Trip Info
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Pop-up roof minivan
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Suitable for solo travelers and groups
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Pre and post-tour accommodation 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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3
Overview
This 7 days has been designed to make your safari dreams become reality while delivering the best of what Kenya has to offer. This tour shows you the African bushes of Samburu, Masai Mara, the Great Rift Valley and even up to the summit of Mount Kenya in Ol Pejeta. Take a look at one of the most spectacular gorilla trekking and wildlife watching safaris we offer to our clients!
Highlights
- Can start any day
- Private tour
- Mid-range tour
- Can be customized
- Suitable for solo travelers
- Minimum age of 3 years
- A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Itinerary
The tour will be commenced from any hotel or airport in Nairobi at 7:00 am by a driver from Earthwings Tours and will pass through the equator line on the way to Samburu. Partake in a brief game drive during the transfer to the luxury tented camp. Spend time in leisure as we take our lunch in the afternoon before going for a game drive around 4 pm and then come back to the camp for dinner and overnight. Samburu hosts special inhabitants such as the reticulated giraffe, the Grevy’s zebra, the Beisa oryx and the blue legged Somali ostrich.
Main Destination:
Samburu National Reserve
Best Time To VisitJune to September and January to February
High SeasonDecember to March and July to October (Busy)
The best time to visit: June and December as it is cool and fresh after raining.
Wildlife in Samburu NR
Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Hippo, Hyena, Cheetah, Wild Dog, White Rhino, Black Rhino, Wildebeest
Accommodation:
Samburu Sopa Lodge
- This was found to be a mid-range lodge found within the Samburu Natural Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Morning and afternoon game drives entail a search for the specialization of northern Kenyan species, which include the reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Grevy’s zebra, and gerenuk characterized by a long neck. Large parts of the reserve are totally arid; red ragged country with occasional patches of thorny acacia, and a magnificent though distant view of table top Mount Ol Olokwe in the distance. Food and your accommodations also will be provided for at the camp.
Main Destination:
Samburu National Reserve
Accommodation:
Samburu Sopa Lodge
- This was found to be a mid-range lodge found within the Samburu Natural Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Pick up from Sweetwaters camp at 7 am and proceed to Samburu, arriving at the camp in the afternoon. This is a rather large area of mostly acacia savanah which is a private game reserve where some of the special attractions include the Beisa oryx, Rothschild’s oriel and the black rhino. Safari adventures show off every kind of animal that one will find in Africa such as lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and hippopotamus among others. Visit the wildlife orphanage with fewer crowds and interact closely with the animals, also visit the Chimps at Chimp’s Sanctuary. All meals and your accommodation will be served at Sweetwaters Tented Camp.
Main Destination:
Ol Pejeta Conservancy (Laikipia Plateau)
Best Time To VisitJune to September (Dry season)
High SeasonJune to October and December to March
Best WeatherJune to September and December to February (Less rain)
Wildlife in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Elephant, Giraffe, White Rhino, Black Rhino, Buffalo, Zebra, Hyena, Lion, Cheetah, Wildebeest, Hippo, Leopard, Wild Dog
Accommodation:
Sweetwaters Serena Camp
- A luxury tented camp situated in the private Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the Laikipia district of Kenya.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
After breakfast at 7:00 am, you will make a drive to Lake Nakuru, lunch enroute in time for lunch. In the evening you will go for a game drive. There are also the white and black rhinos found in this park. Your dinner will be served at the lodge or camp, and you will spend the night there.
Main Destination:
Lake Nakuru National Park
Travel TimeJune to February (Least rainfall; most suitable for viewing of wildlife)
Peak season: July – February because many travelers and tourists visit the park.
Best WeatherJune 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
- It is a mid-range lodge that sits within the premises of the Lake Nakuru National park.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Following early morning breakfast at 7:00 am, transfer to the Masai mara for lunch. In the afternoon, we take a brief break, and after four in the evening, we go for the evening game drive looking for lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo and other animals. Your dinner and accommodation will be taken at the lodge/camp.
Main Destination:
Masai Mara National Reserve
When to goThere is no bad time to visit but the optimum period for general wildlife viewing is June to October while the best months for witnessing the wildebeest migration is from August to October.
High SeasonJune to October and December to March
Best WeatherJune 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
- Serena’s medium and luxury tented camp which is situated in the heart of the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
The day begins with a breakfast served at 7 in the morning, after which, then set for full day game drive in the vast Masai Mara plains in search of pride of lions and lion cubs! Lavish pastures of the plains contain copious numbers of these grazing animals; the seemingly seldom seen cheetah and leopard haunting stands of acacia also. There will be lunch which will be served at 1:00 P.M. in the sponsor savanna land. After that spend the night at the camp/lodge after a very productive day of tracking.
Main Destination:
Masai Mara National Reserve
Accommodation:
Zebra Plains Mara Camp
- Serena’s medium and luxury tented camp which is situated in the heart of the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Meals & Drinks:
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
After breakfast you will go for a morning game drive then later proceed and drive to Nairobi which might take at least 4-5 hours depending on the time spent on the game drive.
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 beds on request are also available for an additional fee.
- You will be taken to 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: BA, Lunch, dinner – See detailed information below under the day by day breakdown.
- • 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)
- • Tangible items (films, souvenirs, insurance for the trip, visas, etc.)
- • Government implemented new taxation policy and/or fare increase on parks
- • Some meals: As I will highlight in the day-by-day account of my trip,
FAQs
On this safari, you will encounter a sequence of terrains and animals in three unique areas. Samburu hosts several species of animals that are hard to find in other regions, such as the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and Somali ostrich in addition to dust extending land and spectacular views along the Ewaso Nyiro River. Sightings of the Big Five, including lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos, are common in the Masai Mara and you will also be treated to the spectacle of the wildebeest migration (available seasonally). The Great Rift Valley boasts of exquisite scenery, cradle land, alkaline lakes full of flamingos, and other bird species that make the region a heaven for tour photographers and bird watchers.
It is wise to visit during the dry season which lasts from June to October and December to March. You are most likely to sight wildlife because animals move around searching for water amid this time, and the roads are not as impassable. But if your target is to visit Maasai Mara to see the great migration, then expect to be there during the months of July to October. It is always wet, and favorable for tourism especially when there are Samburu, remains windy all year round while the Great Rift Valley with its spectacular views of the lakes teeming with flamingos.
There are luxury lodges to more popular tented camps so there is range and variation depending on what the customer wants. Samburu boasts of a number of luxurious tented camps right on the edge of the Ewaso Nyiro River with incredible wildlife visibility. As for the accommodations within the Masai Mara themselves, there are luxury permanent tented camps and lodges strategically located near the migration circuits. The Great Rift Valley has accommodation options such as lakeside resorts and eco-friendly lodges where visitors can enjoy a view of the escarpment and any type of bird of the region. Depending on your budget and wildlife preferences, there are luxuriously comfortable rooms for everyone here.
Aside from wildХ great game and bird viewing experiences, adventurous activities can also be done. Cultural aspects For tourists in Samburu, cultural activities include visits to Samburu tribal villages that offer tours to learn about the practices of the community. This way, walking safaris and camel trekking provide a glimpse of the hard terrain. For the bird’s eye view over the expansive plains, the Masai Mara has aerial view of hot air balloon safari. On the Great Rift Valley, boating on Lake Naivasha offers opportunities to view hippos and water bird while a hike through the area of Lake Nakuru or Hell’s Gate National Park for more exciting geological weird features and wildlife.
This particular safari is not very strenuous physically as most of the activities entails game viewing done in vehicles, usually 4 wheel drives. However, certain activities like the walking safari in Samburu, hiking in and around the Great Rift Valley, and balloon safari in the Masai Mara could be relatively tiring. If there are any issues with mobility, the safari guide can recommend the best way of organizing the tour to avoid any discomfort to the traveler.
Bring casual wear for the daytime game drives, including light-colored clothing, and a few warm items for the early morning and in the evening. Optional walking shoes are recommended given the numerous opportunities to go hiking in the Great Rift Valley. Anyone planning for wildlife viewing should carry along a pair of binoculars and an extra battery for the camera. Sunscreen lotion, a hat, insect repellent and sunglasses required for protection from the scorching sun and insects. Bring a portable water bottle to drink water with a compact bag for use while hiking or undertaking other activities during tours.
