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ITINERARY
 Kenya
Day 1:
Nairobi
Arrival at the airport at night and reception by Ontdek Kenya Ltd. Transfer
from the airport to the La Mada Hotel in Nairobi.
Day 2:
Aberdare Country
Club.
A 3 hrs transfer takes you to the Aberdare Country Club (ACC) in Central
Kenya, home of the Kikuyu tribe. You will drive through the main farming
areas of Kenya with a lot of coffee and pineapple plantations. Game viewing
will start at the gate of the ACC: the Warthogs and Impalas roam free on the
golf course of the sanctuary.
After settling in the
luxurious cottages, from where you will have unchallenged views of Mount
Kenya, the Aberdare Range and the plains below, we will enjoy a hearty
lunch.
In the afternoon you will walk in the game sanctuary with a lot of nice
interruptions because you will encounter Thompson and Grant’s Gazelles,
Zebras, Reticulated Giraffes and the biggest antelopes: Elands. On their own
these animals are a wonder to watch but to do so while you are walking is an
experience that has always brought joy to our guests. Warning: kindly
reserve your films or memory space! There is a big temptation to shoot all
the pictures on this day but take our word: there will still be other
opportunities.
Day 3:
Mount Kenya
forest walk. Aberdare Country Club.
It's only a short bus transfer from the Aberdare Country Club to Mount
Kenya. We start our walk from the park gate. Through dense tropical rain
forest we climb to the Met Station at 3050 m, where we have our picnic
provided by the Country Club.
The avid walkers can climb higher, to reach the tree line, about 1.5 hrs
later.
Descend is through the same route. Accommodation for the second night at
the Aberdare Country Club.
Day 4:
Solio Ranch + The
Ark (Aberdare NP).
After breakfast we drive to the nearby Solio Ranch. This is an 18000-acre
private reserve and it is Kenya's main Rhino conservation sanctuary. It has
the world's largest concentration of Black Rhinos. The White Rhino is also
found here as well as the Buffalo, Giraffe, Leopard, Lion and a wide range
of plains game and bird life. We will drive around in the ranch but since
this private sanctuary is little visited by the main tour operators, we will
not have many cars surrounding us. Back to the ACC for lunch.
Many people who come to the Aberdare NP expressly visit the tree hotels for
game viewing. Their interest is highly justified; to see Elephants,
Buffaloes, Rhinos and other game coming to a floodlit waterhole right below
the balcony of your room is really amazing.
Resembling and named after Noah’s Ark, the hotel has numerous balconies and
lounges for game viewing. A ground level bunker provides excellent
photographic opportunities and takes you closer than you would believe
possible to the animals. The comfortable cabins are fitted with buzzers to
announce the arrival of one of the “Big Five” at the waterhole. This
explains why some beds are still found neat in the morning, their owners
having decided that this is their night of a lifetime and they will miss
nothing.
Day 5: To Lake
Elementaita. O/N Lake Elementaita Lodge.
A three hour bus transfer takes us to the Rift Valley, where we will stay
for 2 nights at the Lake Elementaita Lodge. We interrupt the ride with a
visit to the Thomson Falls in Nyahururu. Optional descend to the foot of
the falls (a 20 min walk).
Free afternoon or visit to a Masai manyatta (=village) in the vicinity of
the lodge. Here you can see how the Masais still live like they've done it
for hundreds of years.
Day 6: Lake
Elementaita. O/N Lake Elementaita Lodge
This lake may not have the big name of Lake Nakuru but its scenic beauty is
unmatched. We walk up to the shores of the alkaline lake. From there we
proceed up to the hot springs and into the Kikopey Hills surrounding the
lake.
We walk mainly in open savannah land and occasionally we will stop for a
chat with a Masai herdsman. The gentle sloping hills give a good panorama.
The walk should be for 4 hrs after which we go back to the Lodge in time for
lunch.
Day 7: Crater
Lake. O/N Crater Lake Camp
Naivasha is only an hour’s drive away from Elementaita where we visit the
colorful market. You find everything ranging from vegetables to clothes and
from hardware to souvenirs. We reach Crater Lake Camp, our base for the
next 3 nights in time for lunch.
In the afternoon we do a circular trek on the top of the crater from where
we see the lake from various angles. The sanctuary is home to Giraffes,
Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Zorillas, Aardvarks, Leopards and a range
of Gazelles. We will also get a close view of the many birds that are found
here.
Accommodation is in the luxury tented camp of
Crater Lake. Here each tent is furnished with a giant four-poster bed, dressing
room and an ensuite bathroom with hot shower. Alternative accommodation is
at the Kiangazi House.
Day 8:
Hell's Gate National
Park. O/N Crater Lake Camp
We wake up for breakfast with the sun giving a wonderful effect over the
Lake. An early morning here should not be missed by anyone with an eye for
birds since the lake boasts a wide variety of water and woodland birds.
After breakfast we do a short transfer to the gate of the park. This is a
unique park where walking is done in the middle of wildlife. Giraffes,
zebras, warthogs and many types of gazelles are found here. The first part
of this walk is done in typical flat African savannah in a volcanic area
with huge rock boundaries. There are camphor and acacia trees all over and
this is where to look for the giraffe as they mainly feed on them. A picnic
lunch provided by the hotel will be at the Rangers post.
The last part of the walk is done in the Hell's Gate Gorge by descending
into a steep canyon with running water from geysers and wild vegetation. The
climax of the day is in walking in the Side Gorge where the rocks have split
to leave only a walking path. We climb back to the rangers post for transfer
back to Crater Lake Camp through the geo-thermal plant of Ol Karia.
Day 9:
Longonot Crater or Crescent Island. O/N Crater Lake Camp
An early rising will ensure that one gets another magical display of the
various birds. After breakfast we do a transfer by bus to
Longonot
National Park. This is an extinct crater in the rift Valley. The first part
of today's trekking is a steep climb of 550m from 2220m to 2770m. We are
encouraged along the climb by the herds of zebras, giraffes and gazelles.
The chance should not be lost to observe the birds that are also found here
in a wide variety.
This takes us to the rim of the crater, the highest point in the Rift Valley
and it rewards with a wide view of the crater, which is full of monkeys and
soaring eagles.
The second part of today's trek is around the rim of the crater. This is a 3
hrs walk with the picnic on a scenic spot, the highest point on the rim. On
completing the circuit we descend to the park gate.
A gentle alternative to the Longonot Crater:
Crescent
Island.
This Island on the Eastern shore of Lake Naivasha is privately owned and it
has a lot of easy to see game e.g. giraffes, water bucks, elands, zebras and
impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The walk
is gentle, not as challenging as Longonot, but equally satisfying.
Day 10: To Masai
Mara. O/N Fig Tree Tented Camp.
We now take a break from walking to put all our attention to watching
wildlife. To see the best of Kenyan wildlife Masai Mara is the place to be.
Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles and all the big cats are
found here. So, after breakfast we start our journey passing through
Narok
Town;
a colorful Masai town.
Our game viewing does not actually start at the park gate. We will be able
to see many animals along the way grazing side by side with the Masai
livestock. We reach the tented camp, our home for the next three days, in
time for lunch.
Day 11+12: Masai
Mara. O/N Fig Tree Tented Camp.
These are our cultural and activity days in Masai Mara. We do a morning game
drive through the park and hike to a Masai manyatta (=homestead). Here we
will see how the typical Masais live. An afternoon game drive makes the day
complete. On day 11+12 we do a morning and an afternoon game drive. We
break from the driving with an optional walk through the dry bush along the
Talek River, always on the look out for birds and small game.
Day 13: Transfer
to Nairobi
Return to Nairobi in time for lunch. Evening transfer to the airport where
we say goodbye. |
INCLUDES
- Twelve nights at
small luxury
lodges and tented camps
- Transport and airport transfers
- All meals from breakfast of day 2 through lunch of the last day
- park entrance fees
- all activities as per itinerary
- Mineral water during the walks
- Flying Doctor's evacuation cover
- Services of an experienced local guide
Not included
- International flight
- beverages
- tips and
gratuities
- Travel cancellation
insurance
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