Highlights of Kenya & Tsavo Extension

Arrive in Kenya's fast growing capital city, Nairobi, gateway to the country's famous national parks.

For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting and after there will be the opportunity to have dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Nairobi at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), which is 30 minutes from our hotel. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information at their earliest opportunity.

Our hotel is located just five kilometres from the city centre and a short fifteen-minute drive from the airport. It is the perfect location to relax and unwind after your flight, featuring a large outdoor swimming pool set in landscaped gardens and a welcoming open plan reception area with bright murals covering the walls. The hotel has a coffee shop, a lively bar and a restaurant. Alternatively you can get a taxi to one of the city's malls for a wider choice of eating options.

Heading north out of Nairobi and climbing steadily out of the Great Rift Valley, we head into the Aberdare Mountain range. With an altitude of over 2,500 metres, the air is noticeably cooler compared to Nairobi and the rolling hills are covered in dense forests and open moorland. After around two and a half hours we reach the Aberdare Country Club where we break for lunch. Originally a colonial family home, the country club retains much of its former grandeur and has breathtaking views of the plains below, the Aberdare Mountains to the west and Mount Kenya to the east.

After lunch it's a short transfer to one of Kenya's more unusual safari properties, The Ark. Modelled after Noah's Ark, The Ark features four viewing decks with balconies and vast viewing windows to provide superb game watching, all from the comfort of the lodge. Keep an eye out for your first glimpse of elephant on your way in. After settling into our rooms there is ample time to head to one of the viewing areas or down to the bunker to quietly watch the floodlit waterhole which attracts a host of wildlife including elephant, buffalo, monkey, warthog, baboon and on occasions hyena. There is also a wonderful range of forest birds to be spotted including hornbill, wagtail and giant kingfisher. Before dinner at the lodge, there will be an informal talk on the local flora and fauna and the wildlife that inhabit the Aberdare National Park.

Going to bed early does not mean missing the action either. During the night the resident ranger stays on watch and will buzz your room if an interesting animal comes to the waterhole with one ring for elephant, two for rhino, three for leopard and four for other unusual sightings. You're free to turn the buzzer off if you would rather have a full night's sleep.

Today is a longer travelling day driving to Nakuru, a journey of around four hours. En route we stop at the striking Thompson Falls on the Ewaso Ng\ iro river. The waters originate on the western slopes of Mount Kenya and descend over a seventy-meter waterfall just outside the town of Nyahururu.

Continuing to Nakuru, we break for lunch at a local restaurant offering a Nyama Choma barbeque, a traditional meat dish from Kenya. Typically comprising of goat meat, beef or lamb, complemented with several vegetarian dishes, the origin of the dish traces back to the nomadic Maasai people. The meats are slow roasted over a moderate heat to allow the full flavours to develop.

After lunch, we head into Nakuru National Park to Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, our base for the next two nights.

We maximise our time today to ensure we make the most of game drive opportunities in Nakuru National Park. Rising early before breakfast, we head out in 4x4 Land Cruiser safari vehicles, accompanied by our safari guides, on the lookout for both white rhino and the endangered black rhino. Sightings, whilst never guaranteed, are very likely at Nakuru National Park. It is not unheard of to see a dozen rhino in a day.

Lions and leopards are often seen, although rarely on open ground. The park hosts herds of buffalo, zebra and giraffe, as well as flocks of striking pink flamingo on the lake, although the latter do move between lakes in the Great Rift Valley, so may not be seen at Nakuru and numbers have been in decline following flooding in 2012.

Returning to our lodge for a late breakfast as the day starts to heat up, the hottest part of the day is spent at leisure at our camp, offering the chance of a siesta, a dip in the pool, relaxation time reading a book or birdwatching. Our afternoon activity departs after tea, usually around 4pm, to return in the early evening. Game drives will vary depending on sightings and animal activity. There is the option for sundowner drinks in the park this evening, see the budgeting section for more details.

Bidding Nakuru farewell, it's a five-hour drive to the world-famous Maasai Mara game reserve. Our journey takes us across the floor of the Rift Valley and then up and over the Mau Escarpment, travelling through open bushland interspersed with rural villages and farming communities. The major settlement on our journey is the bustling and colourful market town of Narok, a major trading post full of market stalls selling fresh vegetables and fruit as well as livestock.

We arrive in the Mara (as it is known by locals) early in the afternoon in time for a late lunch. Our lodge for the next three nights is located along the Talek River, at the confluence of the Maasai Mara's four wildlife viewing areas, on the northern boundary of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Afternoon game drives depart around 3.30pm and return at as the sun goes down, after which there is time to freshen up and meet for a drink at the bar before dinner. Dinner is usually a set menu with seasonal fresh produce sourced from around Kenya, served in the well-appointed restaurant. After dinner we can retire to sit around a roaring fire to relive highlights of the day and admire the amazing stars of the African night sky.

Covering an area of 1,500 square kilometres, the Maasai Mara hosts one of the largest concentrations of animals anywhere in the world. The wildlife is prolific any time of year, but during the months between August and October, huge herds of wildebeest and zebra migrate into the Mara from the adjacent Serengeti National Park, in search of fresh grasses that flourish after the rains, often pursued by predators such as hyena, lion and cheetah.

We will embark on two game drives today, one in the early morning and one mid-afternoon, with time in between at our comfortable lodge for taking a dip in the swimming pool or reading a book.

Remaining in the Maasai Mara for a third day, we drive further into the national reserve. Depending on sightings, our safari guides will generally spend the maximum time on game drives, trying to cover as large an area as possible. The result of this is that you'll get the best chances of seeing a variety of wildlife.

The Mara hosts an abundance of mammals including lion, elephant and wildebeest as well as numerous antelope species from eland, hartebeest, bushbuck, gazelle to impala and waterbuck to name but a few along. For keen birdwatchers there is an astonishing variety of birds to spot. Be sure to keep an eye on soaring vultures and eagles on the lookout for a recent kill.

After an early breakfast we drive back to Nairobi, a journey of around five hours. We will make a stop at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) to bid farewell to guests departing the tour at this point, before continuing to Tamarind Tree Hotel some thirty minutes from the airport. The rest of the day is free to relax by the pool or explore Nairobi.

An early start today as we head to Nairobi's new termini train station to board a train to Voi, the gateway to Tsavo National Park. Opened in 2017, the journey takes four hours. Travelling at speeds of up to 120 kph, the modern train is air conditioned, offers a buffet service and a lounge car exclusively for first class passengers on board and charging points for phones. There is also always the chance you'll spot wildlife from the comfort of your seat along the way.

On arrival in Voi, we will be met and transferred directly to the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, our home for the next three nights. The Tsavo Conservation Area is split into an East and a West National Park, divided by the main road between Nairobi and Mombasa on the coast, and it stretches all the way to the Tanzanian border. In total the conservation area makes up nearly half of Kenya's protected land.

The comfortable Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge features stunning views of the Chyulu Hills, a volcanic range of rugged wilderness. The property is adjacent to a waterhole, which its main restaurant and bar overlooks, offering great views of wildlife heading down to the waterhole for a drink. Rooms are situated in the landscaped gardens. The lodge offers free wi-fi, a swimming pool and is a great base in which to head out into the park.

Over the next two days we'll head out to explore the surrounding area of the Tsavo West National Park using purpose built safari vehicles, on daily morning and afternoon game drives, with plenty of time to relax back at the lodge in between.

You are welcome to dip in and out of the scheduled drives as you wish. Early morning game drives generally leave the lodge around 6.30am, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures to maximize game viewing, and return approximately three hours later when you will have breakfast.

Afternoon game drives depart around 3.30pm and return at sunset, after which you can freshen up and gather for pre-dinner drinks. All meals are included at the lodge.

A further full day in Tsavo West National Park in search of game. The park hosts over 500 species of birdlife and a rich eco system with areas of savanna grassland, semi arid acacia woodland and the highlands of the Chyulu Hills. All the 'Big 5' can be found within the park and around 40% of Kenya's elephant population live within the wider Tsavo Conservation Area.

After an early breakfast we drive to Voi station and board the 0955 train back to Nairobi, arriving just after 2pm. The earliest recommended flight departure time is 6pm. For those with flights departing after 8pm we will head to the Tamarind Tree Hotel to freshen up and rest before heading to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) where the trip ends.