Develop an intimate relationship with Kenya(Nairobi, Lewa, Naivasha and Masai Mara), its people and its prolific wildlife on this 9 - day safari, staying in small, exclusive camps as you fly around the country.
The pace is leisurely, allowing you time to become familiar with your surroundings and to gain insight into several different, natural environments each with their resident inhabitants under the guidance of professional and knowledgeable game rangers. There will be time too, to relax and soak in the beautiful sights and exotic sounds of Africa.
Day 1: Nairobi
On arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport you will be met and transferred by private car to Ngong House just outside of Nairobi. Spend your first night in Africa in a 'tree-house'! This unique luxury hotel has 4-poster beds and wide verandahs where you can watch birds to your heart's content and admire the views of the Ngong Hills. The balance of the day is free to relax after your long flight.
Day 2: Nairobi - Lewa
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Wilson Airport for a scheduled flight from Nairobi north to Lewa. On arrival you will be met and transferred to Lewa Safari Camp in time for lunch. Lewa's permanent tented camp consists of comfortable and roomy tents on raised platforms with wonderful views looking out over the rolling hills and plains of this part of north central Kenya. Lewa also boosts a saltwater pool and their chef produces exceptional cuisine, so your 2 nights here will be extremely enjoyable. This afternoon take part in your first game drive through Lewa's 62,000-acre wildlife sanctuary with its 61 different species of mammals and over 440 species of birds.
Day 3: Lewa
Spend the day game viewing in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Situated on the northern slopes of Mt Kenya, this reserve consists of five extremely diverse ecosystems: Open savannah, Acacia forest, rocky gorges and ravines, Mountain forest and, most importantly in this arid region of the country, the Lewa swamp.
This distinct habitats support not only many different species of wildlife but in particular, have become a sanctuary for the endangered Black and White Rhino that have been poached almost to extinction. It is also one of the last three remaining habitats of the Sitatunga, a swamp dwelling antelope.
Day 4: Lewa - Naivasha
This morning return to Nairobi by air and connect onto another flight for Naivasha. Here you will be met and transferred to the Chui Lodge for a 2-night stay. This lovely lodge located in the privately owned Oserian Wildlife Sanctuary, overlooks a waterhole with the Mau Escarpment of the Great Rift Valley in the background. After a delicious lunch, the afternoon is at leisure with time to relax around the pool; after all, Oserian is Maasai for 'place of peace'. Or, spend your time watching many of the sanctuary's resident game come down to drink at the waterhole. Don't be surprised to see Grevy zebra, Oryx, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, and maybe even an elusive leopard quenching its thirst.
Day 5: Naivasha
This morning there will be an excursion to a local flower farm. This environmentally conscious flower farm grows and exports a wide selection of flowers such as Roses and Lisianthus (commonly called the 'prairie gentian'). Watch the colourful and busy process of the grading hall and also see the latest geothermal heated rose project. Return to Chui Lodge for lunch. Afterwards you can take a game drive through the Oserian Sanctuary or go on a guided bush walk.
Day 6: Naivasha - Masai Mara
The morning is at leisure and following lunch at the Lodge, return to the airstrip and fly to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. On arrival you will be taken to the Entim Mara Camp, located within the reserve near the convergence of the Mara and Talek Rivers. This small, exclusive camp, which will be home for the next 4 nights, consists of 5 individually decorated, en suite tents each with its own secluded verandah overlooking the plains and the Mara River. Head out this afternoon in 4-wheel drive vehicles driven by experienced and professional game rangers as you game watch, looking in particular for the huge black-manned lions, for which the reserve is famous.
Days 7, 8: Masai Mara
Over the next two days, your life will be filled with wonder and delight as you game view and explore Kenya's finest reserve where there is always something exciting to see. You may witness a pride of lions stalking their prey or watch a leopard enjoying the meal he had dragged up into a tree. More than 60 species of animals are found in the Reserve as well as countless bird species, such as the Masai ostrich and the Secretary bird. Masai Mara is mostly open savannah dotted with the recognizable flat-topped acacias that giraffes love to browse on. Elephants and other herbivores find shade within the forested areas near the rivers, and of course, it is here that the great migration of the wildebeest takes place at the beginning of August. Entim Mara Camp is well situated right on the migration path and is only minutes away from where the great wildebeest herds cross the crocodile-filled Mara River. During your stay, there will also be opportunities to visit a traditional Masai 'manyatta' or homestead to see a way of life unchanged over the centuries, take guided bush walks with knowledgeable game rangers or go up in a hot-air balloon. (Please note: some activities are at additional expense).
Day 9: Depart Kenya
After breakfast you will be taken back to the airstrip for scheduled flight from Mara to Nairobi. On arrival at Wilson airport you will be met and transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your homebound flight.