10 days in the Aberdare region, Rift Valley & Masai Mara

Day 1. Nairobi

Arrival at the airport at night and reception by Ontdek Kenya. Transfer from the airport to the Nairobi Safari Club or equivalent hotel in Nairobi.

Day 2. African Safari: Sangare Ranch

A 3 hrs transfer takes you 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 in time for lunch at the Sangare Tented Camp, our base for two nights.

Sangare is a 6500 acres private wildlife conservancy sandwiched between the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya. The 12-tent camp overlooks a fresh water lake full of exciting bird life where game comes to drink. The Sangare Hill forms a magnificent backdrop for the camp.

Walking trips in Kenya: inside a tent of the Sangare Camp.

The ranch whose habitat is open savanna with scattered bush is home to zebras, reticulated giraffes, antelopes, warthogs, leopards, hyenas and buffaloes. Bird life in Sangare is rich with + 300 bird species recorded such as Red-winged Starlings, Greater Blue-eared Starlings, Olive Pigeons, Northern Crombec, Grey Flycatcher, Cardinal Woodpecker… At the lake there is the easy to see Red–knobbed Coot, Black Crake, Storks and others.

The tents are spacious and luxurious with four poster beds, unique African furnishing, private verandas and en suite facilities with flush toilet and shower.

Days in Sangare ranch are for guided walks and game drives.

Day 4. African Safari in Kenya: Solio Ranch + The Ark (Aberdare NP)

After breakfast we drive to the nearby Solio Ranch. This time we do 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. We will drive around in the ranch but since this private sanctuary is little visited by the main tour operators, we will not have many cars surrounding us. To the Aberdare Country Club, a sister hotel of The Ark, for lunch.

African Safaris and Tours in Kenya. Rhinos in the Solio game sanctuary

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 The Ark, which is designed for game viewing from one of the various decks or the underground bunker. The Ark is built on stilts and has the shape of Noah’s ark, hence its name.

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 antelopes, warthogs, giant forest hogs, the elusive bongo and with luck a leopard or a lion may pay a visit.

Day 5. Wildlife Safari: Crescent Island

We now transfer to the Rift Valley where we will stay for two nights in the Lake Naivasha Sawela Lodge.

african safari crescent island lake naivasha

In the afternoon we walk in Crescent Island, which is a private conservancy 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 Kenyan bird species recorded.

We return to the Lake Naivasha Sawela Lodge for overnight.

Day 6. Wildlife Safari: Crater Lake

Full day at the nearby Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. This is another private game conservancy where there are huge numbers of plains game.

Game drives with options for walks give us good sightings of giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, black and white Colobus monkeys, elands, hartebeests and a range of Gazelles, all which are easily found in the sanctuary.

Overnight at the Lake Naivasha Sawela Lodge.

Day 7,8+9. African safari tour: Masai Mara

We now move on to Masai Mara, the Africa that everyone dreams of. For the 3 days we will explore the open savanna plains, the riverine forests and meandering rivers for elephants, rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, gazelles, crocodiles and hippos. Wildlife viewing in Mara is an all year-round affair and not restricted to the July-September period of wildebeest migration. There are permanent resident population of wildebeest and plains game throughout the year. The cats, which by nature are territorial, are also permanently there defending their corners. You will possibly see a wide variety of game in Mara outside the migration period as most animals move out with the high stress of the wildebeest “invasion”.

sunset masai mara

On day 8, after a game drive in the morning, Masai Morans will guide us on a walking safari in the rolling hills and grasslands, out of the park boundaries where we will have close encounters with gazelles, zebras and giraffes. En route we will visit a Masai village.

O/N Mara Leisure Tented Camp or equivalent camp.

Day 10. Kiambethu Tea Farm + transfer to Nairobi for outbound flight

Leave Masai Mara 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.

Itinerary changes on your African safari holiday may be made due to local conditions beyond our control.

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 10, all transport Nairobi-Nairobi and airport transfers, bottled water during the walks, services of guides, the park entrance fees and a Flying Doctors Evacuation cover. The only extras on you are spendings on airfare to Kenya, airport taxes, visa, insurance, drinks, tips and expenditure of personal nature.

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