This tour will take you to the best national parks and game reserves that Kenya has to offer, from Amboseli NP and Lake Nakuru NP, to the world-renowned Masai Mara and the lesser visited, but equally incredible Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport, to Amboseli N.P.
Day 2: Full day game drives in Amboseli N.P.
Day 3: To Nanyuki town
Day 4: Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Day 5: To Samburu national reserve, game drives
Day 6: Full day game drives in Samburu N.R.
Day 7: To Lake Nakuru N.P.
Day 8: Full day game drive in Lake Nakuru N.P.
Day 9: To Masai Mara game reserve & bush walk
Day 10: Full day game drives in Masai Mara
Day 11: Full day game drives in Masai Mara
Day 12: Airport transfer
Day 1: Welcome to Kenya!
On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport your Calsaar Safaris driver/guide will be waiting to pick you up from you flight and take you to your first stop on your safari journey – Amboseli National Park. Keep a look out for views of Mt. Kilimanjaro as you make your way through some spectacular African landscapes.
Note: your flight must arrive to Nairobi before 1 PM to make the drive to Amboseli NP on the same day. Should you arrive ealier we can book a night at a hotel in Nairobi for you at an additional cost. Ask your Travel Consultant for different accommodation options.
Your guide will stop along the way for some lunch before carrying on to Amboseli NP. Should you arrive to the park early you would have time to add an afternoon game drive in the park. Amboseli’s fragile ecosystem displays an impressive wildlife variety, with more than 50 mammal species. The park is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to elephants and other wildlife species like Thomson’s and Grants gazelles, buffalo, warthog, Maasai giraffe, impala, water buck and dik-dik. With views of the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background this makes for a are stunning afternoon excursion. Speak with your Travel Consultant if you would like to add a game drive in the park today.
The coming two nights you will spend at the semi-luxury Kibo Safari camp. The spacious tents have custom designed beds and locally made using bush logs and will ensure a good night’s sleep! All tents have flush toilets, showers, and wash basins.
Journey Time 4-5 hours
Accommodation Kibo Safari Camp
Meal Plan Lunch & Dinner
Day 2: Full day game drives in Amboseli N.P.
In the early morning hours, the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro is usually the best and that is when you will start your safari to take in breathtaking views of the landscape and animals. Get ready for a full day of game drives in Amboseli National Park today.
In the late afternoon you will return to the camp where you can relax and take a refreshing dip in the swimming pool.
Journey Time Depending on game drives
Accommodation Kibo Safari Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: To Nanyuki town
You have a long but scenic drive ahead of you today, passing via Nairobi and through the fertile region of Karatina to the Laikipia Plateau. The highlands you pass through toward the west of Mt Kenya lie at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level.
After a nice picnic lunch stop on the way you will arrive in the late afternoon at your hotel just outside of Nanyuki town. Nanyuki town offers gorgeous views of Mount Kenya, the tallest mountain in Kenya and the second tallest in all of Africa.
The coming two nights you will spend at Le Rustique Hotel in Nanyuki town. A comfortable mid-range hotel with everything you need. Tomorrow you will explore the nearby Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Journey Time 8 hours
Accommodation Le Rustique Hotel
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy
After an early breakfast you will visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The conservancy is a private sanctuary fanning out over 90,000 acres of natural land, which was created to help protect endangered species. It is home to all the members of the big 5 and many other endangered species like the African wild dog and the reticulated giraffe. The space also has the only Chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya. It is fascinating to watch these primates whose habits and mannerisms remind us so much of our own. A ranger will take you around today, telling you about the animals that you encounter.
At the Morani Rhino Information Center you will learn about how poaching has impacted the rhino population in the country over the last 30 years. You will also have the opportunity to observe, feed and touch Baraka, a blind black rhino.
Besides the Chimpanzee and Rhino sanctuaries there are several optional activities you can add to your program today; like seeing the only 3 living southern white rhinos alive in the world today, going behind the scenes at the Chimpanzee Santuary, horseback riding, lion
Tracking and wild dog tracking. Please speak to your Travel Consultant if you want to add one or more optional activities to your program today.
Accommodation Le Rustique Hotel
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5: To Samburu National Reserve
With a bit of luck you will enjoy a beautiful last sunrise over Mt Kenya this morning before you make your way to Samburu National Reserve. A long afternoon game drive in the reserve will acquaint you with the stunning landscape and its inhabitants.
Samburu National Reserve, located in the heart of Kenya, is one of the country’s best kept secrets. Ewasa Ngiro River runs along the southern border of this 165 Km2 reserve and along the shoreline you will see vegetation like Dumpalms and Acacias. Toward the northern border of the reserve the landscape turns into grassy savannah plains and dry woodland. The wildlife that you can find in Samburu National Reserve are: Reticulated Giraffes, Gravy Zebras, Beisa Oryx and Somali Ostrich, to mention but a few. The cat family is also well represented with lions, leopards and cheetahs regularly spotted.
Journey Time 2 hours
Accommodation Ashnil Samburu Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6: Full Day Game Drive in Samburu NR
Today you will spend the full day on a game drive in the Samburu National Reserve. Traditionally game drives start early in the morning when the air is still cool and animals are more likely to be active. Keep a look out for predators finishing off a fresh kill from the previous night.
You will return to the lodge for lunch and set out again in the afternoon. Keep an eye out for leopards in the trees at this time!
Accommodation Ashnil Samburu Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7: To Lake Nakuru N.P.
Today’s destination is Lake Nakuru National Park. The drive is spectacular with scenic stops at Thomson Falls and Rift Valley viewpoints. Along the way your guide will find a nice place to stop for a picnic lunch, before you carry on to Lake Natron.
On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland, lies the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. You will enjoy the ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for game drives, bird watching and hiking.
Journey Time 6-7 hours
Accommodation Ziwa Bush Lodge
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8: Full Day Game Drives in Lake Nakuru NP
You will have the full day to explore Lake Nakuru NP today on several game drives. We recommend having some coffee and then setting out on a sumnrise safari in the early morning. The park is beautiful at this time of day and the animals will be activity in the cooler temperatures. After returning to the lodge for breakfast you can set out again to test your luck spotting lions, buffalos, antelopes, warthogs and many other inhabitants of the park.
Journey Time Depending on game drive
Accommodation Ziwa Bush Lodge
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Note: Lake Nakuru is wellknown for the abundance of flamingos who come to the lake to mate and feed. In later years however, the number of lesser flamingos around the lake have decreased. This is due to water levels rising and the increase of fresh water in the lake. With the lake being less alkaline, the main food group of the flamingo, the spirulina algea, cannot survive which has led to the flamingos moving on to other lakes like Lake Magadi or Lake Natron and Lake Manyara in Tanzania in search of food. There is still plenty of other wildlife you are sure to enjoy in this national park.
Day 9: To the Masai Mara
After an early breakfast you will head to the world-renowned Masai Mara Game Reserve. Located in southwestern Kenya, on the border with Tanzania, the Masai Mara is a land of breathtaking views, endless plains and an excellent year-round concentration of wildlife. In the months of July-October it is also home to over two million Wildebeest making their yearly trek north from the Serengeti in Tanzania.
The next three nights you will spend at the sublime Amani Mara Camp. Strategically located in a remote area of the Masai Mara, this beautiful lodge promises spectacular views of the surrounding landscapes and possibilities of spotting diverse wildlife, from herds of wildebeest and zebra to majestic lions and elegant cheetahs.
In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to explore your new surroundings on foot. Led by a professional and highly knowledgeable guide, your nature walk will teach you the intricate workings of the micro ecosystems of the bush, from exotic flora to the region’s plentiful birdlife.
Journey Time 6 hours
Accommodation Amani Mara Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Want to go on a Hot Air Balloon Safari?
A hot air balloon safari launches in the early morning, just in time for sunrise. For about one hour you will be floating peacefully above the ground, with a bird’s eye view of the African bush below. The capacity for this activity is limited making this a very special and exclusive experience. Please note that this activity is weather dependent and may need to be rescheduled due to poor weather.
The additional cost for this optional activity is USD 490 per person.
Day 10 & 11: Full day game drives in Masai Mara
Sunrise is a great time for wildlife spotting as animals tend to be the most active during the “golden hours”, when the first rays of sunshine come to rest on the savannah. Few predators hunt during the heat of the day, so the early morning is the best time to observe the thrill of the chase, or at least the aftermath of a hunt.
For your safari adventure over the next two days you can decide if you want to take a packed lunch for a full day game drive or come back to the camp for a hot lunch before returning to the bush in the afternoon.
Journey Time depending on game drive
Accommodation Amani Mara Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 12: Departure
Enjoy your last African sunrise today and the tranquility of nature all around you, before your long drive back to Nairobi.
Before departing the Masai Mara you will be invited by the lodge to plant a tree. The nature around the lodge used to be dry and desert like. With sustainable practices and dedication to nature this family-owned lodge has managed to grow a whole forest, eventually bringing water and wildlife back to the area. Planting your own tree is a nice way to give back to the land that has given you a piece of itself over the past couple of days. Your driver/guide will take care of your transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Note: your international flight must be in the evening. If you need an extra night in Nairobi please let your Travel Consultant know so we can make arrangements for you at an additional cost.
Journey Time 7 hours
Accommodation No accommodation included today
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch
Transport:
Transport is provided in an 4wd safari van with pop-up roof for excellent game viewing.
Upgrade to land cruiser:
It is possible to upgrade your transport to an 4wd Extended Land cruiser. Contact us for more information about the upgrade prices:
info@calsaarsafaris.com
Driver/Guide:
Your driver/guide is a professional and experienced English-speaking Kenyan guide.
Journey times:
All journey times are close approximations, as you can never quite guarantee what will happen on the African roads. You could be in for a bumpy ride on parts of the route (which adds to the excitement of being on safari!), we may encounter road works and, of course, there are the photo stops.
Although you may sometimes be seated for long periods, you will be passing some spectacular countryside and there will always be something of interest to see along the way!
Rates and Conditions
Rates 2020/2021
No. of travelers April-June Jan-Mar & Nov-Dec July-October
1 USD 6050 USD 6370 USD 6650
2 USD 3960 USD 4120 USD 4260
3 USD 3380 USD 3530 USD 3680
4 USD 3080 USD 3240 USD 3380
5 USD 2910 USD 3060 USD 3210
6 USD 2790 USD 2950 USD 3090
Single Supplement:
A single supplement is included for 1 person traveling alone and staying in a single room. For any additional single room occupancy the single supplement is as follows:
April-June USD 290
Jan-Mar & Nov-Dec USD 430
July-October USD 540
Holiday supplement for the Easter and Christmas/New Year period:
A number of the lodges have a holiday supplement during public holidays. If you are planning to travel during the Easter or Christmas/New Year period, please ask us for a personalized quote.
