9 Day Kenya Safari Tsavo West Aberdare Samburu Nakuru & Masai Mara

Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Tsavo West National Park
Day 2: Explore Tsavo West National Park
Day 3: Tsavo West – Drive to Aberdare National Park
Day 4: Aberdare – Drive to Samburu National Reserve
Day 5: Explore Samburu National Reserve
Day 6: Samburu – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park
Day 7: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 8: Explore Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 9: Masai Mara – Drive to Nairobi

Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Tsavo West National Park

After breakfast, we drive to Tsavo West National Park. The Park is a vast expanse of African savanna with a more diverse array of habitats, including open plains, semi-desert scrub, woodland, Chyulu Hills, and rock outcrops.

Tsavo West is famous for the Red Elephants, Oryx, and Gerenuk among other mammal species and birdlife. Explore Chyulu Hills and Mzima Springs, home to numerous Hippos and Crocodiles. At Mzima Springs, we can view the Hippos swimming beneath the surface of the water from the underwater viewing chamber.

The Movie Ghost and the Darkness was shot here.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation: Finch Hattons Camp, Kipalo Hills Lodge, Voyager Ziwani
Mid-range Accommodation: Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, Ngulia Safari Lodge, Severin Safari Camp
Budget Accommodation: Kitani Bandas, Lake Jipe Lodge
Meal Plan: {Lunch & Dinner}

Day 2: Explore Tsavo West National Park

Two game drives are scheduled for this day. The extensive, diverse habitats offer an ideal area to search for Leopard, Cheetahs, Wild Dogs, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Lion, Crocodile, Mongoose, Hyrax, Dik-dik, Lesser Kudu, and nocturnal Porcupine. Prolific bird life features 600 species.

One of Tsavo West’s main attractions is the Ngulia Rhinoceros Sanctuary, a 70 square km fenced reserve, established to protect the Black Rhino, and this is one of the few places in the country where it is possible to view this incredible creature.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation: Finch Hattons Camp, Kipalo Hills Lodge, Voyager Ziwani
Mid-range Accommodation: Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, Ngulia Safari Lodge, Severin Safari Camp
Budget Accommodation: Kitani Bandas, Lake Jipe Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 3: Tsavo West – Drive to Aberdare National Park

Depart Tsavo West after breakfast. Our destination today is the Aberdare National Park. We stop for lunch at an upscale restaurant in Nairobi and travel overland through plantations of coffee and tea to The Aberdare Country Club or to the Outspan Hotel.

After high tea, we set off for the Ark Tree Lodge or the Treetops Lodge, located in the forest on the mountain slopes of the Aberdare Mountains at 7,000 feet. This outstanding lodge offers high-altitude game viewing, including animals that are rarely encountered elsewhere: giant forest Hog, Bush Pig, Tree Hyrax, large spotted Genet, and the elusive Bongo.

Wildlife can be observed from different levels – and from outside, where you can see, hear, and smell everything, and inside, where you can sit with a cup of tea and stay warm and cozy.

You can put in a request to be awakened during the night if your favorite animals show up. A herd of Elephants might be just feet away, and if you are lucky, a Leopard or large male Lion might put in an appearance.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation:  The Ark Tree Lodge, Treetops Tree Hotel or Serena Mountain Tree Lodge
Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 4: Aberdare – Samburu Game Reserve

Depart Aberdare National Park in the morning by road to Samburu Game Reserve located in the rugged, north semi-desert region. Samburu Game Reserve is a wild and little-visited region, well known for spectacular scenery and wildlife not found in the south.

Lunch upon arrival at your lodge, then proceed on an afternoon game drive. This 165 km² game reserve offers excellent game viewing, hosting abundant animal and bird life, including large predators, herbivores and raptors.

Samburu is home to several rare species of northern Kenya, namely Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk Antelopes, Somali Ostriches, Reticulated Giraffes and Beisa Oryx, as well as Cheetahs, Lions and Elephants.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation: Saruni Samburu Camp, Elephant Bedroom Camp Samburu, Elephant Watch Camp
Mid-range Accommodation: Ashnil Camp Samburu, Soroi Larsens Camp Samburu, Samburu Intrepids Camp
Budget Accommodation:  Lion King Bush Camp, Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 5: Explore Samburu Game Reserve

Full day in Samburu with morning and afternoon game drives. Samburu hosts beautiful forests, springs and rivers, offering stunning scenery. The game park is part of a lava plain that includes varied habitats, from thorn scrub, red dirt and dried river beds, to broken volcanic rock, steep hills and rocky outcrops.

This region of Kenya is home to the uncommon Grevy’s Zebra with huge furry ears, Gerenuk Antelope standing on hind legs to feed, Somali Ostriches with distinct blue legs and the shy Oryx. Elephants and Crocodiles are guaranteed sightings, and lions, hippos, and giraffes are also found in the reserve.

The bird watching is excellent, with over 365 species, including numerous varieties of weaver birds and the martial eagle. Leopard sightings are also a special feature here. The Samburu area is also home to interesting people with a rich heritage, making for a colorful cultural experience.

In between the game drives, there is an opportunity to visit a Samburu village at an additional cost.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation: Saruni Samburu Camp, Elephant Bedroom Camp Samburu, Elephant Watch Camp
Mid-range Accommodation: Ashnil Camp Samburu, Soroi Larsens Camp Samburu, Samburu Intrepids Camp
Budget Accommodation:  Lion King Bush Camp, Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 6: Samburu – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park

Depart in the morning and drive to the floor of the Rift Valley – to Lake Nakuru National Park, making a brief stop at Nyahururu Thomson Falls. Arrive in time for lunch. Afternoon, conduct a game drive.

This Kenyan game park has retained its reputation as an ornithologist’s delight, with more than 400 species of bird found here. Bird species include the Great White Pelican, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, and Long-crested Eagle.

The Nakuru National Park surrounds the lake and was first gazetted to protect the rich bird life found here, later becoming a national park to provide sanctuary for endangered species such as the Rhino.

There are about 25 White and Black Rhinos, one of the largest concentrations in the country. Predators are also residents of this park, while Rothschild’s Giraffes have been translocated into the park for safety. This small park (180 sq km) is also home to Warthogs, Baboons, Waterbucks, Buffaloes, Reedbucks, Zebras and the occasional Leopard.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, Egret Savannah Camp, Encore Hotel Nakuru
Mid-range Accommodation: Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, The Cliff Nakuru
Budget Accommodation:  Kivu Retreat Resort Nakuru, Chester Hotel Nakuru
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 7: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve

Enjoy an early breakfast, check out of the hotel and proceed on a ‘Spice game drive en route to Masai Mara. A pleasant drive across the dramatic Great Rift Valley brings you to Narok Township, a Masai business center. After a short stopover, continue to Masai Mara Game Reserve.

This enormous Reserve, actually part of the vast Serengeti plains, is famously known for its spectacular great wildebeest migration and is home to the Big Five – Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, and Leopard.

A ‘Spice game drive will be conducted after lunch, then proceed to the Camp or lodge for an enjoyable dinner. Wherever you go in the Mara Reserve, you will see an abundance of wildlife, such as Masai Giraffe, Baboons, Warthogs, Bat-eared Foxes, Grey Jackals, Spotted Hyenas, Topis, Impala, Hartebeests, Wildebeest, Elephants, Buffaloes, Zebras and Hippos.

It is common to see Lions either basking after a heavy meal or surveying the plains for their next meal. Cheetahs and Leopards are harder to spot but are still reasonably common.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation: And Beyond Kichwa Tembo Camp, Angama Mara Camp, Cotters 1920 Camp
Mid-range Accommodation: Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Governors Camp Mara, Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Budget Accommodation: Ol Moran Tented Camp, Enchoro Wildlife Camp, Rhino Tourist Tented Camp
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 8: Explore Masai Mara Game Reserve

We spend a full day in the Masai Mara – one of the greatest wildernesses of the world in the morning and afternoon ‘Spice’ game drives. The Masai Mara is the ultimate safari destination in Kenya, if not Africa, and one of the top wildlife reserves in the world.

This vast landscape is the quintessential African bush scene, an open wilderness of undulating grasslands dotted with acacia trees.

The Masai Mara National Reserve is world-famous for the legendary Great Migration, a wildlife spectacle of epic proportions, where a million wildebeest, Gazelles (Thomson’s and Grant’s) and Zebras migrate along an age-old route between Mara and Serengeti in Tanzania.

The mass movement of herbivores draws an abundance of predators in search of an easy kill. The Masai Mara is, however, an exceptional Big Five game-viewing destination year-round, and is also the home region of the red-robed Maasai people.

Optional Hot Air Balloon rides and a trip to Lake Victoria for fishing are available at an additional cost while in the Mara.

Overnight Accommodation
Luxury Accommodation: And Beyond Kichwa Tembo Camp, Angama Mara Camp, Cotters 1920 Camp
Mid-range Accommodation: Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Governors Camp Mara, Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Budget Accommodation: Ol Moran Tented Camp, Enchoro Wildlife Camp, Rhino Tourist Tented Camp
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 9: Masai Mara – Drive to Nairobi

Today you have an early morning game drive followed by a sumptuous breakfast, then depart by road to Nairobi, arriving in the early afternoon.

Meal Plan {Breakfast}