Trip Info
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Pop-up roof 4x4 vehicle
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Not for solo travelers
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Pre and post tour accommodations can also be organized at an extra cost
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Can start any day
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This tour starts and ends in Nairobi
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Mid-range, private tour
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All meals included
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English
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8
Overview
Embark on a 7-day adventure through Kenya’s stunning Rift Valley lakes and Maasai Mara. Explore diverse landscapes, encounter wildlife, and experience Maasai culture in one unforgettable safari journey.
Featured on this great safari is a visit to two of the Great Rift Valley lakes and the remarkable Maasai Mara National Reserve. Some of the activities included game drives to Lake Nakuru National Park and Maasai Mara national reserve, a boat ride around Lake Naivasha and also a nature walk at Crescent Island. You will be able to track all the big five, observe hippos in their natural habitats, watch hundreds of birds and take a glimpse of the big cats strolling around the plain and the savannah!
Highlights
- Can start any day
- Private tour
- Mid-range tour
- Can be customized
- Not for solo travelers
- Minimum age of 8 years
Itinerary
Proceed to Lake Nakuru, which is famous for more than 400 kinds of birds some of which include the pelican and sometimes the flamingo. White rhinos can also be seen at close quitter in Nakuru. You can also get a glimpse of the Rothschild’s giraffe which is unique in that it has white legs that look like socks. There are many other plains mammals, the 56 species of plains mammals are Zebra, Buffalos, Water Bucks and Lion among the many others.
Upon arrival in the park, you will be offered a short game drive before proceeding to your lodge, Sopa lodge, a lodge that is seated on a hill top with an outstanding view of the park and the lake. There are more attractions that you can pay a visit to after lunch is through an afternoon game drive around the areas near the lake. Later in the afternoon, you will return to the lodge for dinner and leisure in the evening. The next day is going to be devoted for game drives on the lake shore and the woody regions. All meals during the respective period will be provided at the lodge.
Main Destination: Lake Nakuru National Park
Climate: The climate in Kenya is generally temperate, with dry seasons in December to February and June to August, and a wet season from March to May and September to November, the best time for wildlife watching.
High Season: July to February (These are the peak tourist season in the park)
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 Sopa Lodge
- Mid-range accommodation is found inside the Lake Nakuru National Park.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
The day is spent on game drives to the lake shore and through the acacia wooded forests in Lake Nakuru National Park. All meals during the respective period will be provided at the lodge.
Main Destination: Lake Nakuru National Park
Climate: The climate in Kenya is generally temperate, with dry seasons in December to February and June to August, and a wet season from March to May and September to November, the best time for wildlife watching.
High Season: July to February (These are the peak tourist season in the park)
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 Sopa Lodge
- Mid-range accommodation is found inside the Lake Nakuru National Park.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
In the morning you will go for a game drive before we descend into the Rift valley to arrive at the Sopa resort in Naivasha area in time for lunch. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and constructed near the shores of the lake. Commonly sighted wildlife includes; Bush buck, Zebra and giraffe among others. It has a restaurant, a beautiful dining area, and a bar with comfortable sofas and fireplaces for the evenings in Naivasha. The units are big and built in Swahili style, most of them are chalets with verandah or a viewing deck for lounging and watching wildlife.
This afternoon, boat safari on the lake where sights you may expect to see include hippos, a variety of bird species such as fish eagles and pelicans. Crescent Island is the last destination of your boat safari, and there is a guided nature walk here too and many plains mammals and birds.
Finally, you will relax at the lodge for the evening meal and watch the hippos emerge from the lake to feed on the plants in the yard.
Main Destination: Lake Naivasha (Naivasha)
Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort
- A mid-range hotel stationed in Naivasha district at Lake Naivasha
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
In the morning, you will depart for Masai Mara in the open grasslands after you are through with your breakfast. Boasting with a rich avifauna and wildlife product and resources make this savannah reserve ideal for game and bird watching. Maasai Mara is one of the seven Natural World’s natural wildlife reserves that is located in Kenya, and one of the most awaited events in this park is the wildebeest migration, in which more than 1 Million animals participate! A listing of 95 species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles, and 400 plus bird species have been recorded in the reserve.
Main Destination: Masai Mara National Reserve
The recommended seasons: June to October: For general wildlife viewing and August to October: For the 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: Sarova Mara Game Camp
- Luxury Tanzanian Tented camp with in the Maasai mara NR
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
You will be able to have lunch at the luxurious Sarova Mara Game Camp, which is located in the reserve. There is a lounge and dining area and all the luxury tents, which are very large, are equipped with their own facilities. The next two days will be devoted to exhibition of the vast savannah grasslands of Maasai Mara during the game drives, in search of the Big Five and the other large mammals, reptiles and avian species.
You will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch at the luxurious Sarova Mara Game Camp, situated within the reserve. The camp features a lounge and dining area, and its spacious luxury tents come fully equipped with private facilities. Over the next two days, you'll explore the expansive savannah grasslands of the Maasai Mara on game drives, seeking the Big Five along with other large mammals, reptiles, and diverse bird species.
In the morning you will head back to Nairobi and on the way you will have your lunch (5.5 hrs). Or you can grab lunch at the camp and take the flying back to Nairobi in the afternoon (extra activity).
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
- Extra accommodation can be arranged at a charge.
- If the flight you are going to has an early morning departure, you will be dropped 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
- • Food (As listed in the day-by-day section)
- • 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$15.00 pp per day)
- • Lived experience mementos (Souvenirs, insurance, visas, and so on).
- • Government increases taxes or/and park fees
FAQs
Impressive as a geographical feature and a conservancy the Lake Nakuru National Park is endowed with exceptional features. During the first two days of your safari, you will come across large colonies of flamingos which make the shores of the lake pinkish. The black and white rhinos are also found in good numbers here and hence the park is one of the best places in the country to spot the two species. Other large animals found here include lions, leopards, buffaloes and the famous Rotschild’s giraffes. Game viewing and photographers are able to capture breathtaking scenes of the lake with rock cliffs and acacia trees in the background.
Lake Naivasha, a stunning freshwater lake in the Rift Valley, offers a variety of activities on the third day of your journey. Boat trip is a real must-see, in the course of which tourists can get closer to hippos and watch different birds, for example, African fish eagles and kingfishers. Crescent Island which is located in the middle of the lake is a wonderful place for a walking tour past zebras, giraffes and herds of antelopes. Tourists can also visit Hell’s Gate National Park, where the activities enjoyed by people include walking and biking through gorges and geothermal formations which are different from most typical fauna and flora sightseeing.
Rich in diverse wildlife and spectacular view of savannah, Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of the most famous reserves in the world . For the remainder of the days in your safari, you will be taken on game drives to track and view the Big Five on yet intimate encounters on Tanzania. Especially if visiting during the months of July through October, you could possibly get to see the spectacle referred to as ‘The Great Migration’where millions of wildebeest and zebras cross the Mara River while being threatened by crocodiles and other predators. The extensive savannah is equally occupied by the big cats such as cheetah and hyenas as well as major antelope species and every game drive becomes an amazing experience.
Across the 7 days guests are accommodated in luxury lodges and budget camping in tented camps with a more comfortable feeling in the natural environment. There are several lodges and camps available in and around the Lake Nakuru National Park and they offer a vantage view of the lake and the surrounding wildlife. Naivasha is another popular destination with various lodges and accommodation options from luxury resorts along the shores of the lake and reasonable cozy lodges. Maasai mara presents a mix of accommodation ranging from tented camps for the elite to that of the environmentally friendly lodges, with the wild night sounds. Most of the accommodations provide game drive activities, mouth-watering food, and interaction with the Maasai people.
The best time to visit depends on which wildlife you will be interested in viewing while on the safari. Different animals congregate around water sources during the dry season that is from June to October while the Great Migration is between July and October in the Maasai Mara plains. Both the short rains from mid-March to May and long rains from early November to December are blessed with forest growth and less traffic for a private and personal feeling. Bird enthusiasts will especially find the rainy season best for observing migrant birds around the Rift Valley lakes, implying that bird watching in Lake Nakuru and Naivasha is best done at this time.
This is a great cultural experience especially in the Maasai Mara area where travelers buys a chance to visit a Maasai village and get acquainted to their culture and how they live. You will be able to experience how people dance, meet the hosts in their homes – Manyattas and listen to stories about their connection with the land and resources. Local people are involved in fishing and farming around the area and tourists can always get to talk to them and learn about their lifestyle. …cultural contacts make the safari experience a great cultural experience.
