Trip Info
-
Pop-up roof minivan
-
Suitable for solo travelers and groups
-
Extra accommodation on the arrival and departure days as well as before and after the tour is also available at an extra cost.
-
Can start any day
-
This tour starts and ends in Nairobi
-
Mid-range, private tour
-
All meals included
-
English
Overview
Discover the hidden gems of Kenya with the 7-Day Kenya Off the Beaten Path Safari. Experience unique wildlife, stunning landscapes, and authentic local culture on a mid-range adventure through Kenya’s lesser-known destinations.
This is a 7 day tour consisting of Aberdare Country Club (1night), Samburu (2nights), Lake Nakuru (1night) and The Mara(3nights). Although the areas are not as famous as those of Mara or Lake Nakuru, Samburu and Aberdare are stunning in their own right. Thus, using this itinerary, we will be able to show you even more of what Kenya has to offer in terms of wildlife and geography. We offer flexibility for all our group tours where one can actually add or remove days or change the accommodation standards.
Highlights
- Can start any day
- Private tour
- Mid-range tour
- Can be customized
- Suitable for solo travelers
- Suitable for all ages
- A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Itinerary
Get a early morning drive to Masai Mara National Reserve, it remains one of the few regions in the world where wildlife exist almost unfettered as it once did in the plains and forests of Africa. As the northern tip of the vast Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara hosts the spectacular seasonal migration of many thousands of Wildebeest, Zebras and attendant predators. Some suggestions include; You can plan to be in the park in the morning and get a lunch then spend the afternoon doing a game drive.
Main Destination: Masai Mara National Reserve
Best Time to Visit: June to October – For general wildlife viewing December to March For wildebeest migration
High Season: June to October and December to March
Best Weather: June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)
Wildlife in Masai Mara NR: Elephant, Giraffe, Lion, Cheetah, Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Hippo, Hyena, Leopard, Black Rhino, Wild Dog, White Rhino
Accommodation: Zebra Plains Mara Camp
- This is a mid range camp that is located inside the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
The full day dame drive starts after breakfast and we carry along food for lunch. It is home to the famous black manned lion, residents and other wildlife and is one of the few places that one can be guaranteed to see the big five during a morning’s game drive. Some of the cheetah are still so used to human presence that they will lie underneath your car to escape from the heat and several even jumped onto the roof of the car to have a birds eye view on prospective food. For the birding enthusiast, over 470 bird species have been documented: sixteen species of eagles, many kinds of hawk and falcons, six vultures, eight species of storks, four bustards, which are represented by the Kori bustard, recognized as the largest flying anything in the world and nine Sunbirds.
Main Destination: Masai Mara National Reserve
Accommodation: Zebra Plains Mara Camp
- This is a mid range camp that is located inside the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
We start after breakfast to take a tour to Lake Nakuru National Park. Across the equator, southwards of Bogoria, lies the rift valleys most famous lake Nakuru. Famous for the flamingoes, this tiny lake is alkaline and has been accredited as one of the natural wonders in the world today. This is because the lake is now a rhinoceros sanctuary which boasts of over 40 black and over 60 white rhinos but the flamingos remain the main allure. Sometimes, depending on food availability, up to 2 million flamingos may be in the residence, and create a ring around the shore of the lake that shines in a deep salmon pink color. Some suggestions include; You can plan to be in the park in the morning and get a lunch then spend the afternoon doing a game drive.
Main Destination: Lake Nakuru National Park
The best time to visit Without A Doubt is from June to February as the wildlife is most active and rainy season is almost negligible.
Peak Season: July to February Short rainy season: December to February Long rainy season: March to June The park is very busy in this season.
Best Weather: June to February (Little rainfall)
Wildlife in Lake Nakuru NP: Giraffe, White Rhino, Buffalo, Zebra, Hippo, Black Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Elephant, Cheetah, Wildebeest, Wild Dog
Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge
- Moderately priced lodge inside the Lake Nakuru NP.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
An early morning transfer to Aberdare National Park. The drive is colourful through the central Kenya highlands with some stop overs for a view of the tea and coffee farmers. There shall be a further stop to observe and interact with traders at the largest open-air market in East Africa, Karatina. Aberdare National Park has been known to host elephants, black rhinoceros, leopards, lions, spotted hyenas, olive baboon, black and white Colobus monkey, buffaloes, warthogs, and bush duiker among others. These include sightings of Giant Forest hog, bongo, golden cat, serval cat, African wild cat, African civet cat and the blue duiker. Dinner and overnight at campsite or lodge..
Main Destination: Aberdare National Park
Best Time To Visit: June to September and December to February (Driest months)
High Season: June to October and December to March
Best Weather: June to September and December to February (Less rain)
Wildlife in Aberdare NP: Elephant, Buffalo, Zebra, Hyena, Black Rhino, Leopard, Giraffe, White Rhino, Lion, Cheetah, Wildebeest, Hippo, Wild Dog
Accommodation: The Ark
- Small lodge of moderate accommodation located inside Aberdare National Park.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
An early morning drive to Samburu Game Reserve. Picnic lunch en-route and afternoon or evening game drive. Samburu Game Reserve on its own is one of the most beautiful Kenya Parks in Northern Circuit. It has the largest population of indigenous wildlife and it is a home to African Elephants and beautiful species of Zebras and the Masai Giraffes.
Main Destination: Samburu National Reserve
Best Time To Visit: June to September and January to February
High Season: December to March and July to October (Busy)
Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit the region is in June and December when the environment is cool after the rain.
Wildlife in Samburu NR: Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Hippo, Hyena, Cheetah, Wild Dog, White Rhino, Black Rhino, Wildebeest
Accommodation: Sarova Shaba Game Lodge
- Self-serviced accommodation center based in a mid-range tented camp just outside Samburu National Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
This will be spent on game drive in this reserve; it’s refreshing because the park is relatively new and not many people visit it though it has numerous attractions such as The big five; Elephants Lions, Rhinos, Leopards, Buffalos Gerenuk, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, Gravy Zebra, Besia Oryx Wild Dog Endangered Pun cake Tortoise-Endangered. Confirmed avian and aquatic wildlife include vultures, kingfishers, marabous, bateleurs, guinea fowl, Somali ostriches and others with over 450 bird species at Waso Nyiro River. The whole day will be used for the game drive in the park.
Main Destination: Samburu National Reserve
Accommodation: Sarova Shaba Game Lodge
- Self-serviced accommodation center based in a mid-range tented camp just outside Samburu National Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Spend a full day in a game drive in Samburu and then proceed in the late evening to Nairobi arriving early evening. Lunch en route..
Main Destination:
Nairobi (City)
Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
- Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
End of tour
- In the event that more accommodation is needed, the company can arrange for more at an extra cost.
- You will be left at the airport.
Includes/Excludes
Cost Includes
- • Park fees (For non-residents)
- • All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- • All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- • A professional driver/guide
- • All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- • All Taxes/VAT
- • Roundtrip airport transfer
- • Meals The meal plans are as follows Day to day:
- • Drinking water (On all days)
Cost Excludes
- • International flights (From/to home)
- • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- • Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- • Miscellaneous (Mementos, travel insurances, visa costs, etc.)
- • An example is the action by the government to raise tax rates or implement charges on visiting parks or conservancies.
FAQs
The 7-Day Off the Beaten Path – Mid-Range is aimed at commission members interested in a wildlife packed experience outside the overused avenues. Unlike many conventional safari tours that incorporate the popular parks, this kind of program takes you through the lesser-traveled districts as well as diverse terrains without compromising on game seeing. From the Mara – one of the seven wonders of the world- to the harsh rugged savannahs of Samburu, this is a good blend of the popular circuit and the off-the-beaten trek and is ideal for the adventurous but comfortable.
On this Off the Beaten Path safari, the kind of wildlife that you are likely to see includes the following: Other animals that can be viewed in this park include lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, rhinos, cheetahs, hyenas, wildebeest and zebras among others. At Lake Nakuru (Day 3), two of the most beautiful and exciting animals to see are flamingoes and the rhinoceros. Aberdare National Park (Day 4) has some of the unique animals such as the bongo antelope and the giant forest hogs. Last of all, you will experience Samburu (Day 5-6) where some of the special attractions are the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and the Somali ostrich. Wildlife experience in each destination sets this circuit apart making it rather unique.
This Off the Beaten Path safari entails moderate to high end lodges and tented accommodation that offer luxury camping experiences. Tent camping accommodation is arranged in a well-equipped permanent camp with panoramic view of the Masai Mara plains. At Lake Nakuru, the lodge is situated strategically in that it can easily access wildlife. In Aberdare, there is a tree house-style lodge where guests can watch animals drinking water from a nearby water hole. Samburu is a small luxury tented camp located near the riverbank which makes game viewing easy together with beautiful views. These lodges offer the best friendly service, sumptuous meals, and quality comfort after extended hours of exciting safaris.
Intense cultural interaction with all the local people is possible while on this Off the Beaten Path safari option. Depending on the season, you could take a guided tour to the Maasai village along the plains to view their dances, customs, and especially the decorations particularly the beadworks. Samburu also presents the opportunity to come face to face with the Samburu people who are in many ways different from the Maasai in dressing and in lifestyle. Such visits are informative in terms of cultural tourism and have the added advantage of assisting the locals.
The Off the Beaten Path safari is possible at any time of the year although the best time of the year to visit Africa depends on what interests the visitors. As for the best time for the Great Migration in Masai Mara, the recommended months are July to October. The two rainy seasons that are, March to May and November to December offer better game and natural beauty experience. Samburu and Aberdare are good throughout the year with animals concentrating in the water soluble areas during the dry seasons, June-October and January-February. No matter which month you will arrive, the destinations in this itinerary provide versatility in terms of geography and amazing animal sightings.
Other than spectacular game drives, this Off the Beaten Path authentic safari presents several activities that will enrich your tour. At Masai Mara, there are optional hot air balloon safaris which offer excellent view of the expansive plains. At Lake Nakuru, bird watching is a feature, as the lake’s shores are home to many water birds including flamingos. One of the most outstanding accommodations is a lodge in Aberdare that provides guests with the opportunity to observe wild animals at night by the light of floodlights placed above a watering place. In Samburu, there are opportunities for guided nature walks along the river, and this can be done in the company of a knowledgeable guide. They complement the safari by offering the traveler and enthusiast additional activities to do.
