Karibu Kenya Itinerary
Itinerary Overview
This is a magnificent 18-day (17 night) flying safari itinerary in Kenya, touching down in Amboseli and Meru National Parks, Laikipia, Lewa and Mara North Conservancies, and winding down on the banks of the Sand River in the Masai Mara Game Reserve
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi (NBO)
Transfer to your hotel in the Karen residential area.
Nairobi is Africa’s 4th largest city with some fascinating attractions: The National Museum, Karen Blixen Museum and most notably just 20 minutes from the city center, wild lions and buffalo roam in the world’s only urban game reserve. Time permitting you might pay a visit to the elephant orphanage operated by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust or the Giraffe Center run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.
Transfer to Wilson Airport. Take a scheduled flight to Amboseli.
Located in the southern reaches of Kenya, the Amboseli National Park is best known for its unrivalled views of Kilimanjaro, its huge elephant population, and an excellent variety of wildlife such as giraffe, buffalo, lion and cheetahs.
Your Amboseli experience includes game drives, guided walks, sundowners, cultural visits and the occasional spa treatments (additional charge). The only high point in the park, Observation Hill, offers tremendous photographic opportunities with a staircase carved from rocks allowing access to the summit and views of the Enkongu Narok marshes, beloved by elephants and hippos, and the plains beyond. The western section is dominated by vast Lake Amboseli.
Take a scheduled flight to Meru.
Covering over 300 square miles, the wild and semi-arid Meru landscape is dotted with Doum palms and traversed by 13 life-giving rivers.
The Rojewero viewpoint and boardwalk offers an opportunity to walk along the thick riverine forest spotting hippo, crocodile and a variety of birds. The 30 square mile rhino sanctuary inside the park allows for up close photography of these magnificent creatures at peace in their natural habitat. Visitors can also take in remarkable views of Mount Kenya, spot game along the Tana River and view the cascading Adamson’s Falls.
Scheduled flight to Laikipia. Transfer to Loisaba.
The Laikipia region is made up of privately owned and community ranches centered around the Laikipia National Reserve. Star Beds are unique to the Loisaba conservancy. Guests can opt to sleep under the roof or have the bed wheeled outside where they can sleep under the endless African night sky.
The high plains feature vast open stretches of African savanna scattered with abundant game including: Grevy’s zebras, black rhino, lion, leopard, wild dogs, buffalo and thousands of elephants. Because this is a private conservancy, day and night game drives are possible, as are guided walks, horse riding, fishing, camel trekking and mountain biking. Guests may also visit the resident team of sniffer dogs and see them in action in an anti-poaching demonstration.
Scheduled flight to Laikipia.
The ± 100 square mile private Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Renowned as a pioneer and leader in responsible tourism, the conservancy is home to about 10% of Kenya’s black rhino population, and the single largest population of Grevy zebra in the world.
Boasting one of the highest wildlife densities in Kenya, Lewa is inhabited by elephants, lions, leopard, buffalo, wild dogs, giraffes and cheetahs. Besides a morning and afternoon game drive, you may also opt for a day trip to Ngare Ndare Forest, a lush indigenous forest at the foothills of Mt. Kenya. Azure pools glisten at the bottom of waterfalls and 200-year-old trees stretch into the canopy supporting a rich variety of bird and animal life. The forest is a vital corridor that links the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to Mount Kenya, and one which elephant have been using for centuries.
Scheduled flight to Mara North.
The Mara North Conservancy is a private wilderness area spanning more than 120 square miles at the heart of the Masai Mara ecosystem. Neighboring the well-known Maasai Mara National Reserve, this conservancy is vital for sustaining the highly threatened African wild dog and black rhino.
The vast, fertile plains of the Maasai Mara hosts resident and transient populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, elephant, zebra and giraffe to be explored on daily game drives or guided walks. Because this is a private conservancy, night game drives are possible, as are sundowners or bush dinners under the stars.
Travel through the Masai Mara National Reserve to Sand River, the southern border of Kenya.
Separating the Masai Mara from the Serengeti in Tanzania, the Sand River is also on the migration route for the millions of wildebeest, zebra and Thompson’s gazelle that move between Serengeti and Masai Mara annually.
Guests enjoy the privilege of exclusive views of the plains and hills dotted with thousands of animals as well as the excitement of frenetic and famed river crossings, all from the comfort of camp. Large prides of lions, elephants, giraffes, gazelles and eland can also be spotted in the reserve. Your Masai Mara experience includes game drives, bush breakfasts or dinners, cultural village or school visits, and optional hot-air ballooning over the Mara plains.
Scheduled flight to Wilson Airport, Nairobi.
Transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi (NBO)
