The Kenya Special Tour traverses 3 of the bigger Kenya parks and game reserves with the added advantage of flights that save lots of time between the parks that are far apart. You also get a chance to rest on the foot of Mount Kenya, with stunning mountain views—a welcome break between game drives done in the parks. You drive the 4-hour journey to Amboseli and Nairobi to Mount Kenya via the central highlands, then connect to all other locations by air, avoiding the hustle of road travel. Hotels are selected to provide the best service and meals, making your visit to Kenya a memorable one.
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport today, and after clearing customs and immigration formalities, you will be met by our safari representative and transferred to the historic Norfolk Hotel. Dating from Kenya’s colonial days, The Norfolk is a landmark in Nairobi. The hotel is rich in history, enhanced by up-to-the-minute facilities and amenities, including a heated swimming pool, health club (fully equipped gym aerobic room, sauna & steam rooms), salon, newsstand, and gifted shops. The Norfolk is in downtown Nairobi, opposite the National Theater. Overnight at Norfolk Hotel.
After breakfast, you’ll be met by your safari driver/guide at 8:00 AM and proceed south to Amboseli National Park. Amboseli is known for its enormous elephant population and other big game that are attracted to the area by underground springs fed from Mt. Kilimanjaro. Your home for the next two nights will be at the Amboseli Serena Lodge. Built-in the style of a Maasai village, this unique lodge enjoys one of the best game-viewing locations in the park. From the comfort of the dining terrace, you can watch animals come down to the swamp to drink. Arriving in time for lunch, you’ll have some time to relax before departing on an afternoon game drive in the park. With luck, the cloud cover will lift to reveal the spectacular Mt. Kilimanjaro, a sight that makes the Kenya tour worthwhile. Return to the lodge in the early evening in time for sundown and dinner. Overnight at Amboseli Serena Lodge
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Awaken at dawn and depart on an early morning game drive while the light is just perfect for photographing the magnificent Mt. Kilimanjaro. Return to the lodge for breakfast. This afternoon, you may want to take a dip in the pool and do some game-viewing from the terrace. In the late afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to take a nature walk with a specialist Kenya tour naturalist. Overnight at Amboseli Serena Lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning, after an early breakfast, you’ll be driven to the Amboseli airstrip by Serena staff and depart on the scheduled flight to Nairobi, where you will be met by your driver/ guide (who left for Nairobi the day before). You’ll drive north into the central Highlands’ passing a patchwork quilt of Kikuyu farms and some of Kenya’s famous coffee and tea plantations. You’ll arrive at the Mount. Kenya Safari Club in time for lunch. After lunch, you can explore the beautiful grounds, take a swim, or refresh in the cool mountain air. Be sure to visit the animal orphanage next door, where you may be able to have some personal contact with some of the orphanage babies. Overnight at Mount Kenya Safari Club.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a huge breakfast, you’ll depart with your driver/ guide and continue north into the semi-arid desert landscape of Samburu country. With its doum palms and riverine forest, Samburu National Reserve has an exotic feel to it. The Uaso Nyiro sand river runs through the reserve, making it a draw for large number of wildlife, including lions, cheetah, leopards, and many elephants. The birdlife is phenomenal and will make an avid birder out of the most reluctant. You also will see animals unique to this northern region, like the long-necked gerenuk, the reticulated giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Grevy’s zebra, and the dainty dik-dik. Enjoy a game drive on the way to your luxury tented camp, situated in the shade of tall acacia along the Ewaso Nyiro River, a favorite hang-out for herds of elephants passing through. The camp has beautifully appointed tents with hot water showers and flush toilets. After lunch and time to relax, you’ll be off for an afternoon game drive in this spectacular game reserve. Overnight at Samburu Intrepids Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You’ll have morning and afternoon game drives, with opportunities to take some outstanding photographs in the low morning and afternoon sunlight. As Samburu is one of the smaller parks, chances for sporting all the big five as well as species unique to Samburu, such as the Grevy’s zebra, are excellent. This is the easiest park in the Kenya tour circuit to see the “big 5”. In between game drives, you can do some excellent birdwatching from the verandah of your tent. All meals and overnight at Samburu Intrepids Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be transferred on an en-route game drive to the airstrip for the scheduled flight to the Maasai Mara. The Maasai Mara is a jewel of Kenya’s game parks, located in the northern section of the great Serengeti plains. The reserve is the home of the “big five” …. elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and Rhino, as well as cheetah, zebra, giraffe, wildebeests, hippo, impala gazelle, and numerous other wildlife, including hundreds of species of birds.
Your accommodation for the next three nights will be at Mara Engai Lodge, one of Mara’s luxury tented camps, allowing you to experience nights “in the bush” with all the comforts of home. Overlooking the Mara, perched on the edge of the Olololo Escarpment and shaded by the dense forest canopy, the camp offers sweeping views of the Mara. Each luxurious tent affords sweeping views over the greatest grassland system on earth, still under the guardianship of the pastoral Maasai tribe. Exciting game- drives reveal the wonders of the Mara. After checking in and enjoying lunch, you will have some time to relax and take A dip in the pool before again meeting up with your private guide and departing on an afternoon game in search of the big five. The low afternoon light is perfect for photographing the beautiful rolling plains of the Maasai Mara. Overnight at Mara Engai Lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning and the next, you will be awakened before dawn, and after a cup of tea or coffee, you’ll set out at sunset on an early morning game drive. The Mara is magical in the morning; the birds are singing, the morning air smells fresh and cool, and the wildlife is just waking up to greet the day. Zebras frolic and greet each other, a pair of jackals prances through the grass in search of mice, a rabbit, and baboons chatter noisily, while curious giraffes watch you as they nibble on their breakfast of acacia leaves. You may come upon a lion family feeding together on last night’s kill or a leopard snoozing in a tree. After returning to the camp for a sumptuous buffet breakfast, you will depart with your driver/guide on a mid-morning game drive time, venturing deeper into the Mara. Don’t forget to look for the “little five” -The Thompson’s gazelle, jackal, African hare, vervet, monkeys, and banded mongoose. These little animals can be just as exciting and more fun to watch than the more popular larger animals. All meals and overnight at Mara Engai Lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Full day in Masai Mara with a morning and afternoon game drive. All meals and overnight at Mara Engai Lodge. Each day, you’ll return to your camp for lunch, and after some time to relax at the pool, you can do some bird watching from the verandah of your tent. As the sun cools, you will depart on afternoon game drives. The vast plains are full of surprises, and you may encounter a lion pride with playful cubs in the shade of an acacia tree along the dozing members of the pride. Also, be on the lookout for families of Ostrich parading over the plains. Return each late afternoon to camp for dinner and overnight. Overnight at Mara Engai Lodge.
Optional Activities
Masai Village Visit – US$ 25 per person
Balloon Safari – US$ 450 per person
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, you will say goodbye to the bush and transfer to the airstrip, where you will depart the 11:00 a.m. flight back to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the 4-Points Sheraton Airport Hotel, where you will use a dayroom before your evening transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your international flight. End of your Kenya special tour
Breakfast
-All park entrance fees
-Accommodation at all lodges and tented camps on full board.
– 1 liter per person per day bottled water for use during the safari
-Services of an English-speaking experienced driver/guide
-Transport in a 4 x 4 Safari Land cruiser with pop-up roof for easier game viewing and photography. Exclusive use of safari vehicle throughout the duration of the trip
– Meals as in itinerary
– All government taxes and levies
– Flying doctors air ambulance evacuation in case of a life-threatening accident or injury
– Safari accessories (First Aid kit, cool box and fire extinguisher) Emergency number 24 hours. All safari vehicles are equipped with RF radio
– Flights Amboseli-Nairobi and Samburu-Mara-Nairobi
– Day room at Four Points Sheraton Airport Hotel
– Driver tips
– Balloon safari
– Masai village visit
– Expenses of a personal nature, such as visas, etc
– Any other expenses not noted above
