Destination
Kenya
Duration
9 Days
Overview
Starts From Mombasa, Kilifi, Watamu, or Diani beach resorts – Finish at Nairobi area hotels or airport. We’ll pick you up from your hotel or resort. You’ll safari comfortably in your own 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep.
Lots of time for an easy-paced exploration of Kenya’s finest parks and wildlife as we journey on this longer African safari over dramatic scenery getting a true sense of the safari life. We begin at the legendary Tsavo parks and then take in the grandeur of Mt. Kilimanjaro at Amboseli. The Rift Valley lakes of Naivasha and Nakuru follow as we cap this memorable holiday at the legendary Masai Mara. Nine days of discovery, wildlife sightings, and fun!
Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks are renowned for their big, open spaces and abundance of wildlife. Between these two historic parks, you’ll be looking for all of Africa’s Big Five. At Tsavo West, we’ll visit the surprisingly green Mzima Springs. We’ll next follow the towering pinnacle of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak to guide us to Amboseli National Park, seated at the floor of the great mountain. Have your camera ready for views of the park’s many herds of elephants, with Kilimanjaro in the background.
We’re on to the Rift Valley lakes next, stopping at Lake Naivasha for a sailing safari and the chance to glide by hippos and exotic birds. We’ll also take a walking safari to nearby Crescent Island Sanctuary to get up close to the antelope, buffalo, zebra, and giraffe. Our third local safari will be on bicycle, for a quick pedal to Hell’s Gate National Park, amongst geysers and grazing animals.
Our second Rift Valley lake is close by. Lake Nakuru National Park impresses visitors with its variety of scenery and wildlife. Where else can you find the big cats, flamingoes, and endangered rhinos all in one place?
You’ve probably heard of Kenya’s most popular park, Masai Mara National Reserve. It’s our final destination and we’ll spend lots of time on game drives, exploring its rolling hills and endless plains. All the large predators are here, plus scores of every kind of wildlife. This park is dense with animals and frequent sightings are not uncommon. There will also be opportunities for cultural encounters with the local Maasai people amidst all this natural wonder – a fitting capstone for a richly rewarding 9 days!
Itinerary
Your driver/guide will pick you up early from your Kenya coast beach resort or hotel in a 4 x 4 Jeep for your safari journey. This includes Mombasa, Tiwi, Kilifi, Watamu, Diani, and Malindi.
We’ll head out on the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway, also known as the Early Explorer’s route to Tsavo East National Park. (There is a small route variation from Malindi/Watamu resorts). The early drive to the park is pleasant and in no time, you’ll be at the southern entrance, where we can pause for refreshments if you desire.
But you’re probably ready to begin your first game drive so we’ll head out, searching for lion, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe and of course the great elephants lumbering over the rugged terrain. After lunch and maybe some relaxing time, we’ll set out again in our 4 x 4 tracking the park’s wildlife. The known watering holes here like Aruba Dam are a great spot to find the animals, coming here to quench their thirst.As the day wanes, we’ll look westward for one of Africa’s dazzling sunsets. A perfect way to finish our first day.
Our first morning waking in the wild! Let’s rise before the sun and savor the early morning light on the savannah. This is the perfect time for a game drive as the animals emerge from the night.
After breakfast at our accommodation, we’ll depart with a final game drive as we take the short trip over to sister park, Tsavo West. The look here is different – scenic rolling hills, ancient baobab trees, and even volcanic lava beds. The Big Five can be seen here in addition to others like giraffe, impala, and gerenuk.
The park hosts a protected enclave for the endangered rhino, over 80 of them. We’ll head there, tracking the elusive creatures.
It’s safari time and that means we’re up early, ready to jump in our 4 x 4 to catch the stirrings of wildlife and the freshness of this new day. Tsavo West offers plenty of surprises and one is the verdant and lush Mzima Springs, where the crystalline waters harbor much wildlife and attract even more to its shores. Look for hippo, crocodile, exotic fish and birds, plus zebra, elephant, and others drawn to this vital habitat.
The drive to Amboseli is short and you’ll be able to see the towering peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro for much of your drive. Africa’s tallest peak lies at the park’s southern border, like a sentinel over the reserve. We’ll have some relaxation time and then head out for an afternoon game drive. Toward day’s end, Kilimanjaro’s snowy summit may peek out from its cloud cover giving us views and photo moments that are unforgettable.
There will be plenty of time for game drives throughout the day and time for relaxation as well. As with all aspects of your safari, just let your driver/guide know your wishes and he’ll be happy to accommodate.
We’ll have an early morning game drive, breakfast and then a mid-morning game drive… should you choose. We’ll be looking for lion, buffalo, giraffe, zebra… but we probably won’t have to look long to find the elephants. This park is famous for its immense herds of the free-ranging pachyderms – it’s said to be the best spot in Africa for spotting them. The overall foliage is sparse at Amboseli, but this only makes the game spotting that much easier.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
By now, you know it’s fun to rise with or even before the sun when on safari! We’ll take an early morning game drive for some last views of the elephants and majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Now we’re headed for the Rift Valley and Lake Naivasha area attractions. We’ll enjoy lunch and relax on an afternoon boat safari, gliding by hippos and the rich birdlife here. You may see grazing zebra and antelope not far away, on the shore. After the rugged terrain of the past few days, this languid freshwater lake is an indulgent retreat. While we’re feeling relaxed, let’s take a guided walking safari over to Crescent Island Sanctuary amidst the gently grazing impala, giraffe, buffalo, and zebra.
(You can choose to go to Lake Bogoria instead of Lake Nakuru if you’d like to view the larger flocks of flamingoes.) Ever go on an early morning bicycle safari? Today’s your chance as we peddle over to Hell’s Gate National Park to view its stunning gorges, dramatic towers, and peaceful grazing wildlife.
It’s a quick hop to Lake Nakuru National Park, a pretty reserve with acacia forests, wooded hills and the lake, hosting flocks of pelicans, kingfishers, ostriches, and flamingoes.
There’s also big game in this varied park like lion, leopard, warthog, giraffe, monkey, and baboon.
What better place to rise with the birdsong? We’ll get in the 4 x 4 and take another game drive through the park. But the great Masai Mara calls! And we’re soon on the road headed to this world-famous reserve. The park will greet us with its vast expanse of rolling hills, golden plains, and signature acacia trees filling the landscape.
We’ll have time for an afternoon game drive, and you’ll get your first taste of this abundant wildlife refuge.
This will be a special day – unlimited game drives throughout this vast reserve. All the Big Five are here, with a special emphasis on lions. The Mara is known for its intense concentration of wildlife – the densest in this part of Africa.
If you should happen to be here during the Great Migration (July – October), you’ll be fortunate to find even greater quantities of wildlife. This is the time when gazelle, zebra, and wildebeest by the thousands cross into the park over the Mara River in their timeless search for ever taller grasses.
Here the cycles of life play out as the various predators lie in wait for the multitudes of these grazers streaming into the Mara.
We’ll visit the Mara River looking for hippo, crocodiles and perhaps waiting in the hills, lion, cheetah and other big cats.
If all that wasn’t enough, we have several optional activities of which you can take advantage. There are also indigenous tribes living here – the Maasai people. You can visit their village, learn about their lives and come away a bit richer for the experience. Want to do something completely different and quite unforgettable? Jump aboard a dawning hot air balloon safari over the park. You’ll get to witness the sun breaking on the land as the wildlife emerges into the new day – absolutely gorgeous! Just ask your driver/guide to make the arrangements.
We’ve seen a lot of Africa this last week but how about one more early game drive to round out our safari checklist? Then we’ll dig into our final safari breakfast before taking an exit drive from the great park.
We’re headed to Nairobi and should arrive at about 16:30 hrs. (4:30 pm).
What's Included
- Park fees
- All activities(Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation
- All Taxes/VAT
- Meals(As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Complimentary drinking water(In the vehicle on all days)
Direct Booking
+260979654815
info@bragtours.com