This elephant safari tour in Kenya takes you through the Mt Kenya region (including the Ol Pejeta Conservancy), Samburu National Reserve, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara National Reserve. During this trip of a lifetime you will see the ‘big five” and many other amazing animals.
8-Day Elephant Safari
Day by Day Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Nairobi – Aberdares
You will be picked up from your hotel or airport in the morning and driven through lush coffee and tea plantations to The Ark Lodge in the Mount Kenya region. There is a water hole at the lodge where animals come to drink water. Therefore, no game drives today are necessary – you will have amazing views of the wildlife right at your door!
Day 2
Aberdares – Samburu National Reserve
Depart after breakfast and drive into the dramatic, semi-arid scrubland of the northern frontier. You will arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. Keep an eye out for resident wildlife species like the reticulated giraffe, gravy zebra, Beisa oryx and the blue necked Somali ostrich that are rarely seen anywhere else in the country.
Day 3
Samburu National Reserve
Spend another day exploring the fascinating Samburu National Reserve. Early morning and afternoon game drives give you the chance to view some of the world’s most spectacular and exciting terrain. Enjoy this time spent game viewing – particularly the chance to see the “Samburu Five”: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Somali ostrich and the long-necked antelope. You may also opt to visit a nearby cultural area.
Day 4
Samburu – Sweetwaters
Today you will make your way to sweetwaters tented camp, a luxury tented camp set in a 22,000-acre rhino sanctuary inside the Ol Pejeta Camp. Take in the beauty of the magnificent plains that lead to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya and the abundant wildlife. Sweetwaters also houses the only chimpanzee sanctuary of its kind in Kenya.
After lunch you will go on an afternoon game drive. You will also have the opportunity to meet the tame black rhino and go see the chimpanzees living naturally within their dedicated sanctuary. Sweetwaters Tented Camp offers a true safari experience with night drives, bush walks and breakfast in the wild (night game drives are optional and their cost is not included).
Day 5
Sweetwaters – Lake Naivasha
Depart Sweetwaters after breakfast and drive to the Lake Shore Hotel in the Rift Valley, arriving in time for lunch. After your lunch you will then enjoy an afternoon at leisure at lake Naivasha. Take in views of the lake and you can as well as enjoy a boat ride at extra cost.
Day 6
Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast you will drive west down the Great Rift Valley escarpment. From here you will turn off the main road and head towards the Narok gateway to the Masai Mara. Along the way you will travel across the “breakfast” frontier of Kenya, which is covered with acres of wheat and barley.
Arrive in the Mara in time for lunch. After lunch enjoy some free time until 1600hrs, at which point you will start your first game drive in the reserve that is regarded as the most magnificent natural theatre in the world. Set in the heart of Africa’s great plains, the Maasai Mara boasts 1,672 square kilometers of unspoilt wilderness. It is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent.
Day 7
Masai Mara National Reserve
Enjoy an early morning tea or coffee and then spend a full day enjoying the Masai Mara. This reserve features breathtaking vistas, panoramic vast rolling plains, hills and woodland groves. All of these are well-watered by the lovely Mara River, which bisects the reserve from north to south.
The Mara is also home to the largest population of lions in Kenya. These magnificent beasts spend most of the day sleeping in the shade of acacia trees. Vast herds of buffalo, zebra, impala, hartebeest, giraffe and other wild beasts also roam the plains. Meanwhile, the cautious topi may also seen standing sentinel on earth mounds on constant lookout for predators.
The waters of the Mara River are home to crocodiles and pools of hippo while the acacia woodlands and riverine forests are favoured by leopards and elephants. The open savannah and dry bush areas play host to the plains game and their attendant predators.
Day 8
Maasai Mara – Nairobi
We will depart early for one last morning game drive and African sunrise. Return to the lodge for breakfast and check out for your journey back to Nairobi, arriving in the late afternoon.
Tour Inclusions
Park fees
All activities
All accommodation
A professional driver/guide
All transportation
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals
Tour Exclusions
International flights
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips
Personal items
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Drinks
