Arrive Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. After clearing customs and immigration formalities, you will be welcomed by our representative and transferred to Wildebeest Eco Camp.
Set in 3.5 acres of beautiful gardens around eight kilometers from the city center in the leafy suburb of Karen, it is within easy walking distance from all essential amenities like the bank, ATM, forex and supermarket, as well as a host of places to eat and mingle with the locals. With many of Nairobi's major attractions right on the doorstep, it is a great place to spend time exploring the sites.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Today you will go on a sightseeing tour of Nairobi with visits to the Giraffe Center, David Sheldrick Animal Orphanage and Ocean Sole.
Giraffe Centre: Giraffe Centre is the headquarters for AFEW, the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. Made famous by ‘Daisy Rothschild’, a giraffe calf rescued from Soi, on the border of Western Kenya, Giraffe Manor was established in 1983 as a sanctuary for the then endangered Rothschild giraffe.
Davis Sheldrick Animal Orphanage: This afternoon visit the famous Daphne Sheldrick Animal Orphanage. Daphne is the widow of pioneer wildlife ranger David Sheldrick and has set up the orphanage on the edge of Nairobi National Park to successfully raise orphaned wild animals (mainly elephant and rhino) and reintroduce them into the wild. You will have a semi private visit where you will get to choose the elephant that you would like to adopt and watch them being fed and put to bed.
Ocean Sole workshop tour: One of the Ocean Soles tour guides will show you around the Ocean Sole workshop where they transform recycled flip-flops into art. You will be walked through the history of the company and given an explanation of where the flip-flops come from. You will then be shown how they are weighed, washed, cleaned, carved and sanded into beautiful works of art. You will have a chance to meet and talk to the artist and once the tour is finished you can visit the vibrant shop where if you wish you can buy one of the pieces.
After the tour you will have lunch at the Talisman restaurant – payable directly.
Leave Nairobi at 08:00 and drive to the Aberdare National Park (approximately three hours with photography stops). Arrive at the hotel for lunch followed by an afternoon game drive.
Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at Aberdare Country Club.
The Aberdare Country Club, is northeast from Nairobi, nestled on a slope of Mweiga Hill in the Aberdare Highlands, part of the Great Rift Valley. This captivating site was the homestead of an English couple that decided to settle in Kenya. Almost a half century later, their home, "The Steep", was renamed the Aberdare Country Club and opened for guests.
Considered a heritage property in Kenya, The Aberdare Country Club has retained the charm of a private home with the simple comforts of a country inn. Aberdare National Park lures those who want more than just a safari. With dense forests, 300 meter-high waterfalls and amazing hikes, this park is as much about the flora as it is the fauna. While trekking, keep an eye open for bush pigs, rare black leopards and buffaloes.
After an early breakfast drive to the Solio Game Reserve for a half day game drive.
The family-run, private 71-square-kilometer Solio Game Reserve, part of the larger Solio Ranch, is Kenya's oldest rhino sanctuary and an important breeding center for black rhinos; many of the horned beasts you see wandering national parks were actually born here. Day visitors can experience the dramatic clumps of yellow-fever acacia, wide skies and wild marsh, plus an abundance of rhinos as well as oryxes, gazelles, hartebeests, giraffes, lions, hyenas and buffaloes.
Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon go for a nature walk in the sanctuary or enjoy the hotel facilities.
After breakfast drive to Naivasha (approximately three hours with photography stops) and arrive in time for lunch. After lunch enjoy an hour boat ride on the lake and a game walk on Crescent Island.
Crescent Island is a private Wildlife Sanctuary on the eastern side of Lake Naivasha. Surrounded by water, the island is actually a peninsula that is accessible by boat as well as by road. There are more animals here per acre than any other Kenyan park. The terrain is flat, making it easy for walkers of all abilities to enjoy themselves. There is a lot of easy-to-see game e.g. giraffes, waterbucks, elands, wildebeests, zebras and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The lake has a lot of hippos, which you can easily spot from the island. Among the resident birds are fish eagles, ospreys, lily-trotters, black crakes and a variety of herons.
Lunch, dinner and overnight at Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp.
Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp has 20 luxury tents. The tents have well-furnished wooden floor with adequate space generously created to allow free movement inside and outside. They blend well and inter mingle with the Yellow/Green Acacia trees giving the tents a relaxing atmosphere from the calm breeze. There is also a swimming pool for guests to wind down at as they enjoy the breeze and shade from the acacia trees.
Depart after an early breakfast for Hell's Gate National Park where you will have a guided walk, a bike ride through the savannah and visit the Ol Karia Geothermal Plant that also has a swimming pool.
Dramatic, vertical cliffs rising steeply from the floor of the Great Rift Valley mark the entrance to Hell's Gate National Park. The park, a World Heritage Site at the south end of Lake Naivasha, covers an area of 68.25 square kilometers (26 square miles) and was named by explorers Thomson and Fischer in 1883 for the geothermal activity that can be witnessed here, steam rising from the ground in ghostly white shapes.
Hell's Gate is home to numerous plains game, including Thomson's gazelle, Impala, and Hartebeest as well as big-winged birdlife: Verreaux's eagles, augur buzzards and rare lammergeyer - or bearded - vultures, considered an old world bird of prey, can all be seen here.
The park presents as towering cliffs, gorges, extinct volcanoes - Olkaria and Hobley's - and rock towers; the most impressive is Fischer's Tower; formed 35 million years ago, it is 25 meters high and was named after the German explorer Gustav Fischer, who trekked through this area on a journey to try to find a route from Mombasa to Lake Victoria. Fischer's Tower is one of the park’s many popular rock climbing sites.
Depart for Maasai Mara after breakfast (approximately five hours) and arrive in time for lunch. After lunch head out for an afternoon game drive. Lunch, dinner and overnight are spent at Siana Springs.
Siana Springs is a tented camp at the foot of the Ngama Hills on the edge of the world famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
You can go on long walks through the forest edge and out onto the plains with experienced guides who show you which animals have passed along the paths recently.
The Mara is of course fabulous game viewing territory with a huge variety of wildlife including all of the Big Five. During the annual wildebeest migration there is a huge buildup of predators – lion are particularly common around Siana. All the tents have en-suite bathrooms, flushing toilets and piping hot water. Each has its own private veranda with safari chairs and tables where you can enjoy a sundowner before dinner and Maasai dancing on the open-air dining terrace.
You have the full day to enjoy the splendors of the Maasai Mara.
The jewel in Africa's crown, Maasai Mara is host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. Her 1,510 square kilometres of open savannah, woodlands and tree-lined rivers create an eco-system which supports huge numbers of bird and mammal species. The western border of the park is the spectacular Siria Escarpment, and together with the acacia dotted plains, creates scenery of stunning beauty. Lion are found in abundance throughout the park as are elephant, giraffe, a variety of gazelle species and zebra. Cheetah and leopard are also regularly seen and, if lucky, you may also find rhino.
Game viewing is never dull in the Mara, and patience is often rewarded with unique sightings : a pride of lion stalking their prey; a solitary leopard retrieving its kill from the high branches of an acacia tree; male wildebeest sparring to attract females into their harem; or even a herd of elephant protecting their young from opportunistic predators. The annual wildebeest migration traditionally is present in the Mara from July-September and at this time nature's dramas unfold before your very eyes at every turn. As well as wildlife, the Maasai Mara is also home to many members of the colorful Maasai tribe who may be seen around the borders of the park - morans (warriors) loping across the plains, young boys herding goats, or elders grouped under a tree discussing matters of the day.
In the afternoon drive out to the Masai Village where you are guided through by an English-speaking Maasai, who lives in the village. He introduces you to the authentic, daily hustle and bustle of Maasai living. You also have the opportunity to browse through the Maasai Craft Centre and purchase artefacts and souvenirs, which are made in the village — all proceeds are given back to the community.
After breakfast drive to Nairobi (approximately six hours) and either end your safari here or be dropped off at Wilson Airport for your flight to Diani.
Located along Diani beach, Leopard Beach Resort & Spa boasts panoramic views of the Indian Ocean and is set within a tropical garden. The resort is within 5 kilometers from Ukunda. The bright, air-conditioned rooms feature a satellite TV, safe and tea-and-coffee-making facilities. Each unit has a minibar and en suite bathroom including free toiletries. All rooms have a view of the garden and some of the sea. Leopard Beach Resort offers a selection of restaurants and bars. The signature à la carte restaurant, The Chui Grill is situated on a two-tiered timber deck and serves fresh seafood and grills. The Uzuri Spa and Fitness Forest is set in a 6-acre indigenous forest, offering a selection of treatments and wellness facilities. You can also enjoy a refreshing swim in the large pool.
Enjoy the beach and partake in optional activities such as Kitesurfing, Surfing, snorkeling, skydiving and a day trip to Wasini Island to see dolphins or just relax by the ocean!
Diani Deep Sea Fishing
Another day to enjoy Diani and activities offered at the resort.
Catch your flight back to Nairobi. Transfer to the international airport and depart.
