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| DAY 1
- NAIROBI
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Arrive into Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport today. After clearing customs you will be met and transferred to Nairobi’s famous Norfolk Hotel. Dating from Kenya’s colonial days, the Norfolk is a landmark in Nairobi, rich in history and recently fully refurbished. There are several restaurants, a pool, salon, news-stand, and gift shops. Spend the rest of your day relaxing or venture into downtown Nairobi for some shopping. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Overnight
- The Norfolk Hotel (B & B basis) |
| DAY 2
- AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
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This morning you will be transferred to Wilson Airport for the scheduled 7:30am flight to Amboseli National Park. You will be met at the airstrip and depart on your first game drive en-route to Tortilis Camp. Tortilis is a luxury tented lodge situated on the edge of the Amboseli National Park in a 30,000 acre private reserve.. The 15 tents are large and luxurious, with king-sized beds and en-suite facilities sheltered. Each tent has a huge thatched roof that extends over a large verandah. The camp has magnificent views of Mt Kilimanjaro and is know for it wonderful food. After lunch there will be an afternoon game drive until dusk.
Amboseli National Park supports a wide range of wildlife particularly elephants roaming in large herds. With Mt Kilimanjaro in the background it is the scene of many classic African safari shots. A section of the park is a seasonal lake the remainder being swamplands, fed by melting snow from Kilimanjaro, and savannah woodland.
Overnight
- Tortilis Camp (all meals & activities)
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| DAYS 3/4
- AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK
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You have two more full days available for wildlife viewing. . In between game drives you may wish to take a guided game walk outside the park or relax at the swimming pool.
Overnight
- Tortilis Camp (all meals & activities)
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| DAY 5
- LOISABA WILDERNESS CONSERVANCY
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After breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for the scheduled 8:30am flight to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport where you will connect you’re your flight to the Laikipia Plateau in the Loisaba Wilderness Conservancy. Loisaba is a private wildlife conservancy that sits on the edge of the Laikipia Plateau, 40 miles (70 km) from Mount Kenya. The Laikipia wilderness area is larger than many of Kenya's principal National Parks and once consisted of numerous farms and ranches. Today it is made up of private wildlife reserves and all the fences have been removed. The Loisaba Wilderness Conservancy itself covers over 90 square miles (150 sq. km). To the north lie the grassy plains of the plateau and to the south the plateau breaks into valleys, cliffs and escarpments that frame astounding views up to the snows of Mount Kenya. At their base lies a different riverine ecosystem fed by the banks of two major rivers - the Ewaso Ngiro and the Engare Narok.
This wilderness is a haven for more than 250 species of birds and 50 species of wildlife. Alongside all the more usual types, elephant, buffalo, Grevy's Zebra and Greater Kudu, the area is also rapidly gaining a reputation for exceptional big cat sightings; even Wild Dog, thought for many years to be extinct in the region are now being regularly sighted. Situated in the very heartland of the nomadic Samburu and Laikipia Maasai people, Loisaba also offers a rare insight into people cultures, traditions and a way of life that has stood the test of time.
Your accommodations at Loisaba will be in one of the “skybed” tented cabins that are unique to Loisaba. Each skybed is a raised, handcrafted wooden platform sculpted high into a kopje of rocks and semi-covered with a thatched roof. Homemade natural futon beds can either be moved out onto the uncovered area for a night under the stars, or left under the shelter of the roof and drop down canvas walls. The skybeds are normally reached on foot or by horse or camel. Food is prepared in traditional camp style over a fire at the open walled, central dining area. The dramatically situated skybed site, accommodates 8 people on 4 platforms. Each platform has a flush toilet, sink and large camp-style drum showers and is sited to ensure complete privacy.
After lunch and time to get settled you can spend the remainder of the afternoon getting acquainted with the lodge and perhaps after dinner take a night game drive in search of bush babies, aardvark and other nocturnal animals.
Overnight
- Loisaba Skybed ( all meals & included activities) |
| DAYS 6/7
- LOISABA WILDERNESS CONSERVANCY
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You have two more days to enjoy the many activities available at Loisaba. Along with day and night game drives in open safari vehicles, you can take walking safaris accompanied by traditional Samburu guides, go river rafting (easy and more like floating) and bird watching. Horseback riding and camel safaris are also available for an additional fee.
Overnight
- Loisaba Skybed ( all meals & included activities) |
| DAY 8
- MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
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After breakfast you will be driven to the airstrip for the scheduled flight to the Maasai Mara. The famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in all of Africa, providing for wonderful wildlife viewing year round. Known as home of the “big five”, with the rolling Mara grassland plains, woodlands and the Mara and other rivers, the reserve covers an area of 600 sq. miles (1,500 sq. km.) The Mara is well known for the part it plays in the “great migration”. By late July the animals begin entering from Tanzania’s Serengeti. The 200,000 Zebra, 300,000 Thomson Gazelle and 1.3 million Wildebeest following the annual rains and are in the Mara until late October when they head south again. In all 95 mammal, amphibian and reptile species plus 485 species of birds inhabit the Mara eco-system.
After landing at the air strip you will be met by a staff member from Richard’s Camp who drive you the camps, spotting wildlife enroute. Richard’s is a traditional luxury tented camp in true African safari style, with the modern amenities. Each of the 6 individually decorated tents has either twin or double beds and full ensuite facilities including flush toilets and hot showers.. The solar system provides 24-hour light to all the tents. Meals are usually taken outside under the African sky, but for those rare rainy or chilly evenings, we dine inside, adjacent to our beautiful and cozy sitting room with it’s roaring fire. At the end of the day, guests can indulge in an open-air Victorian bath tucked away in the forest, surrounded by flickering candles and the sounds of the bush.
Richard’s camp is set on a private reserve adjacent to the Mara, so besides game drives they offer night game drives, escorted bush walks, sundowners, bush dinners down by the hippo pools, and cultural visits to Maasai villages – you can also venture into the Mara proper for long all day game drives with gourmet box lunches.
Overnight
- Richard's Camp (all meals & activities) |
| DAYS 9/10
- MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
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You have two more days to enjoy game drives, night game drives, guided walks or visit one of the local communities.
Overnight
- Richard's Camp (all meals & activities) |
| DAY 11
- MAASAI MARA / NAIROBI / END OF SAFARI
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Depart on an early morning game drive, returning to camp for breakfast. Afterwards you will be driven to the airstrip to catch the schedule 11:00am flight back to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport arriving at noon. Upon arrival you will be met and taken to the Norfolk Hotel where you will have use of a day room. The remainder of the days is yours to relax. After dinner you will be met and transferred to the airport to catch your International flight home. Dayroom – The Norfolk Hotel (B, L)
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ENJOY KENYA’S TOP WILDLIFE RESERVES ON THIS 11 DAY FLYING SAFARI. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE ELEPHANTS OF AMBOSELI, NIGHT GAME DRIVES AND GUIDED WALKS IN THE LOISABA WILDERNESS AND THE FAMOUS MAASAI MARA. ACCOMMODATIONS ARE IN LUXURIOUS, SMALL PERMANENT TENTED CAMPS AND YOUR WILDLIFE ACTIVITIES ARE LED BY CAMP GUIDES AND TRACKERS WHO HAVE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREAS YOU WILL VISIT.
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