Kenya Odyssey

Embark on an awesome odyssey through southern Kenya’s most majestic wildlife parks, coming face to face with the mammals and birds that roam these endless savannahs before ending your journey on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Over eight unforgettable days, this comprehensive safari gives you the chance to visit four extremely diverse wilderness areas, from the lakes of the Great Rift Valley and open plains of the Mara to the undulating hills of Tsavo and on to the Mombasa coast.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Maasai Mara National Reserve: situated in south-west Kenya and is one of Africa’s Greatest Wildlife Reserves, and where the world’s largest multi-species migration takes place. Across the vast plains of the Mara, visitors are able to witness lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, and an infinite variety of other species in their natural habitats.

Amboseli National Park: crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, the Amboseli National Parks is one of Kenya's finest parks. Amboseli is also nature a photograph lover. On your game drives on Amboseli’s great horizons, you can spot wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, gazelle and of course, cheetahs and lions. 

Tsavo West National Park: a water-level bunker allows rare insights into the activities of wildlife at Mzima Springs, offering some of the most magnificent game viewing in the world and attractions include elephant, rhino, Hippos, lions, cheetah, leopards, Buffalos, diverse plant and bird species including the threatened corncrake and near threatened Basra Reed Warbler.

Tsavo East National Park: The elegant wild animals are easy to spot congregating by the reservoir created by a dam in the park. The park forms the largest protected area in Kenya and is home to most of the larger mammals: red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, pods of hippo, crocodile, waterbucks, lesser Kudu, gerenuk and prolific birdlife.

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary: Visit this compact park where you can head straight to the action in search of 50 mammal species. A good mix of pretty landscapes, good birdwatching and decent mammal populations, also where lions and elephants are frequently sighted.

Day 1: ARRIVAL NAIROBI

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a representative will meet and transfer you to your selected hotel. Enjoy an afternoon at your own leisure, perhaps taking advantage of the modern facilities, which include two restaurants, a bar, and a swimming pool. This contemporary-style hotel provides comfort and convenience before you embark on your Kenyan odyssey. Your superior room is spacious and tastefully decorated, and all rooms have air conditioning. 

Overnight in Nairobi.

Day 2: NAIROBI – MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE (285km – 5 hrs)

Leaving Nairobi very early after having breakfast, we travel towards Kenya’s fertile highlands and head down the Rift Escarpment on a road built by Italian prisoners during World War II. Keep an eye out for the charming chapel at the foot of the escarpment. Pass the futuristic Longonot earth satellite station as you head across the valley to Narok, and then travel through the beautiful fields of wheat and barley. Reach the Maasai Mara and Keekorok Lodge in time for lunch and perhaps a siesta. Afterwards, it’s time for the first game drive of the tour. Keekorok is strategically located in the direct path of the annual Great Migration and was the first lodge to be built in the Mara. At the height of the migration, Keekorok is surrounded by a swarming mass of hundreds of thousands of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles, all relentlessly tracked by predators, and there is hardly need to go on a game drive. Sandstone, cedarwood, and other indigenous materials are used in all rooms and public areas. In front of the lodge, there is a 300-metre-long elevated walkway that meanders through a small riverine forest to a bar. This overlooks a dam where resident hippos and other game are regularly seen. There are no fences around Keekorok and it is not uncommon to see elephants and buffaloes on the perimeter of the grounds or even strolling in – though there are watchmen on the constant look out! In the evening, enjoy dinner at the lodge. 

Overnight in Maasai Mara.

Day 3: MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE (5-6 hrs on game drives)

Enjoy an early breakfast before departing for a morning game drive. The Maasai Mara National Reserve is home to millions of wild animals, including the fabled Big Five of lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros as well as antelopes, gazelles and wildebeests among others. Return to the lodge for lunch and perhaps a siesta before enjoying an afternoon game drive. Return to the lodge as the sun sets, for dinner. 

Overnight in Maasai Mara.

Day 4: MAASAI MARA – LAKE NAIVISHA (240kms – 4.5 hrs)

Bid farewell to the Maasai Mara after breakfast and travel across the ‘breadbasket’ of Kenya. Acres of wheat and barley dominate the landscape as you head north to Narok, the capital of this part of Maasailand. Cross the vast plains on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, keeping an eye out for herds of giraffes and gazelles as you head up the Mau Escarpment, before arriving at Lake Naivasha around midday. Following lunch and a siesta, depart on an afternoon boat ride on Lake Naivasha, with the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Lake Naivasha Country Club offers an abundance of activities to please all tastes.

Overnight in Lake Naivasha.

Day 5: LAKE NAIVISHA – AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK (300kms – 6 hrs)

Rise early for breakfast before taking to the road, driving towards Amboseli National Park, making a stop for a picnic lunch on the way. Arrive at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge in time for an afternoon game drive en route to the lodge. The lodge lies at the heart of the park, which is itself at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and is considered one of the best spots for viewing elephants at close range. Most of the park consists of a partially dry lake bed of evaporated salts and fragile grassland with patches of acacia woodland. You can see most types of game in the park, including rhinos, giraffes, gazelles, lions, cheetahs, and leopards. Birdlife is prolific, too, especially around the swamp areas. This entire experience is carried out under the shadow of the majestic Kilimanjaro, which rises some 5,000 metres above the national park. Return to the lodge as the sun sets over this magical landscape. The central dining area is reached by a timbered bridge over a melt-water stream, while the lounge and bar feature a broad terrace and a blazing fire-pit where evening cocktails can be enjoyed. Activities include daily game drives in custom-built traditional safari vehicles, sundowners on Observation Hill, bush breakfasts, bush dinners, Maasai dance performances, visits to Maasai villages and tree-planting programmes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Overnight in Amboseli.

Day 6: AMBOSELI – TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK (150km – 3 hrs)

Enjoy a morning game drive and have the rest of the morning at leisure, followed by lunch at the lodge. After the luscious lunch, depart to Tsavo West which takes you east across the spectacular Shetani lava flow, a harsh and forbidding lunar-like landscape created by the molten outpouring spewed down the scenic slopes of the nearby Chyulu Hills. A zigzagging road through scrub thorn and acacia leads to Tsavo West National Park. When combined with Tsavo East National Park, this forms the largest of Kenya’s parks. The game can be spotted along the way while driving towards Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge. Superbly situated in the lee of Mount Kilimanjaro and sheltered by the volcanic splendour of the Chyulu Hills, this classic stone-built lodge overlooks its own water hole, which is visited daily by elephants, buffalos and a wide variety of plains game. One of the first lodges ever to be built in a national park, the lodge is cool, tranquil and hushed for optimum game-viewing. It is also ideally placed for visits to all the park’s prime attractions. Faced in volcanic stone and utilising the natural rocky outcrops of a valley known as ‘the place of the young rhino’, from which it takes its name, the lodge features a thatched central dining area and a rock-built bar with a viewing terrace looking directly down on to the waterhole. Finish the day with dinner at the lodge. 

Overnight in Tsavo West.

Day 7: TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK – TAITA HILLS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (100km – 2 hrs)

After breakfast, there will be a game drive in the park and a visit to Mzima Springs, where a viewing chamber just below the waterline offers a fascinating insight into the waterborne wildlife of the park. Following lunch at the lodge, you will depart Tsavo West and continue to Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. Arrive for check-in at Sarova Salt Lick Game Lodge at about sunset. The lodge is located in the heart of the private sanctuary, which is adjacent to Tsavo West National Park. All rooms are built in two-storey blocks from a central pod and linked together by elevated platforms that overlook a salt lick and a small waterhole, which is floodlit at night. Rooms are spacious and have all the necessary modern conveniences. The restaurant, bar and main balconies have views over the waterhole and salt lick, which are constantly in use by the park’s wildlife. There is also an underground bunker with ground-level windows, allowing for unbelievably close but safe encounters. At the end of the day, enjoy dinner at the lodge. 

Overnight in Taita Hills.

Day 8: TAITA HILLS – DEPART MOMBASA (230km – 4 hrs)

Enjoy a final lush breakfast before departing on a morning game drive in Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. Return to the lodge for lunch and then undertake the last leg of the adventure, heading to Mombasa with the aim of reaching the Moi International Airport or North or South Coast beach hotel at around 05:30 pm. Flights to be booked 07:30 pm onwards. 

Passengers should bring only soft-sided bags on safari. Passengers arriving to Kenya may be asked to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate. Travellers’ cheques are generally not accepted in East Africa. US banknotes cannot be older than 2004 and must have the latest security markings (large portrait of the president). Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.