RECS005:14 DAYS WESTERN HIDDEN TREASURES

 

The western circuit is one of the regions rarely visited yet culturally rich in Kenya. Get insights into various communities i.e. the luhya, kalenjin, and maasai. Visit a luhya village, a kalenjin (Marakwet) village and a Maasai village. Home-stays can be organized on request.

DAY 1: NAIROBI – LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
Depart from Nairobi and drive westwards towards Lake Nakuru National Park. We make a brief stop over at the Rift Valley view point where you enjoy the stunning views of the Valley floor with its numerous volcanoes main among them being Mt Longonot and Mt. Suswa. We descend in the valley floor and drive to Lake Nakuru, one of the soda lakes of the East African Rift valley. This lake is famous for the Flamingoes and a host of other birds    that inhabit the wooded shoreline. . We arrive in time for lunch and after lunch we leave for an evening game drive where we get chances of seeing zebra, buffalo, gazelle impala, water buck, hyena, leopard among others. This park is a Rhino sanctuary and both the black and white Rhino are present here. Dinner and over night at Campsite

DAY 2: NAKURU – LAKE BOGORIA NATIONAL RESERVE
Full morning game drive in the park and later come back to the camp for early lunch. After lunch we head for the Lake Bogoria National Reserve. Lake Bogoria is a shallow alkaline lake on the floor of the rift valley, which is a natural abode of thousands of flamingoes. With its steaming hot springs and geysers and a variety of bird and animal species, Lake Bogoria National Reserve is a truly one of the most beautiful reserves to explore on foot. It is this park that one has the chance to see the rare Great Kudu. Dinner and overnight at the local community campsite

DAY 3: LAKE BOGORIA NATIONAL RESERVE
We do a morning Game Walk around the lake and on our way out we visit local Tugen village to get insights in the culture of this Nilotic ethnic group. In the afternoon we drive halfway and walk halfway to the hot springs and geysers. In the evening we drive towards the camp while on the lookout for the greater Kudu. Dinner and overnight at the local community campsite

DAY 4: LAKE BOGORIA – LAKE BARINGO
Depart after breakfast and head further north to Lake Baringo. This lake is one of the two fresh water lakes of the Gregorian Rift valley. Situated in the semi arid part of the country, this vast fresh water lake exudes the impression of calm and serenity surrounded by high mountains from afar. This serenity is sometimes broken by the bellowing of the hippos and chirping of the birds. With over four hundred species of birdlife, this lake is truly birds’ paradise for those with an ornithological appetite. This lake has several islands where the Njemps herdsmen leave. The Njemps are one of the three Maa speakers others being the Samburu and Maasai. Upon arrival we go for a boat ride in the lake to see crocodiles, hippos and the many aquatic birds. Later in afternoon we go for a bird walk around the lake.
Dinner and overnight at the local community camp site  

DAY 5: LAKE BARINGO – ITEN
After breakfast we visit a Njemps village to learn more about the way of life of this Nilo-Hamitic sub tribe who eke their livelihood from fishing a departure form other Nilo-Hamites who are pastoralists. After the village visit we leave for Iten through the scenic route on the edge of the Kerio Valley. We make several stops at vantage points to enjoy the magnificent views. Dinner and overnight at Lerin campsite near Iten.

DAY 6: CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AT LERIN
A 4 hour morning hike in the surrounding hills for splendid views of the valley below. After lunch we visit the local villages and farms to learn more about the way of life of the Marakwet. Dinner and overnight at Lerin Campsite.

DAY 7: ITEN – KAKAMEGA FOREST
Depart early headed for western Kenya. Today we are headed to Kakamega National Reserve. This is the only true equatorial forest in Kenya. It forms part of the rain forest that once covered the African Continent from east to west. It is one of the unique sites reputed for its ornithological richness. This park is home to a variety of animal species including several species of primates and many indigenous plant species. The flora and fauna found here are unique to this reserve and are not to be found any where in Kenya. Dinner and over night at Community Campsite

DAY 8: KAKAMEGA NATONAL RESERVE
Morning walk in the Kakamega Forest Reserve Accompanied by our local guide we explore the depths of the rich rain forest and learn more about the ecology of this eco-system. In the late evening we visit a local village to discover the way of life of the Luhya Sub tribe of the Bantu Language group. These people are famous for the Bull fighting Competition. With chance we may attend a Bull fight. Dinner and over night at Community Campsite

DAY 9: KAKAMEGA NATONAL RESERVE – KISUMU CITY
Depart after breakfast and head for Kisumu, the 3rd largest City in Kenya situated on the shores of Lake Victoria. We make a stop at Ileho on the way to Kisumu to see the “Crying Stone” of Kakamega. We arrive in Kisumu for lunch. Later in the evening we do a boat ride on Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world. Overnight at campsite or Budget hotel in Kisumu.

DAY 10: KISUMU - KISII
Morning visit of the Kisumu Museum to learn more of the Luo culture. The Luo is the Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting the shores of Lake Victoria. Later depart from Kisumu and head for the agriculturally rich town of Kisii. This is a small town surrounded by banana and sugar cane plantations. Point of interest here is the visit of a small village called Tabaka, the home of soap stone carvers. Dinner and over night at Community Campsite

DAY 11: AROUND KISII
Day long visit of Tabaka village where we visit one of the carvers’ workshops and maybe get a chance to buy some of the products directly from the local people. A visit of a local homestead will crown our village visit to discover the way of life of the Kisii sub group of the Bantu language group. Dinner and over night at Community Campsite

DAY 12: KISII – MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
Depart after breakfast and head for the Maasai Mara National reserve.

Masai Mara, now the seventh wonder of the modern world, is a country of breathtaking vistas, vast rolling plains and rounded hills, acacia woodlands, dense thickets of scrub. The whole bisected by the Mara River and its tributaries margined with luxuriant riverine forests. Its vast plains teem with endless herds of game together with the associated predators. It is perhaps the only region left in Africa where the visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance as existed a century ago.  Here, you find the largest population of lions in Kenya, seen in their natural setting and the impressive herds of elephants. Other animals include buffaloes, hartebeest, wildebeest, topi, eland, impala, gazelles, black rhino (very rare), giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, hippopotamus, crocodile, leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackals, among others. Bird species include eagles, vultures, marabou, ostrich, touracos, guinea fowls, bastards, cranes, and many more.

Perhaps the most intriguing phenomenon in Maasai Mara is the Wildebeest migration that occurs between the months of July and September. Every July, millions of wildebeests and zebra move from Serengeti to Maasai Mara on their annual migration, attracting an entourage of cheetahs, lions and other predators. The reserve was established in 1961 and covers a surface area of 1,812sq km. Night in tents

DAY 13: MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Full day exploring different parts of the reserve as we watch the animals feed and groom each other. Dinner and over night at Campsite

DAY 14: MASAI MARA - NAIROBI
We do an early morning game drive then come back to the camp for breakfast and later depart for Nairobi.