BB – Bed and breakfast
HB – Half board (breakfast and dinner)
FB – Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi
Day 2: Nairobi – Samburu Game Reserve
Day 3: Samburu Game Reserve
Day 4: Samburu Game Reserve
Day 5: Samburu Game Reserve – Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Day 6: Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Day 7: Ol Pejeta Conservancy – Mt. Kenya Region
Day 8: Mt. Kenya Region – Lake Nakuru National Park
Day 9: Lake Nakuru National Park
Day 10: Lake Nakuru National Park – Masai Mara Game Reserve
Day 11: Masai Mara Game Reserve
Day 12: Masai Mara Game Reserve
Day 13: Masai Mara Game Reserve
Day 14: Masai Mara Game Reserve – Nairobi
Itinerary in detail:
Arrive in Nairobi at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where you will be met by your guide and a Airlink representative. Transfer to your hotel. After a short briefing, spend the rest of your evening at leisure. Meals and overnight at NAIROBI SERENA HOTEL (BB)
   
Considered by many to be Nairobi’s finest hotel, the Serena stands amidst lush tropical gardens with panoramic views over Nairobi’s Central Park and the glittering downtown skyline. Despite its pivotal central location, the Serena also remains true to its title and offers an oasis of serenity amidst the bustle of one of Africa’s most vibrant capital cities. Established in the mid-1970s, The Serena Group was launched with a simple but challenging goal; to become the leading hotel group in East Africa. Today this goal has become a reality. Set amongst the lush-green abundance of extensive tropical gardens, looking out over the gentle green avenues of Central Park and commanding a panoramic view over the glittering towers of downtown Nairobi, the Serena Hotel enjoys one of the finest locations in the city. Sensitively constructed from ecologically sympathetic materials, the interior décor of the hotel reflects a kaleidoscope of cultural influences blending Moroccan mystique and a breadth of African heritage into one elegant and harmonious whole.
Depart early morning after breakfast at 0700hrs for Samburu Game Reserve, driving to the lush green Mt. Kenya region into the semi-arid northern part of Kenya. Arrive at your camp in time for lunch. After a relaxing lunch, embark on your afternoon game drive within the reserve. Samburu is different from many of the other frequently visited areas. This forty square miles of reserve is not the oft-seen Kenyan landscape of savannah and flat-topped acacias, but harsh, dramatic terrain. The people from this area, the Samburu, are similarly dramatic to the outsider. Dressed in bright red, with their braided hair and skin daubed with red ochre, the "Moran", the youthful warriors of the Samburu almost always spear-in-hand, are a wonderful sight. Arrive in time for lunch. The mix of wood and grassland with riverine forest and swamp is home to a wide variety of animal and birdlife. Game viewing and visibility is excellent. Reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, elephant, Oryx, Somali ostrich, hippo, crocodile, gerenuk, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena are all present. Meals and overnight at ELEPHANT BEDROOM CAMP (FB)
  
  
Set on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River in Samburu National Reserve surrounded by doum palms and other beautiful indigenous trees and shrubs sits this small and exclusive camp of 12 luxury tents - all furnished in rustic African style while offering all the comforts expected of a luxury Camp (hot & cold running water, electricity and herbal products).
The lounge and dining area offer vibrant safari colours with original oil paintings, soft intimate lighting designed to relax guests returning from an exciting game drive. Huge herds of elephant, prides of lion or the solitary leopard amongst other game are regular visitors around the camp providing excellent game viewing in spectacular scenic background of rugged rolling hills. Dining is a culinary experience with al-fresco breakfast, 3 course lunch and 4 course candle lit gourmet dinner set either under the African sky or inside the well appointed dining area.
Enjoy early morning and afternoon game drives in the reserve with the guide and vehicle at your disposal. Samburu Game Reserve has a permanent water supply of the Uaso Nyiro River and it is what attracts the game to Samburu. Much of the reserve is arid, hilly landscape but riverine forest fringes the riverbanks and there are doum palms, the fruit of which is a great favorite with elephants. Crocodiles lie quietly in the mud and it is here that you will find abundant bird life, including palm-eagles, storks, hornbills, bee-eaters and plenty of weaverbirds. Some species in the area are specially adapted to the arid environment, and are particularly northern - the magnificent Oryx, for example and the gerenuk, a rather odd looking long-necked gazelle which can stretch up to reach the lower branches of the thorn trees. You will also find Grevy's Zebra, larger than the more commonly seen Burchell's zebra, and reticulated giraffe, with their irregular netted pattern of white. Desert lions are found here, leopards can be seen, and the ostrich (Ethiopian) have blue legs! Elephant wander, browsing in family groups. Meals and overnight at ELEPHANT BEDROOM CAMP (FB)
After enjoying your morning breakfast, depart for Ol Pejeta Conservancy, driving through the semi-arid region to the lush green Mt. Kenya region. Arrive in time for lunch. In the afternoon, embark on your first game drive around the sanctuary. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is 20,000 acres of privately owned wilderness in the heart of the Laikipia area of Kenya. The landscape is mainly open grassy plains, thorny thickets and acacia woodland. The Uaso Nyiro River runs through the reserve and there are a number of waterholes and dams. The reserve has a network of tracks for game drives allowing visitors to explore the reserve and to see a wide variety of wildlife species. Meals and overnight at SWEETWATERS TENTED CAMP (FB)
    
Sweetwaters is the name adopted by the local people of this area for the fresh, sweet, water tapped from the ground. Sweetwaters Tented Camp lies in the heart of 24,000-acre Sweetwaters Game Reserve, with magnificent views across the plains to the snow capped peaks of Mount Kenya. Built in the early 1970s, the main building was originally the residence of billionaire Adnan Khashoggi’s ranch manager. An addition in 1988, the luxuriously appointed ensuite tents overlook the waterhole, a haven for thirsty wildlife. Floodlit by night, the waterhole provides excellent and secluded game viewing, rarely seen elsewhere. Located in typical savannah grasslands interrupted by the whistling thorn shrubs and Acacia trees, Sweetwaters is truly an oasis. It offers guests the indulgence of a swimming pool, some of the finest tented accommodation in Kenya and a personalized service and attention. Luxury tents, excellent game viewing, and superb cuisine place Sweetwaters Tented Camp in a class of its own.
Enjoy unlimited game drives in the conservancy with the guide / vehicle at your disposal. The reserve boasts abundant wildlife - over 400 species of birds, lion, elephant, rhino and cheetah to name just a few. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is noted for its black rhino and elephant, hippo, lion, giraffe, zebra, eland, warthog, Oryx, impala, gazelles etc. Night game drives offer opportunities of seeing some of the nocturnal animals like aardvark or even leopard. As this is a private reserve there are fewer visitors than in the main national parks, offering a more exclusive wildlife experience. Within Ol Pejeta there is a chimpanzee sanctuary where rescued chimpanzees are being looked after by a dedicated team. A visit to the sanctuary is a rewarding experience. Meals and overnight at SWEETWATERS TENTED CAMP (FB)
Enjoy your last early morning game drive in the conservancy at your convenience before returning to the camp for breakfast. After breakfast, depart for Aberdares, driving through the lush green Mount Kenya region. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. The Aberdares are an isolated volcanic range that forms the eastern wall of the rift valley, running roughly 100km north south between Nairobi and Thomsons Falls. The park contains a wide range of landscapes - from the mountain peaks that rise to 14,000 feet above sea level, to their deep, v-shaped valleys intersected by streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Moorland, bamboo forests and rainforests are found at lower altitudes. Animals easily observed include the lion, leopard, baboon, black and white Colobus monkey, and Sykes monkey. Rarer sightings include those of the golden cat and the bongo - an elusive forest antelope that lives in the bamboo forest. Animals like the eland and spotted and melanistic serval cats can be found higher up in the moorlands. The Aberdare National Park also contains a large population of the black rhino. Meals and overnight at SERENA MOUNTAIN LODGE (FB)
  
The only ‘tree hotel’ ever to be built on the slopes of Kenya’s legendary Mount Kenya, Mountain Lodge offers a matchless game viewing opportunity whilst combining a glorious panorama of mountain vistas with the primordial splendors of an ancient rainforest. Floating 2,195 m high on the flanks of Kenya’s highest mountain and secreted deep within her largest forest reserve, the lodge offers not only the champagne-clarity of mountain air, the tranquility of the forest and a colorful cavalcade of wildlife but also the chance of scaling the icy peaks of Africa’s second-highest mountain. Guests can also awake to the trumpeting of elephant, fall asleep to the symphony of the African night or sit in stillness and observe the fascinating interplay of the animals as they arrive to drink, bathe, spar and forage around the water hole. Finally, they can venture down to the secret viewing hide by the water’s edge and experience the awesome thrill of being only meters away from some of the most massive beasts on earth.
Enjoy a scrumptious breakfast at the lodge before departing for Lake Nakuru National Park. Arrive in time for lunch. After lunch embark on a game drive within the park. This park is one of the most visited reserves in Kenya after the Masai Mara. Originally declared a national park because of a superbly diverse bird population, which includes many migrants, Lake Nakuru National Park is also a favorite place for travelers to seek the white and rare black rhinos. However, it is for the flamingos that the lake is best known, and it was for their protection that the park was originally created. Meals and overnight at SAROVA LION HILL LODGE (FB)
     
Situated in the heart of the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya's most famous soda lakes. A major feature of this park is the birdlife, particularly the thousands of flamingos. A rhino sanctuary also provides the opportunity to see the greatly endangered black rhino. Sarova Lion Hill overlooks the lake, offering a unique vantage point. Each of the 64 superbly appointed chalets has a separate lounge and secluded verandah with views over the lake and the distant hills. They offer a private toilet and shower, mosquito nets and electricity. The lodge restaurant and bar open onto a large viewing deck with panoramic views. The lodge also has a swimming pool, sauna, laundry service, curio and gift shop, and a medical clinic.
Enjoy unlimited game drives in the park at your convenience with the guide and vehicle at your disposal. The level of the bluey-green alkaline waters here varies and this, with other accompanying environmental changes, causes considerable variation in the flamingo population, but when they are present, en masse, the whole lake turns a gorgeous rosy pink. Although protection of the flamingo population on the lake was the original rationale for the inception of the national park, further land was included in the early seventies and it is now about 190 sq m. This expansion, which took in a large grassland area, has allowed the park to protect further species. Buffalo, zebra, antelope and both lion and leopard are to be found. The rather less ubiquitous reedbuck and waterbuck are also here as is the glamorously leggy Rothschild giraffe. Temptingly, the black rhino-breeding programme, started in the late eighties, has proved successful and this is an excellent place to view them. Meals and overnight at SAROVA LION HILL LODGE (FB)
After a delightful breakfast, depart for Masai Mara Game Reserve, driving through the floor of the scenic Great Rift Valley region, into the heart of the 7th Natural Wonder of the World. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. After lunch, embark on a game drive within the reserve. This is a classic African savannah, and the sheer density of wildlife is amazing. Unfenced, the Mara is bounded in the east by the Ngama Hills and in the west by the Oloololo or Siria Escarpment. Gazelle, wildebeest and zebra graze in large numbers and where prey is found so are predators. Not only is this a great place in which to find game, but also wide green-gold savannahs spotted with thorn trees make it ideal for photography. Meals and overnight at MARA SERENA SAFARI LODGE (FB)
     
Secreted deep within the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Mara Serena Safari Lodge is the ultimate safari destination. Set high on a bush-cloaked hill, embraced by arcing vistas and washed by a sea of richly rolling grasslands, it stands centre-stage to one of Africa’s most dramatic wildlife arenas and has a ringside seat for the greatest wildlife show on Earth, the legendary migration of the wildebeest. Drawing its inspiration from the traditional Masai cultural motif of a cluster of domed, mud-colored huts encircled by a “Boma” of brushwood, the Mara Serena offers a rare blend of raw African splendor and sumptuous sophistication. The essentially ethnic décor also draws on a vibrant color-palette of sun-burst colors, embellished by a unique selection of Masai art to create the look and feel of a traditional bush encampment. The lodge features individual rooms, each with their own balcony and view of eternity, a sky-blue swimming pool and a spectacular restaurant, overlooking a water hole where a fantasia of creatures collect to drink.
Enjoy unlimited game drives in the park at your convenience with the guide and vehicle at your disposal. The Mara is more than just the most popular wildlife park in the country; in many cases it is the reason why people come to visit Kenya. The Mara is in the northern extension of the Serengeti plains. Watered by the Mara River and its tributary the Talek, the park here compromises 1,510 sq kilometers of open grassland tucked away in the south west corner of the country. In the Mara you will see an astonishing amount of wild life; of the big cats, lions are found in large prides everywhere and it is not uncommon to see them hunting. Cheetahs and leopards are harder to spot, but are still fairly common. Elephants, buffaloes, zebras and hippos also exist in large numbers. There is no settlement within the reserve, however, the Mara is in theory owned by the Masai pastoralists and, in earlier times, renowned lion-killers. It is said that if lions sense the approaching Masai they move swiftly in the opposite direction. The Mara, as it is known in Kenya, is ravishingly beautiful and also offers long, undisturbed views and utterly dramatic panoramas. The weather really means something here. The sun may beat down unforgivingly, huge clouds in fabulous shapes may sweep across the widest of skies, and the wind ripples the grasses as though a giant hand strokes them. The landscape is stunning. The famously black-maned Mara lions are possibly the stars of the Mara show, but cheetah, elephant, kongoni, topi, Thompson's gazelle, waterbuck, hyena, and primates are all here too. As with the rest of Kenya, the birding is good. Famously, the Mara is the northerly end of the Great Migration, that great primeval surge of wildebeest, zebra and antelope that sweeps in from Tanzania’s Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara as the Tanzanian grass starts to fail. They are tracked by the large predators who pick off the weak, the stragglers and the young. The great herds, nearing their destination by July, mass along the Mara River, pushing, shoving and fantastically noisy, just waiting for the first animal to cross so that they can all follow, lemming-like, on the final leg of the journey. However, crocodiles lie in wait, sluggishly cruising the waters, fully prepared for their best meal of the year. Many fail in the life-and-death struggle - drowned, eaten by the crocodiles or, made careless or weak by their stressful swim, and brought down by lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas. The Masai Mara is terrible yet wonderful, and not to be missed! Meals and overnight at MARA SERENA SAFARI LODGE (FB)
Enjoy your last early morning game drive within the reserve before returning to your lodge for breakfast. Depart after breakfast for Nairobi, arriving in the evening. Upon arrival, enjoy your last meal in Kenya. You could opt for the famous Carnivore Restaurant where you will be spoilt with the different varieties of meat served, all barbequed to perfection the African Style; or you could opt for some authentic Italian Cuisine at Mediterraneo Restaurant. Afterwards, transfer to the international airport for your flight back home, ending what we hope was a memorable safari experience in Kenya!
  
  
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a very comfortable yet traditional bush camp on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river. The camp is set in nearly100,000 acres in the Laikipia region of central Kenya, right on the Equator. This tented bush camp on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy will offer guests the opportunity for a unique kind of safari experience in Kenya. During your days with us, you will encounter behind-the-scenes of daily life on this working wildlife conservancy and cattle ranch. Guests are welcome to spend just one or two nights looking at some of these elements – or as long as they want – being as active, interactive, or as relaxed as they like when staying in camp.
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp has 6 tents with twin beds, all overlooking the river, and accommodating a total of 12 guests sharing. The camp can be booked exclusively for a family or group of 4 or more for a small supplement per night. Further temporary tents can be added for larger groups if you have a special request. The style is of a traditional, simple, comfortable safari; the camp is built on an entirely eco-friendly design, there are no permanent structures and we make the camp’s environmental impact as low as possible. Tents are furnished with single/double/twin beds (duvets and blankets), re-chargeable solar lights, ensuite loos, washstands on the tent veranda, and safari bucket showers (brought on request, of any preferred temperature by guests at any time of day!).
Some activities available at the camp include guided wildlife walks on the open plains and along the river, day and night game drives (with spotlights and night-vision monoculars), guided visits to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where orphan and rescued chimps are rehabilitated into family groups, and conservation activities with Ol Pejeta Conservancy resident rangers and researchers.
  
  
The Great Migration… a yearly trek by almost two million Wildebeest from Tanzania’s Serengeti plains to the world famous Masai Mara Ecosystem in Kenya. Right in the path of this ‘Natural Wonder of the World’ lies Mara Bush Camp, offering you everything desired in an “authentic safari experience”. Mara Bush Camp is a mobile camp which is discreetly ‘tucked away’ in a riverine forest on the banks of the seasonal Olare Orok River. Mara Bush Camp is small & offers personalized services while providing all amenities to make clients feel at home. Get spoilt after an exhilarating day out in the bush in your luxurious walk–in tent with a spacious verandah overlooking the Olare Orok & its numerous hippos. All 10 luxury river front tents have been placed far enough apart to guarantee complete tranquility & privacy. The tents have en-suite flushing toilet and sink unit in the bathroom with running water, hot bucket showers, 1 liter of Mineral water daily to brush your teeth, and towels & shampoo / conditioner & liquid wash soap. A fully equipped ‘Mess tent’ is situated close by, where all meals are served. Adjoining, is a luxurious and comfortable ‘Lounge Tent’, where one can meet up with other clients to exchange safari experiences and highlights of the day or catch up on reading a book from the in-house library. A ‘Sundowner cocktail’ will help you unwind in front of a cozy campfire under the African stars with all its sounds of nature. All meals at the camp are freshly prepared by the camp's head chef, offering buffet lunches and set a’ la carte dinners. Mara Bush Camp is not fenced, therefore Masai ‘Morani’s (warriors) will look out for your safety while you are sleeping. The camp is for the visitor who appreciates simplicity and privacy away from mass tourism and wants to enjoy an authentic ‘safari’ experience rather than a large, crowded lodge with swimming pool & entertainment.
  
    
Overlooking the vastness of the Masai Mara plains from the banks of River Talek is an exclusive, intimate yet vibrant Camp of 20 luxuriously appointed riverfront tents. Tipilikwani Camp overlooks the vast Masai Mara plains dotted with acacia thorn trees and grazing animals.
This exclusive and intimate camp radiates the warmth and charm of the local Masai people in its rich ochres and reds, cool khakis and textural bedding and carpets. Explore the renowned Masai Mara on an early morning or night game drive, on a guided bush walk or even on a balloon safari where you can enjoy a Tipilikwani champagne breakfast in the Mara wilderness.
Get to know the Masai on a cultural village visit and be enthralled with their vibrant dancing displays; you might even be able to jump as high as they do. Fine food, personalized service and traditional African hospitality compliment its beautiful location. |
