Kenya offers one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth along with rich Blend of tribal cultures. On this special safari, you’ll observe wildlife in five of the finest game parks in Kenya. You’ll also experience, firsthand, the cultural richness of the Masai and Samburu peoples. Highlights of your “private” safari will include game drives and hot air ballooning (optional) in the Masai Mara; phenomenal wildlife viewing in Samburu Game Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Parks; a heart warming visit to an animal orphanage where elephants and rhinos are reared and rehabilitated ; observing chimps up-close at Jane Goodall’s Chimp Sanctuary; visiting Samburu and Masai villages; bushwalking or camel riding at Sweetwaters; and observing theimpressive work of skillful weavers, bead-makers and potters .These are but a few of the experiences you’ll never forget. I T I N E R A R Y Note: We will gladly customize an itinerary to meet your preferences. DAYS 1 - 2 EN ROUTE TO NAIROBI Fly to Nairobi, arriving on the evening of day 2. Private transfer, to hotel, where you may rest after your international flights. DAY 3 NAIROBI Today you will enjoy a very diverse and customizable private tour of Nairobi. You may enjoy up to four of the six excursions described below. Your first option is to visit Daphne Sheldrick’s Animal Orphanage, which raises orphaned elephant and rhino and reintroduces them to the wild. You will have the chance to observe the animals being fed while also learning about their behavior and history. Your second option is to visit the beautiful house and grounds of Mbogani, the vast coffee estate where Karen Blixen lived from 1917 until 1931. The estate was made famous by the film “Out of Africa” and was restored by the Danish community of Kenya. Youll get a glimpse of typical colonial life in Kenya at the turn of the twentieth century. Your third option is to explore the Giraffe Centre, which is the headquarters for the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. The interpretation center and breeding program have been a great success and you can now watch and hand-feed these gentle giants at eye level from a raised platform. Your fourth option is to visit the Bomas of Kenya cultural center to observe numerous faithful replicas of traditional homesteads reflecting Kenya’s cocktail of cultures and to enjoy a display of traditional dances, music and folkloric songs. Your fifth option is to visit Kazuri Beads, initially a tiny bead making business set up by the late Susan Wood in her shed. As the business grew, Ms. Wood began employing needy single mothers from nearby villages, and the business now employs over 200 local women who produce both beads and pottery. Your sixth option is to visit Marula studios which offers a collection of handmade items made of recycled products (like flip flops which wash up on the beach) and beadwork. These items help provide earnings and a livelihood for local people, from unskilled beachcombers and bead-makers, to talented artisans and sculptors. The product range is diverse, from unique accessories and jewellery to one-off sculptures of amazing ingenuity, humour and beauty. There is an opportunity to meet with the craftsman, talk to them about their work and learn how this small project does its part to help clean up the environment. Tonight you will enjoy dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant or similar. Note: If you would like to shorten this itinerary by one day, you may skip the Nairobi touring altogether and proceed immediately to your safari. DAY 4 LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK Morning transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park, a smal(220-sq. km) beautiful park with lakes fringed by swamps and surrounded by dry savannah. Lake Nakuru National park is one of Kenya’s most ecologically rich and surprising national parks and is widely regarded as offering one of the world’s greatest bird spectacles – more than a million lesser flamingoes painting the green waters of Lake Nakuru a fluttering pink. The 188 square kilometre park, enjoys some of East Africa’s rarest creatures abound, including fast-growing populations of black and white rhino, the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe , buffalo, waterbuck and lion. Lake Nakuru also enjoys a reputation as one of the best places in the country to spot the elusive leopard. You will enjoy an afternoon game drive within Lake Nakuru National Park DAY 5 SWEETWATERS RESERVE (OLPEJETA) Morning drive to Sweetwaters Reserve, a private 24,000 acre sanctuary for chimpanzees, the endangered rhino, leopard, elephant and zebra. The reserve is situated within the sprawling Ol Pejeta ranch with magnificent views across the plains to the peaks of Mount Kenya. A variety of plains game is found within the reserve and the big cats may also be seen. As Sweetwaters is a private reserve, it is possible for visitors to enjoy special activities such as an escorted bush walk, camel riding, a night game drive, and/or lion tracking (the last two activities are optional). Orphaned rhino and warthog (one of which was the model for Pumba, from the movie the Lion King), which have been reared by hand, provide a wonderful treat for children, as does the chimpanzee sanctuary. The sanctuary hosts chimps mainly from the Jane Goodall Institute in Burundi, where a great many were placed after being rescued. The sanctuary is a non-profit venture, which aims not only to cover the investment and operating costs of the sanctuary, but also to channel funds into the Jane Goodall Institute for conservation projects for chimpanzees in the wild throughout Africa. In the afternoon, take a camel ride, game drive or bushwalk through the reserve for more wildlife viewing. After dinner you may enjoy an optional night game drive! DAYS 6 -7 SAMBURU GAME RESERVE Before heading to Samburu, youll have the option of stopping to visit Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, a women’s self-help project where you may see the skillful women at work, spinning the wool and going through various processes before completing the beautiful rugs. Youll then drive north through Kikuyu Territory past the slopes of Mt. Kenya into Samburu country at the edge of the Northern Frontier. Samburu Game Reserve offers what is arguably Kenya’s greatest – and least changed – encounter with the wild Africa of yesteryear. This harsh, savagely beautiful wilderness depends on the steady flow of the Uaso Nyiro River for its existence; the river waters a wide variety of animal species not found south of the Equator, including the majestic Beisa Oryx, the reticulated giraffe, the thin-striped Grevy’s zebra, and the ‘giraffe-necked’ gerenuk antelope, which stands on its hind legs to feed. Elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard can all be seen along the river, and the 400-plus species of birds are positively spectacular. Together with neighbouring Buffalo Springs and Shaba national reserves, Samburu comprises 833 sq km of protected semi-desert land. This is the home of the Samburu tribe, cousins of the Maasai, who share the same nomadic, cattle-herding existence, and an even stricter adherence to their age-old rites and customs. You will enjoy three private game drives and also visit a Samburu village to meet the people, experience their semi-nomadic lifestyle and learn about their beliefs and customs. Intrepids Tented Camp. Note: Optional upgrade to Larsens Camp or downgrade to Sopa Lodge. DAYS 8 - 9 MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE Morning flight to the Masai Mara, one of the finest game reserves in the world. An extension of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, the Mara is famous for its vast herds and wide variety of animal species. For the next two days, you’ll along the Mara or Telek rivers to look for hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of birds. Another option (not included) is to view the plains and wildlife from a hot air balloon! Floating over the plains, peering down at the abundant wildlife, is an unforgettable experience explore this marvelous region in a shared safari vehicle (window seat), and you may also have an opportunity to go for a bushwalk. Each year, approximately two million wildebeest, gazelle, and zebra (as well as pursuing predators) move from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara as dry weather sets in. Migratory wildlife is concentrated in the Mara from July-October, and is found in the Serengeti from November-June. However, the plentiful quantity of resident wildlife makes the Masai Mara very special year round. DAYS 10 - 11 HOMEWARD BOUND One final game drive in the Mara. Fly to Nairobi, where you will connect with your international flight home. END OF TOUR.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 08:36:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015