Day 01: Nairobi:
Upon arrival at the airport in Nairobi, you will be met by a Beyond Safari Consultants professional driver guide and after a pre safari briefing; you will be transferred to your city hotel for you to relax for the night before your safari. Overnight is at the Overnight is at the Intercontinental Hotel Nairobi or Similar booked on bed and breakfast.
Day 02: Nairobi – Samburu Game Reserve:
After breakfast, you will start your safari and drive to the North of Kenya as you transverse through the rich agricultural highlands of Kenya. As you drive through these green agricultural lands, the highest mountain in Kenya Mt. Kenya stands majestically at the background. The terrain and topography changes as you cross the equator and enter the northern hemisphere and arid conditions spread on these lands. You will arrive at the game reserve and proceed on a short gamedrive en route to the lodge and arrive for lunch. Early afternoon will be at leisure followed by a gamedrive till dusk. Dinner and overnight is at Ashnil Samburu Camp or Similar – booked on full board
Samburu Game Reserve is well known for the ’’ special 5 ‘’of the North and is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro river in Kenya; In the middle of the reserve, the Ewaso Ng’iro flows through doum palm groves and thick riverine forests and provides water without which the game in the reserve could not survive in the arid country. The Reserve was one of the two areas in which conservationists George Adamson and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness made famous in the best-selling book and award winning movie Born Free. The Reserve is also the home of Kamunyak, a lioness famous for adopting Oryx calves. There is a wide variety of animal and bird life seen in this Reserve. Several species are considered unique to the region, including its unique dry-country animal life. You will have gamedrives and overnight in this park.
Day 03: Samburu Game Reserve:
This day will be spent in the reserve with options of both doing early morning and evening gamedrives or half day gamedrive or full day gamedrive with packed lunch. You can also participate in optional activities such as the Maasai Village Visit (EXTRA COST). All meals and overnight is at Ashnil Samburu Camp or Similar – booked on full board
Day 04: Samburu Game Reserve – Ol Pajeta Conservancy:
After breakfast you will depart for the town that lies at the equator – Nanyuki, you will arrive in time for a demonstration of the equator experience followed by check in and lunch at your hotel. After lunch have a gamedrive in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy that includes a visit to the chimpanzee sanctuary. At dusk you will return back to the Lodge for dinner and overnight at the Serena Sweetwaters Tented Camp or Similar – booked on full board
The Ol Pajeta Conservancy is a 90,000-acre (360 km2) not-for-profit wildlife conservancy in the Laikipia district of central Kenya. It is situated on the equator west of Nanyuki, between the foothills of the Aberdare’s and Mount Kenya. The Ol Pajeta Conservancy works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to generate income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and community development. The Conservancy boasts the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and also houses The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary which provides a haven for orphaned, abandoned and rescued chimpanzees. It is the only place in Kenya where these great apes can be seen. The Conservancy is host to the ‘big five’ among a large selection of other African animals, which makes it a popular safari destination. It also operates a successful livestock program, which serves to benefit local pastoralists and wildlife. Through the conservancy’s community development programme, Ol Pajeta provides funding to surrounding communities to aid health, education, and water and infrastructure projects. They also support the provision of agriculture and livestock extension services and the development of community-based conservation tourism ventures. Because of their holistic approach, Ol Pajeta is largely seen as a role model for conservation.
Day 05: Ol Pajeta Conservancy – Lake Nakuru National Park:
After breakfast, you will depart south from the central highland to the floor of the rift valley; this is as evident as the drives are at the walls of the rift offering stunning views of the floor of the rift. After reaching the floor of the rift valley, the eco system changes from the dense forest canopies and you start to experience woodland and bushy grasslands that are yellow toned following the Yellow Barked Acacia that grow well here. Soon the pink colored lake appears getting its color from the thousands upon thousands of Flamingoes on the lake. Lunch will be served followed by gamedrive and enjoy the night in this park. Dinner and overnight at the Flamingo Hills tented Camp or Similar – booked on full board
Lake Nakuru National Park was named as “the greatest spectacle of bird view in the world” and this is because it is home to over thousands upon thousands of lesser and greater Flamingoes that migrate annually from Lake Natron and make their way to the Lake. The colorful pink infested lake Nakuru provides home and food for these birds. This park is also home to the endangered white rhino and provides a safe haven for the rhinos.
Day 06: Lake Nakuru National Park – Maasai Mara Game Reserve:
After breakfast you will depart to Maasai Mara through the Great Rift Valley, you will pass through the vast plains of the savannah of Africa as you enter the spotted plains of the Maasai. You will have few brief stops on the way and later drive into the reserve. You will arrive in time for lunch followed by an early afternoon of leisure. Later you will depart for an evening gamedrive till dusk and later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at Ashnil Mara Camp or Similar – booked on full board
Day 07: Maasai Mara Game Reserve:
This day will be spent in the reserve with options of both doing early morning and evening gamedrives or half day gamedrive or full day gamedrive with packed lunch. You can also participate in optional activities such as the Maasai Village Visit (EXTRA COST) or do the ever amazing Balloon Safari (EXTRA COST). All meals and overnight is at Ashnil Mara Camp or Similar – booked on full board
Day 08: Maasai Mara Game Reserve – Nairobi:
Depart for an early morning gamedrive and return to the lodge for breakfast. Thereafter depart for Nairobi and arrive late in the afternoon for drop off at the airport in time for your flight back home.
Glossary:
Bed and Breakfast – meal plan includes accommodation and breakfast alone.
Full Board – meal plan includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner.