Tour
Kenyan Splendor (10 days)
Nairobi, Kenya to Nairobi, Kenya
A diverse itinerary of sightseeing, activity and wildlife combined into 13 days for an epic Kenya safari.
Itinerary
Day 1
Nairobi, Kenya
Hotel:
Hemingways Nairobi
Meals:
None
Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and after clearing immigration formalities, you are met by our representative who transfers you to Hemingways Nairobi and assist you with check in. Hemingways Nairobi is a boutique hotel in the serene, green suburb of Karen. The hotel bears South Carolina plantation style dimensions, huge verandas and enormous windows that let all the light in and deliver views across the knuckles of the Ngong Hills. Inside a graciously winding Gone with the Wind staircase leads from the lobby to the top floor. The hotel sports 45 beautifully furnished rooms with high ceilings and king-sized beds. And, despite an elegant retro feel - punkahs gently paddle the air to keep it cool and potted palms dot the interior. Hemingways prides itself on a uniquely individual service which includes a personal butler who assists with unpacking as necessary, pressing anything that's creased in transit, delivering morning tea and generally anticipating your every whim. |
Day 2
Nairobi, Kenya
Hotel:
Hemingways Nairobi
Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
You have the whole day to explore Nairobi. Visit Giraffe Center, David Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage and Kazuri Beads. |
Day 3
Chyulu Hills, Kenya
Hotel:
Ol Donyo Lodge
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast you are transferred to Wilson Airport for a scheduled flight to Chyulu Hills. On arrival you are met by camp staff and transferred to Ol Donyo Lodge with game viewing along the way. Nestled gracefully amidst the serene Chyulu Hills, between the Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks, Ol Donyo Lodge is an epitome of refined luxury and natural beauty. Occupying a quarter-million-acre Maasai group ranch, the lodge is a tribute to Richard Bonham's vision. It offers a range of accommodations, including six Pool Suites and a spacious Family Suite with two bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms. The central mess/dining room serves as a hub of comfort and community. Each cottage boasts a unique design, utilizing local materials and featuring open fronts that extend to verandas, revealing panoramic vistas of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Ol Donyo Lodge encapsulates the spirit of a bygone Africa, with its sprawling plains, undulating Chyulu Hills, and the iconic Kilimanjaro on the horizon. Engaging activities like horse riding, bush walks, day and night game drives, and exploratory hikes beckon adventurers to immerse themselves in the untamed beauty of the region. |
Day 4
Chyulu Hills, Kenya
Hotel:
Ol Donyo Lodge
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Over 7,000 wild animals make their home in this isolated, dramatic landscape. Get up close and personal on a game drive, a bike ride or on horseback. Or sit quietly on a verandah and watch the wild world go by. |
Day 5
Meru, Kenya
Hotel:
Elsa's Kopje Lodge
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy an early breakfast and check out. Join your lodge driver guide at the reception who transfers you to the airstrip for your schedule flight to Wilson Airport. 08:30: Depart for Wilson Airport in Nairobi to arrive at 09:50. You are assisted to connect to your schedule flight to Lewa airstrip. On arrival, you are met and transferred to Elsa's Kopje in Meru National Park. One of Kenya's most celebrated lodges, Elsa's Kopje offers a luxurious encounter with one of the country's wildest but least explored parks. Situated to the northeast of Mount Kenya, Meru National Park is a small but well-protected reserve, with sizeable populations of elephant, lion, leopard, oryx, Lesser kudu, and the world's largest buffalo herds. The lodge is perched on the summit of Mughwango Hill in the centre of the park, where George Adamson camped while rehabilitating the lions from the film Born Free; Elsa was the most famous of all the Adamsons' lions. Accommodation is in eight open-plan stone and thatch cottages, each individually designed to take advantage of the sweeping views over the river-striped wilderness below. Meru offers excellent walking opportunities, and Elsa's Kopje arrange bush breakfasts and sundowners, as well as seasonal rafting on the nearby Tana River. |
Day 6
Meru, Kenya
Hotel:
Elsa's Kopje Lodge
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Spend the day exploring Meru National Park with a game drive, guided walk up the kopje, bush picnics and sundowner. The park includes a rhino sanctuary which is home to 70 black and white rhino. Join your guide for a catch-and-release expedition at a nearby stream. Meru National Park contains a variety of landscapes and wildlife unmatched in any other Kenyan park of its size. Bordering the arid, open plains that dominate the park are a huge diversity of different ecosystems, ranging from emerald green swamps and towering indigenous forests in the west to huge palm groves and baobab-studded bush in the east. This rich slice of equatorial Africa is home to an equally broad variety of wildlife, from large elephant and buffalo herds to hippo and crocodile, leopard, cheetah and wild dog, and the lions that remain the park's most enduring symbol. Meru is best known as the inspiration of the film Born Free - the place where George and Joy Adamson released their famously friendly charges into the bush. The park's 870 square kilometres (335 square miles) are watered by five major rivers and surrounded by large protected buffer zones that provide a dispersal area for its animals, which include the world's largest herds of Cape buffalo. |
Day 7
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Hotel:
Sanctuary Olonana
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast you will transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled flight to Maasai Mara Game Reserve. You are met by camp staff and transferred to Sanctuary Olonana, game viewing along the way. Nestled along the banks of the Mara River in the heart of Kenya's iconic Masai Mara, Sanctuary Olonana stands as a luxurious haven that seamlessly merges natural splendor with modern comfort. The lodge offers fourteen suites and one private villa, all designed to provide panoramic views of the surrounding wilderness. Guests can partake in thrilling game drives across the Mara's expansive plains, encountering a plethora of wildlife, including the famed Big Five. Guided bush walks, cultural interactions with the Maasai community, and hot air balloon safaris add to the array of experiences available. The lodge's commitment to sustainability is reflected in its eco-friendly practices, including solar power and responsible tourism initiatives. Sanctuary Olonana not only offers an unforgettable safari adventure but also contributes to the preservation of this remarkable ecosystem. |
Day 8
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Hotel:
Sanctuary Olonana
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Spend the day exploring the vast Masai Mara National Reserve on game drives. The Maasai Mara plays host to the most spectacular array of wildlife. 1,510 square kilometers (583 square miles) of broad biscuit-colored savannah sprawls as home to huge numbers of birds (almost 600 species) and animals and is adjacent to the enormous expanse of the Serengeti; the two make up the most diverse ecosystem on the continent. The word 'mara' comes from the local dialect, Maa, as spoken by the Maasai and means 'spotted'; certainly, the vast grasslands here are dotted by the shadows of small clouds which scud across a huge sky above. Every year this special place witnesses the most incredible animal phenomenon on the planet - the wildebeest migration. The mass of plains game moving north from the Serengeti in search of fresh pasture returning south around October, a heaving line of grunting, snorting life that stretches for miles. At the Mara River they mass together nervously on the banks before plunging onwards; their pursuit of food overwhelming their fear of the crocodiles that lie in wait for the annual feast. This incredible spectacle involves the movement of over a million wildebeest and their fellow travelers, half a million Thomson's gazelle, half a million zebra as well as smaller herds of topi and eland all operating on the principle of safety in numbers. They are followed, inevitably, by predators, primarily lions and hyena. |
Day 9
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Hotel:
Sanctuary Olonana
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you have the opportunity to view the stunning, wildlife filled plains from above. There is nothing quite like a balloon safari at dawn. You arise early (before dawn) and be picked by the balloon safari vehicle and taken down to the launch site. Once you have climbed aboard the basket, the pilot begins to inflate the huge balloon and as the fiery red ball breaks over the rim of the earth you glide gently up into the sky. Watch as the park slowly comes to life at daybreak. The wildlife look miniscule from above! The balloon lands after about an hour depending on the weather. After a champagne breakfast and presentation of flight certificates you drive back to the camp game viewing en-route. You have the afternoon at leisure to enjoy an activity of your choice. You can visit the local Maasai community or explore the Mara on foot on a walking safari. |
Day 10
Nairobi, Kenya
Hotel:
Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport
Meals:
Breakfast
Breakfast at leisure and check out. At 10:30, join your driver guide who transfers you to the airstrip for your schedule flight to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport that departs at 11:15 to arrive at approx. at 13:00. You are met at Wilson Airport by your representative who transfers you to Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport Hotel for lunch and day room use. Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport Hotel is conveniently located within the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport complex, offering fantastic respite for before or after a journey, or an excellent venue for business encounters. A free shuttle service takes you to the hotel once you arrive. Only 8 kilometers from Nairobi National Park, the rooms capitalise on these views as they overlook the savannah plains. In typical Four Points fashion, the interiors of the hotel are beautifully designed with chic, contemporary furniture and funky artwork, and the spacious rooms enjoy flat-screen TVs and enormous beds designed for utmost comfort. Beyond the rooms, the hotel has a rooftop pool, fitness centre featuring a Jacuzzi and spa, and impressive business centre for those needing to work or organise meetings. Visitors can also relish the luxury of 3 dining choices: try out some craft beer at Tazama Rooftop Bar and Grill, enjoy a range of international cuisine at Marketplace which is open 24-hours, or savour a quick bite at the Lobby Bar. Later, check out and meet your representative at the reception who transfers you to the departure terminal for your outbound flight. |
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