Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival – Nairobi - Hell’s Gate National Park
Upon your arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be warmly received by our Tour Manager who will brief you on your safari before escorting you to your vehicle for departure to Hell’s Gate National Park. You will arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. After lunch you will proceed with the numerous exciting activities which are on offer at the park such as cycling, walking, raptor viewing and wildlife viewing. If you so wish, you can go for hiking to geological formations as well as enjoy rock climbing. Horseback riding is also available at an extra cost (US$ 7 per hour).

Hell’s Gate National Park provides a truly panoramic picnic site, camping stop over and is also an endless biodiversity which allows hiking, camping, walking or cycling without an official KWS escort. This is made possible due to the absence of dangerous animals such as leopards, lions or elephants, though there is a small number of cheetahs and African Buffalo. It has spectacular scenery, despite its rather alarming name, including the towering cliffs, water gouged gorges, stark rock towers, scrub-clad volcanoes and belching plumes of a natural geothermal steam. It is a relatively small park cleft deep in the floor of the Rift Valley. In the undulating grasslands, you can walk alongside herds of buffalo, zebra, ostrich, giraffe, eland and hartebeest and Thompson’s Gazelle. Within the park, there is also a beautiful custom-built bird hide on the side of the cliff visitors can hire for exclusive viewing of the raptors – vultures and eagles – while they feed. The cliff is a famous picnic spot.

Lunch, dinner and overnight stay at Crayfish Lodges

Day 2

Hell’s Gate National Park - Maasai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast, you will depart Hell’s Gate for Maasai Mara National Reserve, which is commonly known for the 'big five'. You will pass through Narok town, which is the only Maasai town on this route. Arrive in time for lunch at your lodge and then go for your first game viewing drive till evening.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is Kenya's finest wildlife reserve. Everything about this reserve is outstanding. Maasai Mara is one of the best plains' game reserve where you can actually encounter a live Discovery Channel, a haven for viewing a congregation of all sorts of animals in a five-mile radius: A pride of lions can be spotted ready to make a run for a gazelle, a cheetah and its cub taking a nap on a rock, a pair of ostriches walking the open stretches of the savannah or a gazelle giving birth. Herds of elephants wallowing at a water pool or a herd of buffaloes feeding, crocodiles down hunting the migrating wildebeest or the migrating gazelles. Other live feeding expeditions may include a herd of hyenas fighting for a hunted meal, the vulture tearing the carcasses and the giraffes galloping as they feed on top leaves of acacia trees.

Dinner and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge or similar

Day 3

Maasai Mara National Reserve (Full day)
You will spend the full day game viewing, starting with a pre breakfast game drive which will give you a chance to spot the early predators. You will then be transferred back to your lodge for breakfast. Afterwards, depart for game viewing till lunch time. You will have lunch at your lodge and afterwards proceed with game viewing till evening.

In November 2006 the Maasai Mara was named as the New 7th wonder of the world because of what experts termed as "the uniqueness of the area and the preservation it provides to so many species living in harmony". It is understandable because this annual migration is the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth.

All meals and overnight stay will be at Mara Sopa Lodge or similar

Day 4

Maasai Mara National Reserve - Lake Victoria Beach

After breakfast, you will depart Maasai Mara for Lake Victoria Beach arriving in time for early lunch at your lodge. Afterwards you will have the rest of the day at leisure. You may opt to visit the nearby town or go for a walking tour as you speak to local fishermen at the shores of the lake.

Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world, being only 100 meters at its deepest. The Lake guarantees you uncrowded and uninterrupted game viewing and bird viewing. Although Western Kenya is one of Kenya's least known destinations, it is an extremely scenic region with gentle hills and emerald tea plantations with lush green highlands, tropical rainforests. The lake itself is a legendary source of the Nile. The surrounding region is home to fascinating cultures, history and mythology that lives and breathes in sacred sites and thriving traditional festivals.

Dinner and overnight stay will be at Lake Victoria Safari Village or similar

Day 5

Lake Victoria Beach (2 Full Days)

You will spend these wonderful days at the beach relaxing or exploring the lake region, enjoying some activities and visiting some villages for culture familiarization and chatting with the fishermen at the lake. You may also opt to go for game viewing in the Ruma National Park which is about one and a half hours drive away from the lakeside.

All meals and overnight stay will be at Lake Victoria Safari Village or similar

Day 6

Lake Victoria Beach
The region has a variety of popular and interesting activities that will keep you coming back to the destination every time you wish to go for a safari. Some of them are fishing trips; since there is plenty of tilapia and Nile perch; bird watching and wildlife safari in the nearby Ruma National Park, which is home to two very rare species of antelope (the large roon and the tiny oribi)

Day 7

Lake Victoria Beach – Nairobi City

After breakfast, you will check out of your lodge in the lake region and depart to Nairobi arriving in the evening. You will be checked into a Nairobi Hotel for rest, dinner and overnight stay.

Dinner and overnight stay at Hill Park Hotel or similar

Day 8

Nairobi – Chyulu Hills National Park

After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel and depart to Chyulu Hills arriving in time for lunch at your lodge. After lunch, you will depart for game viewing and scenery viewing till evening.

Chyulu Hills are considered to be some of the youngest volcanic mountains in the world. They are mainly of volcanic origin bordered by an expanse of black lava flow known as "Shetani". The park is a paradise of elephant herds, plains game, cheetah, remote Maasai villages and the spectacular view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The nearby Taita Hills are home to a private game sanctuary which is home to a wide variety of game including buffalo, bushbuck, eland, leopard, warthog, wildebeest, zebra, lion, cheetah, and a wide array of birds. The extremely rare falcon is also seen here. The park has no permanent surface water but rainfall percolating through the porous rock feeds many permanent fresh water sources in the surrounding plains. Some major attractions found in this park include breathtaking views of Mt. Kilimanjaro from the Chyulu Hills, cave walking and exploration and camping.

Lunch, dinner and overnight stay at Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge or similar

Day 9

Chyulu Hills - Tsavo East National Park

You will spend the morning hours game viewing and visiting some spectacular attractions such as the lava flow. After lunch you will depart Chyulu Hills for Tsavo East National Park, which is a neighboring park. You will arrive in the evening in time for check in at your lodge.

The Tsavo East National Park has an interesting and diverse history including: the Waliangulu and Kamba tribes who used the park as a hunting ground prior to gazette-ment; the first European to see Mount Kenya, rev. Dr. L. Krapf, journeyed on foot through this area in 1848; during the construction of the railway bridge over the Tsavo River in 1898, lions (the famed man-eaters of Tsavo) terrorized the workers, killing over 130 people before being killed by Col. J. H. Patterson. During World War 1, British forces along the Tsavo River encountered threats from invading German soldiers from Tanganyika (now Tanzania); the European explorer Captain Lugards a European explorer passed through the area on his way to Uganda.

Dinner and overnight will be at Ashnil Aruba Lodge or similar

Day 10

Day 10: Tsavo East National Park – Nairobi

Enjoy early morning pre breakfast game viewing so as to get a glimpse of the early predators as they hunt. Afterwards return to your lodge for breakfast. After breakfast, depart Tsavo East for Nairobi enjoying game viewing en route. Upon arrival you will be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to catch your international flight to your next destination.

End of Safari

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Park Entry Fees - Accommodation and meals while on this safari - Service of an English speaking driver/guide - Hiking, cycling and horse riding fee within Hell’s Gate National Park - Transport based on a private safari minibus with pop up roof for game viewing - Driver/guide allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver - Game drives as per the Itinerary - Government taxes

Exclusions -

Optional Hot air Balloon flight in Maasai Mara - US$ 450 per person extra (Price is subject to confirmation at the time of booking) - International flight fees and departure taxes - Tips to driver/guide or lodge staff - All items of personal nature e.g. telephone call bills, fax / email bills etc - Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks - Laundry services

Extras -

Optional Hot Air Balloon Flight

In the Maasai Mara it is possible to enjoy a hot air balloon ride at an extra cost (US$450 per person extra). These balloons take off at dawn to avoid the heat which develops as the day progresses. They drift high over grazing herds which cannot be accessed by vehicles. After approximately an hour’s flight, a gentle landing is followed by a champagne-style bush breakfast on the landing site, where pilots and passengers toast yet another memorable experience.