Highlights of Kenya

Nairobi - Amboseli National Park. Welcome to Kenya. Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative and your driver guide. After a short safari briefing, head straight out on safari, driving south to Amboseli National Park and arriving at the Amboseli Ol Tukai Lodge in time for a late lunch. Relax at the lodge before heading out in search of wildlife on a game drive later this afternoon, returning to the lodge for dinner and a chance to discuss the days’ highlights.

Amboseli National Park lies at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,340ft). The mountain dominates every aspect of the park and you can get the best views of its snow-capped peak from Amboseli. The parks fragile ecosystem supports a variety of game and is famous for its large herds of elephant. Swamps and springs, fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro’s melting snow, offer a watering place for the wildlife and birds during the dry season.

Spend the day exploring Amboseli National Park and going in search of wildlife on morning and afternoon game drives. We suggest an early wake-up call so you can head out on a game drive to catch the animals as they wake up to start the day. The early morning is also when the animals are at their most active before the heat of the day sets in. Back at the lodge; breakfast is served with a wonderful view of Mount Kilimanjaro. After lunch, we suggest that you relax and enjoy your surroundings before your late afternoon game drive, returning to the lodge for dinner and your final evening in Amboseli.

Amboseli National Park - Ol Pejeta Conservancy. After an early breakfast, check out and drive to Olpejeta Conservancy. Settle into your lodge for the night and then head out to enjoy an afternoon game drive.

Resting at the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountain Range, in central Kenya's Laikipia County, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. It is also home to some of the last remaining northern white rhino in the world. Originally a working cattle ranch in colonial Kenya and now a pioneering wildlife conservancy, Ol Pejeta works to protect wildlife and provide a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees. The Conservancy is a popular safari destination and is home to the renowned ‘Big Five’ as well as a wide selection of other African animals including zebra, giraffe, hippo, cheetah, jackal, serval, hyena, vervet monkey, and many more.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy - Samburu National Reserve. After breakfast drive to the northern area of Samburu National Reserve, arriving at your lodge in time for a late lunch. As you enter the reserve, you will be able to see two beautiful mountains, Koitogor and Ololokwe, which form the perfect background to your safari.

In the evening, jump into your safari vehicle for a game drive in the reserve. Samburu National Reserve is situated alongside the Ewaso Nyiro River which attracts plenty of animals from the surrounding plains and various other habitats such as acacia, river forest, thorn trees and grasslands. Large herds of elephants, reticulated giraffes, buffalo and gerenuks and frequent spotting of big cats form part of the reserve’s large and diverse wildlife population. You will also be privileged to see the red–robed Samburu tribesmen bringing their cattle down to the river to drink.

Return back to the lodge for dinner and a chance to enjoy uninterrupted views of the languid river and the wildlife it attracts - which includes the numerous crocodiles that make these waters their home, from the comfort of your private veranda.

Sleep in or rise early today, but if you want to see the animals at their most active we recommend taking advantage of the cool early morning to maximise your game viewing experience. As you continue with your game drive through this wildlife rich reserve, watch out for the unique species only found north of the equator which include the helmeted guinea fowl, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra and Beisa oryx. Seek relief from the hot African sun back at the lodge where you will spend the remainder of afternoon relaxing. As the day cools, you can return to the reserve for one last game drive and enjoy a sundowner at a beautiful location, before returning to Samburu Lodge for an opulent dinner before retiring to your room.

Samburu National Reserve - Lake Nakuru National Park. After a hearty breakfast, leave the unique species and landscapes of Samburu behind you as you set out to one of the great Rift Valley Lakes. Arriving at Lake Nakuru National Park this afternoon, head straight to the lodge for lunch. Later this afternoon enjoy a game drive in the park. The Lake Nakuru is situated in the middle of the national park and its large flocks of flamingos are a major attraction. Teeming with wildlife the park has so much to offer. Lions, buffalos as well as many rhinos call this corner of Kenya home and a game drive around the park is always rewarding. If you are lucky you may even spot a leopard relaxing in a tree beside the lake.

Spend the day in the park with morning and afternoon game drives. Lake Nakuru National Park is a world heritage site renowned for its amazing birdlife, with over 450 bird species. The waters of the lake also draw a great variety of game to its shores and the picturesque landscape of marshes, woodland, grassland and large euphorbia forests. The park is a sanctuary for rhino and there are regular sightings of the elusive leopard.

Lake Nakuru National Park - Masai Mara National Reserve. Today you are off to the Masai Mara. Check out of your hotel after breakfast and arrive for lunch at your camp in the Mara. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the camp waiting for the late evening when the temperature cools to head out on your first Mara game drive.

The Masai Mara is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife reserves. Acacia dotted plains, tree-lined rivers and woodlands are abundant with wildlife and an array of birdlife. Game viewing is spectacular year round; you may see a pride of lions stalking their prey, observe a herd of elephant and their fascinating social structure, or see pods of hippo wallowing in the rivers. The great wildebeest migration is one of nature’s wonders; an estimated two million animals migrate in a year-round pattern through Tanzania and Kenya, following the rain. Back at the camp, dinner is served and this gives you the perfect opportunity to look back at your day and relive all those highlights.

Spend the next two days enjoying morning and afternoon game drives in the spectacular Masai Mara. After breakfast each day drive across the Mara plains in search of the big five and other plains game or engage in the optional activities on offer at the Masai Mara. The early mornings are one of the best times to view the animals as this is when they are their most active before the heat of the day sets in. After a mid-morning of relaxation and lunch, headback out into the reserve, keeping your eyes peeled for a chance to tick off the final animals on your “must see” list.

Masai Mara National Reserve - Nairobi. After breakfast and check out, drive back to Nairobi, stopping beside the Rift Valley for one last photo opportunity. After lunch you will be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for your outbound flight.