Day 1: Arrival Transfer – Nairobi
On arrival at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport our representative will be there to meet you, then escort you to Fairmont Norfolk Hotel.
Nairobi is the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg. Though just south of the equator, it enjoys a spring-like climate. It is a modern city, yet its main avenues blaze with color from tropical bushes and vines. Less than 100 years ago, there was a river in an empty wilderness where Nairobi now stands. Despite health hazards and the ever-present danger from wild animals, Nairobi became established by 1907 and quickly grew as a white farming community. It also attracted world attention as the centre of big-game safaris for the rich and famous. Perhaps the most famous was the safari of Teddy Roosevelt, which needed 500 porters to carry supplies and returned with 500 trophies. The nearby Nairobi National Park boasts the presence of all but one of the `Big Five’. Nairobi has a wealth of international restaurants. Cuisine of all types is available from Chinese to French and Italian. Several restaurants also offer local favorites. Nightlife varies from dining out to going to local nightclubs with discos and bands. Shopping in Nairobi varies from African clothing and craft shops to bazaar stalls and open-air markets where souvenir hunters find bargains ranging from woodcarvings to Persian carpets. There are 3 excellent museums, offering insights into the fauna, culture and history of Kenya.
Day 2: Fly Wilson – Amboseli
B – L – D
After breakfast, transferred to Wilson Airport for flight to Amboseli (0730/0900 approx.). Met on arrival by lodge driver guide and transferred to Tawi Lodge.
Check in and lunch at the lodge.
Afternoon game drive
Amboseli National Park, at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain 5895m (19,340ft) Kilimanjaro is one of the most popular of all Kenya’s national parks. It lies some 240 kms (145 miles) south-east of Nairobi. The snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro rising above a saucer of clouds dominates every aspect of Amboseli National Park which covers 392 sq. kms (151 square miles). The Tanzania border runs along its base and also forms the boundary of the Park. Years ago this was the locale around which such famous writers as Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark spun their stories of big-game hunting in the African wilds. It is also the home of the famed Maasai people, those tall, proud nomadic warriors whose legendary prowess in battle and single handed acts of bravely in fights with wild animals has spread across the world. Perhaps more than any other community in Kenya, however, they have learned to live in complete harmony with their environment and the wildlife which surrounds them. The group which numbers more than 240,000 have many fascinating traditions which form part of their ages-old culture. Their diet is a simple one, consisting mainly of meat and milk and also the blood of cattle – drawn by firing a collared arrow into the beast’s jugular vein – mixed with milk. The snows of Kilimanjaro, white and crystalline, also form a backdrop to one of Kenya’s most spectacular displays of wildlife – lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, cheetah, buffalo and hosts of plains game and the combination makes the park a photographer’s paradise. Part of the Park is composed of a dried-up lake bed which in the shimmering heat produces mirages. Swamps and springs, fed by underground rivers from Kilimanjaro’s melting snows, form permanent watering places for the wildlife in times of drought.. Many attractive birds can be easily seen and equally easily photographed around the lodges. This is one of the few places where the rare and beautiful Taveta Golden Weaver is found.
Day 3: Full day spent in Amboseli
B – L – D
Day spent in Amboseli with morning and afternoon game viewing drives
Day 4: Fly Amboseli-Wilson-Lewa
B – L – D
Breakfast at the lodge. Transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Nairobi (0905/0950 approx.). Connect on to your flight to Lewa (1020/1125 approx.)
Met on arrival by your camp driver guide and proceed to Lewa Safari Camp.
A secluded tented camp in the shadow of Mount Kenya, surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of one of Kenya’s leading private game conservancies. The conservancy is renowned throughout
Africa for its innovative approaches to conservation and community development, with income generated by the camp directly benefiting Lewa’s conservation and community projects. Visitors to the camp have privileged access to 45,000 acres of scenically spectacular grounds, densely populated with exciting wildlife, including the endangered black and white rhino and 25% of the worlds remaining Grevy zebra. As a private conservancy, Lewa is one of the few places where guests can experience the thrill of night game drives, seeing the animals from a completely different perspective.
Afternoon undertake activities offers by the camp.
Day 5: Full day spent in Lewa
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Day spent in Lewa to undertake activities offered which included guided bush walks and game drives.
Other activities available at extra costs include: horse and camel riding, visit to Il Ngwesi cultural boma, visit to Ngare Ndare forest.
Day 6: Fly Lewa – Maasai Mara
B – L – D
After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Maasai Mara (0935/1100 approx.).
On arrival, met by your host and guides from Olonana and transferred to the camp.
Sanctuary Olonana is a small exclusive camp located on a private stretch of the Mara River, at the foot of the impressive Siria Escarpment. Accommodation is in fourteen huge canvas pavilions with en-suite bathrooms, floor to ceiling mosquito netting, solar lighting and large verandas overlooking
the river where the hippos wallow. The main dining room and veranda also command views over the Mara River and offer the perfect setting for after dinner star gazing. There is a swimming pool and our mini-spa is a treat, here, in the middle of the African bush, guests can experience traditional African remedies alongside French marine therapies from Thalgo.
A wide range of activities are offered including game drives, bush walks, sundowners and bush meals. Olonana works closely with a local Maasai village and visitors to the village get an insight into the traditional way of life of the Maasai tribe.
Conservation is integral to everything Sanctuary Retreats do and at Olonana an innovative wetlands system allows for used water to be recycled naturally before it is returned to the environment. Our tree-planting project gives guests an opportunity to plant a tree and leave a positive mark on a piece of Africa
Check in and lunch at the lodge
Afternoon game drive.
Day 7: Full day spent in Maasai Mara
B – L – D
You have the full day to enjoy the sights and sounds of Maasai Mara on your early morning and late afternoon game viewing drives.
The jewel in Africa’s crown, Maasai Mara is host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. Her 1,510 square kilometers 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 colourful 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.
Day 8: Full day spent in Maasai Mara
B – L – D
Spend full day in Mara with a morning and afternoon game drive. You have opportunity for a balloon ride at extra cost.
**Optional early morning hot-air balloon safari is available at an extra cost
Balloon Safari: As the balloon is inflated against the first rays of sunrise your pilot will go through safety procedures. Once aloft, the balloon floats gently over the plains, giving a bird’s eye view of the game below as the sun creeps slowly over the horizon. After around one hour the balloon lands as breakfast is already being prepared and, of course, enjoy a glass or two of bubbly to toast your flight in a tradition initiated by the Montgolfier brothers.
Day 9: Fly Mara – Nairobi/Depart
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This morning you have the option for another game drive. Later transfer to the airstrip for scheduled flight to Nairobi (1100/1215).
Met on arrival and transferred to the Carnivore restaurant for lunch.
The Carnivore Restaurant is situated at the edge of Nairobi National Park. Its attractive gardens offer an informal indoor/outdoor atmosphere. ‘The Carnivore’ – as the name suggests – is a meat eater’s paradise. The focal point of the main restaurant is the ‘roasting pit’ where a staggering array of meat is roasted on huge metal spears over charcoal. Waiters bring different meats to the table and carve onto piping hot plates with an exceptional array of sauces to complement the meats.
Guests may have the opportunity to sample ostrich and crocodile amongst others and for herbivores, there is a vegetarian menu. Waiters continue their rounds until you admit defeat and lower your flag (perched on your table!). If you have any room left after the unlimited servings, a variety of tempting puddings are on offer before mugfuls of steaming Kenya coffee herald the end of the meal.
Also within the grounds is the Simba Saloon, one of Nairobi’s popular nightclubs and the African Heritage shop which offers a small collection of art, tribal sculptures, artifacts from all parts of Africa, jewelry, some hand-crafted home accessories and African textile designs.
After lunch, you will transferred to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your departure flight.
