8 Days Kenya Safari

Early in the morning on this day, your tour driver guide will pick you up from your hotel or Airport. Following a brief tour orientation, you’ll set out on a stunning 5-hour drive through beautiful African scenery past Mt. Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain (5,199m), in the direction of Samburu National Reserve in the north. You’ll get there in time for lunch at the lodge where you’ll be spending the next two nights. You will take a game drive in the afternoon after lunch to experience Samburu for the first time. On the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River is the 165km2 park. The river that flows through the park is its lifeblood; without its precious water, the animals in the park’s otherwise semi-arid environment would perish.

It is a tranquil park that is much quieter than most of east Africa’s other reserves, but it still has a staggering variety of big game species that are typical of an African safari. You’ll be on the lookout for animals like lesser kudu, waterbuck, impalas, grant’s gazelles, and the cuddly Kirk’s and Günther’s dik-diks, as well as lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, elephants, buffalo, hippos, and black rhinos. The ultra-striped Grevy’s Zebra, the Reticulated Giraffe, the regal Beisa Oryx, and the long-necked Gerenuk are just a few examples of the rare and local species that are of particular interest. You should be able to check off all five of the so-called “Samburu Special Five”—these four plus the blue-legged Somali Ostrich—with relative ease.

Once you’ve completed your first game drive, head back to the lodge or camp for dinner and the night.

After enjoying morning and afternoon game drives, you’ll head back to the lodge for lunch and a quick break from the sun. The three Big Cats, African painted wolves, and even the rare and elusive striped hyena can all be found in abundance in Samburu, which is also a haven for elephants. Samburu birdlife, however, is also incredibly diverse, with over 450 species recorded, many of which are endemic and specialized for arid environments. The colorful Vulturine Guineafowl, the Somali bee-eater, the Taita falcon, the Golden pipit, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Secretary bird, Lilac-breasted Roller, Verreaux’s Eagle, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Northern red-billed Hornbill, and Palm-nut Vulture are a few species to keep an eye out for. The critically endangered African Pancake Tortoise and some enormous Nile Crocodiles also call the Ewaso Ng’iro River home. The reserve is also the home of Kamunyak, a lioness that was famous for adopting at least 6 Oryx calves in the early 2000s. You’ll return to your lodging after a wonderful day in Samburu to prepare dinner.

Get up early, eat a delicious breakfast, and then travel to Nakuru National Park. Today, you’ll drive south towards Africa’s Great Rift Valley, where the park is located. Your scenic drive will take approximately 5 hours, and you should arrive at your Lake Nakuru National Park accommodation in time for lunch. Lake Nakuru is an alkaline lake in the rift valley that is protected by the 188km2 Lake Nakuru National Park. You’ll understand why this enormous soda lake has been dubbed the greatest ornithological spectacle in the world; flamingo seas frequently transform the surrounding area into a stunning shade of pink. You will return to camp in the late afternoon or early evening for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast as you wait to depart on another scenic 2-hour drive to Lake Naivasha, the deepest lake in the Great Rift Valley and a haven for numerous hippos. Today is a free day, but if you want to see hippos, waterbucks, and a wide variety of birds up close, you can choose to go on a boat tour in the afternoon. On Crescent Island, you can also go on a walking safari and stroll among giraffes, zebra, and other relaxed animals because there are no predators there. You can have lunch at a local restaurant before visiting local artisans for a demonstration on how to make handmade ceramic pieces and hand-woven fabrics. If you have time left over from game viewing, you can go horseback riding or visit a farmer’s home for tea while learning about subsistence farming. For a game viewing opportunity, you could also travel to the nearby Hells Gate National Park. The park is risk-free for biking, rock climbing, bird watching, and trekking through the lower gorge among the geysers due to the absence of predatory animals. You will settle into your accommodations for the night after this exciting day.

After a satisfying breakfast this morning, you’ll depart for the exciting final leg of your wonderful safari itinerary. You’ll travel across the expansive Great Rift Valley floor to reach the renowned Masai Mara National Reserve. You’ll get to your camp or lodge in time for lunch and a quick break. Take pleasure in your first game drive in the “Mara”. The Masai Mara is a wilderness area that a border Tanzania’s Serengeti to the south and is located in Kenya’s southwest. The name of the reserve, which covers an area of about 1,510 km2, is a tribute to the Masai people, who were the region’s original residents, and how they described it from a distance. The reserve is one of the biggest wildlife reserves in the world and is regarded as the crown jewel of Kenya’s wildlife viewing areas. The Masai Mara is home to a large population of wildebeest, which are estimated to number in the millions. They are the dominant inhabitants here, as they are in the Serengeti. Remember to pack extra batteries for your camera because the Masai Mara National Reserve, with its amazing African landscapes, wildlife, and birdlife, is also a photographer’s dream location. This is where “Big Cat Diary” for BBC Television was filmed. You will return to camp to freshen up, eat dinner, and get a good night’s sleep after your thrilling first game drive.

Following a delicious breakfast, you’ll go on a morning game drive. You’ll return to your lodge for lunch and a short siesta in the heat of the day. In the afternoon, you’ll go on another game drive in the hopes of spotting more amazing wildlife and plants as well as the renowned predator-prey interactions found only in the Mara. African Elephant, African Buffalo, Black rhinoceros, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena, Hippos, Giraffe, Eland, and of course hundreds of thousands of zebras, gazelles, and wildebeest if your timing is right for the Great Migration are just a few of the numerous mammals you hope to see here. The Great Migration, which involves nearly 2 million wildebeest, zebra, topi, eland, and Thomson’s gazelle, is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the entire world. Surprisingly, 250,000 wildebeest and other mammals perish in the trans-Tanzania migration to the Masai Mara National Reserve. Predation, thirst, hunger, or exhaustion are the usual causes of death. After another wonderful day in the Mara, head back to the lodge for dinner and the night.

Get up early for a filling breakfast before going on another game drive at the Masai Mara area. Some of the biggest hyena clans in Africa reside in the Mara. The brave jackal, cheeky bat-eared foxes, and graceful several, as well as the striking crowned cranes and the peculiar long-legged secretary birds, have also made many visitors happy in addition to the larger animals. After a game drive, head back to your lodge for lunch and a quick break from the sweltering sun. You will go to a nearby village in the afternoon to get a fascinating glimpse of Masai culture, way of life, and traditions.

Sadly, an incredible 8-day safari in Kenya has come to an end. Depending on the time of your flight, you may stop for lunch on the way to Nairobi before continuing on to the city. For your flights home, you’ll travel to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.