8 Days: Kenya Safari Rift Valley, Desert and Culture
The desert lands of the Kenyan North allow you and adventure on camel back. Lake Turkana and the worlds largest population of Crocodiles gives a chance to try out your adventure spirit.
Day 1: Nairobi - Samburu Game Reserve After breakfast, you will be picked up from your Nairobi hotel and leave for Samburu Game Reserve via Nanyuki town, lunch enroute. On arrival, set up camp. Dinner and overnight at the campsite which is set on the upper banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River which rises in the Aberdare’s and drains in the Lorian Swamp north of Shaba.
Day 2: Samburu Game Reserve Morning and afternoon game drives in Samburu with a lunch and leisure break at the camp in the mid afternoon. Samburu is home to rare, drought animals that go for long periods of time without water. These include the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s Zebra, the blue-shanked Somali ostrich, Gerenuk (or giraffe gazelle) and the Beisa Oryx. The vegetation here is desert rose, desiccated grass and acacia trees or bushes. The Samburu nomadic tribe who are distant cousins to the Masai inhabits this area. All meals and overnight at the campsite.
Day 3: Samburu Game Reserve - Marsabit National Park After breakfast, depart for Marsabit National Park via the singing wells of the Boran people who form a long chain and sing and ululate in their mother tongue as they fetch water and water their livestock simultaneously. Proceed to Marsabit for an afternoon game drive in the park. Elephants, buffalo and kudu can be seen next to the Marsabit Lodge at the water filled crater. Marsabit is an oasis and extinct volcano, which is densely forested on the upper slopes while the lower slopes, are scorched and dry. The park is home to jumbo elephants and was home to Ahmed, the elephant’s whose statue is outside the National Museum in Nairobi who was one of the largest elephants ever seen in Kenya. Access to some parts of the park is hampered by extensive dense forest and undergrowth. All meals and overnight at the campsite.
Day 4: Marsabit National Park - Kalacha After breakfast make your way past the lava flows to Kalacha, a small settlement at the edge of the Chalbi Desert where you will camp for the night.
Day 5: Kalacha - Lake Turkana After breakfast, depart for Loiyangalani, the name used for the southeastern shore of Lake Turkana, arriving in the mid afternoon, across the Chalbi Desert. The desert cannot be crossed in wet weather as the whole of it becomes a shallow lake but alternative roads are available around the north and south. Rest of the day at leisure, dinner and overnight at the campsite.
Day 6: Lake Turkana A full day at leisure by the lake. Swimming is not permitted, as the lake’s waters are crocodile infested. At extra cost, you can visit the village of the El Molo tribesmen who are said to be the smallest tribe in Africa. All meals and overnight at the campsite.
Day 7: Lake Turkana - Maralal After breakfast, depart Loiyangalani for Maralal, which is the administrative centre for the Samburu people. The town is used as a transit point enroute to or from Lake Turkana. Lunch will be served enroute. Dinner and overnight at the campsite.
Day 8: Maralal - Nairobi After breakfast, depart for Nairobi, lunch enroute. You will stop at the scenic Thompson Falls, which are named after Joseph Thompson, one of the first European explorers who walked from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in the 1880’s. Arrive in the mid afternoon.
Price includes: ** Entrances to all parks and other places where entry fees fees is applied ** Transport to all the places in safari mimi-bus with a pop up roof for easy photography and viewing of animals while in the park ** Three meals a day namely(breakfast,lunch and dinner) ** Accomodation in campsites and in budget hotels where camping is not applicable ** All camping equipments except sleeping bags ** Services of the knowleadgeable driverguide and the safari cook
Price Excludes: ** International Flighs ** Water and alcoholic beverages ** Items of personal use ** Tips ** Visas ** Sleeping bags
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We had an excellent time with our guide, Barry, in Lake Nakuru and Samburu. He was informative, knowledgeable and interesting. We saw lots of wildlife, including a spectacular cheetah on a hunt, as well as some of the rarer species (Greve’s zebra, lions, leopards, rhinos, gerenuk) and lots of others too.
We did have one issue and that was when we arrived at the start of our journey to pay the remainder of the costs, we were unable to put this on our credit card. If you are expecting people to pay in cash, you need to let them know in advance, as most tourists these days rely on their credit or debit cards and do not carry a lot of cash or traveller’s cheques (as these are often somewhat difficult to cash also). And there is usually a limit to how much you can take out on a debit card in one day.
I just returned home to Vancouver from Kenya, after both my 6 day Mt Kenya summit and a 5 day Safari.
I want to confirm that they were excellent in all respects, and I found the Africa Guide worked well in planning my vacation.
Of particular note is the fact that they did not have a single spot available for a Safari, but when they did get an opening, ( while I was away on the Mt keyna hike ), called me immediately and provided me with an excellent Safari experience for 50% of what I was otherwise going to pay if this did not become available.
One thing which caused some confusion and inconvenience for me in Kenya was the fact that American Express travellers cheques are virtually useless for converting to Schillings in Kenya. No where would Banks accept them. So I had to use ATM machines to secure the schillings. This should be mentioned in your travel information.
We made the maximum 14 days safari and it was above all the expectations. The weather conditions were perfect, we saw all the animals in the list and the service was immaculate.
In addition to the safari the operator took care of all of our stay in Kenya starting from the airport at arrival till to the airport for departure. It was a great pleasure to be served and guided by people that did their work not only for money but with love and full dedication.
I would strongly recommend this company to anyone interested in Kenyan nature and people.
The operator appeared as an high level organization.
Our guide-driver was skillful and helpful,from we got information about kenyan people and wildlife. Also we visited a local Maasai Mara village to see their nomadic lifestyle.
We really enjoyed our safari through many National Parks of Kenya and we can say only very good words for the leader Rebecca and like you know - the face of a company comes from their leader - so all crew were excellent.
Each day were organised very good and professionaly from the first minute we contact with the company to the last second in Kenya.
Big, big thanks. We will definitely suggest the company to all our friends. We are satisfied and grateful and we can never forget these wonderful experiences we got in Kenya.
They picked us up from the airport and arranged overnight accommodation for us in Nairobi. All in all they proved to be both competent and helpful.
The pick from the airport worked smoothly, a blessing after an all-night flight and we were delivered to a hotel in central Nairobi as agreed.
We were picked up in the morning for our camping safari, Catch the Big Five, to visit Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Samburu National parks, with camping accommodation (hotel at Nakuru).
Mid -October was a good time to visit, at the end of the migration in the Maasai Mara, with lots of zebra and wildebeest and hence lions and cheetahs. Lake Nakuru is very beautiful and would have repaid a longer visit, but even in a short time we saw the flamingos, rhinos and a leopard. The camp site at Samburu by the river and in the trees is particularly atmospheric, and we saw lots of elephants and giraffes.
The driver, Sammy was very good at finding animals and siting the vehicle for the best views, and our cook served up plentiful and appetising meals. Camping may not be to everybody's taste, but the sites were well situated and quite adequate. To us they provided a more authentic African experience than the alternative of staying in a lodge (and much cheaper!) and a chance to see some small wild life at close quarters.
With mosquito repellant I was not bitten at all, neither did either of us have any stomach trouble.
Rebecca was very helpful setting things up and our guides Ken and Sammy were very knowledgeable and found every animal species for our cameras. The lodges were lovely - each one a little different and quite luxurious for being in the Mara.
I traveled with my two grown children, on a private safari, and we shared the experience of a lifetime together.
I will recommend this operator to anyone who inquires.
They offered a good price for their 7 day safari. Even though there were only 2 of us in the 7-seater bus, we had our own driver and a cook.
Kenyan roads are an adventure unto themselves and is not for the faint-hearted. Our driver was knowledgeable and keen to please.
We visited Saburu, Nakuru, and Masai Mara. They were all worth seeing, although after 6 days in tents we felt we'd had enough. The cook surprised us with very tasty food.
I would definitely recommend this operator for their 7 day safari.
Our African Safari was more than expected as a result of exceptional service by ouor safari operator.
Our guide, Ken, was exceptional at finding animals that are sometimes elusive such as the Leopard and the Cheetah. We saw both Black and White Rhinos, many Lions, lots of Hippos, oodles of Elephant, Zebra and Giraffe, and saw a group of Cheetahs stock, takedown and eat a Wildebeest.
The lodges selected were outstanding. We would recommend Kenya safaris and would also recommend this operator.
The safari was operated as expected. The organisation was good and the guide - cook were professional and friendly people.
We have realized that in Kenya there are no intermediate level structures around the Parks, our campsite were basic but confortable as the budget hotels too, the mini-van was also pretty good. We can sincerely advise anybody, whith a minimum of adventure spirit, to make such experience.
A robbery occured in a budget hotel in Nananga, but was our fault to leave the bag in the room, anyway since the thief had the key perhaps that structure is to be avoid.
