Mount Kenya & Masai Mara Adventure
6 Days from £619
Day 1
Transfer to Nairobi Safari Club for overnight.
The Stanley Hotel
Situated in the city centre, it was where the travellers, including Earnet Hemingway, gathered for a drink at the legendary Thorn Tree Café before or after a long safari. A message board on the acacia xanthophildea tree is used by travellers to make contact with fellow travellers. The 220 room hotel has been refurbished to a high standard and still retains the original Victorian charm. Bedrooms with private bathrooms are very comfortable while the restaurants serve excellent international cuisine.
Day 2
Leaving Nairobi, you'll journey north, passing near Thika, which boasts the world's third largest pineapple plantation, and Karatina, with its colourful market. Soon you turn off on the main road and head for Mountain Lodge for lunch. This is a tree lodge set in a forest glade with a waterhole that attracts all sorts of wildlife during the day and night. The waterhole is floodlit and there is an underground viewing platform. Overnight at Treetops Lodge (B,L,D).
Treetops - the Aberdares
Treetops is Kenya’s original tree lodge, legendary for its historical royal connection, for the animals it attracts and for the sheer joy of exploring a tree house visited by rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion, bushbuck, waterbuck and many other species. Guests generally depart the Outspan after lunch for the ten-mile drive to Treetops. Here, guests are met by a ranger who advises guests on common sense rules of behaviour necessary for safety and good animal viewing. The lodge rises dramatically out of the ground on stilts and overlooks a water hole and salt lick. It has four decks and a rooftop-viewing platform. Solely dedicated to game viewing, the accommodation is compact and cosy. At 6,450 feet above sea level it is chilly at night at all times of the year, especially from June to September. During these months, you will need sweaters and hats for comfort and warmth. The bedrooms are small, neat and cosy, like cabins on board a ship. Dinner is served at refectory tables with bench seating which is intimate, relaxed and very friendly.
Day 3
An early morning start takes you north-west as you head for Nyahururu, still known to many as Thomson's Falls for its 237 foot cascade. Now travel in a southerly direction to your next destination, the spectacular Lake Nakuru. This is often coloured a shimmering flamingo pink from thousands of the beautiful birds lining its shores. You will arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. Following lunch there is an afternoon game drive returning to the lodge as the sun sets. Overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge (B,L,D).
Lake Nakuru Lodge
Lake Nakuru Lodge is situated in the heart of one of Kenya's most densely populated wetland National Parks, (Ramsar site) only two leisurely hours' drive from Nairobi, through beautiful forested uplands and passing a series of lakes. On the outskirts of the bustling market town of Nakuru lies a truly remarkable national park which has achieved international fame. Both black and white rhino are being given a new lease of life in this 188 sq km, fully-fenced park - and they are carefully protected. The present rhino population is over 50 and continuing to multiply. The Rothschilds giraffe is another rarity and the park has its fair share of buffalo, leopard, zebra, eland, waterbuck and lion. Lake Nakuru Lodge is in the south-east ecological niche of the park, with commanding views of the lake and the flamingos for which it is justly famous. Lush gardens surround the lodge and cottages. There is a good programme of activities and evening entertainment.
Day 4
Onwards to the Masai Mara. Afternoon game drive. Overnight at Keekorok Lodge (B,L,D).
Keekorok Lodge - the Masai Mara
Keekorok Lodge was opened in 1965 and lies at the southern end of Masai Mara National Reserve, approximately 280 kilometres from Nairobi. It is sited in the direct path of the annual migration and was the first lodge to be built in the Mara. At the height of the migration, Keekorok is surrounded by a swarming mass of animals and there is hardly need to go on a game drive. Keekorok's charm lies in the liberal use of local building materials. Sand stone, cedar wood and other indigenous materials are used in all rooms and public areas. In front of the lodge there is a 300m elevated walkway that meanders through a small riverine forest to a small bar at one end. This overlooks a dam where resident hippo and other game are regularly seen. There are no fences around Keekorok and it is not uncommon to see elephant and buffalo on the perimeter of the grounds or even strolling in. Though there are watchmen on the constant look out!
Day 5
Morning and afternoon game drives. Overnight at Keekorok Lodge (B,L,D).
Day 6
Depart the Masai Mara, cutting through the floor of the Rift Valley for Nairobi.
Departures:
From Nairobi every Wednesday.
What’s Included:
- Accommodation as detailed
- Services of an English-speaking local driver/guide
- Park entrance fees and government taxes
- Non air-conditioned transportation in safari cruiser with a guaranteed window seat
- Meals as detailed Breakfast (B),Lunch (L)and Dinner(D)
