RECS004: 14 DAYS WALKING AND WILDLIFE SAFARI

Walking Safari
This gives you an insight in the way of life of various communities in Kenya i.e. the Samburu, Kikuyu and Maasai. Visit a kikuyu village, samburu village, and a Masai village. Home-stays can be arranged on request.

DAY 1: NAIROBI – SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE
Depart from Nairobi and drive northwestwards through the agriculturally rich Central Kenya Highlands. After a 3-hour drive we stop briefly at Mountain Rock Lodge for Lunch and then proceed further to Samburu National Reserve arriving in the late evening. Dinner and overnight at the Public campsite in the reserve

DAY 2: SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE
Whole day game drive in the park where our expert guides and drivers will take you to different locations of the reserve where you will have spectacular chances of spotting wildlife. You break off during the midday heat for lunch. After lunch you may visit a nearby lodge for a refreshing swim (at your own cost). Late afternoon game drive before returning to the cam for dinner and overnight.

Samburu is a semi arid ecosystem which teems with a host of wildlife endemic to the northern part of Kenya chief among them being the reticulated giraffe, the gravy zebra, the oryx, the Somali ostrich, and the gazelle with the longest neck called the gerenuk, the vulturine guinea fowl among others. Apart from the above species, elephants, buffaloes, gazelles, crocodiles, impalas and dik-diks are seen in plenty as well as the elusive lions, cheetahs and leopard. Dinner and overnight at public campsite

DAY 3: SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE – MT. KENYA
We depart early after breakfast headed for Mount Kenya region. We arrive at Mountain Rock Lodge for lunch and later an afternoon cultural walk to the nearby kikuyu villages. On coming back to the Lodge we pass the forest reserve where the local our guide explains to us some of the medicinal plants in that forest. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

DAY 4: MT. KENYA – LAKE BOGORIA NATIONAL RESERVE.
Depart after breakfast and 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 5: LAKE  BOGORIA NATIONAL RESERVE
We do a morning Game Walk on the shores of the lake with high chances of sporting some plains herbivores as well as water birds and raptors. The landscape is equally appealing. 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 6: LAKE BOGORIA – LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
We leave the reserve and on our way out we visit local Tugen village to get insights in the culture of this Nilotic ethnic group. Later we head for Lake Nakuru National park. This is another soda lake on the floor of the Rift valley which is home to hundreds of thousands of flamingos and other bird species. After setting the camp 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 overnight at campsite

DAY 7: NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
We do a full day game drive in the park where our expert guides and drivers will take you to different locations of the reserve where you will have spectacular chances of spotting wildlife. You break off during the midday heat for lunch. After lunch you may visit a nearby lodge for a refreshing swim (at your own cost). Late afternoon game drive before returning to the cam for dinner and overnight.

DAY 8: LAKE NAKURU – HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK
Early morning game drive in the park and later head for Hell’s gate National park. We make a brief stop in Nakuru town for a short walk in the town and the fruits and vegetables market. Later we head for Hell’s gate national park which is situated few kilometers from Lake Naivasha. This is a small and beautiful park with plenty of plain game and spectacular gorges. This is one of the few national parks in Kenya where one is allowed to explore it foot since there are no big predators. Dinner and overnight at Camp in the park.

DAY 9: HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK
We start walking from the camp through the park where you will have close encounters with giraffes, gazelles, impalas, zebras, elands, hartebeests among others. The morning walk upto the Rangers post takes around 3 - 4 hours. We picnic at the Rangers Post and after lunch we hike to explore the gorges to see the magnificent geological formations and hot springs. We return to the camp in vehicles. Dinner and overnight at campsite

DAY 10: HELL’S GATE – LOITA PLAINS.
We do a morning boat ride on Lake Naivasha to see aquatic birds as well as families of hippos. After boat ride we drive to the Loita plains and set camp at a small Maasai village called Olonganayo which lies in the Olenkuluo Community group ranch. On the way we stop at Narok, the Maasai Capital for a visit of this colourful Maasai town. We set camp in a secluded campsite next to the village. Dinner around a campfire with our local Maasai hosts. Overnight under starlit clear skies with occasional wild animal sounds to lure us to sleep.

Day 11: LOITA PLAINS
After breakfast we do a 4 hour game walk in the Loita plains where we have chances of seeing many plain game as well as enjoying splendid views of the endless plains and the Loita hills in the horizon. We  are  guided  by  Maasai  warriors  who constantly  explain  to  us  how  they  utilize  what  nature  has  to offer  to  lead  their  day  to day  lives. In the evening we visit a local Maasai homestead to learn more about the way of life of these fascinating people who have defied modernity to remain faithful to their culture. Dinner and over night at community Campsite with our Maasai hosts.

DAY 12: LOITA PLAINS – MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
After breakfast we depart for the Maasai Mara National reserve.
Maasai 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: MAASAI MARA

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