7 Days 6 Night Nairobi – Samburu – Masai Mara Safari
Maasai Mara: 1stnight
Amboseli belongs in the elite of Kenya’s national parks, and it’s easy to see why. Its signature attraction is the sight of hundreds of big-tusked elephants set against the backdrop of Africa’s best views of Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m). Africa’s highest peak broods over the southern boundary of the park, and while cloud cover can render the mountain’s massive bulk invisible for much of the day, you’ll be rewarded with stunning vistas when the weather clears, usually at dawn and/or dusk. Apart from guaranteed elephant sightings, you’ll also see wildebeest and zebras, and you’ve a reasonable chance of spotting lions and hyenas. The park is also home to over 370 bird species.
Details:
Day 1: Nairobi to Amboseli National Park:4 h 6 min (215.6 km)
Book you flight to arrive Nairobi in the early morning. On arrival we pick you from Jomo Kenyatta international airport and take you somewhere for breakfast and briefing.
This morning we depart by road through the scenic Athi Plains and into the bush country of Amboseli National Park, home to the legendary Masai tribesmen and famous for huge herds of Elephant.
After lunch an afternoon game run is also planned. In addition to elephant, antelope, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and the rare black rhino, nearly every vista within the park is framed by majestic Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance.
Overnight at Tortilis Camp (Luxury) or Sentrim Amboseli (Budget).
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Aberdares National Reserve: 2nd Night
Herds of wildlife thunder over an open African horizon, elephants emerge from a thicket of plants and the mysterious black rhino munches tranquilly on leaves. This is Aberdare National Park, packed with 300m-high waterfalls, dense forests and serious trekking potential. Also commonly seen here are buffaloes, black rhinos, spotted hyenas, bongo antelope, bush pigs, black servals and rare black leopards
Details:
Day 2: Amboseli – Drive to Mt Kenya National Park/ Aberdare: 7 h 12 min (369.9 km)
Depart Nairobi after breakfast. Our destination today is the Aberdare National Park. We stop for lunch at a restaurant in Nairobi and travel overland through plantations of coffee and tea to The Aberdare Country Club, nestled on the slopes of Mweiga Hill.
After high tea, set off for the Ark tree lodge, located in the forest on mountain slopes of the Aberdare Mountains at 7,000 feet. This outstanding lodge offers high altitude game viewing, including animals that are rarely encountered elsewhere: giant forest hog, bush pig, tree hyrax, large spotted genet, and the elusive bongo
Wildlife can be observed from different levels – and from outside where you can see, hear and smell everything and inside where you can sit with a cup of tea and stay warm and cozy.
You can put in a request to be awakened during the night if your favorite animals show up. A herd of Elephants might be just feet away and if you are lucky, a Leopard or large male Lion might put in an appearance.
Overnight at the Aberdare Country Club (Budget) or Solio Lodge (Luxury)
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Samburu National Reserve: 3rd and 4th Night
The most popular park in northern Kenya, Samburu’s dominate feature is the Ewaso Ngiro River, which slices through the otherwise bone-dry country. The river acts as a magnet for thirsty animals and large numbers of elephants, Grevy’s zebras, giraffes and lions gather along the riverbanks.
Details:
Details:
Day 3: Aberdares National Park to Samburu National Reserve: 4 h 15 min (197.9 km)
Depart Aberdare or Mt. Kenya National Park in the Morning by road to Samburu Game Reserve located at the North rugged Semi desert region.
Samburu Game Reserve is a wild and little visited region, well known for spectacular scenery and wildlife not found in the south: Reticulated Giraffe, the rare Grevy’s Zebra with its large furry ears, the gerenuk Antelope standing on its hind legs to feed and Somali Ostriches with their distinctive blue legs.
Lunch upon arrival at your lodge then proceed on a ‘Spice’ game drive.
Overnight at Sarova Shaba Lodge or Ashnil Samburu Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Day 4: Explore Samburu Game Reserve
Full day in Samburu with morning and afternoon game drives. You may see Elephants, Cheetah, Leopard, Eland, Oryx, Impala, Dikdik, Waterbuck and a variety of birds. This lava plain includes a varied landscape of red dirt, thorn scrub, broken volcanic rock, dried riverbeds, steep hills and rocky outcroppings.
Following the river’s curves, a forest of Doum Palms, Acacia and tamarind is a magical contrast of cool green. Other areas of the Reserve include the Uaso Nyiro River where crocodiles sun bath themselves on the banks. It also provides an oasis for a variety of game.
Birds are abundant, with 365 species recorded, one for every day of the year. In between the game drives, there is an opportunity to visit a Samburu village at an additional cost.
Overnight at Sarova Shaba Lodge or Ashnil Samburu Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Lake Nakuru Nationa Park: 5th Night
Just two hours’ drive from Nairobi, Lake Nakuru is among Kenya’s finest national parks. Flanked by rocky escarpments, pockets of forest and at least one waterfall, the park is pretty year-round. Rising water levels in 2014 forced the park’s famous flamingos to flee, but water levels are prone to fluctuation and depending on the time of your visit, they may be back in residence.
You can also expect to see both black and white rhinos; look past the hordes of horny baboons and you’ll see hippos, or perhaps a lucky leopard or two. There are also about 50 rare tree-climbing lions in the park, spotted several times per week. The usual zebras, buffaloes and Rothschild’s giraffes seal the deal.
The forested area below Flamingo Hill is a favourite lion-spotting point. It’s here that you should look up, not down as you are used to in other parks – lionesses love to sleep in these trees. Leopards frequent the same area, and are also seen around Makolia camp.
The caves beneath Lion Hill in the park’s northeast once served as a defacto lion cub nursery. These days, they are more commonly frequented by snakes. Pythons lurk in the cool, forested areas early in the mornings.
Details:
Day 5: Samburu – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park: 5 h 54 min (307.0 km)
Depart in the morning and drive to the floor of the Rift Valley – to Lake Nakuru National Park making a brief stop at Nyahururu Thomson Falls. Arrive at Lake Nakuru Lodge or Sarova Lion Hill in time for lunch.
Afternoon, conduct a ‘Spice’ game drive. The Lake is famous for flamingos as well as over 400 other species of birds. In addition, many species of game can be found in the Park including the introduced Rothschild’s giraffe, black and White Rhino, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard, Baboon and many species of plains game.
Overnight at the Great RiftValley Lodge or Lake Nakuru Lion hill lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Masai Mara national Park: 6th and 7th Night
Dream of Africa and you dream of the Masai Mara. This huge expanse of gently rolling grassland – specked with flat-topped acacia trees and trampled by massive herds of zebras and wildebeest – is the ultimate African cliché.
But for once the reality lives up to the image and the Masai Mara, which comprises not just the famous reserve but also around a dozen community conservancies, several group ranches and numerous Maasai villages, is for many people not just the highlight of their Kenyan adventure but the very reason they came in the first place.
Details:
Day 6: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve
Enjoy an early breakfast, check out of the hotel and proceed on a ‘ game drive en–route to Masai Mara. A pleasant drive across the dramatic Great Rift Valley brings you to Narok Township a Masai business centre.
After a short stop over continue to Masai Mara Game Reserve. This enormous Reserve actually part of the vast Serengeti plains is famously known for it’s spectacular great wildebeest migration and is home to the big Five – Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Cape Buffalo and Leopard.
A game drive will be conducted after lunch, then proceed to the Camp or lodge for an enjoyable dinner.
Overnight at Azure Mara Haven (Budget) Olare Mara Kempinski (Luxury) Hotels may change depending on availability
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 7: Full Day – Masai Mara
Today shall be a game viewing extravaganza!
Masai Mara Game reserve remains the most exciting wildlife eco-system in the Natural world. It is host to the highest and most varied concentration of wild animals than any other wildlife park in the region.
The scenic appeal of the tree studded savannah plains, the moderate climate and diversity of wild game species makes it a one stop shop for game viewing activities.
We shall traverse the Masai Mara reserve on a full day of unlimited game viewing encountering the big five and more of the lesser game.
Picnic lunch shall be by the Mara River as we watch hippos & crocodiles and hopefully the migration.
Overnight at Azure Mara Haven (Budget) Olare Mara Kempinski (Luxury) Hotels may change depending on availability
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 8: Masai Mara – Drive to Nairobi
Today you have an early morning game drive followed by a sumptuous breakfast then depart by road to Nairobi arriving in early afternoon.
Drop off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight home.
Meal Plan {Breakfast}
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