Kenya Safari Guidebook

Geosafaris Safaris Guide Kenya Guide Itineraries can be altered and tailor made to suit your main interests and, more importantly, for the best game viewing at each time of the year. Transport is in 4x4 Land Cruisers, complete with roof hatches with a maximum of five passengers per vehicle, thus giving ample space for game viewing and photography. Following is a sample itinerary for your perusal. DAY 01: NAIROBI Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A Geosafaris representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your Nairobi hotel. OVERNIGHT: THE NORFOLK HOTEL (or other accommodations of your choice) DAY 02: SAMBURU GAME RESERVE After breakfast you will be picked up by your driver/guide for the start of your safari. Drive to Samburu Game Reserve. The drive takes approximately 5 hours. If you wish, there is also a scheduled flight to Samburu every day departing Nairobi at 0915 hours and arriving in Samburu at approximately 1030 hours. Private air charter flights can also be booked. Samburu Game Reserve is a beautiful park set on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River on the edge of the arid vastness of the north of Kenya and is renowned for its dramatic scenery. The river is the lifeline of the park and supports a wide variety of wonderful birdlife and wildlife including the rare grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, long necked gerenuk antelope and oryx. Lion, cheetah, buffalo, elephant, crocodile and many of the plains game can also be seen, and there is a good chance of seeing the elusive leopard. You will be in Samburu in time for lunch. After lunch there will be time for relaxation. In the late afternoon you will go on a game drive until darkness falls before returning to camp where a hot shower, drinks, and dinner awaits. OVERNIGHT: GEOSAFARIS LUXURY PRIVATE TENTED CAMP DAY 03: SAMBURU In Samburu, game drives and relaxing at the camp. OVERNIGHT: GEOSAFARIS LUXURY PRIVATE TENTED CAMP DAY 04: LEWA DOWNS PRIVATE RANCH After breakfast, leave the camp and drive to Lewa Downs Private Ranch. This drive to Lewa will take approximately 2 hours and you will arrive there in plenty of time for lunch. The countryside at Lewa Downs comprises savanna, high plateau, foothills, and wetlands, with unforgettable views all the way to the glacier-capped Mount Kenya. Your days here will probably begin with an early morning horse ride or bird walk with one of the resident naturalists. After you have worked up a good appetite, it will be time for breakfast which, more often than not, may be laid out for you on tables set up under an acacia tree. Afterwards, you can either walk, ride or drive back to the house. Afternoons are for relaxing and after tea there will be game drives for those who wish, or another guided walk. After dinner a lighted game drive enables you to go in search of bush babies, aardvarks, bat-eared foxes, caracals, leopard and a host of lesser cats and mongooses. Lewa Downs is also visited by many elephants and large herds can nearly always be seen. Other activities include a visit to a Rhino Sanctuary for the endangered black rhinos, a chat with some of the local people who weave and carve at workshops at Lewa, and a flight to circle Mount Kenya's spectacular icy peaks. There are three "bandas" at Lewa Downs, each having two suites with private baths. The architecture is typical of Kenya, using cut lava stone, strong wooden pillars, and thatched roofs. Each banda has a central rondavel-style living room with a fireplace and easy chairs, plus a large verandah with comfortable seats. OVERNIGHT: LEWA DOWNS DAY 05: LEWA DOWNS OVERNIGHT: LEWA DOWNS DAY 06: LAKE BARINGO After breakfast depart Lewa Downs to drive to Lake Baringo. This drive will take approximately 4 1/2 hours. You will be transferred by boat (20 minute journey) to the island where you will be staying. Lake Baringo is an amazing muddy colored lake, well known for its birdlife. It also has crocodiles and hippos. Lake Bogoria is about an hours drive away and has hot springs and geysers along the shoreline, a multitude of flamingoes and water birds. There is also the chance of seeing the rare Greater Kudu. Island Camp is situated on an enchanting, remote island in Lake Baringo. Each comfortable tent, with its own bathroom (running water), is tucked away under the shade of spreading acacias, and separated by green lawns and natural rockeries. The views of the surrounding Rift Valley are at their most spectacular from the refreshing, clear pool situated at the pinnacle oft the camp. Winding paths lead down from the pool to the informal dining and bar areas. Island Camp provides the perfect change of scene in between visiting the national parks - a chance to recuperate and relax. Over 400 bird species make this an ornithologists' haven. Boat trips to the surrounding islands to view hippos, crocodiles, the birdlife and local fishing villages can be arranged. Guided walks to the nearby hot springs and around the island are also very popular. For the energetic, the lake is excellent for water skiing, swimming and windsurfing. A morning or afternoon trip to Lake Bogoria can also be arranged. OVERNIGHT: ISLAND CAMP DAY 07: ISLAND CAMP OVERNIGHT: ISLAND CAMP DAY 08: LAKE NAIVASHA After a leisurely breakfast leave Lake Baringo to drive to Lake Naivasha. This drive will take approximately 3 hours. There are several small, private houses at which you can stay in Naivasha. These are mainly colonial style ranch houses and all have breathtaking views of the lake from one side or another. At these "home-stays" one can enjoy the personal touch in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with the owners as your hosts. Lake Naivasha is a fresh water lake situated in the Great Rift Valley. The lake abounds with a variety of birdlife including, from time to time, flocks of pelicans and flamingo. Fish eagles perch in the trees on the lake shore and hippos live in the lake. Boat trips are available for trips either around the lake or to Crescent Island where one can walk among herds of water buck and other antelope. Night game drives can also be done here, with spotlights, to view the more nocturnal animals. OVERNIGHT: A PRIVATE HOME IN NAIVASHA DAY 09: NAIROBI & THE MAASAI MARA After a leisurely breakfast you will leave for Nairobi. This drive is only one and a half hours long and you will be in Nairobi in time for lunch. Lunch will be at a restaurant of your liking. There are all types of food available in Nairobi including Indian, Italian, and Chinese. After lunch, 1430 hours - check in for the scheduled flight to the Maasai Mara. 1500 hours - the flight departs and you will arrive in the Mara at approximately 1545 hours. On arrival in the Mara you will be met and taken to your private tented camp. Maasai Mara is situated in the south west corner of Kenya and is one of the most famous game reserves. Wildlife is present in large numbers and a large variety of species. The Mara River, edged with riverine forest meanders through this vast area with it's open grasslands dotted with thickets of thorn trees. The area abounds with large herds of plains game - gazelle, zebra, topi, hartebeest, giraffe, hyena, and of course the big five - elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and the black maned lion. Each morning and afternoon you will drive out onto the plains to watch the dramas being acted out. From July to October it is possible to see the unbelievable migration of millions of wildebeest from the Serengeti plains of Tanzania to the Mara and then back. There are few other places in the world where such vast numbers of game can be seen at one time. ( You can also see the migration of the wildebeest in the Serengeti. January to March are the best months for this in Tanzania ). The Geosafaris Luxury Private Tented Camp will be your own private camp in a beautiful setting, shaded by wild fig or croton trees, multitudes of colorful birds singing from the branches, herds of zebra and other antelope probably grazing around the edges of the camp, all adding to the feeling of being truly in touch with the wild heart of Africa. OVERNIGHT: GEOSAFARIS LUXURY PRIVATE TENTED CAMP DAY 10 TO DAY 12: THE MAASAI MARA OVERNIGHT: GEOSAFARIS LUXURY PRIVATE TENTED CAMP DAY 13: NAIROBI You will leave the Mara on a flight departing at 1100 hours, arriving in Nairobi at midday. From there you will be met and transferred to you Nairobi hotel. Lunch can be at the hotel or at any of the many restaurants in town. The afternoon can be spent relaxing or shopping and preparing the journey home. Many travelers like to try "The Carnivore" restaurant at some point in their trip and the last night is a good time. This is a "meat" restaurant where you can try all the usual meats plus any game that is on the menu that night, for example zebra, eland, ostrich, etc. The Carnivore also caters to vegetarians. Of course, there are many other restaurants in town you may wish to try. After dinner you will be transported to the airport in time for your flight home.