Arrival at the airport at night. Transfer from the airport to a hotel in Nairobi.

Day 2: Aberdare Game Sanctuary

After breakfast drive to Nyeri in central Kenya, home of the Kikuyu tribe. You will drive through the main farming areas of Kenya with a lot of coffee and pineapple plantations. We will make a stop at the open air Karatina market, which is the biggest farm produce market in the region.

We arrive at the Aberdare Country Club in time for lunch. In the afternoon we will walk in the Aberdare Game Sanctuary with opportunities to see warthogs, Thompson and Grant’s gazelles, zebras, reticulated giraffes and the biggest antelopes: elands. Dinner and overnight at a Camp/Lodge in Aberdares.

DAY 3 Aberdare Game Sanctuary

After breakfast leave the Lodge/Camp on foot we will enter the open grassland by taking a right turn from the lake, where the big herd of the resident Waterbucks, Elands and Bushbucks reside. There are also good views of the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare range.
Overnight at an Aberdare Lodge/Camp.

DAY 4 Solio Ranch, Treetops

After breakfast we drive to the nearby Solio Ranch for an extensive game drive in the Rhino Sanctuary, which has the world’s largest concentration of black rhinos.

The white rhino is also found here as well as the reticulated giraffe, leopard, lion and a wide range of plains game and bird life.

Lunch is at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri, which is also the check in point for Treetops.

Many people who come to the Aberdare National Park expressly visit the tree hotels for game viewing. Their interest is highly justified: to see elephants, buffaloes, rhinos and other game coming to a floodlit waterhole right below the balcony of the hotel is really amazing.

Our hotel of choice is Treetops, which is designed for game viewing on a 3-storey structure standing on stilts. Treetops gets its name from the original hotel in which Princess Elizabeth arrived on Feb 5, 1952 and checked out on Feb 6 as the queen of England after her father, King George died in London during the night. The game viewing is an all-night show and many visitors pass the time focused on the waterhole where among the species frequenting are elephants, rhinos, hyenas, various gazelles, warthogs, giant forest hogs, the elusive bongo and with luck a leopard or a lion may pay a visit.

DAY 5 Transfer To Nairobi

Return to Nairobi in time for lunch. Day rooms are at your disposal until 6 p.m. Evening transfer to the airport where we say goodbye.

N/B:Itinerary changes may be made due to local conditions beyond our control.

Arrival at the airport at night. Transfer from the airport to a hotel in Nairobi.

DAY 2 Crescent Island. Lake Naivasha

After breakfast there is the briefing by the guide about the program. Thereafter we leave Nairobi via the Nakuru road to the Rift valley. The Nairobi – Nakuru road is on a contour along the rim of the Rift valley and on viewpoints we will be able to see our whole route for the next days.

We arrive at a Lake Naivasha Lodge / Camp in time for lunch. In the afternoon a game viewing walk at the privately owned Crescent Island, which is a peninsula on the Eastern shore of Lake Naivasha. There is a lot of easy to see game e.g. giraffes, waterbucks, elands, zebras and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. We return to the Lodge/Camp for dinner and overnight.

DAY 3 Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Naivasha

We wake up for breakfast with the sun giving a wonderful effect over the lake. An early morning here should not be missed by anyone with an eye for birds since the lake boasts a wide variety of water and woodland birds.

After breakfast we do a short transfer to the gate of the park. This is a unique park where walking is done in the middle of wildlife. Giraffes, zebras, warthogs and many types of gazelles are found here. The first part of this walk is done in typical flat African savannah in a volcanic area with huge rock boundaries. There are camphor and acacia trees all over and this is where to look for the giraffe as they mainly feed on them. A picnic lunch provided by the hotel will be at the Rangers post.

The last part of the walk is done in the Hell’s Gate Gorge by descending into a steep canyon with running water from geysers and wild vegetation. The climax of the day is in walking in the Side Gorge where the rocks have split to leave only a walking path. We climb back to the rangers post for the transfer back to the Lodge/Camp.

DAY 4 Crater Lake, Lake Naivasha

An early rising will ensure that one gets another magical display of the various birds. After breakfast we do a transfer by bus to the nearby Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. It is a lesser lake in the Rift Valley but a place where nature is at its best.

We do a walk in the sanctuary followed by a circular trek on the top of the crater from where we see the lake from various angles. Pleasant interruptions on the walks will be from giraffes, black and white Colobus monkeys, elands and a range of gazelles.

DAY 5: Visit Lake Nakuru National Park – Lake Elementaita

The nearby Lake Nakuru National Park is the oldest park of Kenya. It’s not only known for its thousands of flamingos but also for the vast herds of buffaloes, tens of rhinos and cats like leopard and lion. Of the big five only the elephant is missing. We make a wildlife viewing drive around the lake and have lunch at the Lake Nakuru Lodge.

Afternoon transfer to a Lake Elementaita Lodge.

DAY 6: Lake Elementaita

This lake may not have the big name of Lake Nakuru but its scenic beauty is unmatched. We walk up to the shores of the alkaline lake. From there we proceed up to the hot springs and into the Kikopey Hills surrounding the lake.

We walk mainly in open savannah land and occasionally we will stop for a chat with a Masai herdsman. The gentle sloping hills give a good panorama. The walk should be for 4 hrs after which we go back to the lodge in time for lunch. Afternoon is spent in the lodge.

DAY 7: Masai Mara

We now take a break from walking to put all our attention to watching wildlife. To see the best of Kenyan wildlife, Masai Mara is the place to be. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles and all the big cats are found here. So, after breakfast we start our journey passing through Narok Town; a colorful Masai town.

Our game viewing does not actually start at the park gate. We will be able to see many animals along the way grazing side by side with the Masai livestock.

DAY 8 -9 : Masai Mara

Morning game drive through the park and hike to a Masai manyatta (=homestead). Here we will see how the typical Masais live. On day 9 we do a morning and an afternoon game drive. We break from the driving with an optional walk in a natural area with rolling hills and grasslands, out of the park boundaries.

Day 10: Transfer To Nairobi

Return to Nairobi in time for lunch. Day rooms are at your disposal until 6 p.m. Evening transfer to the airport where we say goodbye.

N/B:Itinerary changes may be made due to local conditions beyond our control.

Arrival at the airport at night. Transfer from the airport to hotel in Nairobi.

Day 2: Menengai Crater. O/n Maili Saba Tented Camp

After breakfast we leave Nairobi via the Nakuru road to the Rift valley. The Nairobi – Nakuru road is on a contour along the rim of the Rift valley and on a viewpoint we will be able to see our whole route for the tour.

We arrive at the Maili Saba tented camp in time for lunch. In the afternoon we do a guided walk in the crater where we will enjoy the beautiful contrasts of nature: rocks that have stood the test of time, natural springs with mirror clear water, lava that reminds us that this is the Rift Valley and baboons trooping around with their babies. For birders, though this area is not yet listed as a hot spot in Kenya birding tours, its mixed habitat of rocks, patch grass land, scattered bushes and natural springs have interesting bird life such as Yellow Bishop, Pin-tailed Whydahs, Streaky Seedeater, Schalow?s Wheatear, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Hunter?s Sunbird, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Purple Grenadier and the elusive Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting among others.

Day 3: Lake Nakuru National. O/N Maili Saba Tented Camp

We will spend the day in the nearby Lake Nakuru National Park, famous for its thousands of flamingos as well as vast herds of buffaloes and tens of rhinos. There is a good chance to see cats such as leopard, cheetah and lion.

Day 4: Crescent Island Walk. O/N Lake Naivasha Lodge

After breakfast we now move to the Lake Naivasha Country Club, arrving, in time for lunch. In the afternoon we do our first African game viewing walk at the privately owned Crescent Island, which is a peninsula on the eastern shore of Lake Naivasha. There is a lot of easy to see game e.g. giraffes, waterbucks, elands, zebras and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The walk is gentle and satisfying. We return to the Lake Naivasha Lodge for dinner and overnight stay. .

Day 5: Hell’s Gate Walk. O/N Lake Naivasha Lodge

We wake up for breakfast with the sun giving a wonderful effect over the lake. An early morning here should not be missed by anyone with an eye for birds since the lake boasts a wide variety of water and woodland birds.

After breakfast we do a short transfer to the gate of the park. This is a unique park where walking is done in the middle of wildlife. Giraffes, zebras, warthogs and many types of gazelles are found here. The first part of this walk is done in typical flat African savannah in a volcanic area with huge rock boundaries. There are camphor and acacia trees all over and this is where to look for the giraffe as they mainly feed on them. A picnic lunch provided by the hotel will be at a viewpoint on the Hell’s Gate gorge.

The last part of the walk is done by descending into a steep canyon with running water from geysers and wild vegetation. The climax of the day is in walking in the Side Gorge where the rocks have split to leave only a walking path. We climb back to the Rangers Post for transfer back to the Lake Naivasha Country Club.

Day 6: Crater Lake. O/N Lake Naivasha Lodge.

An early rising will ensure that one gets another magical display of the various birds. After breakfast we do a transfer by bus to the nearby Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. It is a lesser lake in the Rift Valley but a place where nature is at its best.

We do a walk in the sanctuary followed by a circular trek on the top of the crater from where we see the lake from various angles. Pleasant interruptions on the walks will be from giraffes, black and white Colobus monkeys, elands and a range of gazelles.

Day 7: Kiambethu Tea Farm + To Nairobi For Outbound Flight

Leave Naivasha in the morning for lunch at the Kiambethu Tea Farm. This is an old colonial home established by the early settlers and the pioneers of tea growing in Kenya. There will be a talk on tea: its arrival in Kenya, the growing, processing and up to when you put it into your cup. A short walk in the tea plantation and into a small remaining part of indigenous forest completes the tour. We have a healthy farm lunch and thereafter transfer to Nairobi for the evening flight out.

Price

Our attractive price based on the size of your party includes all accommodation as per itinerary, all meals from breakfast of day 2 through lunch of day 7, all transport Nairobi-Nairobi and airport transfers, bottled water during the walks, services of guides, and the park entrance fees. The only extras on you are spending on airfare to Kenya, airport taxes, visa, a Flying Doctors Evacuation cover, insurance, drinks at the table, tips and expenditure of personal nature.