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Let your spirit of adventure run wild and discover the best of Kenya’s game viewing on this exciting safari experience. Enjoy 9 unforgettable days exploring some of Africa’s most richly populated wildlife reserves: experiencing 10 game drives and lodging in delightful safari lodges and a luxury tented camp. Highlights include watching for the “Big Five” in the magnificent Maasai Mara, witnessing the pink flamingos of Lake Nakuru and game-spotting in the secluded Shaba National Reserve, immortalized by the movie “Born Free.”
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Itinerary at a glance:
Aberdare national park (1 nt) Shaba national reserve (2 nts) Lake nakuru national park (1 nt) Masai mara national reserve (2 nts) Nairobi (1 nt)
Land in Nairobi, Kenya’s buzzing capital. Meet your Ritz Tours representative at the airport and relax with a comfortable transfer to your hotel. Check in and enjoy the rest of the day to unwind and prepare for the once-in-a-lifetime safari experiences ahead.
Following breakfast at your hotel, depart Nairobi and admire Kenya’s untamed scenery as you drive to Aberdare National Park, situated in the Aberdare Mountain Range of central Kenya. Around 10% of Kenya’s land, including its mountains, savannah and forests, serves as designated national parks and game reserves, where the country’s wonderful wildlife is free to roam in its most natural state. On arrival, enjoy a delicious lunch at the legendary Aberdare Country Club before continuing to the famous Treetop Hotel and your accommodation in The Ark Tree Lodge. This stilted, treetop-style lodge offers several open observation decks and balconies perched above one of Aberdare’s largest salt-licks and waterholes, all offering grandstand views of the animals, including elephant, bushbuck, rhino and the occasional leopard that come to drink here. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and watching the wildlife before enjoying dinner. (Remark: only one overnight bag is allowed at Ark Tree Lodge. Rest of the luggage will be locked up at Aberdare Country Club at no additional cost).
Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, transfer back to Aberdare Country Club and continue north to Kenya’s remote Northern Frontier Province and Shaba National Reserve, edging the famous Samburu National Park. When you arrive, set off on the first of several exhilarating game drives through the thornbush savannah and dusty plains that provided the backdrop for the much-loved movie, “Born Free.” Break for lunch at the Sarova Shaba Game Lodge, and drive through the 130-kilometre square Shaba just as the wildlife conservationist couple George and Joy Adamson, whose story is told in the movie, did in the 1950s. As you rumble along the unmade trails, look for the wildlife, such as zebra, elephant, lion, leopard and the reticulated giraffe. . Game Drive: P
Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner
Your safari experience moves up a gear today, with three memorable game drives: one in the early morning, the second mid-morning and the last in the cool of the late afternoon. Drive into the volcanic sandy landscapes of Shaba in search of its spectacular wildlife, including elephant, cheetah, giraffe, lions and the rare Beisa oryx. Wait by the reserve’s oasis-like water springs and watch fascinated as the animals jostle for space by the water’s edge. Have your camera ready, too, to capture some of the Shaba’s rich birdlife, including flocks of storks, guinea fowl, doves and sandgrouse. Game Drive: E, A, P
Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner
Depart Shaba after breakfast and travel to the ancient Great Rift Valley, home to stunning Lake Nakuru. Encased in forest and bushy grassland, this vast expanse of water is heavy with blue algae, which provides a rich food source for birds, thus attracting some of the most remarkable wild bird communities in all Africa. Over a million pink flamingos flock here to feed, creating an unforgettable spectacle for visitors. Look, too, for other bird species such as pelicans, cormorants and grebes, which can often be spotted near or amid the ever-shifting mass of pink created by the flamingos. Arrive in time for lunch at the Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge and afterward, thrill on a game drive into the rich ecosystem around the lake in search of the area’s 56 recorded species, including buffalo and rhino Game Drive: P
Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner
Today head into the, world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve in southwest Kenya, one of the world’s most famous ecosystems. Extending for 1,800 square kilometers, this massive reserve is part of the Serengeti and made up of well-watered plains that support one of the world’s largest populations of animal groups. Attractions here include a huge variety of predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena; and the annual great migration between mid-July and early October, when millions of wildebeest arrive from the dry plains of Tanzania and cross the Mara River into the lush Serengeti. The Maasai Mara is also famous for its distinctive Maasai peoples, who live and graze their stock on the edges of the reserve. Enjoy lunch at the Sarova Mara Game Camp, before taking an unforgettable game drive into the fabled Mara. Game Drive: P
Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy a full day exploring the Maasai Mara’s teeming grasslands and plains, Africa’s richest wildlife viewing areas. Take three game drives to seek out its “Big Five” of lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, with the chance to see them, including elephants in some of Africa’s largest herds. End the day on another high note, with an unmissable opportunity to watch a colorful and ancient Maasai Dance Performance. Game Drive: E, A, P
Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner
Set out on an early morning game drive to spot and track more of the Maasai’s wondrous wildlife and soak in its pristine savannahs and undulating plains. Afterward, bid farewell to the reserve and return through the Great Rift Valley to Nairobi, contemplating the views over Kenya’s landscapes and the sights of Maasai villages and shanty towns as you travel. On arrival, spend the rest of the day as you wish. Perhaps relax at your hotel reflecting on your safari experiences, or head into the city, one of the largest of Africa’s capitals, to explore the sights and shop for souvenirs at your own pace. Game Drive: E
Included: Breakfast at hotel
Your safari adventure concludes today, although your memories will no doubt last forever. After breakfast, check out of your hotel and, transfer to Nairobi airport for your homebound flight.
Included: Breakfast at hotel
8 nights hotel or lodge accommodation:
Nairobi- Sarova Panafric Hotel, Lake Nakuru - Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, Maasai Mara - Sarova Mara Game Camp, Shaba - Sarova Shaba Game Lodge
8 hotel or game lodge breakfasts, 6 hotel or game lodge lunches, 6 hotel or game lodge dinners
Services of expert, English-speaking driver-guide throughout
Game drive fees and entrance fees to all featured National Parks, including:
Aberdare National Park
Samburu National Reserve
Shaba National Reserve
Lake Nakuru National Park
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Game drive transportation in shared chauffeur-driven safari mini bus, each with a pop-up roof for easy game viewing and photography
Group airport transfers in Kenya
This tour is based on shared coach and operated by local operator. All departures are guaranteed with a minimum of 2 adults as a locally hosted tour
Complimentary 14-day Flying Doctors coverage includes airlift to high-standard Nairobi hospital in the event of medical emergency, with hospital bills born by patient
★ ★ ★ ★
Idyllically located 5 minutes drive from the CBD and 18 Kms from Jomo Kenyatta Internationa Airport, amidst beautifully landscaped gardens in a quiet suburb of Nairobi, Sarova Panafric offers 162 rooms in a range of superior, executive, club and suites- all recently refurbished and decorated in a contemporary vibrant African style.
★ ★ ★ ★
Set in the heart of the Aberdare National Park, iconic and yes, quirky. The Ark overlooks a floodlit waterhole and salt lick, which attracts a host of awesome wildlife. Resembling and named after Noah’s Ark, The Ark comprises of three decks from which numerous balconies and lounges provide a superb location for wildlife to be seen. So that you don’t miss any animal sightings, the night guard will buzz your room when special animals come to the waterhole. The Ark has four viewing areas for observing the ever-present animal activity.
★ ★ ★ ★
Sarova Shaba Game Lodge is located in a natural oasis in the heart of the Shaba Game Reserve just east of Samburu, The lodge is 314 km from Nairobi, It is set along the bank of the Ewaso Nyiro River laid out around the natural springs that flow into the river. The Lodge has a virtual mini forest of indigenous trees, a fish pond and a large free form swimming pool.
★ ★ ★ ★
Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is nestled along the Lion Hill overlooking the spectacular flamingo pink rimmed Lake Nakuru. Its location affords panoramic views of the lake and the picturesque Lake Nakuru National Park. Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is cleverly laid out in such a way that most rooms and sitting areas afford stunning views of the lake and the park. The Lodge incorporates natural landscaping with tall acacia trees, winding walkways and greens dotted with bird feeds.
The rolling plains around the camp are teeming with wildebeest, gazelles and zebras during the migration months, and the camp is situated right in the center of their migration path. A wildlife safari puts you right in the middle of all this action. By virtue of its location and layout, the camp offers an unparalleled plethora of activities and experiences from luxury tented living to bird-watching, mini golf, sport fishing and a unique insight into the Maasai culture at the adjoining Maasai village.
