8 Day Kenya Safari Masai Mara Nakuru Amboseli & Tsavo East

Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 2: Explore Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 3: Explore Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 4: Masai Mara – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park
Day 5: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Amboseli National Park
Day 6: Explore Amboseli National Park
Day 7: Amboseli  – Drive to Tsavo East National Park
Day 8: Tsavo East – Drive to Mombasa or Nairobi

Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Masai Mara National Reserve

After breakfast, depart for the Masai Mara, traveling through the Great Rift Valley, passing rural areas en route to the world-famous Masai Mara Game Reserve.

On arrival, after settling in, we enjoy lunch before embarking on a thrilling wildlife viewing afternoon game drive in this exciting reserve, home to the Big and the Small Five – the elephant shrew, the Buffalo-weaver, Leopard tortoise, Ant lion and Rhino beetle – the Big Five being easier to spot than the Small 5.

We explore the Masai Mara in search of the abundant wildlife, on the lookout for Africa’s Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino. The Mara is also well known for its abundant bird life, both resident and migratory.

As the sun sets, we head back to our lodge for dinner and some relaxation in this beautiful African landscape.

Overnight Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge or Mara Serena Lodge or Mara Simba Lodge
Meal Plan {Lunch & Dinner}

Day 2 & 3: Explore Masai Mara National Reserve

The next two days are spent on wildlife viewing game drives in this amazing reserve. The Mara Game Reserve covers 1510 km² of incredible wide-open landscapes and fertile riverine woodlands, following the looping meanders of the Mara River in southwest Kenya.

One glimpse is enough to explain its appeal; it is the quintessential open African savannah, hosting a mass of wildlife. Wherever you go in the vast Masai Mara Park, you will see plenty of wildlife, such as Masai giraffes, baboons, warthogs, bat-eared foxes, grey jackals, spotted hyenas, topis, impala, hartebeests, and wildebeest. Elephants, buffalo, zebras, and hippos are also found in great numbers.

The ultimate action here is without a doubt the annual wildebeest exodus, the Great Migration, in July and August when millions of these grazers move north from the Serengeti in search of lusher grass before turning south again in October. The Great Migration of hooved animals, in turn, attracts Africa’s predators, such as lions, hyenas and cheetahs, among others.

There is an option to take a thrilling hot air balloon ride (own expense) over the reserve, flying at tree-top level to enjoy panoramic views of the beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Overnight Accommodation: Mara Sopa Lodge or Mara Serena Lodge or Mara Simba Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 4: Masai Mara – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park

After breakfast and checkout, then depart for Lake Nakuru National Park. On arrival, we drive through the park to our lodge, on the lookout for our first wildlife sightings.

The habitats here include rocky escarpments and pockets of acacia forests. The park is home to black and white rhino, as well as endangered Rothschild’s giraffes, lions, leopards, hippos, and, most famously, zillions of flamingos drawn to the abundance of algae in the soda lake.

Lake Nakuru is a birdwatcher’s paradise where fish-eating pelicans and cormorants are prolific, as well as in excess of 400 other resident bird species. After lunch, we set out on our first wildlife safari viewing excursion in search of these animals and birds. The park is one of the very few places in Africa to see the white Rhino and rare Rothschild Giraffe.

Back at our lodge, dinner is served and the rest of the evening is spent relaxing with fellow guests.

Overnight Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge or Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 5: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Amboseli National Park

After breakfast in Lake Nakuru, we depart with a game drive en route to Amboseli National Park. We make a stop at the viewpoint along the Great Rift Valley escarpment as we proceed to Nairobi for lunch. After lunch, we continue with our drive to Amboseli, located south-east of Nairobi near the Kenyan border with Tanzania.

We look out for a game en route to our camp/ lodge set inside Amboseli Park. Amboseli Game Park covers 392 km² and is the second most popular park in Kenya, after the world-famous Masai Mara.

Amboseli is best known for its breathtaking scenery, with towering Mt. Kilimanjaro to the south. This natural setting provides superb photographic opportunities, especially for capturing large bull elephants up close, with the mountain in the background.

The Park shelters more than 420 species of birds and has an enormous Elephant population, along with other big game attracted to the area by underground springs fed by the melting snows of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Overnight Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Lodge or Ol Tukai Lodge or Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 6: Explore Amboseli National Park

We spend a full day exploring Amboseli on game drives. Amboseli covers lush grasslands fed by the melting snow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. Standing at 5896m above sea level, the snow-topped mountain forms the backdrop to game viewing in Amboseli.

Amboseli National Park hosts some of the largest elephant herds in Kenya and is famous for its big elephant bulls with their impressive tusks. The park is considered one of the top game parks in Africa to get up close to elephants in the wild, as well as offering some of the finest wildlife photographic opportunities, flanked by the scenic Mt Kilimanjaro.

It is home to huge populations of buffalo, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos and various antelope species, such as impala. Other animals include lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, warthogs and various other wildlife. The park also boasts an abundance of birds, including bee-eaters, kingfishers, pelicans, African fish eagles and falcons.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp are included.

Overnight Accommodation: Amboseli Serena Lodge or Ol Tukai Lodge or Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 7: Amboseli – Drive to Tsavo East National Park

An early departure after breakfast takes you to Tsavo East National Park, arriving in good time for lunch. After lunch, we go for a game drive looking for large populations of elephants, zebras and buffaloes, as well as lions, leopards and cheetahs.

Tsavo East forms the largest protected area in Kenya and is home to most of the larger mammals; vast herds of elephants are “red”, and this unusual color is created by taking dust baths in the brick-red earth.

Lions are not uncommon, and it is also a good park to see lesser kudu as well as buffalo, common waterbuck, eland, gerenuk, fringe-eared oryx, impala and Maasai giraffe. Over five hundred species of birds have been recorded, including the saddle-billed stork, martial eagle and the violet wood hoopoe.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive, and later return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Overnight Accommodation: Ashnil Aruba Lodge or Manyatta Camp Safari Camp or Satao Camp
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 8: Tsavo East – Drive to Mombasa or to Nairobi

Early morning game drive to watch animals either getting back to their hide-outs after a night of hunting or just starting their day! Later, return to your lodge for breakfast. After breakfast, enjoy the last game drive as you drive out of the Tsavo East National Park.

Enjoy Lunch at a scenic spot near Voi town before commencing your return journey to Mombasa.

Meal Plan {Breakfast & Lunch}