiles, impalas and dik-diks are seen in plenty as well as the elusive lions, cheetahs and leopard. We arrive in Samburu in time for lunch before the evening game drive. Return back to the Lodge for dinner and overnight.
- DRIVE DISTANCE: Nairobi to Samburu Game Reserve is 350 Km.
- DRIVE TIME: Drive time to Samburu Game Reserve is 6.5 hours.
- CLIMATE: Arid and semi-arid with hot days and cool nights. Annual mean temperature between 18º C and 30ºC. Annual mean rainfall is 345 mm with peaks in November and April.
- ACCOMMODATION: Stay at a Safari lodge inside the park.
- MEALS: All meals- Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast and overnight will be at the lodge inside the park.
- ACTIVITIES: game drives.
- ATTRACTIONS: The main purpose of a wildlife safari is to see Kenya’s wild animals in their natural habitat. Roaming the grasslands will be buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, giraffes, impala and warthog. Visit the local Samburu villages where you get a chance to interact with the colorful Samburu people in their traditional setting and experience their culture.
Day 03:
SAMBURU GAME RESERVE
Morning and evening game drive in the park where our expert guides and drivers will take you to different locations of the Samburu and the nearby buffalo springs reserves where you will have spectacular chances of spotting wildlife. You break off during the midday heat for a swim at the lodge before another late afternoon game-drive. Lunch, dinner and overnight at a Safari lodge in the park.
- Samburu National Reserve is one of the lesser-known national parks, but is nevertheless teeming with life. Situated alongside the Ewaso Nyiro River, there is plenty to attract wildlife from the surrounding savannah plains. The vegetation is classified as arid and semiarid. The climate in Samburu is hot and dry during the day, and cool during nights and evenings.
- The annual mean temperatures range between 18º C and 30ºC, while the mean annual rainfall is 345 mm with peaks in November and April.
- The dry season starts in late May, and goes up to early October when a large concentration of wildlife is found in the reserve due to availability of lush vegetation along the Ewaso Nyiro River, the main source of water to the Reserve and the nearby communities.
- The reserve is rich in wildlife with an abundance of rare northern specialist species such as the Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and the beisa oryx (also referred to as Samburu Special Five).
Day 04:
: SAMBURU – OL PAJETA CONSERVANCY (Also known as SWEETWATERS).
We leave Samburu after breakfast and drive back south towards Mt. Kenya. Arrive at Sweetwaters Tented Camp in time for lunch after a 2.5 hours drive. After lunch you proceed for the afternoon gamedrive. Lunch, dinner and overnight at a safari lodge in the park.
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a private game sanctuary that also doubles up as an orphanage for chimpanzees that were rescued from war torn Great Lakes region. The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary opened in 1993 in a negotiated agreement between the Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Kenya Wildlife Service. The facility was initially established to receive and provide lifelong refuge to orphaned and abused chimpanzees from West and Central Africa.
- DRIVE DISTANCE: Samburu to Ol Pejeta Conservancy is 150 Km.
- DRIVE TIME: Drive time is 2.5 hours.
- CLIMATE: Warm and dry. Max daytime temperatures vary between 26°C to 30°C.
- ACCOMMODATION: Stay at a Safari lodge in the park.
- MEALS: All meals- Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast and overnight will be at the lodge.
- ACTIVITIES: Afternoon and morning game drives.
- ATTRACTIONS: Game drive in this sanctuary accords you the chance of seeing giraffes, zebras and other herbivores as well as the Sweetwaters’ specialties which include the Chimpanzee sanctuary as well as Rhino.
Day 05:
OL PAJETA CONSERVANCY.
Morning and evening game drive in the park where our expert guides and drivers will take you to different locations of the Mara park where you will have spectacular chances of spotting wildlife. You break off during the midday heat for a swim at the lodge. Lunch, dinner and overnight at a Safari lodge or camp in the park.
- Situated between the foot hills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kenya, Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy boasts an astounding variety of animals including all the “Big Five” (the endangered black and white rhino) as well a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees, the only one in Kenya.
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and home of the last two northern white rhinos.
Day 06:
OL PAJETA – LAKE NAIVASHA.
Leave Ol Pajeta after breakfast and drive to a hotel on the shore of Lake Naivasha arriving in time for lunch. After Lunch we will visit the Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. This is a small private sanctuary centred around a volcanic crater lake with spectacular green water. The lake attracts many flamingo, and the surrounding forests and plains have plenty of game. This is a good place to explore on foot. The guide will take you through the trails at the lakeshore, the rim or even the Sanctuary where you can see a good number of wild animals at a very close range.
Later we will have a boat ride round the lake to see birds and hippos. The Boat Ride takes 1 hours. At 1880 meters above sea level, Lake Naivasha is the highest of the Rift Valley Lakes. It is the second largest freshwater lake in Kenya and one of only two freshwater lakes in the rift valley. The lake is famed for its bird life particularly fish eagles, pelicans and love birds and has many hippos. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
- Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in Kenya, lying north west of Nairobi, outside the town of Naivasha. It is part of the Great Rift Valley. The name derives from the local Maasai name Nai’posha, meaning “rough water” because of the sudden storms which can arise. It is situated at an altitude of 1,884 metres (6,180 ft). The lake has an average depth of 6 m (20 ft), with the deepest area being at Crescent Island, at a maximum depth of 30 m (100 ft). The lake is home to a variety of wildlife; over 400 different species of bird have been reported. There is a sizeable population of hippos in the lake.
- DRIVE DISTANCE: Ol Pajeta to Lake Naivasha 250 Km.
- DRIVE TIME: Drive time to Lake Naivasha is 5 hours.
- CLIMATE: Warm and dry.
- ACCOMMODATION: Stay at a hotel on the shores of Lake Naivasha.
- MEALS: You will have lunch, Dinner and overnight will be at a hotel on the shores of Lake Naivasha.
- ACTIVITIES: Nature Walk and Boat trip on Lake Naivasha.
Day 07:
LAKE NAIVASHA – MASAI MARA.
Depart early and head for Masai Mara. You arrive in time for lunch then proceed for the afternoon game drive at 16.00hrs. Overnight a safari lodge in the mara.
The Mara is a 1500 sq km reserve found in the south west part of the country. Most of its landscape is open savannah grasslands dotted with acacia trees and riverine forest. This is where one has the high chances of seeing the big game in Kenya. The big five comprising of the Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard, Lion and Rhinoceros are present here plus a host of other animal and avian species. This reserve is also an extension of the Serengeti in Tanzania thus making it a home of the annual wildebeest migration in July through September. Dinner and over night at a safari lodge or camp in the mara.
- DRIVE DISTANCE: Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara 250 Km.
- DRIVE TIME: Drive time from Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara is 6 hrs.
- CLIMATE: Most rain falls between March and May and during the short rainy season in November and December. Between July and October the weather is dry.
- ACCOMMODATION: Stay at a Safari lodge or camp in the Mara.
- ACTIVITIES: Afternoon and morning game drives.
- ATTRACTIONS: Meet the Maasai people and learn about the Maasai culture and their indigenous lifestyle. The main purpose of a wildlife safari is to see Kenya’s wild animals in their natural habitat.
Day 08:
Masai Mara.
Morning and evening game drive in the park where our expert guides and drivers will take you to different locations of the Mara park where you will have spectacular chances of spotting wildlife. You break off during the midday heat for a swim at the lodge. Lunch, dinner and overnight at a Safari lodge or camp in the mara.
Masai Mara National Reserve is considered a “must see” for any visitor traveling on safari in Kenya. It is on the “to do” list of most Kenyan visitors because the park is graced by a wide variety of unique and exquisite wild life and birds.
Masai Mara is the best place to see all of the “Big Five” animals (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalo) together. The famous wildebeest migration also takes place at the Mara.The Masai Mara provides the best view of the famous wildebeest migration as the animals cross the Mara River between July to September.
The Mara is also home to the richest concentration of wildlife,The park experiences a hot and dry climate with a regular rainfall season twice a year.
The reserve’s topography is mainly open savannah (grassland) with clusters of acacia trees along the southeastern area of the park.
- DRIVE TIME: Each Game drive takes about 2.5 – 3 hours.
- CLIMATE: Daytime temperatures run at 85°F (30°C) ) maximum and night temperatures can drop to around 60°F (15°C). Most rain falls between March and May and during the short rainy season in November and December.
- Between July and October the weather is dry.
- ACCOMMODATION: Stay at a Safari lodge or camp in the Mara..
- MEALS: All meals- Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast and overnight will be at the lodge or tented camp.
- ACTIVITIES: Morning and afternoon game drives.
- ATTRACTIONS: The main attraction to the Mara is to see Kenya’s wild animals in their natural habitat. Game viewing, Bird Watching.
Day 09:
MASAI MARA GAME RESERVE – BACK TO NAIROBI.
Depart for Nairobi after Breakfast arriving back to Nairobi in the evening. We will dropped you at Nairobi airport to connect with your flight back home.
- DRIVE DISTANCE: Masai Mara to Nairobi is 255km.
