5 Days Kenya Escape - S

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Accommodation: The Ark
   [Alt: Serena Mountain Lodge]
Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Transfer to Aberdare National Park; game viewing from the comfort of your lodge.

In the morning your driver will pick you up in down town Nairobi and take you on scenic  drive 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 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. 

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Accommodation:  Lake Nakuru Lodge
   [Alt: Lake Naivasha Sopa]
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Transfer to Lake Nakuru 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 72 sq. mile 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. 

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Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge
   [Alt: Nyumbu Camp]
Meal Plan: Full Board - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activity: Transfer to the amazing 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 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. Tonight you’ll stay at the Mara Sopa Lodge, one of the first lodges built in the Maasai Mara, set in expansive and mature wooded gardens. The lodge has an ethnic design that incorporates traditional round buildings with thatched roofs for its guest rooms and public areas. 

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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 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. 

 

Meal Plan: Breakfast
Activity: Predawn game drive followed by your last safari breakfast. Transfer to Nairobi at your leisure.

You will start this morning with one last real adventure – a pre-dawn game to see how the African world wakes up.  It’s a rare chance to see the nocturnal world and a sight few people ever witness.  It’s well worth waking up so early – especially knowing there’s a breakfast feast to come.  It’s a fitting repast to end your African safari, so take your time and enjoy it.  Afterward, you’ll have time to hunt for the perfect souvenirs for your loved ones back home (and perhaps a lovely memento for yourself).  You may also want to explore downtown Nairobi a little or taste one last African meal.  When you’re ready, your host will drive you to the airport and see that you get to your flight in plenty of time.  We want the last hours of your Kenya safari to be as relaxed and trouble-free as the rest of the trip has been.