9 days Exclusive Game Parks Lodge Safari

1: Nairobi - Kenya On day one of the Exclusive Game Parks Lodge Safari you will be collected from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, the bustling capital of Kenya. From the airport you will be transferred to the historic 5 Star Hotel, one of Nairobi’s oldest and best known hotels. The Hotel is conveniently located in the city centre close to shops and tourist attractions in Nairobi. This luxurious hotel offers a health club, rooftop swimming pool and a wide selection of restaurants and bars. We overnight at Sarova Stanley hotel in Nairobi on bed and breakfast basis.

2: Nairobi to Samburu / Buffalo Springs Reserve - Kenya This day starts with an early breakfast, before departing from Nairobi on our drive north via the scenic Great Rift Valley to our first safari destination in Kenya, Samburu Game Reserve. We arrive at the Camp, situated inside the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, in time for a late lunch. Buffalo Springs is named after an oasis in the western part of the reserve, which lies next to Samburu National Reserve, with the Ewaso Nyiro River flowing between the two game parks. Located in the heart of the pristine Buffalo Springs Reserve, our safari lodge is set in the shade of acacia and palm trees, offering beautiful views of the Ewaso Nyiro River and surrounding bush. The camp features luxurious en suite tented-accommodation scattered along the river in the untamed reserve. There is a swimming pool, lounge, dining area, bar and viewing deck for watching wildlife and birds along the river. We enjoy dinner and stay overnight at the safari lodge, soaking up the bush setting under the stars.

3: Safari in Samburu Game Reserve - Kenya Today we spend a full day on safari in Samburu Reserve taking morning and afternoon game drives in this raw wilderness. Our first exciting game drive in remote Samburu Park takes us into this off-the-beaten-track wilderness area in search of Africa's wildlife. This is one of Kenya's few sanctuaries for the endangered Grevy’s zebra, the rare beisa oryx and the blue‐shanked Somali ostrich. A wild place of wide-open skies, endless arid plains of red earth and palm‐fringed rivers, Samburu National Park lies on the outskirts of the vast desert once known as the Northern Frontier District. A rugged region of heat‐scorched scrublands extending all the way to the jade waters of the vast Lake Turkana and beyond. The stark and dramatic landscapes of this 104 km² Game Reserve feature rocky battlements, craggy escarpments, dried-up river beds and thorny scrub vegetation scattered with giant boulders, flanked by the distant hills and impressive red table mountain known as Ololokwe. In the evening we enjoy sundowners before dinner in the central dining room at the safari lodge.

4: Samburu to Ol Pejeta Wildlife Sanctuary - Kenya After breakfast we drive south to Nanyuki where we check-in at the Sweetwaters Tented Camp. The safari camp lies inside the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, offering a calm oasis at an active watering hole. The Sweetwaters Camp offers luxurious tented-accommodation, located on the Laikipia Plains at the foot of Mount Kenya. Each luxury tent has its own en suite bathroom and private veranda looking out over the watering hole visited by wildlife and birds. The camp features a swimming pool, lounge and bar area with a fireplace, and a bar overlooking the water hole where various animals and birds can be seen day and night. We dine in the central restaurant of this former colonial farm, choosing from local specialties and international cuisine. About Ol Pejeta - Kenya This private reserve runs a conservation project to rescue and protect endangered wildlife species. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, with one of Africa's fastest growing rhino populations. This wildlife sanctuary is also the only place in Kenya where the highly endangered chimpanzee can be viewed. The Conservancy is home to rare and endangered animals, in addition to Africa's Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant), and is said to host some of Kenya's highest densities of predators.

5: Ol Pejeta Conservancy - Kenya We spend the whole day exploring the unspoilt Ol Pejeta Conservancy on game viewing drives. You also have the option of visiting the Rhino Sanctuary, Chimpanzee Sanctuary and local Kenyan communities. Activities at Ol Pejeta include, taking guided bush walks, bird watching, and many more.

6: Ol Pejeta Conservancy to Lake Naivasha - Kenya Our day starts with breakfast, before we travel south to our next destination - Lake Naivasha. We arrive at our lodge in time for lunch before heading to Crescent Island on a guided walk. Crescent Island is located on the eastern side of Lake Naivasha and is said to be Naivasha's best kept secret, with its abundant wildlife and numerous birds. Herds of wildebeest, zebra and antelopes, such as impala, waterbuck, steenbok and gazelle can be seen roaming on the island. The incredibly beautiful Crescent Island also hosts hippos, giraffes and pythons, and is visited by hyenas at night. Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge is set beside this scenic lake on some 120 acres of lush fields, dotted with trees inhabited by playful monkeys. Naivasha is the highest of the Great Rift Valley lakes, known for its prolific bird life and considered one of the most beautiful. Watch the resident hippos, rich bird life and other wild animals from the jetty that extends out over the lake, admiring panoramic views of the lake and Crescent Island, flanked by Mount Longonot, the Mau Escarpment and the distant Aberdares mountains. At the end of the day we unwind at the lodge, watching the life of the bush around us and listening to the cries of the fish eagles.

7: Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara - Kenya Leaving Lake Naivasha after breakfast, we drive along the floor of the Great Rift Valley towards Masai Mara Game Reserve, the wildlife highlight of our Exclusive Lodge Safari. We arrive at the at the Kananga River Camp in time for a late lunch followed by an afternoon game drive to explore the open plains of the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve in search of game. Masai Mara is home to the highest concentration of wildlife in Kenya, including Africa's Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo), and is this East African country's flagship game park. Masai Mara is world-renowned for the annual Wildebeest Migration, also known as the Great Migration, an awe-inspiring spectacle said to be ‘the greatest wildlife show on earth’. Technically a continuation of the famous Serengeti Park in Tanzania, Mara covers a mere 4% of the entire Serengeti ecosystem yet it offers one of the world’s most rewarding and evocative wildlife arenas. After our rewarding game viewing drive exploring the rolling grasslands, meandering rivers and escarpments of this beautiful game park, we return to our safari camp. Sit back and relax on your private veranda, sipping on some sundowners. Dinner is served in the restaurant at camp, where we spend the evening relaxing at the end of our first unforgettable day on safari in Masai Mara Game Reserve.

8: On Safari in Masai Mara - Kenya We spend a full day on safari in Masai Mara, one of the world’s best game reserves. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served at the safari lodge, between the morning and afternoon game drives in Mara. Hosting an abundance of herbivores, the Masai Mara is the ideal hunting ground for Kenya’s famous ‘big cats’. Kenya's largest population of lions is in fact found roaming the open savannahs of this picturesque game park. Masai Mara National Park is best known for the massive annual wildebeest migration, one of the world's biggest wildlife spectacles, but is also renowned for its large elephant and buffalo herds. The game-rich Masai Mara Reserve offers unbeatable game viewing, providing unparalleled African wildlife encounters. This pristine wildlife park of breathtaking beauty promises an unforgettable safari experience. On game drives in Mara you have the unprecedented opportunity of sighting all of the ‘Big Five’ of Africa in one go. Leaving the plains of Masai Mara, teeming with wildlife and home to prolific bird life, we head back to our safari camp for dinner and our last overnight stay.

9: Masai Mara to Nairobi - Kenya After breakfast at our Mara Lodge we drive back to Nairobi, the largest city in Kenya, where our affordable Kenya Lodge Safari began. Arriving in Nairobi we go out for lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant, known for its glowing barbecues offering an impressive array of meats, including ostrich, crocodile and many more, as well as fish, vegetarian choices and salads. After our delicious lunch you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight, bringing this unforgettable Exclusive Game Parks Lodge Safari to a close.