8 DAYS 7 NIGHTS SAFARI

Tour Description

The Samburu National Reserve is a game reserve on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro river in Kenya. On the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve. The park is 165 km² in size and is situated 350 kilometers from Nairobi. It ranges in altitude from 800 to 1230 m above sea level. Geographically, it is located in Samburu County.

The Samburu National Reserve was one of the two areas in which conservationists George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness, made famous in the best-selling book and award-winning movie Born Free. The Elephant Watch Camp, of which Saba Douglas-Hamilton is director, lies within the park.

Aberdares National Park provides a habitat for elephants, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, buffalos, warthogs and bushbucks among others. Rare sightings include those of the Giant Forest hog, bongo, golden cat, serval cat, African wild cat, African civet cat and the blue duiker. Visitors can indulge in picnics, trout fishing in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the Jackson’s Francolin, Sparrow hawks, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers.

On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland, lies the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. Visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for bird watching, hiking, picnic and game drives.

Masai Mara is a unique wildlife conservation haven, famous for its spectacular natural diversity of wildlife and happens to be a premier Kenya Safari location in East Africa, offering visitors many reasons to visit this animal paradise. Large numbers of Lions, Cheetah, Elephant, Rhino, African Buffalo, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Zebra and many more animals are found in the park in their natural habitat, unconfined and free to roam the vast wilderness stretching for miles on end.

Tour Itinerary

DAY 1:

NAIROBI

Arrival of your international flight into NAIROBI. Met by our representative outside customs & immigration hall. Transferred to the hotel. Assisted in check-in and overnight stay SAROVA PANAFRIC HOTEL.

DAY 2:

NAIROBI/SHABA/SAMBURU

Breakfast and introduced to the driver guide.

Depart for the Samburu& Shaba Game Reserves via Isiolo town.

Arrival, check-in and lunch at the lodge.

Located in the semi-desert Shaba Game Reserve in Central Kenya, the Lodge offers the guests a chance to see the bounty of unique wildlife made famous by the film “Born Free”. In March 1998, the Lodge played host to the cast and crew of the “Born Free”, true-life story of George and Joy Adamson and starred both Kenyan actors and International film stars. The majority of the filming took place in the Game Reserve but some of the scenes were actually shot in the lodge.

16h00: Proceed on your first game drive in the reserve.

Return the lodge before sunset for dinner and overnight staySAROVA SHABA LODGE

DAY 3:

SAMBURU

Full day spent in Shaba with morning and afternoon game drives.

To the North of verdant Mount Kenya lies an austere semi-desert of thorn bush flats, dry grassland, open acacia woodland and rugged ranges that averages only 14″ (350 mm) of rain a year. At the southern edge of this arid region stands a trio of contiguous national reserves with varied lodging and good access by road from Nairobi, 200 miles (325 kilometers) to the south. Samburu National Reserve (40,800 acres/16,500 hectares), Shaba National Reserve (59,058 acres/23,910 hectares, and Buffalo Springs National Reserve (32,400 acres/13,100 hectares) line the perennial UasoNyiro River, rimmed with towering river acacias and doum palms. The river and several springs attract much wildlife, especially in dry periods. Mammals restricted to the Somali-Masai arid zone are found here, such as Grevy’s zebra, the reticulated giraffe, the beisaoryx, Guenther’s dik-dik and the gerenuk. Also present are lesser kudus, elephants, Grant’s gazelles, lions, cheetahs, leopards and 350 bird species, including the blue-flushed Somali ostrich and the bristle-crowned starling.

Meals and overnight stay at the lodgeSAROVA SHABA LODGE

DAY 4:

SAMBURU/ABERDARES

08h30: Breakfast at the lodge and transfer to back to the base hotel where you will re-join your driver guide and proceed to Aberdares Region. Arrival at the Aberdares Golf & Country Club(Base Hotel for lunch), where you will leave some of your baggage as only a night bag is required at the Tree Lodge.

Afternoon, transfer to Ark Lodge for check-in.

Set in the heart of the Aberdares National Park, this unique game lodge overlooks a floodlit waterhole and salt lick which attracts a host of wildlife – elephant, rhino, leopard, bushbuck and occasionally an elusive bongo or giant forest hog. Resembling and named after Noah’s Ark, The Ark comprises three decks from which numerous balconies and lounges provide superb vantage points for game viewing. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Dinner and overnight stay ARK LODGE

DAY 5:

ABERDARES/LAKE NAKURU

08h30: After breakfast at the lodge, proceed to Lake NakuruNational Park, situated in the Rift Valley Region.

Kenya straddles the center of the Great Rift Valley, the vast prehistoric fissure that stretches from Jordan to Mozambique. From the North to the South of Kenya, the valley is lined with a series of freshwater and soda based volcanic lakes.

Stop to observe theThomson Falls en-route.

Arrive for lunch at the lodge.

Afternoon game drive in the park and a short walk at the lakeside.

Lake Nakuru National Park, the world famous haunt for pink flamingos, is a shallow alkaline lake in Kenya’s Rift Valley and some 62 km2 in extent. The road from Nairobi to Nakuru passes down the Kikuyu escarpment with fine views of the Kedong Valley and Mounts Suswa and Longonot. The landscape is picturesque, areas of sedge, marsh and grasslands alternating with rocky cliffs and outcrop.In late 80’s the park also became Kenya’s first rhino sanctuary and is today home to both the White and Black Rhinos. Lions, leopards, hippos, giraffes, waterbucks are equally at home in this unique park.

Dinner and overnight stay SAROVA LION LODGE

DAY 6:

LAKE NAKURU/MASAI MARA

07h30: After breakfast, depart for the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve.

Arrival at thetented campfor check-in and lunch.

Set on the banks of the Talek River the camp blends in perfectly with its surrounding landscape. The accent here is on the Masai people and the fabulous wealth of wildlife, birdlife, and natural flora to be found in the fabled Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Afternoon game drive around the world famous reserve.

Dinner and overnight stay MARA FIG TREE CAMP

DAY 7:

MASAI MARA

Full day spent in the Mara with early morning, mid-morning and afternoon game drives.

Masai Mara offers an absolutely unique variety of animals. The reason is that this hilly region is both humid and fertile, and is crossed by the rivers Mara and Talek, full of crocodiles and hippos, which carry water the whole year round. The banks of the rivers are covered in thick forest, which gradually makes way for bush and grassland. The abundance of water and excellent availability of food are the reasons why the Masai Mara, which in fact is a continuance of the Tanzanian Serengeti National Park, has the greatest population of wild animals in the whole of Africa. There is a particularly dramatic “spectacle” from July to November, the annual migration of huge herds of Gnus and Zebras. Predators such as Hyenas, Jackals, Leopards and Lions of course, closely follow these herds. Gigantic herds of over 200 buffaloes can also be observed. Plenty of food is available for elephants, giraffes, and the many species of antelopes.

Meals and overnight stay at the lodge MARA FIG TREE CAMP

DAY 8:

MASAI MARA/NAIROBI/DEPART
07h30: Breakfast at the lodge and proceed to Nairobi.

Optional: one way scheduled flight Masai Mara to Nairobi

Arrival and transfer to Carnivore Restaurantfor lunch.
Afternoon free for shopping.
Evening transfer to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or onward arrangements.