10 Day Big Game Kenya Safari - S

Highlights – Arrive in Nairobi City.  

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Accommodation: Jacaranda Hotel
Activity: Arrive at the airport being met and greeted by your guide.

Your host will be on hand when you arrive at the airport and will take you to the Jacaranda Hotel. This beautiful hotel has a seasoned history of hosting international and local business as well as leisure travelers dating back in the early 1960's. Take a minute to enjoy a few drinks at the poolside bar whilst you relax and unwind after your flight. If you’re ready for sleep, you’ll immediately relax in your luxurious room, with its fine linens. In the morning you’ll be refreshed and ready to go. Who says a safari has to be rustic?

Highlights – Your first day at the Amboseli National Park and an afternoon game drive.

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Accommodation: Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Transfer to Amboseli before an afternoon game drive.

After a tasty breakfast, it is time to head out to Amboseli National Park, considered the prime location in the world for viewing wild elephants.  Nothing can beat the site of these magnificent creatures with Mount Kilimanjaro as their backdrop.  The mountain is the world’s highest free-standing mountain and its majesty will take your breath away. In addition, you’ll see plenty more wildlife – including giraffes, lions and cheetahs. You’ll know this is a real safari as you travel over the rugged roads to the park and later on your afternoon game drive.   It is an exciting day and you’ll be grateful for a chance to unwind at the Amboseli Sopa Lodge, which more than lives up to its serene name.  The décor is inspired by the indigenous Maasai people and it harmonizes with the Kenyan terrain beautifully.   Walk through the beautifully landscaped gardens to enjoy a delicious meal, including many local food items.

Highlights – Your second day of exploration at the Amboseli National Park

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Accommodation: Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives.

The day starts with breakfast and a morning game drive where you’ll see white rhinos, wildebeests, zebras and many other species. Undoubtedly, you will also see many of the more than 400 species of birds that inhabit the park. Amazingly, the sites you see in the morning will be quite different from those you’ll see on the afternoon game drive as the various creatures respond to their unique biological clocks.

Depending on the time of year, the terrain will vary – from Ernest Hemingway’s “Snows of Kilimanjaro” to the hot dry summer to the life-giving rainy season – but it will always be beautiful. The routes taken will depend on weather conditions but they all offer unforgettable scenery, so keep your camera ready. You will also have the chance to take a “walking safari” for a close up view of Kenya, along with an optional visit to an authentic tribal village. When you need a break, take a dip in the lodge’s pool or take a nap in your cool, comfortable room.

Highlights - Game viewing from the comfort of your lodge.

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Accommodation: The Ark
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Transfer to Aberdare National Park; enjoy game viewing from your lodge.

After a delicious breakfast, it’s time to head to the Aberdare Mountains, the east wall of the Great Rift Valley.  This is a part of Africa few westerners know about, with mountains, rain forests, waterfalls, monkeys and birds.  You’ll stop at a forest overlook to see elephants, lions, leopards and other creatures refresh themselves at a waterhole.   Tonight you’ll stay at The Ark, which overlooks a waterhole and for the native wildlife.  Not only will you be pampered in this luxurious accommodation, you’ll also be alerted to the animal visitors who turn up to greet you.

Highlights – Arrive at Samburu National Reserve and begin to explore this unique park.

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Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Activity: Afternoon game drive.

A scenic drive is taken to Samburu Land after a nourishing breakfast. The drive crosses the equator and takes guests in a northerly direction through coffee, tea and pineapple plantations. You will be able to watch velvet monkeys and crocodiles that bask along the river banks in the afternoon.

Game-drives take place after lunch and allow guests to see and photograph elephants and other safari animals from the comfort of a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The animals in the Samburu National Park include the Beisa oryx, long-necked gerenuk, reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra. The game-drive provides an unforgettable experience that you're sure to enjoy.

Your hotel includes comfortable suites with colorful furnishings and fine dining opportunities, and is perfect for relaxing after the excitement of your day.

Highlights – Second day of exploration at Samburu National Park.

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Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Private morning and afternoon game drives.
Optional: Visit to tribal village, walking safari, camel ride.

Several species including the long-necked gerenuk, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx and reticulated giraffe can be seen on private game-drives that take place in the morning and afternoon. Since the area has very little grass cover, you may be able to see some cheetahs and lions near the river banks. Mount Ololokwe, a tabletop mountain, can be seen across the red plains and scrub that make up the desert scenery in the area. This desert area is home to the Ewaso Ngiro River, which is an important watering hole for the many species in the area and is a large part of what makes Kenyan safaris enjoyable for wildlife enthusiasts. For those wanting to experience something a little different today, a walking safari, camel ride or a visit to a local tribal village are optional extras.

Highlights – Afternoon game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park      

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Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge    
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Activity: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park before enjoying an afternoon game-drive.

After breakfast this morning, it will be time to head out to Lake Nakuru National Park.  This park is world-renowned for its millions of flamingos.  Watch them from Baboon Cliff and be mesmerized by the sea of pink.  The park also serves as Kenya’s first rhino sanctuary and is home to both white and black species.   Protection is also offered to rare Rothschild giraffes – a 188-km area around the lake is fenced off to protect them.  You’ll also be able to explore the beautiful Malaika Waterfall and, of course, Lake Nakuru.  In the evening, you will enjoy splendid views from the Lake Nakuru Lodge, designed to blend in with the terrain.  The rustic African décor perfectly blends comfort with adventure, and the restaurant offers the finest in local and international cuisines in a relaxed setting.

Highlights – First day at the world famous Maasai Mara National Reserve.            

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Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Nyumbu Camp]
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Activity: Transfer to Maasai Mara before an afternoon game-drive. 

When those of us in the west hear the term “African Safari” the picture that comes to mind is the Maasai Mara National Reserve, which is where you are going today.  Here is where you’ll find the grasslands, the lions, the jackals, the wildebeests and more.  This will also be your opportunity to get to know the Maasai, the semi-nomadic natives of Kenya.  These cattle-herding people have managed to preserve their way of life through the centuries; visiting them is an enriching experience. With its simple elegance and style, Mara Sopa Lodge provides unsurpassed peace and tranquility in the heart of Africa. Located in close proximity to teeming wildlife, this uniquely Kenyan property appeals to travelers bored with the ordinary and in search of a closer connection with Mother Nature. The sunsets here are the stuff of journals and profound reflection.   

      

Highlights – Second day exploring the Maasai Mara National Reserve.            

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Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Nyumbu Camp]
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives.

You will be glad to have a second day to explore the Maasai Mara National Reserve and to stay at the Mara Sopa Lodge.  Today you’ll have both a morning and an afternoon game drive and you’ll marvel at how completely different they are.  You’ll have the chance to see the continent’s largest prides of lions as well as many herds of antelopes, buffaloes, cheetahs, hyenas, wildebeests and zebras.  If you’re able to visit between July and October, you may be able to witness the Great Migration, when huge herds of Thomson’s gazelles, wildebeests and zebras travel in mass from the Serengeti.  It is an unforgettable experience that is not to be missed.  No matter when you visit, you will also have a chance to take a “walking safari”, or visit a local tribal village if you wish.  You will learn about the Maasai way of life and how they have managed to retain their semi-nomadic customs even in today’s modern world, when so much of their world is at risk.  After all these adventures, you will be more than ready for a mid-day nap or laze on the veranda to escape the heat of the day.

Highlights – Pre dawn game drive on the Maasai Mara.  

        
Meal Plan: Breakfast.
Activity: Pre-dawn game-drive before breakfast. Souvenir shopping in Nairobi before your airport transfer 

You will go on one last game-drive before dawn, with breakfast following the drive. The breakfast is a good time to say goodbye to your fellow travelers. You can take your time getting ready to leave; no one will rush you. Transportation will be available to take you back to Nairobi when you're ready. When you get to Nairobi, you can spend some time shopping for souvenirs or taking in sights you didn't see when you arrived. An optional farewell dinner is available the night before you leave. You will be taken to the airport in plenty of time to catch your flight home. As you head for home you will be leaving with a lot of fond memories of your Kenya safari tour.