KENYA WILDLIFE SAFARI

Transcription

1 KENYA WILDLIFE SAFARI

2 Itinerary Overview Expect plenty of wildlife on our Africa safari to Kenya. This driving safari vacation takes you into the heart of Kenya's most accessible wildlife sanctuaries including the impressive Northern Reserves, Lake Nakuru National Park, and the Maasai Mara. Professional safari guides accompany you in private minivans with roof hatches where every participant has a window seat. Stay in lodges and comfortable permanent tented camps with en-suite private bath and shower. This year round trip is easily combined with safaris in Tanzania. DAY DATE OVERNIGHT HOTEL MEALS HIGHLIGHTS 1 Thu NAIROBI Stanley Hotel Arrival in to Nairobi 2 Fri MT. KENYA Serena Mountain Lodge BLD 3 Sat SHABA RESERVE Shaba Sarova BLD 4 Sun SHABA RESERVE Shaba Sarova BLD 5 Mon LAKE NAKURU Lion Hill Sarova BLD 6 Tue MAASAI MARA Mara Sarova BLD 7 Wed MAASAI MARA Mara Sarova BLD 8 Thu DEPARTURE Stanley Hotel (Dayroom) B Drive to Serena Mountain Lodge Drive to Shaba, afternoon game driving Game drives in the Shaba Reserve Drive to Lake Nakuru, afternoon game drive Drive to Maasai Mara, afternoon game drive Game drives in the Maasai Mara Return drive to Nairobi, dayroom before evening flight -2-

3 Itinerary in Detail DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN NAIROBI Arrive into the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi where you'll be met after passing through customs. Transfer to overnight at the Sarova Stanley Hotel. [Meals on your own] DAY 2: NAIROBI TO MT KENYA Driving time: 3 hours Meet your guide this morning for the three hour drive north to the Serena Mountain Lodge. Along the way we ll pass fields of coffee and sugar cane, and have great views of Mt Kenya. This afternoon is at leisure at the lodge, with time to rest from the previous days international flight. From the comfort of the lodge, view wildlife at Mountain Lodge s watering hole, the photography hide, or enjoy afternoon tea. Area wildlife includes elephant, water buck, buffalo, leopard, and genet. Overnight at the Serena Mountain Lodge. [BLD] DAY 3 SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVES Driving time: 4 hours We continue on our journey northwards, driving for 4 hours as we watch the landscape turn from lush green mountains to semi-arid scrub land and pass through the town of Isiolo before entering Samburu. Rugged and remote, the area is made up of three Reserves Buffalo Springs, Samburu, and Shaba, which will be our home for the next two nights. After lunch at our lodge we ll rest and then have our first game drive as the heat of the day fades and the wildlife wakes up from their midday slumber. Overnight at Shaba Sarova Lodge. [BLD] DAY 4: SHABA RESERVE Spend all day on safari in the reserve (breakfast and lunch at the lodge). Irrigated by the river, which is home to numerous hippos and crocodiles, Shaba offers sanctuary to large herds of elephants, healthy numbers of lions, leopards, cheetahs, plentiful plains game, reticulated giraffes, rare Beisa oryx, and gerenuks. It is also one of the few reserves in which you can see the Grevy s zebra rather than the more common Burchell s zebra found elsewhere. Offering 100 species of birds, the reserve is also home to the rare blue-shanked Somali ostrich. Overnight at Shaba Sarova Lodge. [BLD] DAY 5: LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK Driving time: 5 hours Depart Shaba this morning and drive down to the floor of the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park, arriving in time for a late lunch and an afternoon game drive. A seasonal home to thousands of pink flamingos, Nakuru is also habitat for large numbers of reedbuck, waterbuck, zebra and gazelle. The shore of the lake is a good spot to see both black and white rhino, and the woodland interior is home to the Rothschild giraffe and a particularly large population of leopard. Overnight at Sarova Lion Hill lodge. [BLD] DAY 6: MAASAI MARA GAME RESERVE Driving time: 5 hours Leaving flamingo-fringed Lake Nakuru behind, head southwards and turn right at Maai Mahiu to ascend up over the top of the Mau Escarpment. Continuing due south, you travel towards Narok, gateway to the Maasai Mara and district headquarters of this part of Maasai land. We ll travel across the 'breadbasket' of Kenya, covered with acres of wheat and barley, to Mara Sarova Camp, arriving in time for lunch. Take a few hours to rest and then this afternoon we ll take a game drive in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Overnight at Mara Sarova Lodge. [BLD] DAY 7: MAASAI MARA GAME RESERVE Explore the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, part of the vast Serengeti ecosystem spanning Kenya and Tanzania. No other place on earth compares to the multitudes of wild animals found in the Maasai Mara. Here herds of zebra, wildebeest, and topi mingle on the short grass plains keeping an eye out for -3-

4 numerous predators including lion, cheetah, leopard, and hyena. Maasai giraffe and impala graze in the woodlands and hippos and crocodiles bask along the shores of the Talek and Mara Rivers. Keep an eye out for herds of Cape buffalo as well as black rhino. During the summer months (approx July September) the Great Migration comprised of 1.5 million wildebeest and several hundred thousand zebra make the Maasai Mara their home. Overnight at Mara Sarova Lodge. [BLD] DAY 8 NAIROBI AND DEPARTURE Driving time: 5 hours After an early breakfast in the camp, depart the Maasai Mara and head back to Nairobi, passing the dormant volcano Mount Longonot, as wells as Lakes Elementeita and Naivasha. Upon arrival a dayroom is waiting for us at the Stanley Hotel, where you can rest and refresh before you transfer to the airport for an evening departure flight. [B] Note: To avoid today s 5 hour drive we can arrange a flight from the Mara to Nairobi at additional cost. Please call for details. Consider adding an extension to the Kenyan Coast or to the spice islands of Zanzibar in Tanzania. END OF SERVICES Actual routes and activities may vary. Local trip coordinators reserve the right to change accommodations to similar quality alternatives. -4-

5 PRICING: 2012 SEASON PER PERSON SINGLE SUPPLEMENT Low Season $2500 $275 High Season $2850 $575 Peak Season $3225 $775 *Low season April June, High Season January-March, Peak Season July-November. INCLUDED SERVICES All guided tours and excursions English-speaking naturalist guides Airport-hotel transfers, land transportation in a safari minibus with pop up roof 7 nights hotel and lodge accommodation as indicated Meals as indicated [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner] Park and Reserve entrance fees Bottled water on game drives Wildland Adventures travel consultation and pre-departure services NOT INCLUDED SERVICES International airfare Visa Fees Tips and gratuities Drinks (including water) and alcoholic beverages with meals Laundry service Personal expenses for extra services, optional activities, or changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control Travel insurance for trip cancellation, medical services, or evacuation Any other items not mentioned above -5-

6 Accommodations STANLEY HOTEL, NAIROBI The Stanley Hotel has been a landmark in Nairobi since A young Hemingway often stayed here and liked to relax on the first floor Safari Bar, which overlooks Kenyatta Avenue s colorful crowds. Rooms are spacious and have recently been restored to their original beauty. Modern conveniences have been added to enhance your comfort. A tiled swimming pool and spa located on the roof provides you with some options for relaxation after a long flight or safari. SERENA MOUNTAIN LODGE, MOUNT KENYA Constructed on the slopes of Kenya s highest peak, the Serena Mountain Lodge is a comfortable respite after a morning s drive from Nairobi. Set in tropical rain forest at an elevation of over 6,000 feet, the lodge s cool climate is a surprise to first time visitors to Africa. Enjoy log-paneled rooms, thick carpets, and a lounge filled with comfortable chairs overlooking a watering hole often visited by elephant and buffalo. To get closer to these great animals visit the hide, where you ll be able to experience the thrill of being only a few meters from some of the most massive beasts on earth. SHABA SAROVA LODGE, SHABA RESERVE Facing the Uaso Nyrio River, the Shaba Sarova Lodge is built near a natural spring which feeds into a multitude of streams and pools throughout the grounds creating an oasis of lush tropical vegetation. Décor is thatched roof, stone and timber, tastefully combining local materials and architectural style. Each room has en-suite facilities, mosquito netting and fans. The open air restaurant overlooks the pool, river and lodge grounds. -6-

7 SAROVA LION HILL, LAKE NAKURU Nestled in a hillside overlooking Lake Nakuru, each chalet of the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge has a terrace looking out to the lake. The restaurant has an expansive view of the Rift Valley and nightly entertainment. Named after a nearby hill once graced by a resident lion, the comfortable lodge offers a swimming pool and a masseuse (massage at extra cost). Two nights at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge [BLD] MARA SAROVA CAMP, MAASAI MARA Our base is the Mara Sarova Camp, located on the southeast boundary of the Maasai Mara on a natural hill between two streams. Spacious tents have private terraces and hardwood floors, and are complete with electric light, flush toilets, and hot water. Enjoy a dip in the large pool, or an evening lecture with local Maasai guides. Ask about hot air ballooning one early morning and glide silently over the Mara with the rising sun (at additional cost). -7-

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