Kenya’s Intrepids Sojourn
8 Days from £1299
Highlights
- Nairobi (1 nt)
- Samburu (2 nts)
- Great Rift Valley (2 nts)
- Masai Mara (2 nts)
- Perfectly combined air and drive options
- Local tribes bring culture to camps
- Game drives in 4x4 vehicles
Key features include
- All accommodation has a pool
- Naturalists are readily available to look after the children
- Air travel is used extensively to reduce time spent on bumpy and dusty roads including flights: Nairobi/Samburu and Nairobi/Mara/Nairobi/Mombasa
- Game drives are in a 4x4 vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide
- All meals, snacks (except in Nairobi) and bush meals on safari
- A few of the children’s activities include: interaction with Masai from children to village elders, making campfires, throwing spears, basic Kiswahili lessons, tracking and spoor-casting, traditional dancing and much more
Day 1
Upon an early morning arrival into Nairobi you will be met and transferred to the Safari Park Hotel. After check in (please note early check in is subject to availability and at the discretion of the hotel), freshen up and proceed to Daphne Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage, this famous Giraffe Centre, offers the opportunity to feed the rare Rothschild giraffe. Later this afternoon return to your hotel where the remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight at the Safari Park Hotel.
Safari Park Hotel
Situated only 10km from the city centre and 20km from the international airport, the lively Safari Park Hotel is really an African-theme resort providing deluxe accommodation in 64 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and indigenous forest. All of the 204 distinctively designed and decorated rooms are airy and contain television, private bathroom facilities and private balconies. Its six restaurants are excellent and cater to all tastes, including Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Italian, English and African. There is also a casino, several bars, health club, tennis and squash courts (golf nearby) and excellent business/conference facilities.
Day 2
This morning you will transfer to Wilson airport for your scheduled flight to Samburu. You will be met by the lodge vehicle and taken to the lodge arriving mid morning. After lunch you will embark on your first game drive of your safari, returning to the lodge in the late afternoon. Overnight in the Samburu Intrepids Camp (B,L,D).
Samburu Intrepids
Perched on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River in the heart of Samburu National reserve, Samburu Intrepids enjoys a unique perspective of one of Africa’s most celebrated wildernesses. The camp’s location deep inside the reserve guarantees close encounters with the region’s shier wildlife, including elephant, lion, leopard and Samburu’s famous ‘unique five’ - the rare reticulated giraffe, long-necked gerenuk antelope, Somali ostrich, Grevy’s zebra, and majestic Beisa Oryx. This luxurious tented lodge offers 27 modern tents with a private view over the wildlife-rich riverbanks. The spacious tents boast the very latest in luxury camping, with soft four-poster beds, handsome mahogany closets and writing desks, and en suite bathrooms with steaming hot showers. Because of the warm climate, Samburu Intrepids’ public areas are all palm-thatched and open to the elements, raised on stilts to catch the cooling breeze blowing off the river. The main dining room opens onto an outdoor dining terrace, where buffet breakfasts and lunches are served overlooking the river.
Day 3
Morning and afternoon activities in the Samburu National Reserve. Overnight at the Samburu Intrepids (B,L,D).
Day 4
Enjoy morning activities before transferring to the airstrip with a picnic lunch for your scheduled flight to Naivasha via Nairobi. Afternoon boat trip on the lake. Overnight in the Great Rift Valley lodge (B,L,D).
Great Rift Valley Lodge
A short drive from the well-maintained Pan African Highway is the Great Rift Valley Lodge & Golf Resort Its location midway between the Samburu and Masai Mara reserves makes the lodge the perfect stopover between the country’s top safari destinations – and an ideal alternative to a night in a city hotel. The Great Rift Valley Lodge sits at about 7,000 feet, from which elevation it enjoys magnificent views to the west and east. The vistas stretch from the shimmering waters of Lake Naivasha to the jagged volcanic crater of Mount Longonot and, beyond, the sloping shoulders of the Aberdare Mountains – Kenya’s most important watershed. The Great Rift Valley Lodge offers 21 twin and 9 double rooms, all with private balconies overlooking the spectacular valley floor with large four-poster beds, handmade wooden furniture, African prints, and modern en suite bathrooms. The social ‘heart’ of the Rift Valley Lodge is the clubhouse building, which offers fine dining and beautiful views from its panoramic restaurant and broad balconies.
Day 5
Morning departure for a game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy local activities. Overnight in the Great Rift Valley Lodge (B,L,D).
Day 6
Morning at leisure before an afternoon flight to the Masai Mara for a game drive en-route to the lodge. Overnight in the Mara Intrepids Camp (B,L,D).
Mara Intrepids
Sitting above a sweeping bend in the Talek River at the confluence of the Maasai Mara’s four game-viewing areas, Mara Intrepids enjoys one of the most spectacular locations in the Maasai Mara ecosystem. The camp is a short drive from the Mara River, where more than a million wildebeest and zebra make their perilous migration crossing every July and August. For the remainder of the year, the camp offers some of the world’s finest game viewing, with large local populations of elephants, rhinos, buffalos, and all the Big Cats. 30 luxury tents are widely spread across a large riverside site to ensure guests the optimum privacy and peace. Each tent is furnished in the classic style of the grand African safaris, with large four-poster beds and handsome reproduction furniture offset by modern en suite bathrooms. Each tent sits on a shady platform, with sweeping views over the riverbanks where a wide variety of animals come to drink. Mara Intrepids is divided into four distinct areas, each with its own open-air dining area and ‘mess tent’ where private meals and functions can be arranged. Dinner is usually served in a large dining room under a traditional makuti thatch roof, while breakfast and lunch are hosted on a breezy terrace beside the riverfront swimming pool. Beside the bar is a fully equipped conference room, where our Maasai naturalists deliver evening slide shows on the local culture and wildlife - and where corporate groups can indulge in a spot of ‘bush business’.
Day 7
Morning and afternoon activities in Masai Mara National Reserve. Overnight in the Mara Intrepids Camp (B,L,D).
Day 8
Following a morning activity and lunch, depart back to Nairobi by air (B).
Departures:
From Nairobi daily (minimum 2 passengers)
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 a 4x4 vehicle with a guaranteed window seat
- Meals as detailed Breakfast (B), Lunch (L) and Dinner (D).
